The newly patented system dubbed as “Pedestrian route production” first discovered by Geekwire, Microsoft envisions an intelligent maps application that takes into account conditions that specifically affect your journey on foot and acts as a map and hazard finder and adjusts walking directions to reflect a user’s surroundings, schedule, preferences and the time day.
It is believed that it could be integrated into the computer giant’s search engine, Bing, which has had a walking directions feature since 2010.
In particular, the patent granted this week has a rather charming abstract: As a pedestrian travels, various difficulties can be encountered, such as traveling through an unsafe neighborhood or being in an open area that is subject to harsh temperatures, it says.
It further reads: “A route can be developed for a person taking into account factors that specifically affect a pedestrian. Moreover, the route can alter as a situation of a user changes; for instance, if a user wants to add a stop along a route.”
According to the patent, the system will sift through crime statistics and only suggest routes where they fall below a certain threshold. Perhaps best of all, the patent covers technologies capable of routing walkers around neighborhoods with high crime rates.
Arresting Idea: Microsoft has won a patent for crime-avoiding route suggestions.
Furthermore, mapping applications for walking directions has various issues than driving alternatives, according to the patent, and must consider things like the facts that people will not appreciate walking up rugged terrain, which would be easy in a car, or could take routes based on their own idea of personal security. The document elaborates a scenario in which the maps application quickly extracts user data around a number of factors, including history and available paths, to “construct a direction set that allows the user to take paths that take him to his home in a quickest amount of time while keeping the user relatively safe (e.g., taking the user through neighborhoods with violent crime statistics below a certain threshold).”
While the promise of technology that helps us avoid the wrong side of town is inviting, Microsoft suggests that its patent could help the software learn its user’s preferred route by looking at small pieces of metadata. This could mean that users take routes that are safest, most likely to take them by places that they like or are easier, if they are an older pedestrian, for example.
However, this innovative application could also be utilized by organizations looking to market goods to walkers, and Microsoft also proposed that retailers could direct shoppers to their goods and give them some sort of a voucher or offer as a reward. Besides, it is unclear whether Microsoft is currently using (or planning to use) its newly-patented technology in Bing Maps or other products.
Photo by npzo, via Flickr.
While some people are sure to criticize about why their neck of the woods has been deemed unsafe, it is nice that directions might start taking into account more qualitative information about the route they want you to take. If you are in an unknown part of town, it is reassuring to know where you are going. It is even better to know what you are walking into.