LOCATION BASED SERVICES WITH COMBINATORIAL DATA SOURCES

• US 20100076677A1
• Filed: 09/19/2008
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Phillips, Thomas G., Bussmann, Alexander, Figueroa, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 8,798,916 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/206
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem

Abstract

A location based service using combinatorial data sources for routing and time information is disclosed. One embodiment comprises using a user location, a first data set from a first data source containing information related to a first waypoint, and a second data set from a second data source containing information related to a second waypoint to determine a tour of the first waypoint and the second waypoint. In this way, the embodiment may send the tour of the first waypoint and the second waypoint to a navigation device.

Claims

1. A method of combining data sets from a plurality of data sources to create a tour, the method comprising:

receiving a first data set from a first data source at a first waypoint, the first data set containing information related to the first waypoint;

receiving at least a second data set from a second data source at a second waypoint, the second data set containing information related to the second waypoint;

receiving a user location;

determining a tour of the first waypoint and the second waypoint based on the first data set, the second data set, and the user location; and

sending the tour of the first waypoint and the second waypoint to a navigation device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a change to one of the first data set and the second data set; and

determining a new tour of the first waypoint and the second waypoint based on the change.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a plurality of additional data sets from a plurality of additional data sources, the data sets each containing information related to a corresponding plurality of waypoints; and

determining a tour of the first waypoint, the second waypoint, and the plurality of waypoints based on the first data set, the second data set, the plurality of additional data sets, and the user location.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing routing information to each waypoint in the tour.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a tour is also based on a mode of transportation of a user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data source is a calendar containing availability information related to the first waypoint.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a user profile containing information about user interests; and

providing additional waypoints that correspond to the information in the user profile.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising providing media data that is related to the information in the user profile.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the information in the user profile is retrieved from at least one of a response to a survey filled out by a user, from a social networking account, or from a community rating service.

10. A system for combining data sets to create a tour of a plurality of waypoints corresponding to a plurality of data sources, the system with an input, a memory, and a processor in communication with the input and the memory, the system comprising:

a service module including a plurality of services each corresponding to a type of data set, the service module configured to receive a plurality of data sets from a plurality of data sources that use at least one of the plurality of services;

a tour module to receive a user location and to receive the plurality of data sets from the service module, the tour module configured to generate a tour of the plurality of waypoints based on the plurality of data sets and a user location; and

the system to send the tour of the plurality of waypoints to a navigation device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the service module is further configured to receive a change to one of the plurality of data sets and the tour module is configured to generate a new tour of the plurality of waypoints based on the change.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the tour module is further configured to provide routing information to each waypoint in the tour.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the tour is in part based on a mode of transportation of a user.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the plurality of data sources is a calendar containing availability information related to a first waypoint.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising a profile module in communication with the tour module, wherein the profile module is configured to generate a user profile containing information about user interests, and configured to provide additional waypoints that correspond to the information in the user profile.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a recommendation service to provide media data that is related to the information in the user profile.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the information in the user profile is retrieved from at least one of a response to a survey filled out by a user, from a social networking account, or from a community rating data store.

18. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions executable by a computing device to combine data sets from a plurality of data sources to create a tour, the instructions being executable to perform a method comprising:

receiving a first data set from a first data source at a first waypoint, the first data set containing information related to the first waypoint;

receiving at least a second data set from a second data source at a second waypoint, the second data set containing information related to the second waypoint;

receiving a user location;

determining a tour of the first waypoint and the second waypoint based on the first data set, the second data set, and the user location;

sending the tour of the first waypoint and the second waypoint to a navigation device;

receiving a change to one of the first data set and the second data set; and

determining a new tour of the first waypoint and the second waypoint based on the change.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the first data source is a calendar containing availability information related to the first waypoint.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions for:

generating a user profile containing information about user interests; and

providing additional waypoints that correspond to the information in the user profile.