Method and apparatus for customizing travel directions

• US 20060064241A1
• Filed: 12/08/2004
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Rasmussen, Lars Eilstrup, Rasmussen, Jens Eilstrup
• Granted Patent: US 7,239,959 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3641 Personalized guidance, e.g. limited guidance on previously travelled routes

Abstract

Various methods, systems, and apparatuses for customizing travel actions in travel directions are disclosed. One method and apparatus includes providing a first set of travel directions to a user, the travel directions including at least one travel action, receiving at least one selected travel action and a replacement travel action from the user associated with the first set of travel directions, and outputting a second set of travel directions associated with the at least one selected travel action and the replacement travel action. Another method and apparatus includes obtaining travel directions based on a start point and an end point, comparing travel actions from the travel directions with a customization file, the customization file including at least one selected travel action and a replacement travel action, determining that at least one travel action in the travel directions is the same as the at least one selected travel action, and integrating the replacement travel action into the travel directions.

Claims

1. A method for customizing travel actions in travel directions, comprising:

providing a first set of travel directions to a user, said travel directions comprising at least one travel action;

receiving at least one selected travel action and a replacement travel action from said user associated with said first set of travel directions; and

outputting a second set of travel directions associated with said at least one selected travel action and said replacement travel action.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a customization file.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said customization file comprises said at least one selected travel action and said replacement travel action.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user modifications from said user.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising storing a customization file, said customization file comprising said at least one selected travel action from said user, said user modifications, and said replacement travel action.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said replacement travel action consists of a summary of said at least one selected travel action, a short-cut, an empty space, an instruction to delete, or an alternate route.

7. A method for customizing travel actions in travel directions, comprising:

obtaining travel directions based on a start point and an end point;

comparing travel actions from said travel directions with a customization file, said customization file including at least one selected travel action and a replacement travel action;

determining that at least one travel action in said travel directions is the same as said at least one selected travel action; and

integrating said replacement travel action into said travel directions.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising implementing user modifications included in said customization file.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said user modifications comprise replacing said at least one travel action with said replacement travel action only during a selected time of day.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said user modifications comprise replacing said at least one travel action with said replacement travel action on for a predetermined period of time.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein comparing travel actions from said travel directions with a customization file, said customization file including at least one selected travel action and a replacement travel action and determining that at least one travel action in said travel directions are the same as said at least one selected travel action comprises:

comparing travel actions from said travel directions with travel actions from a second set of previously determined travel directions;

determining that at least one travel action in said travel directions are the same as at least one travel action from said second set of previously determined travel directions; and

receiving said replacement travel action for said at least one travel action.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising prompting said user to input said replacement travel action for said at least one travel action.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving any user modifications for said replacement travel action.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising storing said at least one travel action, said replacement travel action, and said user modifications in a second customization file.

15. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein to customize travel directions, the computer readable program code in said computer program product including;

computer readable program code to provide travel directions with at least one travel action to a user;

computer readable program code to receive at least one selected travel action associated with said travel directions;

computer readable program code to receive a replacement travel action associated with said at least one selected travel action; and

computer readable program code to replace said at least one selected travel action with said replacement travel action.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein to customize travel directions, the computer readable program code in said computer program product further including:

computer readable program code to store said at least one selected travel action and said replacement travel action in a customization file;

computer readable program code to compare said customization file with a second set of travel directions; and

computer readable program code to integrate said replacement action with said second set of travel directions.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein computer readable program code to integrate said replacement action with said second set of travel directions further includes:

computer readable program code to determine a map of said travel directions containing only a depiction of the travel directions that did not match with stored travel actions in said customization file.

18. An apparatus for customizing travel directions, comprising:

means for obtaining travel directions;

means for comparing travel actions from said travel directions with a customization file;

means for determining that at least one travel action from said travel directions correspond with at least one travel action from said customization file; and

means for outputting said travel directions with a replacement travel action from said customization file in place of said at least one travel action from said travel directions.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said apparatus comprises a browser assistant.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said apparatus comprises a server.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

means for comparing said travel directions with previously saved travel directions;

means for receiving a replacement travel action for at least one travel action from said travel directions that match with at least one travel action from said previously saved travel directions;

means for storing said at least one travel action and said replacement travel action in a second customization file; and

means for outputting said travel directions with said replacement travel action in place of said at least one travel action.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising means for comparing said travel directions with traffic information.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising means for determining at least one alternate travel action for said travel directions based on said traffic information.

24. An apparatus for customizing travel directions, comprising:

a communication unit adapted to obtain travel directions;

a selection unit adapted to receive a user'"'"'s selection of a portion of said travel directions;

a replacement travel action entry unit adapted to receive a replacement travel action associated with said portion of said travel directions; and

a directions output unit adapted to output said travel directions with said replacement travel action integrated into said travel directions.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said directions output unit is adapted to replace said portion of said travel directions with said replacement travel action.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising a customization file storage unit adapted to store a customization file, said customization file including said replacement travel action and said portion of said travel directions.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising a customization unit adapted to receive user modifications associated with said replacement travel action and said portion of said travel directions, said customization file further including said user modifications.

28. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising a directions comparison unit adapted to compare said travel directions with previously stored customization files.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said directions comparison unit is adapted to determine that said travel directions match with travel actions stored in a previously stored customization file and said directions comparison unit is adapted to output said travel directions with a second replacement travel action from said previously stored customization file.

30. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising a traffic comparison unit adapted to determine if portions of said travel directions have heavy traffic.

31. A system for customizing travel directions, comprising:

a server in communication with a network, said server adapted to obtain a first set of travel directions, to transmit said first set of travel directions via said network, to receive at least one selected travel action and a replacement travel action associated with said first set of travel directions, and to transmit a second set of travel directions with said replacement travel action in place of said at least one selected travel action; and

a computing device in communication with said network, said computing device adapted to receive said first set of travel directions, to transmit at least one selected travel action and a replacement travel action associated with said first set of travel directions to said server, to receive said second set of travel directions, and to output said second set of travel directions.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein said server is adapted to determine a first set of matching directions by comparing said first set of travel directions to a third set of travel directions that was previously obtained and said computing device is adapted to receive a second replacement travel action associated with said first set of matching directions.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein said server is adapted to transmit a third set of travel directions associated with said second replacement travel action to said computing device and said computing device is adapted to output said third set of travel directions.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein said server is adapted to compare said first set of travel directions to a previously stored customization file.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein said server is adapted to create a fourth set of travel directions based on a match between a portion of said first set of travel directions and said previously stored customization file.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein said computing device is adapted to receive said fourth set of travel directions and to output said fourth set of travel directions to a user.

37. The system of claim 34, wherein said server is adapted to determine that said previously stored customization file matches with said first set of travel directions, to determine that a second previously stored customization file matches with said first set of travel directions, to determine that said previously stored customization file and said second previously stored customization file contain travel actions that overlap, and to integrate a replacement travel action into said first set of travel directions based on a comparison of said previously stored customization file with said second previously stored customization file.