k-Optimal meeting points based on preferred paths

In this paper, we investigate a novel query type for road networks, namely the k-Optimal Meeting Points based on Preferred paths (k-OMP3) query. Consider a group of friends currently at different places, e.g., their offices. Before going to their respective homes, using their own preferred paths in the underlying road network, the group is willing to meet at a restaurant for dinner. A k-OMP3 query would return the k restaurants that would minimize the group detour distance. In this short paper we present a provably correct approach which exploits the geometric properties of the problem in order to reduce the query's processing time. Our experiments, using real and synthetic data sets, confirm the effectiveness and efficiency of such approach.