Navigation device and method

• US 10,161,755 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2016
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TomTom Navigation B.V (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: TomTom Navigation B.V (TomTom NV)
• Inventors: Boschker, Breght
• Primary Examiner(s): Paige, Tyler D
• Application Number:
  US15/017,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20160231126A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,051 Days
• Field of Search: 701200, 701400
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3476 using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3614 through interaction with a road map, e.g. selecting a POI icon on a road map
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3685 the POI's being parking facilities
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/091 Traffic information broadcasting broadcasting communication H04H
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096861 where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096888 where input information is obtained using learning systems, e.g. history databases
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/141 with means giving the indication of available parking spaces

Abstract

This invention relates to a navigation device (200) comprising a processor (210); and a store (230) containing map data, wherein the map data comprises a temporally-variable feature and the processor (210) is arranged, in a route planning process, to determine a status of the temporally-variable feature according to temporal information.

Claims

1. A navigation device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory store containing map data, the map data comprising one or more temporally-variant features and predetermined temporal information for each of the one or more temporally-variant features, wherein each temporally-variant feature is a road, a point of interest, or a map location and each temporally-variant feature has at least one property that changes with time in a manner that is known in advance and is defined in corresponding predetermined temporal information, and wherein said predetermined temporal information includes;

(i) a start time of a variation in the map data associated with the corresponding temporally-variant feature and an end time of the variation in the map data;

or (ii) a start time of the variation in the map data and duration of the variation in the map data,

the processor being arranged to;

determine a route from a start location to a destination location in a route planning process, wherein said determining comprises;

determining, based on the predetermined temporal information for at least one of the temporally-variant features in the map data, whether temporally-variant weightings associated with the at least one temporally-variant feature are to be applied to the map data;

determining a temporally-variant weighting for each road in a vicinity of the at least one temporally-variant feature based upon a distance of each road from the at least one temporally-variant feature; and

upon determining that the temporally-variant weightings associated with the at least one temporally-variant feature are to be applied to the map data, when determining the route, applying the temporally-variant weightings for the roads in the vicinity of the at least one temporally-variant feature; and

provide the route determined in the route-planning process.

2. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the temporally-variant weighting is determined based on whether a subdivided portion of each road in the vicinity of the temporally-variable feature falls within one of a plurality of radii emanating from the temporally-variable feature.

3. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the temporally-variant weighting is determined based on a continuous weighting function applied to the distance of each road from the temporally-variant feature.

4. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the temporally-variant feature of the map data is a map feature having a temporally-variable attribute or a map feature having temporally-variable validity.

5. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the map data comprises first map data comprising map feature information and second map data comprising the temporally variable feature.

6. The navigation device of claim 5, further comprising a data receiving device to receive data, wherein the second map data is received from the data receiving device and stored in the store.

7. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the temporally-variant feature is one or more of:

a road;

a point of interest (POI); and

a car park.

8. A method of determining a route from a start location to a destination location in a route-planning process, comprising:

accessing, by a processor, a memory store containing map data, the map data comprising one or more temporally-variant features and predetermined temporal information for each of the one or more temporally-variant features, wherein each temporally-variant feature is a road, a point of interest, or a map location and each temporally-variant feature has at least one property that changes with time in a manner that is known in advance and is defined in corresponding predetermined temporal information, wherein said predetermined temporal information includes;

(i) a start time of a variation in the map data associated with the corresponding temporally-variant feature and an end time of the variation in the map data;

or (ii) a start time of the variation in the map data and duration of the variation in the map data;

determining, by the processor, based on the predetermined temporal information for at least one of the temporally-variant features in the map data, whether temporally-variant weightings associated with the at least one temporally-variant feature are to be applied to the map data;

determining, by the processor, a temporally-variant weighting for each road in a vicinity of the at least one temporally-variant feature based upon a distance of each road from the at least one temporally-variant feature;

upon determining, by the processor, that the temporally-variant weightings associated with the at least one temporally-variant feature are to be applied to the map data, when determining the route, applying the temporally-variant weightings for the roads in the vicinity of the at least one temporally-variant feature; and

providing, by the processor, the route determined in the route-planning process.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the temporally-variant weighting is determined based on whether a subdivided portion of each road in the vicinity of the temporally-variable feature falls within one of a plurality of radii emanating from the temporally-variable feature.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the temporally-variant weighting is determined based on a continuous weighting function applied to the distance of each road from the temporally-variant feature.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the temporally-variant feature of the map data is a map feature having a temporally-variable attribute or a map feature having temporally-variable validity.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the map data comprises first map data comprising map feature information and second map data comprising the temporally variable feature.

13. The method of claim 8, further receiving the second map data and storing the received data in the store.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the temporally-variant feature is one or more of:

a road;

a point of interest (POI); and

a car park.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium which stores a set of instructions which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform a method of determining a route from a start location to a destination location in a route-planning process, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

accessing a memory store containing map data, the map data comprising one or more temporally-variant features and predetermined temporal information for each of the one or more temporally-variant features, wherein each temporally-variant feature is a road, a point of interest, or a map location and each temporally-variant feature has at least one property that changes with time in a manner that is known in advance and is defined in corresponding predetermined temporal information, wherein said predetermined temporal information includes;

(i) a start time of a variation in the map data associated with the corresponding temporally-variant feature and an end time of the variation in the map data;

or (ii) a start time of the variation in the map data and duration of the variation in the map data;

determining, by the processor, based on the predetermined temporal information for at least one of the temporally-variant features in the map data, whether temporally-variant weightings associated with the at least one temporally-variant feature are to be applied to the map data;

determining a temporally-variant weighting for each road in a vicinity of the at least one temporally-variant feature based upon a distance of each road from the at least one temporally-variant feature;

upon determining, by the processor, that the temporally-variant weightings associated with the at least one temporally-variant feature are to be applied to the map data, when determining the route, applying the temporally-variant weightings for the roads in the vicinity of the at least one temporally-variant feature; and

providing the route determined in the route-planning process.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the temporally-variant weighting is determined based on whether a subdivided portion of each road in the vicinity of the temporally-variable feature falls within one of a plurality of radii emanating from the temporally-variable feature.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the temporally-variant weighting is determined based on a continuous weighting function applied to the distance of each road from the temporally-variant feature.