Data acquisition apparatus, data acquisition system and method of acquiring data

1. A data acquisition apparatus comprising:

a processing resource operably coupled to an input unit and an output unit, the processing resource being arranged to provide an execution environment for supporting a user interface;

a local database for storage of point of interest information;

retrieval and enquiry modules supported by the execution environment; and

a communications unit operably coupled to the processing resource for supporting communications over a communications network;

wherein the retrieval module is arranged to determine at least one of whether temporal data relating to a point of interest is present in the local database and whether the temporal data is current by calculating an age for the stored temporal data; and

in the event the temporal data relating to the point of interest is not present in the local database or is not current, the enquiry module is arranged to:

generate a web search query using a web search engine, wherein the web search query relates to temporal data associated with the point of interest and receive search results in response thereto via the communications unit;

use the search results to derive temporal data associated with the point of interest by:

searching for one or more predefined terms in content that is identified in the search results; and

deriving the temporal data from the content based at least in part on text included in or associated with instances of the one or more predefined terms that are found during the searching; and

wherein the retrieval module verifies an accuracy of the derived temporal data.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the enquiry module comprises a parser arranged to derive at least in part the temporal data associated with the point of interest from the content.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the enquiry module is arranged to analyse a property of one or more files comprising the content and determine in response to the analysis whether the content is unlikely to comprise the temporal data.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the enquiry module is arranged to disregard a search result associated with the content in response to the content being determined as unlikely to comprise the temporal data.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the determination is made with respect to a keyword.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the enquiry module is arranged to structure the derived temporal data in accordance with a data structure for subsequent use in relation to a temporal calculation.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the enquiry module supports web searching so as to provide a user with the search results and receive an identity of a selected search result selected by the user for parsing, the search results comprising the selected search result.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising a web search module arranged to support the web searching and permit the user to provide a search term to be submitted in order to obtain the search results.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the temporal data is associated with a period of time constituting a period when the point of interest is open.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the verification of temporal data occurs after a user arrives at a point of interest or destination.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the verification of temporal data is based on an examination of a length of time the user remains within a predetermined radius of the point of interest or destination, wherein the examination comprises comparing the length of time the user remains at the point of interest or destination to a predetermined threshold.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the predetermined threshold varies depending on a category associated with the point of interest or destination.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein if the derived temporal data is not relevant to an estimated time of arrival at a point of interest or destination, using customary information associated with a point of interest type related to the point of interest or destination.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processing resource is further operable to use the stored local temporal data or derived temporal data to determine whether an expected arrival time at a point of interest or destination is incompatible with operating hours for the point of interest or destination and provide a warning indicating an incompatibility associated with the estimated time of arrival.

15. A method of acquiring data in relation to a point of interest, the method comprising:

providing an execution environment on a navigation device for supporting a user interface, the execution environment supporting an enquiry module and a retrieval module;

providing a local database for storage of information relating to a point of interest;

the retrieval module making a determination of at least one of whether temporal data relating to a point of interest is present in the local database and whether the temporal data is current by calculating an age for the stored information; and

in the event the information relating to the point of interest is not present in the local database or is not current, the enquiry module:

generates a web search query using a web search engine, wherein the web search query relates to temporal information associated with the point of interest;

communicates the search query over a communications network;

receives search results in response thereto via the communications network; and

uses the search results to derive temporal data associated with the point of interest by:

searching for one or more predefined terms in content that is identified in the search results; and

deriving the temporal data from the content based at least in part on text included in or associated with instances of the one or more predefined terms that are found during the searching; and

the retrieval module verifying an accuracy of the derived temporal data.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer program code to, when executed by a processor of a navigation device, cause the processor to execute a method of acquiring data in relation to a point of interest, the method comprising:

providing an execution environment on a navigation device for supporting a user interface, the execution environment supporting an enquiry module and a retrieval module;

providing a local database for storage of information relating to a point of interest;

the retrieval module making a determination of at least one of whether temporal data relating to a point of interest is present in the local database and whether the temporal data is current by calculating an age for the stored information; and

in the event the information relating to the point of interest is not present in the local database or is not current, the enquiry module:

generates a web search query using a web search engine, wherein the web search query relates to temporal information relating to the point of interest;

communicates the search query over a communications network;

receives search results in response thereto via the communications network; and

uses the search results to derive temporal data associated with the point of interest by:

searching for one or more predefined terms in content that is identified in the search results; and

deriving the temporal data from the content based at least in part on text included in or associated with instances of the one or more predefined terms that are found during the searching; and

the retrieval module verifying an accuracy of the derived temporal data.

17. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the verification of temporal data occurs after a user arrives at a point of interest or destination.

18. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the verification of temporal data is based on an examination of a length of time the user remains at the point of interest or destination.