Route Dehydration Using Breadcrumbs and Hints

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current navigation systems face inefficiencies in transmitting and computing route information, particularly with large datasets like traffic data, which can overwhelm client devices and require excessive computational power or data transmission.

Innovation Solution

A method for creating an abbreviated route description using 'breadcrumbs' and 'hints' that allows for efficient transmission and reconstruction of navigation routes, reducing data volume and computation time by representing critical decision points and path characteristics.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If full traffic data is transmitted to client devices, then routing accuracy is improved, but data transmission volume increases excessively

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverouting accuracyVSAvoiddata transmission volume
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential route information (sequence of link IDs) from the vast traffic data dataset, separating the useful route description from the unnecessary comprehensive traffic data. This allows clients to receive minimal data for routing while the server maintains access to full traffic information for computation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The server acts as an intermediary that receives route descriptions from clients, computes optimal paths using comprehensive traffic data, and returns abbreviated route information. This mediator architecture allows clients to avoid storing and processing large traffic datasets while still benefiting from accurate routing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If comprehensive traffic data is stored on client devices, then routing functionality is improved, but device computational power requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverouting functionalityVSAvoidcomputational power
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts routing computation from the client device and relocates it to the server. Clients only perform simple operations of receiving and displaying abbreviated route information, while the server handles the computationally intensive tasks of processing comprehensive traffic data and calculating optimal routes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The server serves as a computational intermediary that performs complex routing calculations using full traffic datasets, then returns simplified route descriptions to clients. This eliminates the need for clients to possess or process large volumes of traffic data, significantly reducing their computational power requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Measurement precision

If detailed map data is transmitted to clients, then navigation accuracy is improved, but transmission time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenavigation accuracyVSAvoidtransmission time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the necessary route-specific information (sequence of link IDs representing the path) from the complete map data. This allows clients to receive precise navigation instructions for their specific route without transmitting the entire detailed map dataset, significantly reducing transmission time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of transmitting complete map data (excessive action), the patent transmits only the partial route information needed for navigation. This partial action approach provides sufficient navigation accuracy for the specific route while minimizing transmission time and data volume.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP2274576B1Transmission of routes between client and server using route ids
Publication Date: 2020.04.01 UBER TECHNOLOGIES INC
  • EP2274576B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2274576B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2274576B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Dehydration of routes enables transmitting a description of a route requiring much less space than full specification of the route. A series of "breadcrumbs" and hints are used for dehydration. A breadcrumb includes coordinates of a point, a heading at which the route enters the breadcrumb, and a heading at which the route leaves the breadcrumb. A dehydration module places a breadcrumb at the location marking the beginning of the route, and having a leaving heading identifying the link in the original route. The node at the end of each link in the original route is examined. If the link leaving the node is the most parallel link to the link entering the node, nothing is added to the dehydrated route. If not, a breadcrumb is added to the dehydrated route, specifying the coordinates of the point, the entering heading of the breadcrumb and the leaving heading of the breadcrumb.