Method and system for geographic search for public transportation commuters

• US 8,600,659 B1
• Filed: 08/01/2011
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Scherzinger, Steffi
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US13/195,763
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 701/25, 701/400, 701/411, 701/412, 701/414, 701/420, 701/522, 701/532, 701/410, 701/426, 701/428, 701/438, 701/450
• US Class Current: 701/400
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence

Abstract

Systems, methods, and machine-readable media for identifying points of interest are provided. The system may include an interface module, a route module, a search module, and a rank module. The interface module may be configured to receive a request to identify points of interest along a travel route, the request including a predetermined distance and a search term. The route module may be configured to obtain, from a database, a set of travel decision nodes along the travel route. The search module may be configured to perform, for each travel decision node in the set of travel decision nodes, a search for points of interest within the predetermined distance of the travel decision node based on the search term. The rank module may be configured to prioritize the points of interest identified by the search. After the points of interest are prioritized, the interface module may output the prioritized points of interest.

Claims

1. A method for identifying points of interest along a public transportation route, the method comprising:

receiving a request to identify points of interest along a public transportation route, the request comprising a set of search parameters;

querying a public transportation database for a plurality of public transportation stops along the public transportation route;

identifying a set of nodes along the public transportation route, wherein each node in the set of nodes is a public transportation stop in the plurality of transportation stops;

performing, using a processor, a search for points of interest based on the set of search parameters, each of the points of interest within a predetermined distance of a node in the set of nodes; and

outputting the points of interest identified by the search.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of search parameters includes at least one of a search term and a distance within which to search.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising ranking the points of interest identified by the search.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein ranking each point of interest identified by the search is based on a distance from the point of interest to a node in the set of nodes.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein ranking each point of interest identified by the search is based on a distance from the point of interest to one of either a route starting point or a route ending point.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein ranking each point of interest identified by the search is based on whether a node in the set of nodes is a route transition point.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein ranking a point of interest within a predetermined distance of a node is based on a frequency of service for the node.

8. A system for identifying points of interest along a public transportation route, the system comprising:

an interface module configured to receive a request to identify points of interest along a public transportation route, the request comprising a predetermined distance and a search term;

a route module configured to;

query a public transportation database for a plurality of public transportation stops along the public transportation route;

identify a set of nodes along the public transportation route, wherein each node in the set of nodes is a public transportation stop in the plurality of transportation stops;

a search module configured to perform, for each node in the set of nodes, a search for points of interest within the predetermined distance of the node based on the search term;

a rank module configured to prioritize the points of interest identified by the search; and

wherein the interface module is further configured to output the prioritized points of interest.

9. The system of claim 8, where at least one node along the travel route is a route transition point.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the rank module is configured to rank each point of interest identified by the search based on a distance from the point of interest to a node in the set of nodes.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the rank module is configured to rank each point of interest identified by the search based on whether a node in the set of nodes is a route transition point.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the rank module is configured to rank a point of interest within a predetermined distance of a node based a frequency of service for the node.

13. A machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request to identify points of interest along a public transportation route, the request comprising a set of search parameters;

querying a public transportation database for a plurality of public transportation stops along the public transportation route;

identifying a set of nodes along the public transportation route, wherein each node in the set of nodes is a public transportation stop in the plurality of transportation stops; and

for each node in the set of nodes, identifying points of interest that conform to the set of search parameters and are within a predetermined distance of the node.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising ranking the identified points of interest.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising outputting the identified points of interest.