Pedestrian route production

• US 8,090,532 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2007
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Tashev, Ivan J., Couckuyt, Jeffrey D., Black, Neil W., Krumm, John C., Panabaker, Ruston, Seltzer, Michael Lewis
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith, Jack
• Assistant Examiner(s): TISSOT, ADAM D
• Application Number:
  US11/957,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20090157302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,481 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/201, 701/208, 701/211, 701/213, 340/991, 340/993, 340/990, 340/995, 364/443, 364/444, 364/449
• US Class Current: 701/206
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising

Abstract

As a pedestrian travels, various difficulties can be encountered, such as traveling through an unsafe neighborhood or being in an open area that is subject to harsh temperatures. A route can be developed for a person taking into account factors that specifically affect a pedestrian. Moreover, the route can alter as a situation of a user changes; for instance, if a user wants to add a stop along a route.

Claims

1. Computer storage media having embodied thereon computer-useable instructions that, when executed, implement a system, the system comprising:

a search component that locates at least one information source, retains pedestrian history from a plurality of pedestrians and addresses of at least one information source that has a history of providing reliable information, identifies low quality information sources that do not provide information used in route generation, and blocks information obtainment for the low quality information sources;

a gather component that obtains information related to pedestrian travel including security information, weather information, and terrain information, wherein the gather component obtains the information from the at least one located information source;

an artificial intelligence component that makes at least one inference regarding a route based on a previous pedestrian behavior;

a filter component that determines, based on the at least one inference, the information that is likely relevant and deletes information that is commonly of little value in part through examination of previously produced routes;

an analysis component that determines an importance of the information to a user, estimates how likely the information is to change, and chooses if the user should reach a destination through a pedestrian route and/or through a conventional route;

a generation component that obtains the information from the gather component and produces a direction set for use by a pedestrian based at least part upon the obtained information; and

a resolution component that resolves a conflict between an information source with a financial interest and an information source without a financial interest and instructs the generation component to produce the direction set based upon the information source that does not have a financial interest in providing the direction set.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein a substantial portion of the direction set takes a user along a route that is not maneuverable by an automobile.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a disclosure component that provides the direction set to the pedestrian.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a metadata component that modifies information provided with the direction set based upon contextual information, pedestrian request, pedestrian history, or a combination thereof, the contextual information, pedestrian request, pedestrian history, or a combination thereof is obtained by the gather component, the disclosure component provides the direction set with modified information to the pedestrian.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a transaction component that performs a reward operation in relation to information obtainment or direction set production, wherein the reward operation rewards the pedestrian, an advertisement hosting service, a provider, or any combination thereof.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising an advertisement component that integrates a commercial detail with a direction set.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising an interaction component for collecting information concerning routes of other people and using the route information to update the direction set in real-time.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the direction set includes a portion where a user travels in a natural manner and a portion where the user travels as a passenger.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein at least part of the portion where the user travels as a passenger employs the user being a passenger upon public transportation.

7. Computer storage media having embodied thereon computer-useable instructions that, when executed, perform a method, the method comprising:

collecting a request from a pedestrian that a route includes a waypoint to a general location;

locating at least one information source, retaining pedestrian history from a plurality of pedestrians and addresses of at least one information source that has a history of providing reliable information, identifying low quality information sources that do not provide information used in route generation, and blocking information obtainment for the low quality information sources;

obtaining information related to pedestrian travel including security information, weather information, and terrain information, wherein the gather component obtains the information from the at least one located information source;

making at least one inference regarding a route based on a previous pedestrian behavior;

determining, based on the at least one inference, the information that is likely relevant and deleting information that is commonly of little value in part through examination of previously produced routes;

determining an importance of the information to a user, estimating how likely the information is to change, and choosing if the user should reach the destination through pedestrian route and/or through a conventional route;

resolving conflicts between an information source with a financial interest and an information source without a financial interest and producing a direction set based upon the information source that does not have a financial interest in providing the direction set;

collecting information concerning routes of other people; and

using the collected information to update the pedestrian-based route in real time.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a considerable portion of the route takes the pedestrian along at least one path that is not maneuverable by an automobile.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising evaluating the request from a pedestrian that a route include a waypoint to a general location.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising establishing at least one specific location.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising choosing at least one specific location for inclusion in the pedestrian based route from at least one established specific location.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising analyzing at least one available path, at least one analyzed path is at least part of the pedestrian-based route and takes the user to the specific location.