Multiple directions to a destination without providing a specific origin

• US 8,688,371 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cheung, Matthew, Couckuyt, Jeffrey D., Jansen, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafi, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US13/241,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20120016583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 701400-541, 340988-996
• US Class Current: 701/410
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3453 Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments

Abstract

The automatic generation of multiple sets of directions for navigating geographically to a specific destination without specification of an origin. Based on the destination, candidate roads or other transportation conduits are selected for analysis. Candidate meta-departure points are analyzed and selected along the roads based on distribution about the destination, cardinal directions relative to the destination, road metadata, distance to the destination, driving time, and other factors. The number of departure points generated to represent routes to the destination from the several logical cardinal directions is minimized. The generated departure points also represent routes that a majority of people would likely take to the destination. Additionally, the generated departure points originate from places that users are likely to be familiar with and can get to without additional guidance. The final instruction sets for navigating to the destination are presented along with a map that identified the departure points.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of providing navigation instructions, comprising acts of:

receiving destination information associated with a destination;

searching for candidate meta-departure points relative to the destination without knowledge of a starting location;

selecting final meta-departure locations from the candidate meta-departure points;

generating instruction sets associated with the final meta-departure points;

presenting the instruction sets, the instruction sets include directions for navigating geographically from the final meta-departure points to the destination; and

utilizing a processor that executes instructions stored in memory to perform at least one of the acts of receiving, searching, selecting, generating or presenting.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting a graphical representation of a map that depicts transportation routes related to the destination and identifiers for the final meta-departure points relative to the transportation routes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting is performed via the processor and ins hides processing a cost function.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising sorting and ranking the candidate meta-departure points to determine the final meta-departure points.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting threshold criteria related to road selection based on distance and driving time.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing a mad and road metadata as a possible transportation route between the destination and a final meta-departure point.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising searching for candidate meta-departure points based on an increasing distance from the destination.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising minimizing a number of candidate meta-departure points along a selected mute based on transportation routes of a region and a likelihood that a majority of users in that region would use the transportation routes.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying candidate meta-departure points proximate a fixed distance from the destination and analyzing roads from the candidate meta-departure points inward to the destination as routes for which the instruction sets are generated and presented.

10. A computer-implemented navigation system comprising:

an input component configured to receive destination information associated with a destination;

an analysis component configured to

search for candidate meta-departure points relative to the destination independent of without knowledge of a starting location, and

select final meta-departure locations from the candidate meta-departure points;

a routing component configured to generate instruction sets associated with the final meta-departure points; and

presenting the instruction sets, the instruction sets include directions for navigating geographically from the final meta-departure points to the destination.

11. One or more computer readable memory devices that store executable instructions that when implemented execute a method of providing navigation instructions, the method comprising:

receiving destination information associated with a destination;

searching for candidate meta-departure points relative to the destination without knowledge of a starting location;

selecting final meta-departure locations from the candidate meta-departure points;

generating instruction sets associated with the final meta-departure points; and

presenting the instruction sets, the instruction sets include directions for navigating geographically from the final meta-departure points to the destination.

12. The one or more computer readable memory devices of claim 11, wherein the selecting is based on one or more locations that are likely to be familiar to a user.