JP6313375B2 - Method and apparatus for evaluating attributes of point of interest - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for evaluating an attribute of a point of interest, and particularly relates to a method for evaluating an attribute of a point of interest from position data of a user of a navigation system such as a satellite navigation system, but is not limited thereto.

  Portable computing devices, such as portable navigation devices (PNDs) that include GPS (Global Positioning System) signal reception processing functions are well known and are widely employed as in-vehicle navigation systems or other vehicle navigation systems.

  In general, modern PNDs include a processor, memory (at least one of volatile and non-volatile, usually both), and map data stored in the memory. The processor and memory cooperate to provide an execution environment in which a software operating system may be built, and in addition, one or more additional software programs control the functions of the PND and provide various other functions. It is usually provided to make it possible to provide.

  This type of device includes power and optionally one or more physical connector interfaces through which data signals can be transmitted to and received from the device, and cellular communication and other signal data networks such as Bluetooth®, Often, it will also optionally include one or more wireless transmitter / receivers that allow communication via Wi-Fi, Wi-Max, GSM, UMTS, etc.

  The PND typically also includes a GPS antenna that can receive satellite broadcast signals containing position data and then process to determine the current position of the device.

  The PND can determine a route between a first location (eg, a starting location or a current location) and a second location (eg, a destination). These locations can be entered by the user of the device by any of a wide variety of methods, such as zip codes, street names, street addresses, and the like. Alternatively, the location may be a prestored location such as a store, restaurant, movie theater, passenger terminal, school, tourist attraction, view point, sports ground, indoor pool, etc. Such a location can be referred to as a point of interest (POI), and data relating to such a point of interest including location and other attributes is included in the stored map data.

  Digital map data is used in various applications and by various devices, not just PND. For example, a wide range of computer applications or Internet sites use map data for display of location maps, search or other processing.

  Including data representing the location of the point of interest can be useful for a wide range of applications and can increase the value of the map data. However, in any given area, there can be many potential points of interest of different types and of variable importance, quality, or interest.

  In known systems that generate and maintain map data, additional attributes of the point of interest can be stored in addition to the location. Such attributes of the point of interest include manually investigating or evaluating the point of interest, performing an aerial survey of the point of interest, monitoring the point of interest, inquiring staff at the point of interest, and associating with the point of interest. Can be constructed by a variety of well-known techniques, including obtaining data from a published website and recording the visitor's opinions on the point of interest. Examples of such attributes may be the popularity of the point of interest or visitor satisfaction, or start and / or end hours or busy and / or off hours.

  However, building the popularity of the point of interest using that technology, recording the visitor's opinion of the point of interest, and determining other attributes of the point of interest often require significant time and attention It is particularly expensive as the number of visitors to the site increases. Monitoring such attributes repeatedly over time periods may also increase the degree of time and associated costs, and monitoring attributes of multiple points of interest can increase difficulty.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for evaluating an attribute of a point of interest,
Associating a region with the point of interest;
Evaluating the attribute according to a comparison of position data of a plurality of users with position data defining the associated region;
A method characterized by comprising:

  A large amount of user location data can be obtained from existing navigation systems, mobile phone systems, or other systems that can determine the location of user equipment. For example, an efficient automatic procedure for determining the attribute of the point of interest may be provided by evaluating the attribute of the point of interest using such position data.

  The point of interest may be a location that may be visited by the user, for example, a location where the user may obtain or consume goods and / or services. Examples of points of interest include, for example, stores, restaurants, movie theaters, passenger terminals, schools, tourist attractions, viewpoints, sports grounds, or indoor pools.

  The POI attribute may be a characteristic of the POI that may be determined from the user's location data over time or a characteristic associated with the POI. POIs may be categorized into various categories according to the nature of the goods and / or services provided by the POI.

  The user may be a user whose location data is being measured and / or stored in a database.

  The associated region may have any shape or size.

  The associated area may include an area or a zone surrounding the point of interest. For example, the associated area may include a substantially circular area centered on the point of interest.

  The associated area may include an area or zone near the point of interest.

  The associated area may include at least a part of a feature associated with the point of interest, such as a parking lot, a road, an approach road, or a private road, or a feature near the point of interest.

  The associated area may be defined by a boundary such as land, land and / or building associated with the point of interest.

  The associated area may be defined by a boundary feature associated with the point of interest, such as a fence or a wall.

  The associated region may change over time.

  The associated area may depend on the nature of the goods and / or services provided at the point of interest. For example, the shape and / or size of the associated area may depend on the nature of the goods and / or services provided at the point of interest.

  The shape and / or size of the associated region may depend on the shape and / or size of the region associated with other points of interest. For example, the shape and / or size of the associated region may depend on the shape and / or size of the region associated with a nearby or adjacent point of interest. The dependence on the shape and / or size of the associated area may depend on the proximity of neighboring or adjacent points of interest.

  The position data defining the associated area may include a plurality of positions, for example, a plurality of positions associated with the point of interest, or data representing a location of the point of interest.

  The position data defining the associated region may include a function or algorithm, and may be generated according to the function or algorithm.

  The location data defining the associated region may represent a boundary or boundary feature of the associated region, and may be associated with a boundary or boundary feature of the associated region.

  The method may comprise, for each user in the plurality of users, evaluating the attribute according to a change in user location data over time. The method may comprise determining the number of users that fall into the associated area.

  The method may comprise the step of identifying that the user has visited the point of interest if the user enters the associated area.

  The method may comprise determining a percentage of the number of users entering the associated area. For example, the method may comprise determining a ratio of the number of users entering the associated area to the total number of users.

  The total number of users whose location data is measured and / or stored in the database may change over time as a result of a change in the overall number of owners, such as portable navigation devices. However, the number of users entering the associated region may be a function of the total number of users for which location data is measured and / or stored in a database.

  Thus, the percentage of the total number of users entering the associated area may be a more meaningful measure of the popularity of the point of interest than the number of users entering the associated area.

  Such methods may be used by other means such as manually surveying or monitoring the point of interest, by performing an aerial survey of the point of interest, and / or by recording the visitor's opinion. Allows the visitor statistics at the point of interest to be automatically collected from user location data measured using the navigation system.

  The method may comprise determining a user's speed within the associated region.

  The method includes comparing a user's speed in the associated area with a threshold speed and identifying that the user is visiting the point of interest when the user's speed is less than the threshold speed. And a process.

  The method may comprise determining a length of time a user spends in the associated area. For example, the method includes determining a length of time that a user spends in the associated region according to the number of consecutive hours in which the user is located in the associated region and a time interval between consecutive times. You may prepare.

  The method compares the amount of time a user spends in the associated region with a threshold period, and if the amount of time a user spends in the associated region is greater than the threshold period Identifying that the user is visiting the point of interest.

