High level instruction for navigational routing systems

• US 10,139,243 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2016
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Rovik, Christopher L., Schmidt, Eric R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Testardi, David A
• Application Number:
  US15/143,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20170314949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 941 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3476 using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3641 Personalized guidance, e.g. limited guidance on previously travelled routes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence

Abstract

A navigation system (NAV system) may provide a variety of information and may be integrated with a variety of on-board vehicle systems or features. The NAV system may provide various route guidance options between a present location and a desired destination. The route guidance options may be based on a high level of user preferences. The high level of user preferences may be selected by the user in advance or at the time of requesting route guidance. The NAV system may provide various route options based on key geographical features along the route. The NAV system may provide various route options based on personal points of interest. The NAV system may provide various route options based on a user'"'"'s route habits or frequency.

Claims

1. A navigation system comprising:

a display operable to display visual information;

a user input module in operative communication with the display, the user input module being configured to receive a request from a user for route guidance from a location to a destination and to enable a user to select at least one user preference, the user input module being configured to enable user selection of a show personal points of interest option as the at least one user preference;

a personalized point of interest module in operative communication with the user input module and including information relating to one or more personalized points of interest;

a route guidance module in operative communication with the personalized point of interest module and the user input module, the route guidance module being configured to determine one or more route options between the location and the destination,

wherein the navigation system is configured to, responsive to selection by a user of the show personal points of interest option, and for at least one route option determined between the location and the destination, display as a route option for selection by a user an alternative route option including a personalized point of interest as a waypoint between the location and the destination, when a time required to travel between the location and the destination using the alternative route option does not exceed a time required to travel between the location and the destination using the at least one route option by more than a predetermined percentage of an estimated shortest time required to travel between the location and the destination as determined in the navigation system.

2. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the at least one user preference includes an allow usual route option and the route guidance system provides at least one route option that the user has traveled before.

3. The navigation system of claim 2, further comprising a route history module having multiple previously traveled routes between the current position and the destination and wherein the route history module provides multiple route options to travel between the current position and destination, each route option being a previously traveled route.

4. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the at least one user preference includes an allow international border crossing option and wherein the route guidance system provides at least one route option that includes an international border crossing and at least one route option that does not include an international border crossing, and wherein when a route is selected that includes an international border crossing, a user is advised by the navigation system of requirements for the border crossing.

5. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the at least one user preference includes an avoid bridges option and the route guidance system provides at least one route option that avoids traveling over bridges.

6. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the at least one user preference includes an avoid tunnels option and the route guidance system provides at least one route option that avoids traveling through tunnels.

7. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the at least one user preference includes an avoid mountain passes option and the route guidance system provides at least one route option that avoids traveling through a mountain pass.

8. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the at least one user preference includes an avoid deserts option and the route guidance system provides at least one route option that avoids traveling through a desert.

9. A method of providing route guidance, the method comprising:

in a main module of a navigation system, receiving a request from a user for route guidance from a location to a destination, the request including selection of at least one user preference including a show personal points of interest option;

in a route guidance module of the navigation system in operative communication with the main module and configured to determine route options between a location and a destination, determining at least one route option between the location and the destination;

retrieving, in the main module, from a personalized point of interest (POI) module of the navigation system in operative communication with the main module and including location data for user-associated personal points of interest, location data relating to each personal point of interest residing within a predetermined distance of any location on any of the route options between the location and the destination determined by the route guidance module;

determining, in the route guidance module, and using the retrieved location data relating to personal points of interest, at least one alternative route option including at least one personalized point of interest as a waypoint between the location and the destination;

determining a time required to travel between the location and the destination using the at least one route option between the location and the destination;

determining a time required to travel between the location and the destination using the at least one alternative route option;

determining whether a time required to travel between the location and the destination using the at least one alternative route option exceeds a time required to travel between the location and the destination using the at least one route option by more than a predetermined percentage of an estimated shortest time required to travel between the location and the destination as determined in the navigation system; and

in response to the time required to travel between the location and the destination using the at least one alternative route option not exceeding the time required to travel between the location and the destination using the at least one route option by more than a predetermined percentage of an estimated shortest time required to travel between the location and the destination as determined in the navigation system, displaying as a route option for selection by a user the at least one alternative route option.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one user preference includes an allow usual route option, and wherein the at least one route option between the location and the destination includes at least one route option that the user has traveled before.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing multiple routes that the user has traveled before between the location and the destination.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein when the at least one user preference includes an allow international border crossing option, the at least one route option between the location and the destination includes at least one route option that crosses an international border and at least one route option that does not cross an international border, and wherein when a selected route includes an international border crossing a user is advised of requirements for the border crossing.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one user preference includes an avoid bridges option, and the at least one route option between the location and the destination includes at least one route option that avoids traveling over bridges.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one user preference includes an avoid tunnels option, and wherein the at least one route option between the location and the destination includes at least one route option that avoids traveling through tunnels.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one user preference includes an avoid mountain passes option, and wherein the at least one route option between the location and the destination includes at least one route option that avoids traveling through a mountain pass.

16. A navigation system comprising:

a display operable to display visual information;

a user input module in operative communication with the display, the user input module being configured to receive a request from a user for route guidance from a location to a destination and to enable a user to select at least one user preference, the user input module being configured to enable user selection of a show personal points of interest option as the at least one user preference;

a personalized point of interest module in operative communication with the user input module and including information relating to one or more personalized points of interest;

a route guidance module in operative communication with the personalized point of interest module and the user input module, the route guidance module being configured to determine one or more route options between the location and the destination,

wherein the navigation system is configured to, responsive to selection by a user of the show personal points of interest option, and for at least one route option determined between the location and the destination, display as a route option for possible selection by a user an alternative route option including a personalized point of interest as a waypoint between the location and the destination, when a travel distance between the location and the destination using the alternative route option does not exceed a travel distance between the location and the destination using the at least one route option by more than a predetermined percentage of an estimated shortest travel distance between the location and the destination as determined in the navigation system.