Generating travel time data

1. A server computer configured to produce a list of destinations, having a processor configured to:

receive co-ordinates for a starting location;

receive a maximum travel time;

read processed graph data comprising nodes representing pre-filtered map features and edges that include representations of travel times between said nodes;

traverse said graph data to identify selected nodes that can be reached from said starting location via edges in said graph data within said maximum travel time;

receive candidate destinations;

for each candidate destination, identify whether it is geographically close to one of said selected nodes, and if so select it; and

output for display a list including said selected candidate destinations.

2. The server computer of claim 1 , wherein said processor is also configured to:

divide a geographical region repeatedly so that each divided region includes one exclusive graph node;

create a two dimensional binary space partitioning tree;

translate a starting location to a graph node with reference to said two dimensional binary space partitioning tree; and

carry out said step of identifying identifying whether a candidate destination is geographically close to a selected node by referring to said two dimensional binary space partitioning tree.

3. The server computer of claim 1 , including a cache, wherein said cache is configured to store a previously identified set of selected nodes to facilitate repeated searches from the same starting location but for different candidate destinations.

4. An application executable within a mobile device, configured to receive travel time data from the server of claim 1 .

5. The mobile device of claim 4 , further comprising apparatus for generating location data representing the location of said mobile device, wherein said location data is conveyed to said server computer to identify a starting location.

6. A method of generating travel time data, comprising the steps taken by a processor of:

receiving coordinates for a starting location;

receiving a maximum travel time;

reading processed graph data comprising nodes representing pre-filtered map features and edges representing travel times between said nodes;

traversing said graph data to identify selected nodes that can be reached from said starting location via edges in said graph data within said maximum travel time;

receiving candidate destinations;

for each candidate destination, identifying whether it is geographically close to one of said selected nodes, and if so selecting it; and

outputting for display a list including said selected candidate destinations.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said edges represent variable travel times between adjacent nodes that are dependent upon a temporal component derived from non-exclusively one or more of the following, comprising: time of day, day of the week, time of the year and special activity periods; and

said traversal of said graph data is carried out with reference to a time of travel so as to account for said temporal component.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein coordinates of an actual starting location are transformed to a modified origin at the location of a node in said processed graph data.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein coordinates of each candidate destination are transformed to a modified destination at the location of a-its geographically close selected node.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein each candidate destination is transformed upon arrival, in preference to said building step, the building of said temporary graph being performed as a background process.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein a candidate destination is rejected if it has a location that is displaced from said starting location by a first predetermined distance.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein a candidate destination is rejected if it has a location that is displaced from its geographically close selected node by a second predetermined distance.

13. The method of claim 6 , wherein said processed graph data is produced by processing map data to remove features that are not travel related.

14. The method of claim 6 , wherein said map data is processed a plurality of times to produce a plurality of processed graph data sets, applicable to respective modes of transport.

15. The method of claim 6 , wherein a travel time for each selected node is calculated by subtracting travel times between nodes from said maximum travel time.

16. The method of claim 6 , wherein said outputted list includes an indication of travel time for each selected candidate destination.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein said identified candidates are ranked in terms of travel time.