Patent ID: 8095303

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of evaluating locations to be included in a route that extends between a selected origin and a selected destination, and that passes through at least two additional locations corresponding to selected points of interest, the method comprising: receiving an indication of a selected origin; receiving an indication of a selected destination; receiving selection of multiple points of interest; determining a preliminary route between the selected origin and destination locations; identifying a first set of locations corresponding to a first of the multiple points of interest; identifying, from among the first set of locations corresponding to the first of the multiple points of interest, a first location that has a relatively short travel commitment to the preliminary route; identifying a second set of locations corresponding to a second of the multiple points of interest; identifying, from among the second set of locations corresponding to the second of the multiple points of interest, a second location that has a relatively short travel commitment to the preliminary route; determining a travel commitment between the second location and the preliminary route; identifying, from among the second set of locations corresponding to the second of the multiple points of interest, a third location that has a relatively short travel commitment to the first location; determining a travel commitment between the first location and the third location; determining whether the travel commitment determined between the first location and the third location is less than the travel commitment determined between the second location and the preliminary route; and if the travel commitment determined between the first location and the third location is determined to be less than the travel commitment determined between the second location and the preliminary route, ranking a combination of the first and third locations higher than the first and second locations when evaluating locations to be included in the route.