Method for generating a path in an arbitrary physical structure
First Claim
1. A method that enables an end-user to select a set of desired objects available within an arbitrary physical structure and generates a path through said structure, utilizing a digital computer equipped with memory, and input and output peripherals, wherein said path consists of a sequence of instructions that enable said end-user to physically travel through said structure, and wherein said path has been customized for said end-user such that each item in said set of desired objects is available in at least one physical location contained in said path, and wherein said path optimizes characteristics of interest to said end-user, including shortest time or distance, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) selection of a plurality of easily identifiable physical markers or other visible structural components, including doors, signs, or escalators, said markers or other visible components being referred to as lodestars,(b) selection of a plurality of display units within said physical structure, small enough to be easily examined by a customer or client, wherein objects may be displayed, advertised or physically stored, said display units being referred to as Navigable Display Units (NDUs),(c) construction and storage of an object description database, wherein attributes of objects available within said structure are described using a variety of different media,(d) construction and storage of an object location database relating each NDU to a plurality of objects available at said NDU,(e) construction and storage of a structure layout database relating each NDU to a plurality of lodestars, optionally including distance or direction information from each said lodestar to said NDU, referred to as an Orientation Hint,(f) construction and storage of a lodestar layout database describing the adjacency relationship between lodestars,(g) construction and storage of a lodestar instruction database containing instructions describing travel from one lodestar to another,(h) creation of said path through said structure based on interaction with said end-user.
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Abstract
An item locating and path generating computer system creates personalized paths through structures by converting each of a set of items, objects, or locations of particular interest to a user to a corresponding set of destinations within the structure, and creating a path which includes each element in the set of destinations. The generated path may start at a structure entrance and end at a structure exit. The generated path may also reflect user desired characteristics such as least distance, least time, being at a specific point at a specific time, etc. In structures with multiple entrances or exits, multiple paths can be created and evaluated by above user criteria to find the best fit. The personalized paths can be stored, and automatically searched and queried in a variety of ways, such as aggregation. The invention includes a number of methods for creating a set of desired items, objects or locations of particular interest to a user. This includes storing elements of this set, along with a desired frequency or another condition (including price). The invention also converts between the units in which an object may be measured (as in, for example, a recipe) and the units in which that object actually occurs in the structure.
175 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method that enables an end-user to select a set of desired objects available within an arbitrary physical structure and generates a path through said structure, utilizing a digital computer equipped with memory, and input and output peripherals, wherein said path consists of a sequence of instructions that enable said end-user to physically travel through said structure, and wherein said path has been customized for said end-user such that each item in said set of desired objects is available in at least one physical location contained in said path, and wherein said path optimizes characteristics of interest to said end-user, including shortest time or distance, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) selection of a plurality of easily identifiable physical markers or other visible structural components, including doors, signs, or escalators, said markers or other visible components being referred to as lodestars, (b) selection of a plurality of display units within said physical structure, small enough to be easily examined by a customer or client, wherein objects may be displayed, advertised or physically stored, said display units being referred to as Navigable Display Units (NDUs), (c) construction and storage of an object description database, wherein attributes of objects available within said structure are described using a variety of different media, (d) construction and storage of an object location database relating each NDU to a plurality of objects available at said NDU, (e) construction and storage of a structure layout database relating each NDU to a plurality of lodestars, optionally including distance or direction information from each said lodestar to said NDU, referred to as an Orientation Hint, (f) construction and storage of a lodestar layout database describing the adjacency relationship between lodestars, (g) construction and storage of a lodestar instruction database containing instructions describing travel from one lodestar to another, (h) creation of said path through said structure based on interaction with said end-user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification