Reducing driving directions
View Patent ↗Techniques are provided for reducing the number of maneuvers presented in narrative driving directions for a route from an origin location to a destination location. To do so, driving directions are not provided for maneuvers for areas with which a person is likely to be familiar, such as neighborhood streets near the person's house, office, or another familiar location. A route from a user-specified origin to a user-specified destination is determined. Driving directions are presented only for a portion of the route. The portion of the route for which driving directions are presented may be identified based on an arterial category of roads included in the route.
1. A computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program that generates a graphical user interface on a display device for using a computer to identify personal preferences for reducing maneuvers in driving directions, the computer program comprising executable instructions that, when executed, are configured to generate a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface comprising:
an origin display configured to enable a user to identify an origin location;
a preference display configured to enable the user to identify a preference for reducing maneuvers in driving directions originating at or near the origin location; and
a control configured to persistently store the preference to be applied when the user requests driving directions for a route that originates at or near the origin location.
2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the preference display is configured to enable the user to identify a preference for a route that originates at or near the origin location, the preference indicating that the driving directions are to start at a first occurrence of a maneuver involving an Interstate in the driving directions.
3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the preference display is configured to enable the user to identify a preference for a route that originates at or near the origin location, the preference indicating that the driving directions are to start at a first occurrence of a maneuver involving an Interstate or a U.S. Highway in the driving directions.
4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein:
the preference display is configured to enable the user to identify a preference for a route that originates at or near the origin location,
the preference indicating that the driving directions are to start at a first occurrence of a maneuver involving an Interstate in the driving directions, and
the maneuver involving the Interstate occurs within a user-identified predetermined distance from the origin location identified in the origin display.
5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein:
the preference display is configured to enable the user to identify a preference for a route that originates at or near the origin location,
the preference indicating that the driving directions are to start at a first occurrence of a maneuver involving an Interstate or a U.S. Highway in the driving directions, and
the maneuver involving the Interstate or the U.S. Highway occurs within a user-identified predetermined distance from the origin location identified in the origin display.
6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the identified origin location corresponds to a location identified as a home location and associated with the user.
7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the identified origin location corresponds to a location identified as an office location and associated with the user.
8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the identified origin location is selected from multiple locations associated with the user.
9. A system for generating a graphical user interface on a display device for using a computer to identify personal preferences for reducing maneuvers in driving directions, the system comprising a computer and a computer and executable instructions that, when executed, are configured to generate a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface comprising:
an origin display configured to enable a user to identify an origin location;
a preference display configured to enable the user to identify a preference for reducing maneuvers in driving directions originating at or near the origin location; and
a control configured to persistently store the preference to be applied when the user requests driving directions for a route that originates at or near the origin location.
10. The system of claim 9 wherein the preference display is configured to enable the user to identify a preference for a route that originates at or near the origin location, the preference indicating that the driving directions are to start at a first occurrence of a maneuver involving an Interstate in the driving directions.
11. The system of claim 9 wherein the preference display is configured to enable the user to identify a preference for a route that originates at or near the origin location, the preference indicating that the driving directions are to start at a first occurrence of a maneuver involving an Interstate or a U.S. Highway in the driving directions.
12. The system of claim 9 wherein:
the preference display is configured to enable the user to identify a preference for a route that originates at or near the origin location,
the preference indicating that the driving directions are to start at a first occurrence of a maneuver involving an Interstate in the driving directions, and
the maneuver involving the Interstate occurs within a user-identified predetermined distance from the origin location identified in the origin display.
13. The system of claim 9 wherein:
the preference display is configured to enable the user to identify a preference for a route that originates at or near the origin location,
the preference indicating that the driving directions are to start at a first occurrence of a maneuver involving an Interstate or a U.S. Highway in the driving directions, and
the maneuver involving the Interstate or the U.S. Highway occurs within a user-identified predetermined distance from the origin location identified in the origin display.
14. The system of claim 9 wherein the identified origin location corresponds to a location identified as a home location and associated with the user.
15. The system of claim 9 wherein the identified origin location corresponds to a location identified as an office location and associated with the user.
16. The system of claim 9 wherein the identified origin location is selected from multiple locations associated with the user.