Method and system for visualizing shared route information

1. A method for visualizing shared route information, comprising:

managing by a server, a database including a plurality of user-provided routes uploaded to the server by a plurality of different users;

receiving a query from a user;

retrieving multiple user-provided routes matching the query from the database;

dividing each retrieved route into sub-routes, wherein a sub-route is a portion of a route between intersections with other routes;

aggregating the sub-routes across the retrieved routes;

scoring each aggregated sub-route according to a defined scoring basis, dependent on the user-provided routes; and

displaying the aggregated sub-routes of the multiple retrieved routes overlaid on a map, such that each sub-route is displayed with at least one attribute representing its score;

wherein the receiving, retrieving, dividing, aggregating, scoring and displaying steps are implemented in either of:

a) computer hardware; and

b) computer software embodied in a non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage medium.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting a displayed aggregated sub-route; and

filtering the retrieved routes based on the selected aggregated sub-route and displaying the filtered routes.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein filtering carries out a faceted search, wherein a route has facets of sub-routes within it.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:

the defined scoring bases include one or more of the following: sub-route popularity; sub-route used in user's own routes; sub-route importance; sub-route speed; sub-route fits user's preferences; sub-route scenic-ness; sub-routes not visited by the user.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , including mapping the query to stored routes in a data repository.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the scoring basis is defined by the user providing the query.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein scoring each aggregated sub-route comprises scoring based on a number of retrieved routes including the sub-route.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the aggregated sub-routes comprises displaying each sub-route with a line width, style or color dependent on the score of the sub-route.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the aggregated sub-routes comprises displaying each sub-route with a score label next to the sub-route.

10. A computer program product for visualizing shared route information, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium;

computer program instructions operative to:

manage a database of user-provided routes;

receive a query from a user;

retrieve multiple user-provided routes matching the query from the database;

divide each retrieved route into sub-routes, wherein a sub-route is a portion of a route between intersections with other routes;

aggregate the sub-routes across the retrieved routes;

score each aggregated sub-route according to a defined scoring basis, dependent on the user-provided routes; and

represent each aggregated sub-route in a display overlaid on a map according to a score of the sub-route;

wherein said program instructions are stored on said computer readable medium.

11. A system for visualizing shared route information, comprising:

a data repository storing map information and user-provided routes uploaded to the server by a plurality of different users;

a computer-based query input mechanism to receive route queries; and

a processor configured to retrieve from the repository routes matching a query received by the query input mechanism, to determine sub-routes included in the matching routes, wherein a sub-route is a portion of a route between intersections with other routes, to assign scores to the determined sub-routes according to a defined scoring basis dependent on the matching routes; and to prepare for display the determined sub-routes, such that each sub-route in the display is represented according to a relative score of the sub-route.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising:

a user selection mechanism for selecting a displayed sub-route; and

a filtering mechanism to filter the route results based on the selected sub-route.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the filtering mechanism carries out a faceted search, wherein a route has facets of sub-routes within it.

14. The system as claimed in claim 11 , including:

the data repository includes a history of a user's own routes and wherein the defined scoring basis is dependent on the history.

15. The system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein:

the defined scoring bases include one or more of the following: sub-route popularity; sub-route used in user's own routes; sub-route importance; sub-route speed; sub-route fits user's preferences; sub-route scenic-ness; sub-routes not visited by the user.

16. The system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein:

representing each sub-route relative to other sub-routes includes one or more of: dashing of lines with different lengths of dashes; colour of lines; saturation or opacity of lines; width of lines; style of lines; label next to sub-route.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to assign scores to the aggregated sub-routes using a user selected scoring basis defined by the user providing the query.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to assign a score to each aggregated sub-route based on a number of retrieved routes including the sub-route.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor represents each sub-route with a line width, style or color dependent on the score of the sub-route.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor represents each sub-route with a score label next to the sub-route.