Determining a travel route

Abstract

An approach for determining a route is provided. A rule is retrieved which indicates a number of recommended routes passing through a constrained area is not permitted to exceed a threshold. N+1 recommended routes passing through the constrained area are determined. Based in part on a determination that N+1 does not exceed the threshold, an (N+2)-th route passing through the constrained area is determined. It is determined that (N+2) is greater than the threshold. Responsive to determining that N+2 is greater than the threshold, the constrained area is identified as having congested traffic, the (N+2)-th route is determined to pass through the constrained area having congested traffic, and a fee is determined to charge a vendor whose location is included in the (N+2)-th route. The fee promotes a reduction in additional vehicles entering the constrained area.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of determining a route, the method comprising the steps of:
 a global positioning system (GPS) included in a vehicle and having a processor retrieving from a data storage unit coupled to the GPS a rule indicating that a first number of recommended routes passing through a constrained area is not permitted to exceed a second number, the rule limiting a number of recommended routes that pass through the constrained area;   subsequent to a receipt from N users of N respective requests for N routes, the GPS determining N recommended routes passing through the constrained area and presenting the N recommended routes to the N users;   subsequent to the step of determining the N recommended routes and based on a receipt of a request from a user for a determination of an (N+1)-th route, the GPS determining that a first vendor wins an auction for a location of the first vendor to be included in the (N+1)-th route and the GPS determining the (N+1)-th route so that the location of the first vendor is included in the (N+1)-th route;   the GPS determining that the (N+1)-th route passes through the constrained area and the GPS determining that N+1 does not exceed the second number;   based on the (N+1)-th route passing through the constrained area and (N+1) not exceeding the second number and based on a receipt from the user or another user of a request for a determination of an (N+2)-th route, the GPS determining the (N+2)-th route, which passes through the constrained area;   based on the retrieved rule and the (N+2)-th route passing through the constrained area, the GPS determining N+2 is greater than the second number; and   in response to the step of determining N+2 is greater than the second number, the GPS identifying the constrained area as having congested traffic, the GPS determining that the (N+2)-th route passes through the constrained area having congested traffic, and the GPS determining a fee to charge a second vendor whose location is included in the (N+2)-th route based on the second vendor having won a second auction, the fee promoting a reduction in additional vehicles entering the constrained area having the congested traffic.   
     
     
         2 . The method  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable program code in a computer in the GPS, the program code being executed by a processor of the computer to implement the steps of retrieving the rule, determining the N recommended routes, presenting the N recommended routes, determining that the first vendor wins the auction, determining the (N+1)-th route, determining that the (N+1)-th route passes through the constrained area, determining that N+1 does not exceed the second number, determining the (N+2)-th route, determining N+2 is greater than the second number, identifying the constrained area as having congested traffic, determining that the (N+2)-th route passes through the constrained area having congested traffic, and determining the fee.   
     
     
         3 . A computer program product, comprising:
 a computer-readable storage device; and   a computer-readable program code stored in the computer-readable storage device, the computer-readable program code containing instructions that are executed by a central processing unit (CPU) of a computer system, which is a global positioning system (GPS) included in a vehicle, to implement a method of determining a route, the method comprising the steps of:
 the computer system included in a vehicle and having a processor retrieving from a data storage unit coupled to the GPS a rule indicating that a first number of recommended routes passing through a constrained area is not permitted to exceed a second number, the rule limiting a number of recommended routes that pass through the constrained area; 
 subsequent to a receipt from N users of N respective requests for N routes, the computer system determining N recommended routes passing through the constrained area and presenting the N recommended routes to the N users; 
 subsequent to the step of determining the N recommended routes and based on a receipt of a request from a user for a determination of an (N+1)-th route, the computer system determining that a first vendor wins an auction for a location of the first vendor to be included in the (N+1)-th route and the computer system determining the (N+1)-th route so that the location of the first vendor is included in the (N+1)-th route; 
 the computer system determining that the (N+1)-th route passes through the constrained area and the computer system determining that N+1 does not exceed the second number; 
 based on the (N+1)-th route passing through the constrained area and (N+1) not exceeding the second number and based on a receipt from the user or another user of a request for a determination of an (N+2)-th route, the computer system determining the (N+2)-th route, which passes through the constrained area; 
 based on the retrieved rule and the (N+2)-th route passing through the constrained area, the computer system determining N+2 is greater than the second number; and 
 in response to the step of determining N+2 is greater than the second number, the computer identifying the constrained area as having congested traffic, the computer system determining that the (N+2)-th route passes through the constrained area having congested traffic, and the computer system determining a fee to charge a second vendor whose location is included in the (N+2)-th route based on the second vendor having won a second auction, the fee promoting a reduction in additional vehicles entering the constrained area having the congested traffic. 
   
     
     
         4 . A computer system comprising:
 a central processing unit (CPU);   a memory coupled to the CPU; and   a computer-readable storage device coupled to the CPU, the storage device containing instructions that are executed by the CPU via the memory to implement a method of determining a route, the method comprising the steps of:
 the computer system included in a vehicle and having a processor retrieving from a data storage unit coupled to the GPS a rule indicating that a first number of recommended routes passing through a constrained area is not permitted to exceed a second number, the rule limiting a number of recommended routes that pass through the constrained area; 
 subsequent to a receipt from N users of N respective requests for N routes, the computer system determining N recommended routes passing through the constrained area and presenting the N recommended routes to the N users; 
 subsequent to the step of determining the N recommended routes and based on a receipt of a request from a user for a determination of an (N+1)-th route, the computer system determining that a first vendor wins an auction for a location of the first vendor to be included in the (N+1)-th route and the computer system determining the (N+1)-th route so that the location of the first vendor is included in the (N+1)-th route; 
 the computer system determining that the (N+1)-th route passes through the constrained area and the computer system determining that N+1 does not exceed the second number; 
 based on the (N+1)-th route passing through the constrained area and (N+1) not exceeding the second number and based on a receipt from the user or another user of a request for a determination of an (N+2)-th route, the computer system determining the (N+2)-th route, which passes through the constrained area; 
 based on the retrieved rule and the (N+2)-th route passing through the constrained area, the computer system determining N+2 is greater than the second number; and 
 in response to the step of determining N+2 is greater than the second number, the computer identifying the constrained area as having congested traffic, the computer system determining that the (N+2)-th route passes through the constrained area having congested traffic, and the computer system determining a fee to charge a second vendor whose location is included in the (N+2)-th route based on the second vendor having won a second auction, the fee promoting a reduction in additional vehicles entering the constrained area having the congested traffic.