  The attribute evaluation is based on the number of users determined in the associated area, the speed of users determined in the associated area, and the length of time spent by users in the associated area. , Evaluating the attribute according to at least one of.

  The method may comprise determining the number of users in the associated region at a certain time.

  The method includes determining a number of users in the associated region at different times during a day, a week, a month, a year, or years. May be provided.

  The method may comprise a step of determining the number of users visiting the point of interest during a certain period.

  The method may comprise the step of determining the number of users visiting the point of interest during a period of seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, seasons, a year, or multiple years.

  Analyzing visitor behavior, identifying visitor trends, and responding to the number of visitors to changes made to the point of interest or other associated points of interest by determining an increase in visitor statistics over time to enable.

  The method may comprise determining a start time and / or an end time of a point of interest according to the number of users in the associated region at each of a plurality of different times.

  For example, the method may include a first time in which the number of users in the associated area is less than a predetermined threshold number, and the number of users in the associated area is greater than the predetermined threshold percentage. You may provide the process of specifying the start time as time between 2 time.

  Similarly, the method includes a first time when the number of users in the associated area is greater than a predetermined threshold number, and the number of users in the associated area is less than the predetermined threshold number. You may provide the process of specifying closing time as time between these 2nd time.

  The method may comprise the step of determining the amount of start time and / or end time of the point of interest according to the number of users visiting the point of interest within each of a plurality of different time periods.

  For example, the method includes a first period in which the number of users visiting the point of interest is less than a predetermined threshold number and a second period after the number of users visiting the point of interest is greater than the predetermined threshold number. You may provide the process of specifying starting business time as time between.

  Similarly, the method includes a first period in which the number of users visiting the point of interest is greater than a predetermined threshold number, and a second time after the number of users visiting the point of interest is less than the predetermined threshold number. You may provide the process of specifying closing time as time between periods.

  The method may comprise determining an opening period and / or a closed period of the point of interest according to the number of users visiting the point of interest within each of a plurality of different periods.

  The method may comprise the step of determining whether the point of interest is open or closed to visitors on that day according to the number of users visiting the point of interest on a certain day.

  For example, the method may include a step of specifying the opening date of the point of interest as a day when the number of users visiting the point of interest is greater than a predetermined number.

  Similarly, the method may include a step of specifying a closed day at the point of interest as a day when the number of users visiting the point of interest is less than a predetermined number.

  The method comprises the step of determining whether the point of interest is open or closed to a visitor on a particular day of the week according to the number of users visiting the point of interest on each of a plurality of days of the week. May be.

  The method may comprise determining busy time and / or quiet time of a point of interest according to the number of users in the associated region at each of a plurality of different times.

  For example, the method may comprise identifying busy time as the time that the largest number of users are within the associated region.

  Similarly, the method may comprise identifying off-hours as time as a time when a minimum number of users are within the associated region.

  The method may comprise determining a busy period and / or a quiet period of the point of interest according to the respective number of users visiting the point of interest within each of a plurality of different time periods.

  For example, the method may include the step of specifying a busy period as a period during which the largest number of users visit the point of interest.

  Similarly, the method may comprise the step of identifying a quiet period as a period during which a minimum number of users visit the point of interest.

  The method may comprise assigning one or more categories to the point of interest according to the nature of goods and / or services provided at the point of interest. For example, the method includes assigning one or more categories to the point of interest from a list of categories including but not limited to retail, commercial, industrial, residential, roadside, hospitality, entertainment, entertainment, public, tourist attractions, etc. You may prepare.

  For example, the method may include a step of assigning a retail category to the point of interest when the point of interest includes a retail store, a supermarket, a shopping mall, a large shopping center, a shop, a store, or the like.

  For example, when the point of interest includes a bank, a business entity, an office, or the like, the method may include a step of assigning a commercial category to the point of interest.

  In the method, for example, when a point of interest includes facilities that provide roadside services such as a gas station, a gas station, a roadside cafe, a roadside restaurant, a roadside shop, and a hotel for a motor vehicle traveler (motel), the roadside category is focused on. You may provide the process allocated to a point.

  For example, when the point of interest includes a restaurant, a cafe, a bar, a pub, a hotel, or the like, the method may include a step of assigning a hospitality category to the point of interest.

  For example, when the point of interest includes an industrial park, an industrial facility, a manufacturing plant, a factory, a warehouse, or the like, the method may include a step of assigning an industrial category to the point of interest.

  For example, when the point of interest includes a residential address, a residential facility, a house, or the like, the method may include a step of assigning a residence category to the point of interest.

  For example, when the point of interest includes a movie theater, a theater, a concert hall, or the like, the method may include a step of assigning an entertainment category to the point of interest.

  The method may comprise assigning an entertainment category to the point of interest when the point of interest includes, for example, an entertainment center, a sports club, a sports ground, a swimming pool, a park, or the like.

  For example, when the point of interest includes a police station, a hospital, a school, a general university, a college, a court, a government office facility, or the like, the method may include a step of assigning a public service category to the point of interest.

  The method includes, for example, a step of assigning a tourist spot category to a point of interest when the point of interest includes an exhibition center, an art gallery, a museum, a tourist spot, a landmark, an important place in history, a place with natural beauty, etc. May be.

  The method may comprise the step of evaluating a quality parameter of the point of interest according to the number of users visiting the point of interest.

  The method may comprise evaluating a quality parameter of the point of interest according to a user speed in the associated region for each user of the plurality of users. For example, the method may comprise evaluating a quality parameter of the point of interest according to a user's average speed in the associated region.

  The method may comprise evaluating the quality parameter of the point of interest according to a length of time a user spends in the associated area for each user of the plurality of users. For example, the method may comprise evaluating a quality parameter of the point of interest according to an average length of time that a user spends in the associated region.

  The quality parameter may represent the degree of popularity of the plurality of users to the point of interest, or may quantify the degree of interest of the plurality of users to the point of interest.

  The method includes the number of users entering the associated region, the speed of each user entering the associated region in the associated region, and the region associated with each user entering the associated region. A step of evaluating the quality parameter of the point of interest may be provided according to at least one of a length of time spent.

  The method includes the number of users entering the associated region during a period, the speed of each user entering the associated region during the period, and the rate in the associated region during the period. The method may comprise evaluating a quality parameter of the point of interest during the period according to at least one of a length of time spent in the associated area by each user entering the area.

  The method includes: quality of a point of interest according to at least one of the number of users entering the associated area, the average speed of users in the associated area, and the average length of time a user spends in the associated area. You may provide the process of evaluating a parameter.

  The method may comprise evaluating the quality parameter for different times.

