Patent attributes
The present invention's network-based directions-provision methodology typically features the establishment of two ranking schemes that reversely parallel each other. The “personal” ranking scheme ranks all permitted persons in terms of the degree of access permission with respect to the variously ranked regions of a facility; the lower the personal rank, the fewer the regional ranks to which the person is permitted access. The “regional” ranking scheme ranks all accessible regions in terms of the degree of access permission with respect thereto by the variously ranked permitted persons; the higher the regional rank, the fewer the personal ranks that are permitted access to the region. According to typical inventive practice, a permitted person logs in to request directions, within the facility, from an original location to a destination location; the directions given (textual and/or graphical) are the optimal directions that are consistent with the personal rank of the requestor.