Portable navigation device point of interest selection based on store open probability

• US 8,204,675 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2009
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NNG LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bansal, Ravi Prakash, Marzorati, Mauro, O'Connell, Brian Marshall, Walker, Keith Raymond
• Primary Examiner(s): Najarian, Lena
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woods, Teresa
• Application Number:
  US12/409,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20100250118A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,183 Days
• Field of Search: 701/204, 705/2, 705/3, 705/7.25, 340/825.72
• US Class Current: 701/465
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network

Abstract

A probability that a selected point of interest is accessible to customers for commercial transactions is determined. In response to receiving a mailing address of a selected candidate point of interest and a calculated estimated time of arrival, it is determined whether the mailing address of the selected candidate point of interest is stored in a data storage device. In response to determining that the mailing address of the selected candidate point of interest is stored in the data storage device, a percentage probability that the selected candidate point of interest is accessible to customers for commercial transactions at the calculated estimated time of arrival is assigned based on utility usage data and a confidence level associated with the utility usage data stored in the data storage device. The percentage probability that the selected candidate point of interest is accessible to customers for commercial transactions is sent via the network.

Claims

1. A method in a navigation system for determining a probability that a point of interest is accessible to customers for commercial transactions at an estimated time of arrival, the method comprising the steps of:

responsive to receiving a mailing address of a selected candidate point of interest and a calculated estimated time of arrival at the selected candidate point of interest from a portable navigation device via a network, determining by a server device an identification of a utility metering device at the selected candidate point of interest based on the received mailing address;

determining by the server device whether the utility metering device at the selected candidate point of interest provides utility usage data telemetry;

responsive to determining that the utility metering device at the selected candidate point of interest does not provide utility usage data telemetry, determining by the server device an identification of a neighboring utility metering device near the selected candidate point of interest based on the received mailing address;

determining by the server device whether the neighboring utility metering device near the selected candidate point of interest provides utility usage data telemetry;

responsive to determining that the neighboring utility metering device near the selected candidate point of interest does provide utility usage data telemetry, requesting by the server device utility usage data from the neighboring utility metering device near the selected candidate point of interest via the network;

receiving by the server device the utility usage data from the neighboring utility metering device near the selected candidate point of interest via the network;

assigning by the server device a confidence level value to the utility usage data received from the neighboring utility metering device near the selected candidate point of interest; and

storing by the server device the utility usage data received from the neighboring utility metering device in a data storage device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining by the server device whether the mailing address of the selected candidate point of interest is stored in the data storage device;

responsive to determining that the mailing address of the selected candidate point of interest is stored in the data storage device, assigning by the server device a percentage probability that the selected candidate point of interest is accessible to customers for commercial transactions at the calculated estimated time of arrival based on the utility usage data received from the neighboring utility metering device and the confidence level value assigned to the utility usage data received from the neighboring utility metering device, wherein the confidence level value weights the utility usage data; and

sending by the server device the percentage probability that the selected candidate point of interest is accessible to customers for commercial transactions at the calculated estimated time of arrival to the portable navigation device via the network.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

responsive to determining that the mailing address of the selected candidate point of interest is not stored in the data storage device, assigning by the server device a zero percent probability that the selected candidate point of interest is accessible to customers for commercial transactions at the calculated estimated time of arrival.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable navigation device is one of a global positioning system unit, a personal digital assistant, or a cellular telephone.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the utility usage data received from the neighboring utility metering device indicates an amount of usage of one or more utilities by a particular point of interest, and wherein the one or more utilities are at least one of an electric utility and a gas utility.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data storage device stores temperature data for the selected candidate point of interest, and wherein the temperature data is obtained from a temperature measuring device at the selected candidate point of interest via the network.