  The method may comprise evaluating the quality parameter for different time periods.

  The method may comprise the step of determining a start time and / or an end time of the point of interest according to a quality parameter value of the point of interest at each of a plurality of different times.

  For example, the method specifies a start time as a time between a first time when the quality parameter value is less than a predetermined value and a second time after the quality parameter value is greater than the predetermined value. You may provide the process to do.

  Similarly, the method includes a closing time as a time between a first time when the quality parameter value is greater than a predetermined value and a second time after the quality parameter value is less than the predetermined value. You may provide the process to specify.

  The method may comprise the step of determining a start time and / or an end time of the point of interest according to respective quality parameter values of the point of interest within each of a plurality of different time periods.

  For example, the method specifies a start time as a time between a first period in which the quality parameter value is smaller than a predetermined value and a later second period in which the quality parameter value is larger than the predetermined value. You may provide the process to do.

  Similarly, the method uses a closing time as a time between a first period in which the quality parameter value is greater than a predetermined value and a later second period in which the quality parameter value is less than the predetermined value. You may provide the process to specify.

  The method may comprise determining an opening period and / or a closing period for the point of interest according to the quality parameter value within each of a plurality of different periods.

  The method may comprise the step of determining whether the point of interest is open or closed to a visitor on that day according to the quality parameter value of the day.

  For example, the method may comprise the step of identifying the opening date of the point of interest as a day on which the quality parameter value evaluated for that day is greater than a predetermined number.

  Similarly, the method may comprise the step of identifying a closed day at the point of interest as a day when the quality parameter value evaluated for that day is less than a predetermined number.

  The method also comprises determining whether the point of interest is open or closed to a visitor on a particular day of the week according to a quality parameter value evaluated for each of a plurality of days of the week. Good.

  The method may comprise the step of determining the opening time or opening time and / or closing time or holiday period of the point of interest from quality parameter values for different times or periods.

  The method may comprise determining busy and / or quiet periods of the point of interest from quality parameter values for different periods.

  For example, the method may comprise identifying a busy period as a period corresponding to the maximum quality parameter value.

  Similarly, the method may comprise identifying a quiet period as a period corresponding to the minimum quality parameter value.

  The method may comprise storing one or more attribute values and / or one or more categories of the point of interest in a database such as a digital mapping database or an electronic map.

  The method may comprise the step of associating one or more attribute values and / or one or more categories of the point of interest stored in the database with position data of the point of interest in the database.

  The method may comprise displaying one or more attribute values and / or one or more categories of the point of interest. For example, the method may include displaying a quality parameter value and / or one or more categories of the point of interest to allow a user to determine whether to visit the point of interest based on quantitative information. You may prepare.

  The method may comprise displaying one or more attribute values of the point of interest and / or one or more categories of the point of interest.

  The method may comprise displaying one or more attribute values of the point of interest and / or one or more categories of the point of interest in response to a user request. The method may comprise associating a symbol with a category of points of interest.

  The method may comprise displaying a symbol associated with the category of the point of interest.

  The method may include a step of displaying an attribute value of the point of interest in the vicinity of a symbol representing a property of goods and / or services provided at the point of interest.

  The method may comprise the step of evaluating one or more attributes of each point of interest in a plurality of points of interest.

  The method may comprise assigning one or more categories to each point of interest in the plurality of points of interest according to the nature of the goods and / or services provided at each of the points of interest.

  The plurality of points of interest may include points of interest located in a predetermined geographical area such as a city, an urban area, a suburban residential area, a region, a postal area, a city, or a region.

  The method may comprise the step of storing one or more attribute values and / or one or more categories of each point of interest in a plurality of points of interest in a database such as a digital mapping database or an electronic map.

  The method may comprise a step of associating one or more attribute values and / or one or more categories of each target point in a plurality of target points stored in a database with position data of each target point in the database. .

  The method may comprise the step of displaying one or more attribute values and / or one or more categories of each point of interest in a plurality of points of interest.

  The method may comprise a step of associating a symbol with a category of each point of interest in a plurality of points of interest.

  The method may include displaying a symbol associated with a category of each point of interest in a plurality of points of interest.

  The method may include a step of determining ranks of the points of interest at the plurality of points of interest according to the quality parameter values of the points of interest in the same category within the plurality of points of interest.

  The method provides a quality parameter value of the point of interest and a product and / or service that is the same as or similar to the nature of the goods and / or services provided at the point of interest, and the same geographical area as the point of interest. And determining the rank of the point of interest according to the quality parameter of one or more further points of interest located at.

  The rank of the point of interest may represent the popularity of the point of interest compared to other points of interest in the same category. The rank of the point of interest is the point of interest compared with other points of interest in the same category located in the same predetermined geographical area as a city, urban area, suburban residential area, region, postal area, city, region, etc. May represent the popularity of.

  The method may include a step of storing ranks of the points of interest in a plurality of points of interest in a database such as a digital mapping database or an electronic map.

  The method may include a step of associating the rank of the point of interest stored in a database with the position data of the point of interest in the database.

  The method may include a step of displaying a rank of the point of interest.

  The step of displaying the rank of the point of interest may provide the user with information related to the degree of popularity of the point of interest compared to other points of interest in the same category. For example, the step of displaying the rank of the point of interest includes the step of comparing the point of interest with other points of interest in the same category in the same predetermined geographical area such as a city, urban area, suburb, region, postal area, city, region, etc. Information regarding the popularity of the location may be provided to the user. The process of displaying such rank allows the user to decide whether to visit the point of interest based on the quantitative comparison information.

The method
Associating a region with a further point of interest;
Evaluating the attributes of the further point of interest according to a comparison of the position data of the plurality of users with position data defining the region associated with the further point of interest;
May be provided.

  The further point of interest may have the same category as the point of interest.

  The further point of interest may be in a predetermined geographical area such as a city, an urban area, a suburban residential area, a region, a postal area, a city, a region, etc., like the point of interest.

  The method may comprise the step of determining the number of users entering the region associated with the point of interest in a first period and also entering the region associated with the further point of interest in a second period. .

  The method includes entering the region associated with the point of interest in a first period, and according to the number of users entering the region associated with the further point of interest in a second period, A step of associating with the point of interest may be provided.

  In the method, the number of users who enter the region associated with the point of interest in the first period and also enter the region associated with the further point of interest in the second period is calculated using a digital mapping database, an electronic map, or the like. You may provide the process stored in this database.

  The method includes entering the region associated with the point of interest in a first period, and the number of users entering the region associated with the further point of interest in a second period, and the position of the point of interest in a database. A step of associating data may be provided.

  The method may comprise the step of displaying the number of users entering the region associated with the point of interest in a first period and also entering the region associated with the further point of interest in a second period. .

