Method and apparatus for generating and displaying tourist maps

• US 8,954,860 B1
• Filed: 08/27/2012
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Hands, Brent Alexander, Wilson, Marc Peter Tarca
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Amy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Casillas, Roland
• Application Number:
  US13/595,853
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• Field of Search: 715/738, 701/450
• US Class Current: 715/738
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods

Abstract

A computer-implemented method and system may modify categories for points of interest (POIs) for display on a map at a client computing device based on a bias value corresponding to a classification of a user. A system may receive interaction events from client computing devices. The interaction events may each include an indication of a user interaction with a POI displayed on a digital map at a client computing device and each POI may include a category and a default zoom level. Using a user'"'"'s location data, the system and method may classify the user based on the user'"'"'s familiarity with an area surrounding the interaction event POI and assign a numerical bias to POIs that include the category of each interaction event POI. Subsequent requests for mapping data may then return categories of POIs according to the type of user sending the request based on the bias value.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for modifying a category of points of interest (POIs) for display on a digital map at a client computing device based on a bias value corresponding to a user classification, the method comprising:

receiving an interaction event sent from a plurality of first client computing devices via a computer network, wherein the interaction event includes an interaction event POI from the plurality of POIs that are displayed on the digital map at the plurality of first client computing devices, each of the plurality of first client computing devices includes user profile data, and each POI includes a category and a default zoom level;

comparing the user profile data to an area of the digital map surrounding the interaction event POI, wherein the user profile data includes one or more of a preferred geographic location, a current address, and a social network profile;

determining the user classification of the first client computing device for the interaction event, wherein the user classification indicates a degree of familiarity with the area of the digital map surrounding the POI for an originator of the interaction event and the user classification is based on the comparison of the user profile data to the area of the digital map surrounding the interaction event POI;

assigning a numerical bias to each POI that includes the category of each interaction event POI, wherein the numerical bias includes a bias value and the determined user classification of the first client computing device for the interaction event;

subsequently receiving a request for mapping data from a second client computing device, the request including;

     1) a request for one or more POIs that were assigned the numerical bias,

     2) a request zoom level, and

     3) a user classification of the second client computing device, wherein the user classification of the second computing device corresponds to at least one user classification for POIs that were assigned the numerical bias;

calculating a rank for the POIs that satisfy the request, the rank based on both the bias value for each POI that satisfies the request and the user classification of the second client computing device associated with the subsequently received request;

modifying the default zoom level of one or more POIs that satisfy the request to the request zoom level based on the calculated rank; and

sending the requested mapping data to the second client computing device in response to the subsequent request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the interaction event includes one or more of a user selection of a POI displayed at a client computing device, a user selection of one or more POI listings on a search result interface of the digital map, and a user search query associated with a displayed POI.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the POI category includes a plurality of types to group POIs, each POI including one or more type, the plurality of types including business, restaurant, pizza restaurant, restaurant chain, shopping center, retail store, landmark, park, and university.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the user classification includes comparing the user'"'"'s current location or the area of the digital map surrounding the POI of the interaction event to user profile data, the user profile data including one or more of data indicating a degree of familiarity of the user for areas of the digital map, the user'"'"'s preferred geographic locations, and the user'"'"'s current address.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the user classification includes tourist or local.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning the numerical bias further includes determining a number of interaction events for each POI category per user classification for all interaction event POIs.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the numerical bias is indicative of the number.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the client computing device is configured to display POIs that were assigned a numerical bias corresponding to the user classification associated with the requested zoom level that is higher than the default zoom level for the POIs that were assigned a numerical bias.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the POIs each include a plurality of categories and assigning the numerical bias further includes determining an average bias of all categories corresponding to each POI.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the POIs include a plurality of categories and assigning the numerical bias further includes determining a maximum category score of all POI categories.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the requested mapping data further includes sending POI data for POIs that were assigned a numerical bias including a POI bias value that exceeds a threshold value.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein modifying the default zoom level further comprises modifying the default zoom level for each POI of the request that includes the POI bias value over the threshold value.

