System and method for providing contextual information for a location

• US 9,551,586 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2015
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Guo, Fei
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pipala, Edward J
• Application Number:
  US14/738,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20160363458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/01 Satellite radio beacon positioning systems transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

A contextual description of the arrival location can be determined based on individual or combined attributes, which include (i) a text-based identifier of one or more of the multiple places, and (ii) a spatial relationship as between one or more of the places, or as between the multiple places and the arrival location. The contextual description can be provided for a navigation interface of a computing device used by the user.

Claims

1. A method for providing a contextual description of a location to a user, the method comprising:

performing, using one or more processors, steps comprising;

(a) determining an arrival location from an event trigger, the arrival location being identified by geographic coordinates;

(b) selecting multiple places that are within a proximity threshold with respect to the arrival location based on the geographic coordinates of the arrival location;

(c) determining multiple contextual attributes of the arrival location based on the selected multiple places;

(d) determining a contextual description for the arrival location, the contextual description being based in part on individual or combined contextual attributes, each individual or combined contextual attribute including (i) a text-based identifier of one or more of the multiple places, and (ii) a spatial relationship as between one or more of the places, or as between the multiple places and the arrival location; and

(e) providing the contextual description to a computing device that is operated by the user, to guide the user in traveling from a current location to the arrival location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein (a) includes detecting a user pointer input on a map interface, and then identifying the geographic coordinates of the arrival location based in part on the user pointer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein (a) includes receiving a current location from the user, and selecting the arrival location for the user based on the current location, the arrival location being measurably different from the current location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the spatial relationship includes an expression of proximity or orientation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the steps comprises performing (a) through (e) based on a classification of the user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the classification of the user includes one of passenger or driver.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple places includes multiple places selected (i) a block which contains the arrival location, (ii) one or more intersections to define the block, (iii) one or more buildings within the block, and (iv) one or more points of interest which is within the proximity threshold.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein (c) includes determining an intersection name for each of the one or more intersections, the intersection name being determined from a set of rules.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein (c) includes determining one of the multiple contextual attributes to be a nearest building.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the steps comprises performing (a) through (e) based on logical configurations that are specific to a region or country.

11. A method for providing a contextual description of a location to a user, the method comprising:

performing, using one or more processors, steps comprising;

(a) determining an arrival location from an event trigger, the arrival location being identified by geographic coordinates;

(b) selecting multiple places that are within a proximity threshold with respect to the arrival location based on the geographic coordinates of the arrival location;

(c) determining multiple contextual attributes of the arrival location based on the selected multiple places, the multiple contextual attributes including a point of interest within a nearest building, an indicator of whether the point of interest is likely visible or apparent from a street based on a distance from the point of interest to the arrival location, and a combination of the point of interest and the nearest building;

(d) determining a contextual description for the arrival location, the contextual description being based in part on individual or combined contextual attributes, each individual or combined contextual attribute including (i) a text-based identifier of one or more of the multiple places, and (ii) a spatial relationship as between one or more of the places, or as between the multiple places and the arrival location; and

(e) providing the contextual description to a computing device that is operated by the user, to guide the user in traveling from a current location to the arrival location.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein (c) includes cross-referencing the geographic location with a database of buildings and building geometries and with a database of business addresses in order to determine (i) the nearest building and (ii) a business that is likely visible or apparent from the street.

13. A computer system comprising:

a memory to store a set of instructions;

a processor to use the set of instructions to;

identify an arrival location using a set of geographic coordinates;

determine, from the set of geographic coordinates, multiple places which are within a threshold distance of the arrival location, the multiple places including a block, one or more intersections that define the block, a set of one or more buildings, and a set of one or more point of interests;

determine multiple contextual attributes of the arrival location based on selected multiple places;

determine a contextual description for the arrival location, the contextual description being based in part on individual or combined contextual attributes, each individual or combined contextual attribute including (i) a text-based identifier of one or more of the multiple places, and (ii) a spatial relationship as between one or more of the places, or as between the multiple places and the arrival location; and

provide the contextual description to a navigation interface of a computing device that is operated by a user, to guide the user in travelling from a current location to the arrival location.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein one or more of the processors generate the contextual description of the arrival location by including one or more expressions that define a spatial relationship of the at least one point of interest and at least one of the block or the nearest building.

15. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors determine whether the at least one point of interest is within the nearest building, and when the at least one point of interest is within the nearest building, the one or more processors generate the contextual description to include a descriptor that provides the at least one point of interest as an informal building name for the nearest building.

16. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the memory stores a key value store which identifies individual blocks, buildings, and points of interest within a given geographic region, and wherein the one or more processors determine the set of multiple places using the key value store.

17. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors generate the contextual description in accordance with one or more rules of a region or country.

18. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors suggest the arrival location to the user in response to a user'"'"'s current location.

19. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors communicate the arrival location to a provider when querying one or more providers for assignment to a location specific service request at the arrival location.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores instructions comprising:

instructions, which are executable by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

(a) determining an arrival location from an event trigger, the arrival location being identified by geographic coordinates;

(b) selecting multiple places that are within a proximity threshold with respect to the arrival location based on the geographic coordinates of the arrival location;

(c) determining multiple contextual attributes of the arrival location based on the selected multiple places;

(d) determining a contextual description for the arrival location, the contextual description being based in part on individual or combined contextual attributes, each individual or combined contextual attribute including (i) a text-based identifier of one or more of the multiple places, and (ii) a spatial relationship as between one or more of the places, or as between the multiple places and the arrival location; and

(e) providing the contextual description to a navigation interface of a computing device that is operated by the user, to guide the user in travelling from a current location to the arrival location.