Abstract:
A method for providing navigation information to a user, the method including: inputting identification associated with the user into one terminal of a plurality of terminals distributed throughout an area visited by the user, each terminal being located in a kiosk and operating in kiosk mode; inputting a destination; computing a route from the kiosk to the destination; and presenting the route as the navigation information to the user.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority to European Patent Application No. 08305540.0, filed 10 Sep. 2008, and all the benefits accruing therefrom under 35 U.S.C. §119, the contents of which in its entirety are herein incorporated by reference. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to presenting navigation information. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    A person visiting a new location may have many opportunities to get lost or to be unable to determine a route to a destination. For example, a person at an unfamiliar airport may have difficulty finding a check-in counter or gateway for a particular airline. As another example, a person visiting a large city can be confused as to his or her present position and where to go to reach a destination. 
         [0006]    Several solutions have been developed to guide people. One solution is the typical “map-on-the-wall.” Many maps are available but maps can have some drawbacks such as when a visitor has no idea of where the destination is located on the map. Consequently, the visitor will spend a lot of time trying to find the destination on the map and determine a route to the destination. Generally, information displayed on the map is static and general purpose oriented. 
         [0007]    Another solution is to have a staff member provide guidance. The staff member may be dedicated to providing information such as in an information booth or may be non-dedicated such as an employee passing by who can be asked a question. Non-dedicated employees may not be available or may not have information that the visitor is trying to find. 
         [0008]    Obtaining guidance from people can have challenges. For one, the route may not be optimized. For another, the visitor may have to memorize the route. If the user gets lost, then the user must repeat the process of getting new navigation information from a map or staff person. In addition, external events such as labor strikes, accidents and maintenance diversions may not be taken into account in determining an optimized route. 
         [0009]    Yet another solution is for the visitor to use a Global Positioning System (GPS) device. Drawbacks to GPS devices include that GPS is generally applicable to positioning outdoors and GPS devices are expensive. 
         [0010]    Therefore, what are needed are techniques for providing navigation information to a visitor. Preferably, the techniques require little input by the visitor and do not require a device giving the navigation information be carried by the visitor. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0011]    The shortcomings of the prior art are overcome and additional advantages are provided through the provision of a method for providing navigation information to a user, the method including: inputting identification associated with the user into one terminal of a plurality of terminals distributed throughout an area visited by the user, each terminal being located in a kiosk and operating in kiosk mode; inputting a destination; computing a route from the kiosk to the destination; and presenting the route as the navigation information to the user. 
         [0012]    System and computer program products corresponding to the above-summarized methods are also described herein. 
         [0013]    Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniques of the present invention. Other embodiments and aspects of the invention are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimed invention. For a better understanding of the invention with advantages and features, refer to the description and to the drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    The subject matter, which is regarded as the invention, is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a navigation system for providing navigation information to a user; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  presents one example of a method for providing the navigation information to the user. 
       
    
    
       [0017]    The detailed description explains the preferred embodiments of the invention, together with advantages and features, by way of example with reference to the drawings. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0018]    Disclosed are techniques for providing navigation information to a person at a location. The person is generally a visitor not familiar with the location. The techniques, which include a system and method, call for a terminal at a kiosk to receive identification information (ID) and a destination from the person. The techniques then provide the person (or user) with the navigation information. The person following the navigation information can follow an optimized route to reach the destination. If, along the route, the person gets lost or disoriented, then the person can use the identification information at another kiosk to get updated navigation information from that kiosk to the destination. 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a navigation system  10  for providing navigation information to a user. The navigation system  10  includes a computer processing system  11  coupled to a plurality of computer terminals  12 . Each terminal  12  may be placed at a kiosk or built into a structure such as a wall. One requirement is that generally each terminal  12  can be accessible to members of the public or a designated group of users. In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the computer processing system  11  includes an application server  13 , a topography application  14 , a user information application  15 , and a route solver application  16 . In one embodiment, the route solver application  16  may include its own processing system. 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , each terminal  12  interfaces with the computer processing system  11  via the application server  13 . The terminals  12  operate in “kiosk mode” and are adapted to receive identification information  17  and a destination from the user. In addition, the terminals  12  are adapted to provide navigation information  18  to the user. Pre-issued forms of identification information  17  such as a ticket for a plane, train, or bus can be input to the terminals  12 . In one embodiment, the terminal  12  can also provide the identification information  17  to the user. A non-limiting example of media containing the identification information  17  includes a ticket with computer-readable information such as at least one of a magnetic strip, bar code, punch code, shot code and computer-readable writing. Alternatively, in lieu of the media containing the identification information  17 , the terminals  12  can be adapted to receive anthropometric data from the user. Non-limiting examples of the anthropometric data include a fingerprint, retina scan, and a voiceprint. 
         [0021]    Each terminal  12  can include an input device such as a keyboard (including a touch-screen keyboard), mouse, optical scanner, optical reader, or anthropometric characteristic reader (such as a fingerprint reader, a retinal scanner, or a microphone) and an output device such as a display, a speaker, a printer, or a data terminal to transmit data. The keyboard can be used to input identification such as a name or character code. 
         [0022]    The navigation information  18  includes an optimized route  18  to the destination as referred to in  FIG. 1 . Non-limiting examples of the media containing the navigation information  18  include a printed map with the optimized route  18 , a map with the optimized route  18  displayed on a display such as a flat screen display, audio directions of the optimized route  18 , and a down-load of the optimized route  18  to a personal digital device such as a portable hard-drive music player. The optimized route  18  can be highlighted on the map and/or include turn-by-turn directions. Turn-by-turn directions are generally used with audio directions. 
