Transit Route Planning via Local Search Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users, especially in unfamiliar locations without personal transportation, face challenges in finding convenient routes to points of interest as existing search methods only provide location information without transit options.
Innovation Solution
Conducting two searches: a local search to identify points of interest and a transit route search to plan routes between the user's location and desired destinations, providing information on available transit modes, bus stops, routes, and travel times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a local search provider is used to find points of interest, then location information is provided, but transit route information is not included
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines local search results with transit route information by integrating a transit route provider into the search system. The local search provider identifies points of interest while the transit route provider simultaneously provides transit route information, creating a unified search result that includes both location and transit details without requiring separate searches.
Solution Approach 2:
The search system is designed to perform multiple functions through a single search operation. It not only identifies points of interest but also provides transit route information, travel times, and transportation options. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for users to conduct separate searches for different types of information.
2Ease of operation
If search results provide only location information, then the search is simple, but users without personal transportation cannot easily reach destinations
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-calculating and providing transit route information along with search results. Instead of requiring users to separately query for transit routes after finding points of interest, the system proactively includes transit details in the initial search results, saving users time and effort.
3Loss of information
If transit route information is added to search results, then users get comprehensive travel options, but the search system becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a transit route provider as an intermediary component that works in conjunction with the local search provider. This intermediary systematically gathers and provides transit route information based on the search query and user location, managing the complexity of integrating multiple data sources while maintaining a user-friendly interface.
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments can provide helpful information to a user who is looking for a particular point of interest. In at least some embodiments, first and second searches are conducted. The first search uses a local search provider and produces results which describe one or more points of interest relative to a location, such as a user's current location. Each point of interest can be associated with a destination location to which the user would like to travel. The second search uses a so-called transit route provider and utilizes the results of the first search to plan a transit route between the location and one or more of the respective destination locations.