  Displaying the number of users who enter the region associated with the point of interest in the first period and also enter the region associated with the further point of interest in the second period is the same as the predetermined point as the point of interest. The user may be allowed to select an alternative point of interest that provides goods and / or services similar to the point of interest in a geographic area.

  The method may comprise determining the user's location data. For example, the method may comprise determining the user's position data using absolute position measurement techniques and / or relative position measurement techniques.

  The method may comprise measuring a user's absolute position data using a global navigation system (GPS) or a satellite navigation system such as Galileo.

  The method may comprise measuring user relative position data using dead reckoning techniques or inertial navigation techniques.

  The method may comprise measuring the user's relative position data using a gyroscope, an accelerometer, or the like.

  The method may comprise measuring user relative position data compared to a mapped object having a known absolute position or a known position relative to a common reference. For example, the method may comprise measuring the user's relative position data relative to the mapped object using one or more sensors such as a camera, laser scanner or radar.

  The method may comprise determining position data defining the associated area. For example, the method may comprise determining position data defining the associated region using an absolute position measurement technique and / or a relative position measurement technique.

  The method may comprise measuring absolute position data defining the associated area using a satellite navigation system such as a global positioning system (GPS) or Galileo.

  The method may comprise measuring relative position data defining the associated region using a dead reckoning technique or an inertial navigation technique.

  The method may comprise measuring relative position data defining the associated region using a gyroscope, accelerometer, or the like.

  The method may comprise measuring relative position data defining the associated region compared to a mapped object having a known absolute position or a known position relative to a common reference. For example, the method may comprise measuring relative position data defining the associated region compared to a mapped object using one or more sensors such as a camera, laser scanner or radar. Good.

  The method may comprise storing location data defining the associated region in a database such as a digital mapping database or an electronic map.

  The method may comprise the step of associating position data defining the associated area with position data of the point of interest in the database.

  The method may comprise displaying the associated area.

  According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a navigation device configured to receive and display an attribute value of the point of interest determined using the method.

  According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus configured to perform the method.

  According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for evaluating an attribute of a point of interest, configured to associate a data store storing position data of a plurality of users with an area and the point of interest. And a processing resource configured to evaluate the attribute according to a comparison of user location data with location data defining the associated region.

  The plurality of users may include a number of users whose location data is stored in the data store.

  The apparatus may be configured to evaluate the attribute for each user in the plurality of users according to changes in the user's location data over time.

  The apparatus may be configured to determine the number of users entering the associated area.

  The apparatus may be configured to determine a speed of a user within the associated area.

  The apparatus may be configured to determine a length of time a user spends in the associated area.

  The apparatus includes: the number of users entering the associated area; the speed of each user entering the associated area; the speed in the associated area; and the associated area of each user entering the associated area. It may be configured to evaluate the quality parameter of the point of interest according to at least one of the length of time spent.

  The apparatus may be configured to evaluate the quality parameter at different time periods.

  The apparatus may be configured to determine a start time or opening period and / or an end time or absence period of the point of interest from quality parameter values at different times or different periods.

  The apparatus may be configured to determine a busy period and / or a quiet period of the point of interest from quality parameter values of different periods.

  The device provides a quality parameter value of the point of interest and a product and / or service that is the same as or similar to the product and / or service provided at the point of interest, and is located in the same geographical area as the point of interest The rank of the point of interest may be determined according to the quality parameter value of the one or more further points of interest.

  The device may be configured to display an attribute value of the point of interest.

  The apparatus may be configured to display the attribute value of the point of interest in response to a user request.

  The apparatus may be configured to display the attribute value of the point of interest in the vicinity of a symbol representing the nature of the goods and / or services provided at the point of interest. According to another independent aspect of the present invention, a database including position data of a point of interest and an attribute value associated with the point of interest is provided, and the attribute value associates a region with the point of interest. , By comparing position data of a plurality of users with position data defining the associated area. According to a further independent aspect of the present invention, the navigation includes an apparatus for evaluating attributes of a point of interest according to a comparison of position data of each of a plurality of users with position data defining an area associated with the point of interest. A system is provided.

  The navigation system may include a satellite navigation system such as a global positioning system (GPS) or Galileo, for example.

  The navigation system may include a navigation device such as a portable navigation device (PND).

  The navigation system may include a vehicle navigation system and the like. The navigation system may comprise hardware configured for dead reckoning or inertial navigation. For example, the navigation system may include a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and the like.

  The navigation system may comprise hardware for measuring user relative position data compared to mapped objects. For example, the navigation system may include one or more sensors such as a camera, a laser scanner, or a radar.

  The navigation system may comprise a database such as a digital mapping database or an electronic map.

Any feature of one aspect of the invention may be applied to another aspect in any appropriate combination. For example, any one of the features of an apparatus, system, method or computer program product may be applied to any other feature of one or more devices, systems, methods or computer program products.

The invention will be further described by way of non-limiting examples with reference to the following drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a mapping and / or navigation system that includes an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a navigation system that includes an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining an initialization procedure constituting a first part of a method for evaluating an attribute associated with a point of interest for a period T. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a second part of the method for evaluating the attribute associated with the point of interest for the period T in FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic representation illustrating the use of the method described in FIGS. 3 and 4 for three user examples. FIG. 6 shows a screen shot of a portable navigation device that displays quality attributes of points of interest including gas stations or gas stations, as determined using the methods of FIGS. FIG. 7 is a bar graph illustrating the evolution of the number of users visiting the point of interest for each month over a one year period as determined using the methods of FIGS. FIG. 8 is a bar graph illustrating the evolution of the number of users visiting the point of interest on the same day of the week, as determined using the methods of FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 9 shows a screenshot of a portable navigation device that displays the start and end times of a point of interest including a gas station or gas station as determined using the methods of FIGS. FIG. 10 shows a screenshot of a portable navigation device displaying quality and rank attributes of points of interest including gas stations or gas stations as determined using the methods of FIGS. FIG. 11A is a schematic representation for explaining a route taken by a user visiting the point of interest having a related area surrounding the point of interest. FIG. 11B is a schematic representation for explaining a route taken by a user visiting the point of interest having a related area in the vicinity of the point of interest. FIG. 11C is a schematic representation for explaining a route taken by a user who visits the point of interest having a related area associated with the approach path of the point of interest. FIG. 11D is a schematic representation for explaining a route taken by a user who visits the point of interest having a related area associated with a part of the road passing near the point of interest.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a mapping system and / or a navigation system. The system comprises a server 8 operable to communicate with a plurality of position determining devices 4a to 4e, in this case a portable navigation device. For clarity, only five navigation devices 4a-4e are shown, but it will be understood that in practice thousands or more navigation devices may communicate with the server 8.

