System and method for storing and providing routes

• US 9,612,125 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2014
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Goel, Vinay
• Primary Examiner(s): Amin, Bhavesh V
• Application Number:
  US14/271,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20140244152A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3476 using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services

Abstract

In one aspect, a system and method is provided whereby map-related requests from mobile devices are used to store and aggregate routes. The routes are then used to determine optimum directions in response to subsequent requests.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, a plurality of previously traveled routes by a plurality of client devices, each previously traveled route of the plurality of previously traveled routes identifying a route between two or more locations;

receiving, by the one or more processors from a requesting client device, a request for directions to a destination location, the request identifying a sensor based location determination of the requesting client device;

selecting, by the one or more processors, a subset of previously traveled routes of the plurality of previously traveled routes based on the two or more locations, the destination location, and the sensor based location determination;

selecting, by the one or more processors, a given route of the subset of previously traveled routes based on a total number of client devices that have provided the given route as one or more of the plurality of previously traveled routes; and

providing, by the one or more processors, the given route to the requesting client device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the given route is further selected based on a time that the request for directions is received.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the given route is further selected based on user preferences associated with the requesting client device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the given route is further selected based on user preferences associated with the requesting client device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the given route is further selected based on whether the given route has been previously traveled by a minimum number of client devices of the plurality of client devices.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of previously traveled routes are received from the plurality of client devices.

18. The method of claim 4, wherein the user preference relates to popularity of previously traveled routes.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a first location from the requesting client device;

selecting a second route of the plurality of routes based on the first location and the two or more locations of the given route;

stringing the given route with the second route to generate a single route, such that providing the given route includes providing the single route.

6. A system comprising one or more computers having one or more processors configured to:

access a plurality of previously traveled routes by a plurality of client devices, each previously traveled route of the plurality of previously traveled routes identifying a route between two or more locations;

receive from a requesting client device, a request for directions to a destination location, the request identifying a sensor based location determination of the requesting client device;

select a subset of previously traveled routes of the plurality of previously traveled routes based on the two or more locations, the destination location, and the sensor based location determination;

select a given route of the subset of previously traveled routes based on a total number of client devices that have provided the given route as one or more of the plurality of previously traveled routes; and

provide the given route to the requesting client device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to select the given route further based on a time that the request for directions is received.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to select the given route further based on user preferences associated with the requesting client device.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to select the given route further based on user preferences associated with the requesting client device.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to select the given route further based on whether the given route has been previously traveled by a minimum number of client devices of the plurality of client devices.

11. The system of claim 6, further comprising memory storing the plurality of previously traveled routes.

12. A non-transitory, tangible computer-readable storage medium on which computer readable instructions of a program are stored, the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of previously traveled routes by a plurality of client devices, each previously traveled route of the plurality of previously traveled routes identifying a route between two or more locations;

receiving from a requesting client device, a request for directions to a destination location, the request identifying a sensor based location determination of the requesting client device;

selecting a subset of previously traveled routes of the plurality of previously traveled routes based on the two or more locations, the destination location, and the sensor based location determination;

selecting a given route of the subset of previously traveled routes based on a number of client devices that have provided the given route as one or more of the plurality of previously traveled routes; and

providing the given route to the requesting client device.

13. The medium of claim 12, wherein the given route is further selected based on a time that the request for directions is received.

14. The medium of claim 13, wherein the given route is further selected based on user preferences associated with the requesting client device.

15. The medium of claim 12, wherein the given route is further selected based on user preferences associated with the requesting client device.

16. The medium of claim 12, wherein the given route is further selected based on whether the given route has been previously traveled by a minimum number of client devices of the plurality of client devices.