Map Route Ranking with Weighted Distance using Environmental Factors

When users search for the routes between two places using map based services, these services compute and provide the top candidate routes based on shortest geometric distances or ideal time consuming. However, other real factors like physical exertion and practical time consuming will influence user experience, and the environmental factors like steep slope and traffic jam that result in these real factors need to be considered. For example, when users travel on foot or by bicycle, if there are many steep slopes on the routes, it will be difficult or easy to be tired. In this paper, we propose an approach computing weighted distance considering these environmental factors. We rank the candidate route results generated by Google Map using elevation information. We integrate the elevation information in the route results to assist users to make decision. The solution can also be used in other scenarios that need to consider environmental factors.