  The devices 4a-4e shown in FIG. 1 are portable navigation devices, but they can determine their location and provide any type of device that can provide location data to the server 8, for example It can be any type of GPS-enabled device, including a mobile phone, PDA or personal computer.

  The server 8 includes a processor 12, a memory 14, a transmitter 20, and a receiver 22. In operation, the processor 12 executes processing software including a location data processing module 11 that processes user location data, eg, user location data received from the devices 4a-4e, and a point of interest (POI) data processing module. be able to.

  The server 8 is connected to a data store 18 that stores map data and also stores user position data.

  During normal operation of the navigation devices 4a-4e, the GPS data from the navigation devices is regularly sent to the logging device (eg, a known system), usually in the form of a data logger module included in the portable navigation system itself. For every 5 seconds). The GPS data for each navigation device is transmitted to the server 8 via the Internet connection when docked to the docking station by the user for charging or updating. Users may be asked for their permission to transmit GPS data to the server, and many users have been found to permit transmission of such GPS data. In a variant of the described embodiment, data is transmitted directly from the navigation devices 4a to 4e using a wireless connection. In either case, GPS data is treated anonymously and cannot be traced back to a specific user.

  The server 8 stores all GPS data collected with time in the large-capacity data storage device 18 together with the latitude / longitude positioning information. It will be appreciated that a large amount of GPS data from a large number of users is accumulated and over time GPS data indicating any possible road movement in the region or network is obtained. In addition to providing user location information, GPS data can be analyzed to provide speed or other trajectory data or motion data for each navigation device as needed.

  The large-capacity data storage device 18 may include, for example, a digital graph of a road network describing a topology (connection form) of the road network as a mathematical graph using nodes (nodes) and connection structures (road segments). Data is also stored.

  In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the map data also includes data relating to the point of interest. As described in more detail below, the position data processing module and the POI data processing module can process position data obtained from a navigation device or other device to evaluate the attributes of the point of interest, Further actions can be performed based on the values of such attributes. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the server 8 can collect location data from a number of different users, but the location data may be provided alternatively or additionally by a third party for processing by the server 8. It will be understood that it is good.

  The processing of the position data, the evaluation of the attributes of the point of interest and the execution of further operations based on the values of such attributes are described in detail below. However, first of all, the features of the server 8, one of the navigation devices 4, and the communication between the navigation device 4 and the server 8 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 2, for example. The

  The navigation device 4 has a GPS receiver 6 or is connected to the GPS receiver 6. The navigation device 4 may optionally include “mobile” network hardware, ie a portable device (not shown), to establish a digital connection, eg, a digital connection via known Bluetooth® technology. A communication session can be established with a communication network via, for example, a mobile phone, a PDA, and / or any device having mobile phone technology. Thereafter, through the network service provider, the mobile device can establish a network connection (eg, over the Internet) with the server 8. As such, to provide a “real-time” or at least a very “latest” information gateway (movable or often mobile, such as traveling alone and / or traveling by vehicle) A “mobile” network connection may be established between the navigation device 4 and the server 8.

  Establishing a network connection between the portable device (via the service provider) and another device such as the server 8 can be done in a known manner, for example using the Internet. In this regard, any suitable communication protocol may be employed, such as a TCP / IP layer protocol. Furthermore, the portable device can utilize any communication standard such as CDMA2000, GSM, IEEE 802.11a / b / c / g / n.

  Thus, it can be appreciated that an Internet connection may be utilized, which may be achieved by a data connection, for example via a mobile phone or mobile phone technology in the navigation device 4.

  Although not shown, the navigation device 4 may of course include its own mobile phone technology within the navigation device 4 (eg including an antenna). Mobile phone technology within the navigation device 4 can include internal components, for example, with the required mobile phone technology and / or antennas, and / or an insertion card (eg, a subscriber identity module (SIM) card). Can be included. As such, the mobile phone technology in the navigation device 4 is connected to the network between the navigation device 4 and the server 8 in the same manner as in the method of any portable device, for example via the Internet. Can be established.

  For phone settings, Bluetooth enabled navigation devices may be used to work correctly with constantly changing cell phone models, manufacturers, etc., and are model / manufacturer specific The setting may be stored in the navigation device 4, for example. The data stored for this information can be updated.

  In FIG. 1, the navigation device 4 is depicted as communicating with the server 8 via a universal communication channel 10 that can be implemented by a number of different devices. The communication channel 10 generally represents a propagation medium or path connecting the navigation device 4 and the server 8. When a connection via the communication channel 10 is established between the server 8 and the navigation device 4, the server 8 and the navigation device 4 can communicate (such a connection is a data connection via a portable device, personal via the Internet). (Note that it can be a direct connection through a computer).

  The communication channel 10 is not limited to a specific communication technology. Furthermore, the communication channel 10 is not limited to a single communication technology. That is, the communication channel 10 may include several communication links that use various technologies. For example, the communication channel 10 can be configured to provide a path for telecommunications, optical communications, electromagnetic communications, and the like. As such, the communication channel 10 includes one or a combination of electrical circuits, conductors such as wired and coaxial cables, fiber optic cables, converters, radio frequency (RF), atmosphere, space, and the like. However, it is not limited to these. Further, the communication channel 10 may include intermediary devices such as routers, repeaters, buffers, transmitters, and receivers.

  In one exemplary configuration, the communication channel 10 includes a telephone network and a computer network. Furthermore, the communication channel 10 can correspond to radio communication, for example, infrared communication and radio frequency communication such as microwave frequency communication. Further, the communication channel 10 can support satellite communication.

  Communication signals transmitted over communication channel 10 include, but are not limited to, signals necessary or desired for a given communication technology. For example, signals are used in cellular communication technologies such as time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). It may be configured as follows. Both digital and analog signals can be transmitted over the communication channel 10. These signals may be modulated, encrypted, and / or compressed so as to be suitable for communication technology.

  As described above, the server 8 is a processor 12 operatively connected to the memory 14 in addition to other components not illustrated, and is a mass data storage device via a wired or wireless connection 16. 18 and further includes a processor 12 operably connected. The large-capacity data storage device 18 includes a large amount of navigation data and map information, and may be a separate device from the server 8 or may be incorporated in the server 8. The processor 12 is operatively connected to the transmitter 20 and the receiver 22, transmits information to the navigation device 4 via the communication channel 10, and receives information from the navigation device 4. The transmitted and received signals may include data signals, communication signals, and / or other propagation signals. The transmitter 20 and the receiver 22 may be selected or designed according to communication requirements and communication techniques used in the communication design of the navigation system 2. Furthermore, it should be noted that the functions of transmitter 20 and receiver 22 may be combined into a single transceiver.

