Transit-coordinated local search

• US 7,571,050 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2006
• Issued: 08/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Liebling, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli; Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US11/391,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20070225903A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,226 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3611 using character input or menus, e.g. menus of POIs character input methods in general G06F3/0233
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096866 where the complete route is shown to the driver
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA

Abstract

Various embodiments can provide helpful information to a user who is looking for a particular point of interest. In at least some embodiments, first and second searches are conducted. The first search uses a local search provider and produces results which describe one or more points of interest relative to a location, such as a user'"'"'s current location. Each point of interest can be associated with a destination location to which the user would like to travel. The second search uses a so-called transit route provider and utilizes the results of the first search to plan a transit route between the location and one or more of the respective destination locations.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

conducting a first search at a computing device configured to provide transit coordinated local search results, wherein the results of the first search describe a plurality of points of interest relative to a location provided by a user of the computing device, the plurality of points of interest being associated with respective destination locations and the location being different from a current location of the user of the computing device;

conducting a second search at the computing device, that utilizes the results of the first search to provide a plurality of mass transportation public transit routes to each of the plurality of points of interest; and

providing the plurality of mass transportation public transit routes to a display of the computing device, wherein the plurality of mass transportation public transit routes provided to the display are sorted based on specified criteria.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a local search provider embodied locally on the computing device conducts the first search and a transit route provider embodied locally on the computing device conducts the second search.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein access locations of the plurality of mass transportation public transit routes are provided to the display.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the criteria includes number of transfers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein departure times for the plurality of mass transportation public transit routes are provided to the display.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sorting is based, at least in part, on real time information that pertains to the mass transportation public transit routes.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one criterion pertains to the time to travel from the location to a particular destination location using a particular mass transportation public transit route of the plurality of mass transportation public transit routes.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein one criterion pertains to the distance from the location to a particular destination location.

9. One or more computer-readable storage media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, implement the method of claim 1.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device includes a desktop computer, a portable computer, a handheld computer, a personal digital assistant, or a cell phone.

11. One or more computer-readable storage media comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform acts comprising:

receiving results of a first search, via the Internet, wherein the results of the first search describe one or more points of interest relative to a current location, individual points of interest being associated with respective destination locations;

conducting a second search that utilizes the results of the first search to plan a plurality of mass transportation public transit routes between the current location and each of the one or more of the respective destination locations;

sorting the plurality of mass transportation public transit routes for each of the one or more of the respective destination locations in accordance with pre-determined criteria; and

providing the plurality of mass transportation public transit routes for each of the one or more of the respective destination locations to a computing device that initiated the first search.

12. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 11, wherein the sorting is based, at least in part, on real time information that is received and pertains to the plurality of mass transportation public transit routes.

13. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 12, wherein said sorting uses at least one criterion that pertains to the time to travel from the current location to a particular destination location using a mass transportation public transit route.

14. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 12, wherein said sorting uses at least one criterion that pertains to the distance from the current location to a particular destination location.

15. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 11, wherein the plurality of mass transportation public transit routes are provided to the computing device via a network.

16. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 11, wherein the results of the first search are received from an Internet search provider.

17. A system comprising:

a computer; and

one or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to;

conduct a first search, via the Internet, using a local search provider, wherein results of the first search describe one or more points of interest relative to a current location, the one or more points of interest being associated with respective destination locations;

conduct a second search, via the Internet, using a transit route provider wherein the second search utilizes the results from the first search to plan a plurality of mass transportation public transit routes between the current location and each of the one or more respective destination locations; and

sort one or more of the plurality of mass transportation public transit routes associated with each of the one or more respective destination locations in accordance with pre-determined criteria.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said sorting is based, at least in part, on real time information that is received and which pertains to the plurality of mass transportation public transit routes.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein one criterion pertains to the time to travel from the current location to a particular destination location using a particular mass transportation public transit route.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of mass transportation public transit routes include a bus route, a subway route, or a shuttle service route.