13. A computer-implemented method for receiving modified point of interest (POI) data at a client computing device in response to a request for mapping data to display POIs that are most relevant to a classification of the user sending the request, the method comprising:

sending a plurality of interaction events, each one of the interaction events sent from one of a plurality of first client computing devices to a remote mapping system via a computer network, wherein each interaction event includes an interaction event POI corresponding to a POI that is displayed on a digital map at the plurality of first client computing devices, each of the plurality of first client computing devices includes user profile data, and each POI includes a category and a default zoom level;

for each interaction event, sending location data corresponding to the user profile data from each of the plurality of first client computing devices to the remote mapping system via the computer network, wherein the sent location data includes one or more of a preferred geographic location, a current address, and a social network profile;

subsequently sending a request for mapping data from a second client computing device to the remote mapping system via the computer network, the request including;

     1) a request zoom level,

     2) a map area including one or more interaction event POIs, and

     3) a user classification of the second client computing device for the interaction event POIs;

receiving the requested mapping data at the second client computing device from the remote mapping system via the computer network in response to the request, wherein the received mapping data includes one or more POIs that were assigned a numerical bias, each numerical bias includes the request zoom level and a bias value corresponding to both the POI category and the user classification of the second client computing device sending the request; and

displaying the received POIs that were assigned the numerical bias at the second client computing device, wherein each displayed POI that was assigned the numerical bias includes a bias value over a threshold value;

wherein the user classification of the second client computing device indicates a degree of familiarity with the map area including one or more interaction event POIs and is based on a comparison of user profile data corresponding to the second client computing device to the map area including the one or more interaction event POIs.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein each displayed POI that was assigned a numerical bias includes a user classification that matches the user classification for the user of the second client computing device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein displaying the POIs that were assigned a numerical bias includes calculating a rank for each POI that was assigned a numerical bias based on each POI bias value.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of interaction events includes one or more of a user selection of a POI displayed at a first client computing device, a user selection of one or more POI listings on a search result interface of the digital map, and a user search query associated with a displayed POI.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the displayed POI category includes a plurality of types to group POIs, each POI including one or more type, the plurality of types including business, restaurant, pizza restaurant, restaurant chain, shopping center, retail store, landmark, park, and university.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining the user classification for each interaction event.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein determining the user classification includes comparing the location data corresponding to the client computing device or an area of the digital map surrounding the POI of the interaction event to the user profile data, the user profile data including one or more of data indicating a degree of familiarity of the user for areas of the digital map, the user'"'"'s preferred geographic locations, and the user'"'"'s current address, wherein the user classification includes tourist or local.

20. A computer system for modifying a category of points of interest (POIs) for display on a digital map at a client computing device based on a bias for a type of user classification, the system comprising one or more processors and one or more memories to execute the instructions of:

a point of interest bias system in communication with a memory storing instructions for execution on a processor of the point of interest bias system, the instructions to;

receive an interaction event sent from a plurality of first client computing devices via a computer network, wherein the interaction event includes an interaction event POI from the plurality of POIs that are displayed on the digital map at the plurality of first client computing devices, each of the plurality of first client computing devices includes user profile data, and each POI includes a category and a default zoom level;

compare the user profile data to an area of the digital map surrounding the interaction event POI, wherein the user profile data includes one or more of a preferred geographic location, a current address, and a social network profile;

determine a user classification of the first client computing device corresponding to the interaction event, wherein the user classification indicates a degree of familiarity with the area of the digital map surrounding the POI for an originator of the interaction event and the user classification is based on the comparison of the user profile data to the area of the digital map surrounding the interaction event; and

assign a numerical bias to each POI that includes the category of each interaction event POI, wherein the numerical bias includes a bias value and the determined a user classification of the first client computing device for the interaction event;

a mapping system in communication with a memory storing instructions for execution on a processor of the mapping system, the instructions to;

subsequently receive a request for mapping data from a second client computing device, the request including

     1) a request for one or more POIs that were assigned the numerical bias,

     2) a request zoom level, and

     3) a user classification of the second client computing device, wherein the user classification of the second computing device corresponds to at least one user classification for POIs that were assigned the numerical bias;

calculate a rank for the POIs that satisfy the request, the rank based on the bias value for each POI that satisfies the request and the user classification of the second client computing device associated with the subsequently received request;

modify the default zoom level of one or more POIs that satisfy the request to the request zoom level based on the calculated rank; and

send the requested mapping data to the second client computing device in response to the subsequent request.