Automated Wayfinding of an Accessible Route

• US 20170131104A1
• Filed: 11/09/2015
• Published: 05/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Carter, William S., Hartley, John C., Sanchez, John C., Curtis-Davidson, JR., William A., Ramanan, Sridhar
• Granted Patent: US 9,909,880 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3453 Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to selecting a path for navigation based on path accessibility. A set of one or more paths is generated, with each path including path elements associated with path traversal. A list of preference data is stored. A set of accessible paths is dynamically calculated, which includes evaluating elements of each path of the generated set against the list of preference data. The set of accessible paths is converted into a path selection. The path selection is navigated, which includes visually displaying the path selection.

Claims

1. A method for dynamic route navigation comprising:

dynamically generating, by a processor, an electronic map with at least three elements, wherein the elements include two or more nodes, each node corresponding to a point of interest, and at least one edge corresponding to a path between any two nodes;

assigning one or more attributes to each element, wherein each attribute is associated with a characteristic of the element, the characteristic selected from the group consisting of;

a physical characteristic, and an accessibility characteristic;

dynamically assessing an accessible route for traversal by a navigating entity utilizing the electronic map including;

comparing, by the processor, the one or more assigned attributes to one or more accessibility criteria associated with the navigating entity; and

identifying, by the processor, at least one element as navigable based on the comparison;

converting the dynamically assessed accessible route, including the identified at least one element, into a route selection; and

navigating, by the processor, the selected route.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating a current location during traversal of the selected route, and dynamically re-assessing the selected route during traversal, including evaluating an encountered node in the selected route against the attributes.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the dynamic re-assessment validates passage through the encountered node.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating a current location during traversal of the selected route, and dynamically re-assessing the selected route during traversal, including evaluating an encountered edge in the route against the attributes.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the dynamic re-assessment validates passage through the encountered edge.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically assessing the accessible route includes evaluating at least one of the elements against category criteria assigned to each element.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising assigning a priority to each element of the dynamically assessed route based on the evaluated category criteria assigned to each element, wherein converting the dynamically assessed accessible route further comprises selecting the route based on the assigned priority.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessibility criteria is related to physical impairment.

8. A computer program product for dynamic route navigation, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code executable by a processing unit to:

dynamically generate an electronic map with at least three elements, wherein the elements include two or more nodes, each node corresponding to a point of interest, and at least one edge corresponding to a path between any two nodes;

assign one or more attributes to each element, wherein each attribute is associated with a characteristic of the element, the characteristic selected from the group consisting of;

a physical characteristic, and an accessibility characteristic;

dynamically assess an accessible route for traversal by a navigating entity utilizing the electronic map including;

comparing the one or more assigned attributes to one or more accessibility criteria associated with the navigating entity; and

identifying at least one element as navigable based on the comparison;

convert the dynamically assessed accessible route, including the identified at least one element identified as navigable, into a route selection; and

navigate the selected route.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising program code to calculate a current location during traversal of the selected route, and dynamically re-assessing the selected route during traversal, including evaluating an encountered node in the selected route against the attributes.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the dynamic re-assessment validates passage through the encountered node.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising program code to calculate a current location during traversal of the selected route, and dynamically re-assess the selected route during traversal, including evaluating an encountered edge in the route against the attributes.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the dynamic re-assessment validates passage through the encountered edge.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein dynamically assessing the accessible route includes program code to evaluate at least one of the elements against category criteria assigned to each element.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising program code to assign a priority to each element of the assessed accessible route based on the evaluated category criteria assigned to each element, wherein convert the dynamically assessed accessible route further comprises selecting the accessible route based on the assigned priority.

15. A computer system comprising:

a processing unit operatively coupled to memory;

a tool in communication with the processing unit to dynamically navigate a route, including;

dynamically generate an electronic map with at least three elements, wherein the elements include two or more nodes, each node corresponding to a point of interest, and at least one edge corresponding to a path between any two nodes;

assign one or more attributes to each element, wherein each attribute is associated with a characteristic of the element, the characteristic selected from the group consisting of;

a physical characteristic and an accessibility characteristic;

dynamically assess an accessible route for traversal by a navigating entity utilizing the electronic map including;

compare the one or more assigned attributes to one or more accessibility criteria associated with the navigating entity; and

identifying at least one element navigable by the navigating entity based on the comparison;

convert the dynamically assessed accessible route, including the identified at least one element, into a route selection; and

navigate the selected route.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising the processing unit to calculate a current location during traversal of the selected route, and dynamically re-assess the selected route during traversal, including evaluate an encountered node in the selected route against the gathered node attributes.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising the processing unit to calculate a current location during traversal of the selected route, and dynamically re-assess the selected route during traversal, including evaluate an encountered edge in the route against the attributes.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein assessment of a route includes the processing unit to evaluate at least one of the elements against category criteria assigned to each element.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising the processing unit to assign a priority to each element of the dynamically assessed accessible route based on the evaluated category criteria assigned to each element, wherein convert the dynamically assessed accessible route further comprises selection of the accessible route based on the assigned priority.