  The navigation device 4 may be configured to communicate with the server 8 through the communication channel 10 and to send and receive signals and / or data through the communication channel 10 using the transmitter 24 and the receiver 26, Note that it can be further used to communicate with devices other than the server 8. Furthermore, the transmitter 24 and the receiver 26 are selected or designed according to the communication requirements and techniques used in the communication design of the navigation device 4, and the functions of the transmitter 24 and the receiver 26 are combined into a single transceiver. Also good. Of course, the navigation device 4 may also include other hardware components and / or functional components.

  Software stored in the server memory 14 provides instructions to the processor 12 and allows the server 8 to provide services to the navigation device 4. One service provided by the server 8 includes processing requests from the navigation device 4 and transmitting navigation data from the mass data storage device 18 to the navigation device 4. Another service that may be provided by the server 8 includes processing the navigation data using various algorithms of the desired application and sending these calculation results to the navigation device 4.

  The server 8 may constitute a remote source of data accessible by the navigation device 4 via a wireless channel. The server 8 may include a network server arranged in a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a virtual private network (VPN), or the like.

  The server 8 may include a personal computer such as a desktop computer or a laptop computer, and the communication channel 10 may be a cable connecting the personal computer and the navigation device 4. Alternatively, the personal computer may be connected between the navigation device 4 and the server 8 in order to establish an internet connection between the server 8 and the navigation device 4.

  The navigation device 4 may be updated automatically, or in response to a user connecting the navigation device 4 with the server 8, and / or for example a wireless mobile connection device and a TCP / IP connection. Information may be provided from server 8 through information download, which may be more dynamic in response to more constant or frequent connections made between server 8 and navigation device 4 via . For many dynamic calculations, the processor 12 in the server 8 may be used to handle the majority of processing needs, however, the processor of the navigation device 4 (not shown in FIG. 1) is also the server. Many processes and computations can be handled, often independent of the connection to 8.

  The navigation device 4 further comprises an input device 28 and a display device 30, for example a display screen. Reference is made here to singular input device 28, but input device 28 may be a keyboard device, a voice input device, a touch panel, and / or any other known input device utilized to enter information. Those skilled in the art should understand that any number of input devices may be included. Similarly, the display device 30 may include any type of display screen, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD).

  In one configuration, the input device 28 and the display device 30 are touchpad input to allow both input of information (direct input, via menu selection) and display of information through a touch panel screen. Or integrated to provide an integrated input display device including touch screen input, the user activates one of a plurality of display selections or one of a plurality of virtual or “soft” buttons Therefore, it is only necessary to touch a part of the display screen.

  As described above, the processor 12 of the server 8 is operable to process user location data to determine POI attribute values. The attribute value may be stored in the data storage device 18 for subsequent access or processing. In one example, the processor 12 is operable to determine an attribute value of a POI near the user, or, if previously determined, reads the attribute value from the data storage device 18 to display the display device 30. It is operable to transmit the POI attribute value to the navigation device 4 for display to the user via.

  Examples of POI attributes referenced herein include the number of users visiting that POI, the user speed near the POI, and the amount of time spent by the user near the POI. Other attributes of the POI include quality parameters that are calculated in response to one or more such attributes. Additional POI attributes include opening (opening) time and closing (closing) time or busy time and off time.

  FIG. 3 shows the POI attribute value associated with the period T, which in this example is executed by the position data processing module 11 and the POI data processing module 13 using the position data and POI data stored in the data storage device 18. An initialization procedure of an embodiment of a method for determining As shown in FIG. 3, the method begins with identifying POIs at step 102 and continues identifying associated regions (ARs) associated with the POIs at step 104. The method continues to determine position data defining the AR at step 106. In method step 108, user index i is initialized to 1 and time index j is initialized to zero. Time t is calculated in step 110 as the product of time index j and sampling interval Δt.

  Step 112 comprises determining the location of user i at time t, for example by examining the location data of user i at time t stored in the data storage device 18 or other database of location data. The position data of user i at time t is compared with the position data of AR at step 114 to determine if user i is at AR at time t. If the user is in AR, the boolean array element v (i, j) of user i at time t is set to TRUE in step 116. Otherwise, the value of the Boolean array element v (i, j) is set to FALSE in step 118. If the user index i is equal to the total number N of users in step 120, the user index is reinitialized to 1 in step 122 and the number n of users visiting the POI is initialized to zero. Otherwise, the user index i is incremented by 1 in step 124, and the steps including step 112 to step 120 are repeated until the user index i becomes equal to the total number N of users in step 120.

  The method continues by incrementing time index j by 1 in step 126 and recalculating time t as the product of time index j and sampling interval Δt in step 128, as shown in FIG. Step 130 comprises determining the position of user i at time t. The position of user i at time t is compared with the AR position data at step 132 to determine if user i is at the AR at time t. If the user is in AR, then in step 134 the value of user i's boolean array element v (i, j) at time t is set to TRUE. Otherwise, in step 136, the value of the Boolean array element v (i, j) is set to FALSE. In step 138, if the previous Boolean array element v (i, j-1) has a value of FALSE and the current Boolean array element v (i, j) has a value of TRUE, user i has time t = (J−1) AR is entered between Δt and time t = jΔt, and the number n of users who visit the POI is incremented by 1 in step 140.

  If in step 142 the user index i is equal to the total number N of users, a check is made in step 144 to determine if j = J. Here, J is the number of time intervals Δt in the period T (that is, T = JΔt). Otherwise, in step 146, the user index i is incremented by 1, and the steps including step 130 to step 142 are repeated until the user index i is equal to the total number N of users in step 142. If j = J in step 144, then in step 148 the attribute value is the value of n determined. Otherwise, the time index j is incremented by 1 in step 126, and the steps including step 128 to step 144 are repeated until the time index j becomes equal to the number J of time intervals Δt in period T in step 144.

  FIG. 5 illustrates the method of FIGS. 3 and 4 for a POI 150 having a circular AR 152 associated around the POI 150 for three different user trajectory (ie, N = 3) examples. Each user trajectory represents the position of the user i according to the time t between t = 0 and t = T, the trajectory 154 of the user i = 1 is shown as a one-dot chain line, and the trajectory of the user i = 2 156 is shown as a dotted line, and the locus 158 for user i = 3 is shown as a solid line. The radius of the circular AR 152 is such that the outer periphery of the AR 152 delimits the land or building associated with the POI 150 and the land or building associated with the POI 150 is associated with one or more other POIs (not shown) or Selected to separate from the building. The position data of the POI 150 is stored in the mass storage database 18. Similarly, the position data defining the AR 152 is stored in the mass storage database 18.