7. A computer system for determining a probability that a point of interest is accessible to customers for commercial transactions at an estimated time of arrival, the computer system comprising:

one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, and one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, to determine an identification of a utility metering device at a selected candidate point of interest based on a received mailing address in response to receiving the mailing address of the selected candidate point of interest and a calculated estimated time of arrival at the selected candidate point of interest from a portable navigation device via a network;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, to determine whether the utility metering device at the selected candidate point of interest provides utility usage data telemetry;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, to determine an identification of a neighboring utility metering device near the selected candidate point of interest based on the received mailing address in response to determining that the utility metering device at the selected candidate point of interest does not provide utility usage data telemetry;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, to determine whether the neighboring utility metering device near the selected candidate point of interest provides utility usage data telemetry;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, to request the utility usage data from the neighboring utility metering device near the selected candidate point of interest via the network in response to determining that the neighboring utility metering device near the selected candidate point of interest does provide utility usage data telemetry;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, to receive the utility usage data from the neighboring utility metering device near the selected candidate point of interest via the network;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, to assign a confidence level value to the utility usage data received from the neighboring utility metering device near the selected candidate point of interest; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, to store the utility usage data received from the neighboring utility metering device in a data storage device.

8. The computer system of claim 7, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, to determine whether the mailing address of the selected candidate point of interest is stored in the data storage device;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, to assign a percentage probability that the selected candidate point of interest is accessible to customers for commercial transactions at the calculated estimated time of arrival based on the utility usage data received from the neighboring utility metering device and the confidence level value assigned to the utility usage data received from the neighboring utility metering device in response to determining that the mailing address of the selected candidate point of interest is stored in the data storage device, wherein the confidence level value weights the utility usage data; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, to send the percentage probability that the selected candidate point of interest is accessible to customers for commercial transactions at the calculated estimated time of arrival to the portable navigation device via the network.

9. The computer system of claim 8, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, to assign a zero percent probability that the selected candidate point of interest is accessible to customers for commercial transactions at the calculated estimated time of arrival in response to determining that the mailing address of the selected candidate point of interest is not stored in the data storage device.

10. A computer program product for determining a probability that a selected point of interest is accessible to customers for commercial transactions at an estimated time of arrival, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to determine an identification of a utility metering device at a selected candidate point of interest based on a received mailing address in response to receiving the mailing address of the selected candidate point of interest and a calculated estimated time of arrival at the selected candidate point of interest from a portable navigation device via a network;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to determine whether the utility metering device at the selected candidate point of interest provides utility usage data telemetry;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to determine an identification of a neighboring utility metering device near the selected candidate point of interest based on the received mailing address in response to determining that the utility metering device at the selected candidate point of interest does not provide utility usage data telemetry;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to determine whether the neighboring utility metering device near the selected candidate point of interest provides utility usage data telemetry;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to request the utility usage data from the neighboring utility metering device near the selected candidate point of interest via the network in response to determining that the neighboring utility metering device near the selected candidate point of interest does provide utility usage data telemetry;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to receive the utility usage data from the neighboring utility metering device near the selected candidate point of interest via the network;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to assign a confidence level value to the utility usage data received from the neighboring utility metering device near the selected candidate point of interest; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to store the utility usage data received from the neighboring utility metering device in a data storage device.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to determine whether the mailing address of the selected candidate point of interest is stored in the data storage device;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to assign a percentage probability that the selected candidate point of interest is accessible to customers for commercial transactions at the calculated estimated time of arrival based on the utility usage data received from the neighboring utility metering device and the confidence level value assigned to the utility usage data received from the neighboring utility metering device, wherein the confidence level value weights the utility usage data; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to send the percentage probability that the selected candidate point of interest is accessible to customers for commercial transactions at the calculated estimated time of arrival to the portable navigation device via the network.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising:

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, to assign a zero percent probability that the selected candidate point of interest is accessible to customers for commercial transactions at the calculated estimated time of arrival in response to determining that the mailing address of the selected candidate point of interest is not stored in the data storage device.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the portable navigation device is one of a global positioning system unit, a personal digital assistant, or a cellular telephone.

14. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the utility usage data received from the neighboring utility metering device indicates an amount of usage of one or more utilities by a particular point of interest, and wherein the one or more utilities are at least one of an electric utility and a gas utility.

15. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the data storage device stores temperature data for the selected candidate point of interest, and wherein the temperature data is obtained from a temperature measuring device at the selected candidate point of interest via the network.