Path queries

• US 8,694,383 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2009
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Omer, Ido, Ofek, Eyal, Lawler, Stephen L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Airapetian, Mila
• Application Number:
  US12/633,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20110137741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,581 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/26.1
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

Data identifying a path is received between two or more geographic locations. Path information is identified along or near the path. A relevance is associated to the path information. A subset of the path information having a highest relevance is provided.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing path queries, the method comprising computer-implemented operations for:

receiving, through a computer having a processor and a memory, data identifying a path between at least two geographic locations including a departing location and a destination location;

identifying, through the computer, path information along or near the path;

associating, through the computer, a relevance to the path information based on behavioral models that model commuting behaviors of users, the commuting behaviors including a length of time that the users drive before taking breaks during a commute from the departing location to the destination location; and

providing, through the computer, a subset of the path information having a highest relevance in accordance with the commuting behaviors.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving data identifying a path between at least two geographic locations comprises:

receiving, through the computer, the at least two geographic locations; and

upon receiving the at least two geographic locations, computing, through the computer the path based on the two geographic locations.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein identifying path information along or near the path comprises:

identifying, through the computer, points of interest along or near the path.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, the method further comprising:

generating user-based popularity data based on a number of user accesses of the points of interest via a computer-implemented map service; and

associating additional relevance to the path information based on the user-based popularity data.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, through the computer, user profile data specifying a profile of a user associated with the path, the user profile data specifying a child of the user and age of the child; and

associating, through the computer, additional relevance to the path information based on the user profile data including the child and the age of the child.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the method further comprising computer-implemented operations for:

receiving, through the computer, user profile data specifying a profile of a user associated with the path, the user profile data specifying a child of the user and age of the child;

submitting, through the computer, information regarding the path and the user profile data including the child and the age of the child to businesses near or along the path;

upon submitting information regarding the path and the user profile data to businesses near or along the path, receiving, through the computer, bids from one or more of the businesses; and

adjusting, through the computer, the relevance of the path information based on the bids.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the path comprises a fixed path through which the user commutes multiple times at a frequency, and wherein the method further comprises computer-implemented operations for:

periodically transmitting, through the computer and at the frequency, a path report containing path report information associated with the fixed path.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein providing, through the computer, a subset of the path information having a highest relevance in accordance with the commuting behaviors comprises pushing, from the computer to a user device through a network, the subset of the path information having the highest relevance without user request.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein providing, through the computer, a subset of the path information having a highest relevance in accordance with the commuting behaviors comprises providing, from the computer to a user device through a network, the subset of the path information having the highest relevance response to a user request.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the method further comprises computer-implemented operations for:

receiving, through the computer, a user-defined path constraint specifying a commuting preference; and

determining, through the computer, an alternative path satisfying the user-defined path constraint between the geographic locations.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein providing, through the computer, a subset of the path information having a highest relevance in accordance with the commuting behaviors comprises providing, through the computer, information on stop points along the path where the users can stop in accordance with the length of the time that the users drive taking breaks during a commute from the departing location to the destination location.

11. A computer system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory operatively coupled to the processor; and

a program module (i) which executes in the processor from the memory and (ii) which, when executed by the processor, causes the computer system to provide path queries by

receiving data identifying at least two geographic locations including a departing location and a destination location,

generating a path through the at least two geographic locations,

identifying path information along or near the path,

determining a likelihood of users utilizing the path information based on behavioral models that model commuting behaviors of users, the commuting behaviors including a length of time that the users drive before taking breaks during a commute from the departing location to the destination location and a number of breaks that users take during the commute,

in response to determining a higher likelihood of the users utilizing the path information based on the behavioral models, associating a higher relevance to the path information,

in response to determining a lower likelihood of the users utilizing the path information based on the behavioral models, associating a lower relevance to the path information, and

providing the path and a subset of the path information having a highest relevance in accordance with the commuting behaviors.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein identifying path information along or near the path comprises

identifying points of interest along or near the path, the points of interest comprising at least one of restaurants, hotels, gas stations, and attractions.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the program module, when executed by the processor, further causes the computer system to provide path queries by

determining a popularity of the path information based on popularity data that indicate popularity of the points of interest based on a number of user accesses,

in response to determining a higher popularity of the path information based on the popularity data that indicate popularity of the points of interest based on the number of user accesses, associating a higher additional relevance to the path information, and

in response to determining a lower popularity of the path information based on the popularity data that indicate popularity of the points of interest based on the number of user accesses, associating a lower additional relevance to the path information.

14. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the program module, when executed by the processor, further causes the computer system to provide path queries by

receiving user profile data specifying a profile of a user associated with the path, the user profile data specifying a child of the user and age of the child,

determining a relation of the user profile data including the child and the age of the child to the path information,

in response to determining a higher relation of the user profile data including the child and the age of the child to the path information, associating a higher relevance to the path information, and

in response to determining a lower relation of the user profile data including the child and the age of the child to the path information, associating a lower relevance to the path information.

15. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the program module, when executed by the processor, further causes the computer system to provide path queries by

receiving user profile data specifying a profile of a user associated with the path, the user profile data specifying a child of the user and age of the child,

submitting information regarding the path and the user profile data including the child and the age of the child to businesses near or along the path,

upon submitting information regarding the path and the user profile data including the child and the age of the child to businesses near or along the path, receiving bids from one or more of the businesses, and

adjusting the relevance of the path information based on the bids.

16. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the path comprises a fixed path through which the user commutes multiple times at a frequency, and wherein program module, when executed by the processor, further causes the computer system to provide path queries by

periodically transmitting, at the frequency, a path report containing path report information associated with the fixed path, the path report information comprising at least one of traffic information, shopping, and entertainment, the path report transmitted to at least one of a user'"'"'s mobile device, email address, and vehicle.

17. The computer system of claim 11 wherein providing the path and a subset of the path information having a highest relevance comprises

embedding the subset of the path information into a map illustrating the path, and

providing the map illustrating the path and having the embedded subset of the path information.

18. A computer-readable storage medium that is not a signal and having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive at least two geographic locations from a user, the at least two geographic locations including a departing location and a destination location;

determine a path through the at least two geographic locations;

generate a map illustrating the path through the at least two geographic locations;

identify path information along or near the path;

associate a relevance to the path information based on (i) behavioral models that model commuting behaviors of users, the commuting behaviors including a length of time that the users drive before taking breaks during a commute from the departing location to the destination location, a number of breaks that users take during the commute, and locations of businesses preferred by the users, (ii) user-based popularity data that indicate popularity of the path information, the user-based popularity data based on a number of user accesses of points of interest via a computer-implemented map service, and (iii) user profile data specifying a profile of the user, the user profile data specifying a child of the user and age of the child;

embed a subset of the path information having a highest relevance into the map illustrating the path; and

provide the map illustrating the path and having the embedded subset of the path information.