  Trajectory 154 corresponds to the movement of user i = 1 along road 160, while trajectory 156 corresponds to the movement of user i = 2 along the same road 160 but in the opposite direction. Trajectory 158 corresponds to movement of user i = 3 along a different road, which may be an approach path to POI 150, or an additional road that passes adjacent to or near POI 150. Neither the user i = 1 trajectory 154 nor the user i = 2 trajectory 156 enter the AR 152 between t = 0 and t = T. However, the trajectory 158 of user i = 3 enters the AR 152 between t = Δt and t = 2Δt. By applying the method of FIGS. 2 and 3 to the trajectories 154, 156, and 158 of FIG. 4, the number n of users entering the AR 152 between t = 0 and t = T is 1. That is, the number n of users who visit the POI 150 between t = 0 and t = T is 1.

  In the example of FIG. 5, the number of users N = 3, but it should be understood that in general N is much larger than three. In addition, the user movement described in the example of FIG. 5 corresponds to the user movement for a period of minutes or hours, but generally the user movement is tracked over a period of days, weeks, months or years. May be.

  The number of users who visit the POI in a certain period represents the popularity of the POI in that period. However, in general, the number of users visiting the POI varies according to the time of day and the day of the week. Thus, to determine POI popularity, the number of users visiting the POI is evaluated by the server processor 12 for a period of one or more weeks. Thus, in one embodiment, the server processor 12 calculates the POI quality parameter as the number of users visiting the POI in a week. The POI quality parameter may then be transmitted to the navigation device 4 and displayed by the display device 30 in response to user input via the input device 28. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the quality parameter of the gas station POI may be displayed on the display device 30 at a position 202 adjacent to the gasoline pump symbol 204 representing the position of the POI. As shown in FIG. 6, the POI may be in the same geographic area as the user's destination 206. Alternatively, the POI may itself be the user's destination.

  The server processor 12 may calculate an increase in the number of users visiting the POI over time. For example, FIG. 7 shows the number of users visiting the POI calculated by the server processor 12 per month over a 12 month period. Such information may not be particularly useful to individual users, but such information may be valuable to the POI owner or manager (operator). For example, such information can provide an indication of consumer behavior over time to a POI owner or manager (operator). Such information may be attracted to the POI over time as a result of changes in the goods and / or services offered at the POI, eg, changes in the price and / or quality of goods and / or services offered at the POI. It can provide an indication of changes in numbers. Such information can also provide an indication of changes in the number of consumers that are attracted to POI over time, so that a particular POI owner or operator (operator) can use the same product and in the same geographic area. It makes it possible to monitor the popularity of other POIs offering services. Any change in the number of repeat consumers attracted to POI over time may be calculated. Such information is generally accessible via a display (not shown) or other output device and / or output port (not shown) associated with the server 8.

  FIG. 8 shows the number of users visiting the POI calculated by the server processor 12 for each particular day of the week averaged over a period of several weeks. The server processor 12 then extracts the POI start time according to whether the number of users visiting the POI at a certain time is less than or equal to 4 and the number of users visiting the POI in a continuous time is greater than four.

  In the example shown in FIG. 8, the number of users visiting the POI at the 7th time between 06:00 and 07:00 is 2, whereas 8 between 07:00 and 08:00. The number of users visiting the POI at the 5th time is 5, indicating the opening time of 07:00 am for the day of the week in question.

  The server processor 12 then extracts the POI closing time according to whether the number of users visiting the POI at a certain time is 4 or more and whether the number of users visiting the POI at consecutive times is less than 4. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the number of users visiting the POI at the 18th time between 17:00 and 18:00 is 34, while 19 between 18:00 and 19:00 The number of users who visit the POI at the third time is 3, indicating the closing time of 06:00 pm for the day in question.

  The associated POI start and end hours of the day of the week may then be sent to the navigation device 4 and displayed by the display device 30 in response to user input via the input device 28. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the start time (open) and end time (close) of the gas station POI are displayed at a position 302 adjacent to the gasoline pump symbol 304 representing the position of the POI on the display device 30. May be. As shown in FIG. 9, the POI may be in the same geographic area as the user's destination 306. Alternatively, the POI itself may be the user's destination.

  By displaying the number of users visiting a POI over a period of time to allow users to make a choice between different POIs offering the same or similar goods and / or services in the same geographic area While useful information regarding the popularity of the POI may be provided to the user, further information may be required.

  The server processor 12 is operable to calculate a quality parameter for each POI that provides the same or similar goods and / or services in the same geographic area, and ranks the POI according to the quality parameter. The POI rank may then be transmitted to the navigation device 4 and displayed by the display device 30 in response to user input via the input device 28. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the quality and rank of the gas station POI may be displayed by the display device 30 at a location 402 adjacent to the gasoline pump symbol 404 representing the position of the POI on the display device 30. . As shown in FIG. 10, the POI may be in the same geographic area as the user's destination 406. Alternatively, the POI itself may be the user's destination.

  It should be understood that the embodiments described herein are merely examples, and various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the AR can be defined in any suitable shape and size. The shape and size of the AR can be selected depending on the nature of the POI and / or the land or building associated with the POI, and various alternative AR definitions are possible.

  FIG. 11A illustrates, for example, the AR 502 that surrounds the POI 504, and shows a locus 506 of a user visiting the POI 504. The POI 504 may be a park or the like, for example, and the AR 502 may be defined to coincide with the physical periphery of the park such as a boundary fence. FIG. 11B illustrates the AR 602 adjacent to the POI 604, and shows a trajectory 606 of a user visiting the POI 604. The POI 604 may be a retail store, such as a gas station or a supermarket, for example, and the AR 602 is defined to match the vicinity of the forecourt associated with the gas station or the parking lot associated with the supermarket. May be. FIG. 10 (c) describes the AR 702 associated with the POI 704 and shows the trajectory 706 of the user visiting the POI 704. The POI 704 may be, for example, a historical monument or building, and the AR 702 may be defined to coincide with at least a portion of the POI 704 approach or driveway. FIG. 11 (d) describes the AR 802 associated with the POI 804 and shows the trajectory 806 of the user visiting the POI 804. The POI 804 may be, for example, a restaurant or motel (car traveler hotel) along the road, and the AR 802 may be defined to coincide with at least a portion of the road passing through the POI 804.

  In the described embodiment, the number of users visiting the POI was determined according to the number of users entering the AR associated with the POI. However, depending on the nature of the POI and the definition of the AR, particularly the proximity of the POI to the road or main road, a user may enter the AR without visiting the POI. Thus, the number of users visiting the POI may be defined as the number of users that have an average speed that enters the AR and falls below the threshold speed within the AR. Alternatively, the number of users visiting the POI may be defined as the number of users entering the AR and spending a length of time in the AR that exceeds the threshold period.

