Optimizing driving directions

• US 20060291396A1
• Filed: 06/27/2005
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Celeste Whittington
• Original Assignee: Celeste Whittington
• Inventors: Hamilton, Monplaisir, Whittington, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US11/166,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20060291396A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/238
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• 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: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem

Abstract

A method to render optimized driving direction to users that specify destinations of interest. The method utilizes a direction engine to generate a route to the destinations specified by the users. The directions engine receives requests including a plurality of options from the users. The options allow the user to select the type of routes that are favorable to the user and enables the direction engine to tailor the route according to the options selected by the user.

Claims

1. A method to retrieve optimized directions to a specified destination, the method comprising:

receiving requests including a toll option and a plurality of request options;

searching a database to generate results illustrating directions to the specified destination;

optimizing the results based on at least the toll option; and

rendering the results optimized results.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of request options include at least one of a scenic, shortest or tunnel options.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

automatically modifying the request when the options selected create conflicting directions.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

modifying the request based on user feedback.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein optimizing the results includes determining the traffic conditions along the route specified by the directions to the specified destination.

6. A device for retrieving optimized directions to a specified destination comprising:

a receiving member to receive requests to find a direct route specified by a user, wherein a received request includes a toll option and a plurality of request options;

a direction engine to generate a route to the destinations specified by the user in response to the received request processed by the receiving member;

a database to search the received request processed by the receiving member in order to generate results illustrating directions to the generated route by the direction engine; and

an optimizer to optimize the results of the database on at least the toll option and rendering the optimized results.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of request options include at least one of a scenic, shortest or tunnel options.

8. The device according to claim 6, wherein the receiving member automatically modifies the request when the options selected create conflicting directions.

9. The device according to claim 6, wherein the receiving member modifies the request based on user feedback.

10. The device according to claim 6, wherein the optimizer optimizes the results using an at least one determined traffic condition along the route specified by the directions to the specified destination.

11. The device according to claim 6, wherein the database is configurable to retrieve toll information from the Internet.

12. The device according to claim 6, wherein the optimizer renders results of the direct route, the direct route having the shortest distance to a specified location and having no tolls on the direct route to the specified location.

13. An optimized directions retrieving system, the system comprising:

a receiving member to receive requests to find a direct route specified by a user, wherein a received request includes a toll option and a plurality of request options;

a direction engine to generate a route to the destinations specified by the user in response to the received request processed by the receiving member;

a database to search the received request processed by the receiving member in order to generate results illustrating directions to the generated route by the direction engine; and

an optimizer to optimize the results of the database on at least the toll option and rendering the optimized results.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of request options include at least one of a scenic, shortest or tunnel options.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the receiving member automatically modifies the request when the options selected create conflicting directions.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein the receiving member modifies the request based on user feedback.

17. The system according to claim 13, wherein the optimizer optimizes the results using an at least one determined traffic condition along the route specified by the directions to the specified destination.

18. The system according to claim 13, wherein the database is configurable to retrieve toll information from the Internet.

19. The system according to claim 13, wherein the optimizer renders results of the direct route, the direct route having the shortest distance to a specified location and having no tolls on the direct route to the specified location.

20. The system according to claim 13, wherein the request is a data structure processed by the optimizer to render routes that match the request options.