Route Generation Using Defined Areas and Cost Ranking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing navigation systems struggle to generate routes that pass through defined areas rather than specific locations, particularly for round trips, as they require precise location inclusion, which limits user flexibility and route diversity.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for generating routes through a navigable network by defining areas on an electronic map, determining outgoing segments, calculating optimum cost routes, and selecting routes based on cost, allowing routes to pass through areas without necessitating specific location inclusion, using a route planning algorithm and soft waypoints for flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If routes are generated through specific locations, then location precision is improved, but user flexibility and route diversity are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the route generation process into multiple stages: first determining outgoing segments from the defined area, then calculating optimum cost routes to each segment, and finally selecting routes based on cost criteria. This segmentation allows the system to work with area-based definitions rather than requiring precise location inputs, thereby improving user flexibility while maintaining route planning precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter from point-based location specification to area-based definition. By using defined areas (polygons or circular regions) instead of specific coordinates, the system maintains routing precision through cost-based optimization while significantly improving user flexibility in route selection.
2Manufacturing precision
If routes must pass through specific locations, then route planning accuracy is improved, but route diversity and user choice are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by determining only the outgoing segments from the defined area rather than requiring the route to pass through a specific point within the area. This partial approach to location constraint allows multiple route options to emanate from the area, improving route diversity while maintaining planning accuracy through cost-based selection.
Solution Approach 2:
The route planning is segmented into determining outgoing segments, calculating cost routes to each segment, and selecting optimal routes. This segmentation enables the system to generate diverse routes from a defined area without compromising planning accuracy, as each segment is evaluated independently through cost optimization.
3Reliability
If precise location inclusion is required, then navigation reliability is improved, but ease of operation and user convenience are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the input parameter from precise location coordinates to area definitions (polygons or circular regions). This parameter change maintains navigation reliability by ensuring routes pass through the defined areas while significantly improving ease of operation, as users can easily select areas on a map rather than inputting precise coordinates.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces defined areas as an intermediary between the user's location specification and the final route. Instead of requiring direct precise location input, the user defines an area, and the system uses this area as an intermediary to generate multiple valid routes, thereby maintaining reliability while improving user convenience.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for generating a route through a navigable network in a geographic area is disclosed, the navigable network being represented by an electronic map comprising a plurality of segments each having a traversal direction associated therewith. An area is defined around a location represented by the electronic map, and at least some of the outgoing segments from the area are determined. A first optimum cost route from an origin is determined to each of the determined outgoing segments, and these routes are ranked according to their cost. At least one of the first optimum cost routes is selected based on the ranking, and a second optimum cost route is determined from the outgoing segment from the area of the selected route to a destination. The generated route from the origin to the destination comprises the selected first optimum cost route and the second optimum cost route.