Computer-aided route selection

• US 7,706,973 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2006
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Navitrail LLC
• Inventors: McBride, Sandra Lynn, McBride, Thomas Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peche, Jorge O
• Application Number:
  US11/324,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20070156333A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,575 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 701/200, 701/206, 701/207, 701/209, 701/213, 701/214, 340/995.19, 340/995.27, 340/988, 700/90
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3423 Multimodal routing, i.e. combining two or more modes of transportation, where the modes can be any of, e.g. driving, walking, cycling, public transport
• 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 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

In one aspect, the invention features a system for assisting a user in selecting a route. The system may include a request receiving module. The request receiving module may be configured to receive a route request including map information and route information entered by a user. The map information may be selected from the group consisting of a starting point, an ending point, a landmark point, and combinations thereof. The route information may be selected from the group consisting of lighting criteria, travel surface criteria, population density criteria, weather criteria, distance criteria, speed criteria, calorie criteria, time criteria, elevation change criteria, landmark criteria, and combinations thereof. The system may include a map retrieving module that is configured to retrieve a map based on the map information. The system may include a route providing module that is configured to provide one or more selected routes on the map based on the route information. The system may include a display providing module to provide the one or more selected routes and the map for display to the user.

Claims

1. A system for assisting a user in selecting a route, comprising:

a user interaction module configured to receive a route request comprising parameters that include map information and route information entered by the user,

the map information selected from the group consisting of a starting point, an ending point, a landmark point, and combinations thereof,

the route information selected from the group consisting of lighting criteria, travel surface criteria, population density criteria, weather criteria, distance criteria, speed criteria, calorie criteria, time criteria, elevation change criteria, landmark criteria, and combinations thereof;

a map retrieving module configured to retrieve a map based on the map information;

a parameter creation module and an iteration module configured to provide one or more selected routes on the map based on the route information, the parameter creation module being configured to receive parameters from the user interaction module at a processor through an interface, the iteration module being configured to assist the parameter creation module in generating the route corresponding to parameters provided by the user, a route selection module configured to identify one or more potential routes based on a first route information item and then to identify one or more selected routes by identifying which of the one or more potential routes satisfy a second route information item;

the processor being configured to determine whether the parameters entered provide adequate information to enable the map retrieving module to retrieve a map from a map application or to enable the processor to select a route, wherein if the processor determines that the parameters entered do not provide said adequate information then the processor causes a notification to be displayed to the user requesting additional information;

a display providing module to provide the one or more selected routes and the map to the user on a display.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an editing module to allow the user to edit the one or more selected routes after the display providing module provides the one or more selected routes and the map on the display, the editing module being configured (a) to receive editing instructions entered by the user, (b) to modify the one or more selected routes based on the editing instructions, thereby creating one or more modified routes, and (c) to provide the one or more modified routes and the map to the user on the display.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the editing module is configured to receive editing instructions entered by the user via tracing an input instrument along the display.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the editing module is configured to receive editing instructions entered by the user via tracing the input instrument along the display, the display being a touch-sensitive display.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the display providing module is configured to provide selected route information corresponding to the one or more selected routes.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the selected route information includes a distance of the one or more selected routes.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the selected route information includes traveling directions corresponding to the one or more selected routes.

8. A computer-readable medium programmed with instructions for performing a method of assisting a user in selecting a route, the medium comprising instructions for causing a programmable processor to:

receive a route request comprising parameters that include map information and route information entered by the user,

the map information selected from the group consisting of a starting point, an ending point, a landmark point, and combinations thereof,

the route information selected from the group consisting of lighting criteria, travel surface criteria, population density criteria, weather criteria, distance criteria, speed criteria, calorie criteria, time criteria, elevation change criteria, landmark criteria, and combinations thereof;

retrieve a map based on the map information;

receive the parameters at a parameter creation module from a user interaction module through an interface;

determine whether the parameters entered provide adequate information to enable a map retrieving module to retrieve a map from a map application or to enable a processor to select a route, wherein if the processor determines that the parameters entered do not provide said adequate information, then the processor causes a notification to be displayed to the user requesting additional information;

identify one or more potential routes with the parameter creation module based on a first route information item and then identify one or more selected routes with the parameter creation module and an iteration module by identifying which of the one or more potential routes satisfy a second route information item;

provide the one or more selected routes on the map, using the parameter creation module and the iteration module, based on the route information; and

provide the one or more selected routes and the map to the user on a display.

9. The medium of claim 8, further comprising instructions for causing the programmable processor to:

receive editing instructions entered by the user;

modify a selected route based on the editing instructions, thereby creating one or more modified routes; and

provide the one or more modified routes and the map to the user on the display.

10. The medium of claim 9, wherein the editing instructions are entered by the user via tracing an input instrument along the display.

11. The medium of claim 10, wherein the editing instructions are entered by the user via tracing the input instrument along the display, the display being a touch-sensitive display.

12. The medium of claim 8, further comprising instructions for causing the programmable processor to provide selected route information to the user on the display, the selected route information corresponding to the one or more selected routes.

13. The medium of claim 12, wherein the selected route information includes a distance of the one or more selected routes.

14. The medium of claim 12, wherein the selected route information includes traveling directions corresponding to the one or more selected routes.

15. A system for assisting a user in selecting a route and providing the user multiple route selection modes, comprising:

a user interaction module configured to receive a route request comprising parameters that include map information and route information entered by the user,

the map information selected from the group consisting of a starting point, an ending point, a landmark point, and combinations thereof,

the route information selected from the group consisting of lighting criteria, travel surface criteria, population density criteria, weather criteria, distance criteria, speed criteria, calorie criteria, time criteria, elevation change criteria, landmark criteria, and combinations thereof;

a map retrieving module configured to retrieve a map based on the map information;

a parameter creation module and an iteration module configured to provide one or more selected routes on the map based on the route information, the parameter creation module being configured to receive parameters from the user interaction module at a processor through an interface, the iteration module being configured to assist the parameter creation module in generating the route corresponding to parameters provided by the user, a route selection module configured to identify one or more potential routes based on a first route information item and then to identify one or more selected routes by identifying which of the one or more potential routes satisfy a second route information item;

the processor being configured to determine whether the parameters entered provide adequate information to enable the map retrieving module to retrieve a map from a map application or to enable the processor to select a route, wherein if the processor determines that the parameters entered do not provide said adequate information then the processor causes a notification to be displayed to the user requesting additional information;

a display providing module to provide the one or more selected routes and the map to the user on a display;

a trace module configured to generate one or more traced routes based on input received via tracing an input instrument on a touch-sensitive screen of the display;

a storage module configured to retrieve one or more stored routes from a storage repository; and

a request processing module configured to receive the route request from the user and to provide the route request to at least one of the parameter creation module, the trace module, and the storage module that the request processing module determines is equipped to provide responsive information.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein

the display providing module is configured to collect responsive information from the parameter creation module, the trace module, and/or the storage module, and to provide the responsive information to the user on the display;

and further comprising;

an editing module to allow the user to edit the responsive information after the display providing module provides the responsive information to the user on the display, the editing module being configured (a) to receive editing instructions entered by the user, (b) to modify the responsive information based on the editing instructions, thereby creating modified information, and (c) to provide the modified information to the user on the display.