Apparatus and method for hybrid navigation of a pedestrian tour

A computer implemented, hybrid navigation method operating on a mobile device with a user interface to provide selected feedback to a pedestrian user with respect to the pedestrian user's progress relative to executing a pedestrian tour, comprising:

• using a processor circuit to designate a starting location on a representation of a geographic map, the representation of the geographic map including a representation of a geographic zone with the representation of the geographic zone including a graph with nodes representing intersections and edges representing paths that link nodes;
• wherein the graph includes walkable/runnable edges and with each walkable/runnable edge being associated with a walkability/runnability score;
• using the processor circuit to select at least one pedestrian tour zone in the geographic zone, said selecting including (a) determining how many alternative edges exist in the geographic zone by determining how many edges enter and exit each node, (b) dividing the graph into a plurality of subgraphs with each subgraph including (i) a fixed minimum number of alternative edges, and (ii) ones of the walkable/runnable edges having a walkability/runnability score that satisfies a selected threshold, and (c) selecting the at least one pedestrian tour zone from the plurality of subgraphs;
• using the processor circuit to operatively associate the at least one pedestrian tour zone with a first guidance system, wherein the first guidance system is configured to provide through the user interface a pedestrian user with minimal or no navigation information when the pedestrian user is determined to be in the at least one pedestrian tour zone unless additional navigation from the first guidance system is requested or required;
• and
• using the processor circuit to operatively associate a connecting path representation extending between the starting location and the at least one pedestrian tour zone with a second guidance system, wherein the second guidance system is configured to provide through the user interface the pedestrian user with detailed geographic map instructions regarding how the pedestrian user is to access the at least one pedestrian tour zone from the starting location along the connecting path;
• wherein said dividing eliminates selected nodes from subgraphs when the determined number of alternative edges entering and exiting the selected nodes is less than the fixed minimum number of alternative edges to define subgraphs with intersections that have alternative exploration paths;
• wherein the user interface of the mobile device, for providing the pedestrian user with navigation information, includes one or more of a display, an audio subsystem, and a haptic subsystem.