Cost based navigation

• US 9,008,888 B1
• Filed: 08/02/2011
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gravino, Douglas David, Poffenberger, Michael Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMBY, RICHARD M
• Application Number:
  US13/196,616
• Time in Patent Office: 1,351 Days
• Field of Search: 701/409, 701/410, 701/412, 701/425, 701/426, 701/430, 701/438, 701/468
• US Class Current: 701/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3476 using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence

Abstract

Determination of a most efficient intermediate destination while traveling toward a primary destination is provided. With respect to its effect on the primary destination, the most efficient intermediate destination such as a fast-food restaurant, gas station, ATM, etc., may be determined. The navigation system may search in a user-defined radius for all intermediate destinations and present the deviation costs associated with each destination thereby allowing the user to choose the most efficient option. The deviation costs may be determined by the navigation system with respect to user preferences for minimizing time, minimizing distance, minimizing fuel consumption, restaurant preferences, and the like, and their impact on the primary destination arrival time.

Claims

1. A method for providing cost-based navigation, the method comprising:

receiving user preference data;

generating a route from a starting point to a primary destination;

receiving search criteria for one or more intermediate points of interest;

identifying one or more intermediate points of interest based on the received search criteria;

retrieving data associated with each of the one or more identified intermediate points of interest;

calculating a route deviation cost associated with each of the one or more identified intermediate points of interest, each route deviation cost being calculated between one of the identified intermediate points of interest and the route intermediate the starting point and the primary destination;

calculating a total cost associated with each of the one or more identified intermediate points of interest, each total cost being calculated along the route from the starting point and including the calculated route deviation cost associated with a respective one of the identified intermediate points of interest;

filtering the one or more identified intermediate points of interest according to at least one of the route deviation costs and the total costs of each of the one or more identified intermediate points of interest;

presenting the filtered identified intermediate points of interest.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the route deviation costs factors in user preference data as cost penalties.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein factoring in user preference data as cost penalties includes factoring in data associated with a user'"'"'s preferences associated with a point of interest including one or more of a brand preference, a feature preference, or a type preference.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein factoring in user preference data as cost penalties includes factoring in data associated with a user'"'"'s preferences associated with travel to a point of interest including one or more of a user'"'"'s preference to minimize travel time, to minimize travel distance, or to minimize fuel consumption, a user'"'"'s road type preference, or a user'"'"'s traffic flow preference.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying one or more possible alternative routes to the primary destination.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising calculating the deviation cost associated with a deviation to each of the one or more identified intermediate points of interest along the one or more identified possible alternative routes to the primary destination.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving user preference data includes receiving preference data input by a user and gleaning preference data from user interaction data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving data associated with each of the one or more identified intermediate points of interest includes retrieving travel data to each of the one or more identified intermediate points of interest including one or more of location data, road class information, traffic information, road construction information, traffic flow information, and speed limit information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving data associated with each of the one or more identified intermediate points of interest includes retrieving data associated with each of the one or more identified intermediate points of interest including one or more of a name of the point of interest, contact information for the point of interest, a type or classification of the point of interest, a brand of the point of interest, the point of interest'"'"'s operating hours, and features provided by the point of interest.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein filtering the one or more identified intermediate points of interest further comprises at least one of filtering out points of interest that exceed a specified number of point of interest and filtering out points of interest based on a user'"'"'s preference for a specified type or brand of point of interest.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting one or more of the filtered identified intermediate points of interest includes displaying the one or more filtered identified intermediate points of interest on a map interface.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying the calculated cost associated with each of the one or more filtered identified intermediate points of interest.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein filtering the one or more identified intermediate points of interest comprises not showing one or more of the filtered intermediate points of interest.

13. A system for providing cost-based navigation, the system comprising:

a navigation system operable to;

receive user preference data;

generate a route from a starting point to a primary destination;

receive search criteria for one or more intermediate points of interest;

identify one or more intermediate points of interest based on the received search criteria;

retrieve data associated with each of the one or more identified intermediate points of interest;

calculate a route deviation cost associated with each of the one or more identified intermediate points of interest, each route deviation cost being calculated between one of the identified intermediate points of interest and the route intermediate the starting point and the primary destination;

calculating a total cost associated with each of the one or more identified intermediate points of interest, each total cost being calculated along the route from the starting point and including the calculated route deviation cost associated with a respective one of the identified intermediate points of interest;

filter the one or more identified intermediate points of interest according to at least one of the route deviation costs and the total costs of each of the one or more identified intermediate points of interest; and

present one or more of the filtered identified intermediate points of interest.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the route deviation cost factors in user preference data as cost penalties.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the navigation system is further operable to factor in user preference data as cost penalties wherein factoring in user preference data as cost penalties includes factoring in data associated with a user'"'"'s preferences associated with a point of interest including one or more of a brand preference, a feature preference, or a type preference.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein factoring in user preference data as cost penalties includes factoring in data associated with a user'"'"'s preferences associated with travel to a point of interest including one or more of a user'"'"'s preference to minimize travel time, to minimize travel distance, or to minimize fuel consumption, a user'"'"'s road type preference, or a user'"'"'s traffic flow preference.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the navigation system is further operable to calculate a cost associated with a deviation to each of the one or more identified intermediate points of interest wherein calculating a cost associated with a deviation to each of the one or more identified intermediate points of interest includes calculating a total cost, the total cost being the sum of a calculated route deviation cost and a distance from a starting point to a deviation point.

18. A tangible non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method providing cost-based navigation, comprising:

receiving user preference data;

generating a route from a starting point to a primary destination;

receiving search criteria for one or more intermediate points of interest;

identifying one or more intermediate points of interest based on the received search criteria;

retrieving data associated with each of the one or more identified intermediate points of interest;

calculating a route deviation cost associated with each of the one or more identified intermediate points of interest, each route deviation cost being calculated between one of the identified intermediate points of interest and the route intermediate the starting point and the primary destination;

calculating a total cost associated with each of the one or more identified intermediate points of interest, each total cost being calculated along the route from the starting point and including the calculated route deviation cost associated with a respective one of the identified intermediate points of interest;

filtering the one or more identified intermediate points of interest according to at least one of the route deviation costs and the total costs of each of the one or more identified intermediate points of interest; and

presenting one or more of the filtered identified intermediate points of interest.

19. The tangible non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, further comprising identifying one or more possible alternative routes to the primary destination and calculating the deviation cost associated with a deviation to each of the one or more identified intermediate points of interest along the one or more identified possible alternative routes to the primary destination.