         [0023]    Because a user may become lost or disoriented along the optimized route  18 , the terminals  12  are adapted to read issued identification and provide an updated or refreshed optimized route  18  from the current location of the user to the destination. Refreshment is fast because all data related to the user and the destination is already entered into the navigation system  10 . 
         [0024]    The user information application  15  is used to store and access information unique to each user such as the identification of the user and the destination of the user. The user information application  15  is accessed through the application server  13 . 
         [0025]    The topography application  14  is used to store and access topography information applicable to the surrounding area of the user. The topography information includes a geographic location of the destination, all kiosk locations, and current location of the user (generally obtained from the kiosk location of the user). In addition, the topography information includes travel problems that can pose a challenge to the user. Non-limiting examples of the travel problems include inaccessible routes caused by maintenance, accidents, or labor strikes, routes overcrowded with other traffic, and unsafe routes. The topography application  14  can be regularly updated to include current information regarding any travel problems. Updating can occur on a periodic schedule or when a travel problem develops. The topography application  14  is accessed through the application server  13 . 
         [0026]    The route solver application  16  determines a route from the user&#39;s current location to the user&#39;s destination. The route is optimized with regard to at least one of several optimization criteria taking into account the applicable travel problems. Examples of the optimization criteria include a shortest travel time, a shortest distance, a shortest walking distance, an easiest walking route, a shortest bicycling distance, an easiest bicycling route, and scenery along route. The route solver application  16  receives the user&#39;s current location, the user&#39;s destination and the travel problems as input from the topography application  14  via the application server  13 . As output, the route solver application  16  provides the optimized route  18  to the terminal  12  at the user&#39;s current location via the application server  13 . 
         [0027]    For convenience, certain definitions are presented. The term “kiosk” relates to any structure, whether freestanding or attached to another structure, that includes the terminal  12 . The term “kiosk mode” relates to a computer terminal that employs custom software that allows interaction with a user while preventing the user from accessing system functions. The term “destination” relates to a name of a place or geographic location to which the user desires to go. The geographic location may be described with geographic coordinates. The topography application  14  can be used to associate the name of a place with a geographic location. The term “identification” relates to information identifying a user of the navigation system  10 . The identification information can be contained in some media such as a ticket or it can be an anthropometric characteristic of the user. The identification can be unique to the user or to a group of users such as all passengers on the same flight. 
         [0028]      FIG. 2  presents one example of a method  20  for providing navigation information to a user. The method  20  includes (step  21 ) the user buying a ticket having the identification information  17 . In step  22 , the user goes to a kiosk and presents the ticket to a terminal  12 . In step  23 , the computer processing system  11  processes the identification information  17 . Step  23  includes storing the identification information  17  in the users application  15 . In step  24 , the user enters a destination into the terminal  12 . In step  25 , the computer processing system  11  processes the destination. Step  25  includes storing the destination in the users application  15  and using the topography application  14  to determine the geographic location of the destination. In step  26 , the route solver application  16  computes an optimized route from the location of the user at the kiosk to the destination. In step  27 , the terminal  12  displays the navigation information  18  (i.e., the optimized computed route  18 ) to the user. In step  28 , the user follows the navigation information  18 . 
         [0029]    In step  29 , the user determines if the navigation information  18  needs to be refreshed. If the user determines that the information  18  does not need to be refreshed, then the user proceeds to the destination as step  34 . If the user determines that the information  18  needs to be refreshed, then the user goes to another kiosk and presents the ticket to the terminal  12  at that kiosk as step  30 . In step  31 , the computer processing system  11  processes the identification information  17  associated with the ticket. In step  32 , the route solver  16  computes a refreshed optimized route  18  from the location of the user at the another kiosk to the destination. In step  33 , the terminal  12  at the another kiosk displays the refreshed optimized route  18  to the user. The user then follows the refreshed optimized route  18  in step  28 . 
         [0030]    One benefit of the navigations system  10  is that the user does not need to use a tracking device such as a GPS tracking device. With a tracking device, someone unknown to the user may be able to track the continuous movements of the user. However, use of the navigation system  10  is voluntary and on a need basis. 
         [0031]    The computer processing system  11  includes a processor, memory, storage, communications bus, input/output interfaces, input devices such as a keyboard and mouse, output devices such as a printer and display, and operating system instructions. As these devices and instructions are well known in the art, they are not discussed in any detail herein. 
         [0032]    The capabilities of the present invention can be implemented in software, firmware, hardware or some combination thereof. 
         [0033]    As one example, one or more aspects of the present invention can be included in an article of manufacture (e.g., one or more computer program products) having, for instance, computer usable media. The media has embodied therein, for instance, computer readable program code means for providing and facilitating the capabilities of the present invention. The article of manufacture can be included as a part of a computer system or sold separately. 
         [0034]    Additionally, at least one program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying at least one program of instructions executable by the machine to perform the capabilities of the present invention can be provided. 
         [0035]    Elements of the embodiments have been introduced with either the articles “a” or “an.” The articles are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive such that there may be additional elements other than the elements listed. The conjunction “or” when used with a list of at least two terms is intended to mean any term or combination of terms. 
         [0036]    The flow diagrams depicted herein are just examples. There may be many variations to these diagrams or the steps (or operations) described therein without departing from the spirit of the invention. For instance, the steps may be performed in a differing order, or steps may be added, deleted or modified. All of these variations are considered a part of the claimed invention. 
         [0037]    While the preferred embodiment to the invention has been described, it will be understood that those skilled in the art, both now and in the future, may make various improvements and enhancements which fall within the scope of the claims which follow. These claims should be construed to maintain the proper protection for the invention first described.