Map application with transit navigation mode

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a map application that receives a starting location and a destination location. The application then identifies several different transit routes from the starting location to the destination location based on a set of transit preferences. Each transit route includes a set of transit legs each of which is serviced by a different transit line. In some embodiments, the application ranks the identified transit routes based on a set of criteria, and displays a representation of a highest ranked transit route over a portion of a map presentation along with a set of information about the displayed transit route.

Description

CLAIM OF BENEFIT TO PRIOR APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62 / 172,206, filed Jun. 7, 2015; U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62 / 172,209, filed Jun. 7, 2015; U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62 / 172,214, filed Jun. 7, 2015; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62 / 172,216, filed Jun. 7, 2015. U.S. Provisional Patent Applications 62 / 172,206, 62 / 172,209, 62 / 172,214, and 62 / 172,216 are incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND[0002]With proliferation of mobile devices such as smartphones, users are enjoying numerous applications of numerous kinds that can be run on their devices. One popular type of such applications is mapping and navigation applications that allow users to browse maps and receive route directions. Despite their popularity, these mapping and navigation applications have yet to provide a comprehensive and efficient transit routing and navigation system.BRIEF SUMMARY[0003]Some embodiments of the inventio...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0033]Before automatically scrolling the navigation banners to display the navigation banner that is associated with the current transit leg, the map application of some embodiments first determines that the application has accurately detected the current location of the device (e.g., by ascertaining that the device has enough reception to accurately determine its current position). Therefore, in some embodiments, in order for the map application to change the current transit leg's navigation banner and its corresponding map view, the application determines that (1) an accurate location of the device is identified, (2) the currently displayed banner is not associated with the current location of the device, and (3) a certain time period has passed since the currently displayed banner has been last shown to the user.

[0034]In some embodiments, the map application determines whether any of the transit legs of a selected transit route is replaceable by a second different route that is travelled by one or more other transit vehicles. In some embodiments a transit leg is replaceable by a second route when the second route runs parallel with the identified transit leg (i.e., from the same starting station to the same ending station). In some other embodiments a transit leg is replaceable by a second route when the second route and the transit leg have at least two common transit stations or two transit stations that are within a short distance of each other (e.g., within a threshold distance of each other).

[0035]In some embodiments, the one or more other transit vehicles of the second route are of the same type as the transit vehicle that travels the transit leg (i.e. the transit vehicles are from the same transit system), while in other embodiments the transit vehicles are of different types (e.g., the transit leg is traveled by a bus, while the second route is traveled by a subway train). When the map application of some embodiments determines that a transit leg of a transit route can be replaced with other routes, the map application displays the other routes to the user along with the same navigation instruction that is associated with the transit leg. That is, the navigation application displays the navigation instruction for the transit leg (e.g., in the list view, in the navigation banner, etc.) and provides the other identified routes as selectable UI items for the user to be able to modify the selected transit route.

Problems solved by technology

Despite their popularity, these mapping and navigation applications have yet to provide a comprehensive and efficient transit routing and navigation system.

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