  In addition, the average length of time spent visiting the POI by multiple users may also indicate the popularity of the POI or the user's interest in goods and / or services provided by the POI. Thus, the POI quality parameter may be a function of the number of users visiting the POI and / or the average length of time spent visiting the POI. However, the average length of time spent visiting a POI reflects the efficiency with which goods and / or services are provided by the POI owner or operator rather than the popularity of the POI. For such a POI, a quality parameter that is a function of the average length of time spent visiting the POI may not be appropriate.

  Rather than calculating the opening and closing times of the POI according to whether the number of users visiting the POI at a certain time is less than or equal to the threshold number of users, the server processor 12 has the highest number of users visiting the POI. You may calculate the busy time of a point of interest according to the time of a specific day of the week. Similarly, the server processor 12 may calculate the off time of the point of interest according to the time of a particular day of the week with the fewest number of users visiting the POI. The calculated busy time and / or off time may then be transmitted to the navigation device 4 and displayed by the display device 30 in response to a user request.

  Although the embodiments described in the previous detailed description refer to GPS, the devices described herein utilize any type of position sensor technology as an alternative to (or in addition to) GPS. It should be noted that it is also possible. For example, the device may utilize other global navigation satellite systems such as the European Galileo system. Similarly, such devices are not limited to the use of satellite-based navigation systems, but ground-based beacons or any other type of system that allows the device to determine its geographic location. Easy to use and function.

  Alternative embodiments of the present invention may be implemented as a computer program product for use with a computer system. A computer program product is embodied in a computer data signal, which is a series of computer instructions stored on a tangible data storage medium such as a diskette, CD-ROM, ROM, or fixed disk. The signal is transmitted by a tangible or wireless medium such as microwave or infrared. The series of computer instructions can constitute all or part of the functions described above, and can be stored in any volatile or non-volatile storage device such as a semiconductor device, magnetic device, optical device, or other storage device. Can be stored.

  While the described embodiments perform certain functions in software, the functions can be implemented in hardware as well (eg, by one or more ASICs (application specific integrated circuits)), and in practice hardware It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that it can be implemented by a mix of hardware and software. As such, the scope of the present invention should not be construed as limited to implementation in software only.

  It will be appreciated that the present invention has been described above by way of example only and modifications of detail may be made within the scope of the invention.

  Each feature disclosed in the description, and (where appropriate) the claims and drawings may be provided independently or in any appropriate combination.

  Finally, while the appended claims indicate specific combinations of the features described herein, the scope of the invention is not limited to the specific combinations claimed hereafter, and the specific combinations are present. It should also be noted that the steps extend to encompass any combination of features or embodiments disclosed herein, whether or not specifically recited in the appended claims. is there.

Claims (17)

A method for determining the popularity level of one or more points of interest (POI),
Receiving position data from a plurality of navigation devices by a processor;
By the processor, on the basis of the received position data, a predetermined time period, the total number of the total number of users location data is acquired, into the first or the adjacent region associated with POI user Determining the ratio of
By the processor, on the basis of the received location data, the predetermined time period, to the total number of users location data is acquired, the sum of the user entering the second or neighboring region associated with POI Determining a percentage of the number ;
The processor determines the popularity of the first POI based on the ratio determined for the first POI, and determines the second POI based on the ratio determined for the second POI. Determining the popularity;
By the processor, the steps of providing the popularity of at least the first POI and the second POI for display to one or more users,
Equipped with a,
The first POI and the second POI is wherein the predetermined geographic area near Rukoto.   The method of claim 1, wherein the area associated with or adjacent to the POI includes at least one of a parking lot, a road, an approach road, and a private road.   The method of claim 1, further comprising classifying at least the first POI or the second POI into a category. The method of claim 3 , further comprising ranking the first POI or the second POI based on a POI in the same category as the first POI or the second POI. The method of claim 4 , wherein the ranking of the first POI or the second POI is relative to other POIs within a predefined geographic area. The popularity is provided to a user associated with the first POI or second POI to determine the popularity of goods or services associated with the first POI or second POI. The method according to claim 1. The method of claim 6 , wherein the popularity is further used to analyze visitor behavior of the first POI or the second POI. The method of claim 1, wherein the popularity is provided to a user entering the predetermined geographic area including the first POI and the second POI. A system for determining the popularity level of one or more points of interest (POI),
A storage device for position data;
A processing unit connected to the storage device,
The processor is
Receive location data from multiple navigation devices,
Based on the received location data, a ratio of a total number of users who are associated with or adjacent to the first POI to a total number of users whose location data has been acquired in a predetermined period is determined. And
Based on the received location data, a ratio of the total number of users entering the area associated with or adjacent to the second POI to the total number of users for which location data has been acquired during the predetermined period. Judgment,
The popularity of the first POI is determined based on the ratio determined for the first POI, and the popularity of the second POI is determined based on the ratio determined for the second POI. And
Operate to provide the popularity of at least the first POI and the second POI for display to one or more users,
The first POI and the second POI, the system characterized by predetermined geographic area near Rukoto. The system of claim 9 , wherein the area associated with or adjacent to the POI includes at least one of a parking lot, a road, an approach road, and a private road. The system of claim 9 , further comprising classifying at least the first POI or the second POI into a category. The system of claim 11 , further comprising ranking the first POI or the second POI based on a POI in the same category as the first POI or the second POI. The system of claim 12 , wherein the ranking of the first POI or the second POI is relative to other POIs within a predefined geographic area. The popularity is provided to a user associated with the first POI or second POI to determine the popularity of goods or services associated with the first POI or second POI. The system according to claim 9 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the popularity is provided to a user entering the predetermined geographic area including the first POI and the second POI. A computer program storing a set of instructions for performing a method for determining a popularity level of one or more points of interest (POI) at runtime, the method being executed by the set of instructions,
Receiving position data from a plurality of navigation devices;
Based on the received location data, a ratio of a total number of users who are associated with or adjacent to the first POI to a total number of users whose location data has been acquired in a predetermined period is determined. And a process of
Based on the received location data, a ratio of the total number of users entering the area associated with or adjacent to the second POI to the total number of users for which location data has been acquired during the predetermined period. A determining step;
The popularity of the first POI is determined based on the ratio determined for the first POI, and the popularity of the second POI is determined based on the ratio determined for the second POI. And a process of
A step of providing the popularity of at least the first POI and the second POI for display to one or more users,
Equipped with a,
The first POI and the second POI, the computer program characterized prescribed geographic area near Rukoto. Classifying at least the first POI or the second POI into a category, and ranking the first POI or the second POI based on a POI in the same category as the first POI or the second POI. The computer program according to claim 16 , further comprising a step of attaching.

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