Navigation systems and associated methods

• US 10,222,227 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2017
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Rosario, Barbara
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US15/858,249
• Publication Number:
  US 20180120121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 431 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2476 Speech or voice synthesisers, e.g. using a speech chip
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/183 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3602 Input other than that of destination using image analysis, e.g. detection of road signs, lanes, buildings, real preceding vehicles using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3641 Personalized guidance, e.g. limited guidance on previously travelled routes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3644 Landmark guidance, e.g. using POIs or conspicuous other objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/00 Maps; Plans; Charts; Diagrams, e.g. route diagram star maps G09B27/04; devices for holding or supporting maps A47B97/02; for computing purposes G06G1/14, G09B1/16; display boards G09F

Abstract

Navigation systems and associated methods for providing navigation services are provided. Information associated with a desired route for a vehicle, such as a route between a current location and a desired destination, may be determined. Additionally, contextual information associated with the vehicle may be identified. Based upon the desired route and the contextual information, a direction may be generated for presentation to one or more users, and the generated direction may be output for presentation.

Claims

1. A vehicle electronic system, comprising:

at least one processor;

a first I/O interface to couple to the at least one processor and receive sensor data from one or more sensors on a vehicle;

a second I/O interface to couple to the at least one processor and transmit output information to an output device;

a communications interface to transmit a first contextual information to a network-based navigation application and receive a second contextual information from the network-based navigation application; and

at least one computer-readable storage device having instructions stored thereon, that when executed by the at least one processor result in operations that include;

identify sensor information from the one or more sensors, the sensor information including image data from at least one camera;

identify the first contextual information based on the information from the one or more sensors, the first contextual information including the image data associated with an external environment of the vehicle from the at least one camera;

communicate the first contextual information to the network-based navigation application;

receive the second contextual information from the network-based navigation application;

generate output information that includes at least a portion of one or more directions for the vehicle to travel, the one or more directions for the vehicle to travel based on the second contextual information from the network-based navigation application.

2. The vehicle electronic system of claim 1 wherein the first contextual information includes text-based contextual information.

3. The vehicle electronic system of claim 2 wherein the text-based contextual information includes text-based contextual information representative of a traffic sign in an external environment associated with the vehicle.

4. The vehicle electronic system of claim 2 wherein the text-based contextual information includes text-based contextual information representative of a billboard in an external environment associated with the vehicle.

5. The vehicle electronic system of claim 1 wherein the first contextual information includes traffic-based contextual information from vehicles in an external environment associated with the vehicle.

6. The vehicle electronic system of claim 1 wherein the first contextual information includes information to identify one or more objects in an external environment associated with the vehicle.

7. The vehicle electronic system of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the first contextual information is included in the second contextual information.

8. A vehicle navigation method, comprising:

receiving, by at least one processor, sensor information from one or more sensors on a vehicle, wherein the one or more sensors include at least one camera;

identifying, by the at least one processor, a first contextual information based on the sensor information from the one or more sensors, wherein the sensor information includes image information from the at least one camera;

communicating, by the at least one processor via a communications interface, the first contextual information to a network-based navigation application;

receiving, by the at least one processor via the communications interface, the second contextual information from the network-based navigation application; and

generating, by the at least one processor, output information that includes at least a portion of one or more directions for the vehicle to travel based on the second contextual information from the network-based navigation application.

9. The vehicle navigation method of claim 8 wherein identifying a first contextual information based on the sensor information from the one or more sensors comprises:

identifying, by the at least one processor, a first contextual information that includes text-based contextual information representative of a traffic sign in an external environment associated with the vehicle.

10. A vehicle navigation system, comprising:

means for receiving sensor information from one or more sensors on a vehicle, wherein the sensor information includes image information;

means for identifying a first contextual information based on the sensor information from the one or more sensors on the vehicle;

means for communicating the first contextual information to a network-based navigation application;

means for receiving the second contextual information from the network-based navigation application; and

means for generating output information that includes at least a portion of one or more directions for the vehicle to travel based on the second contextual information from the network-based navigation application.

11. The vehicle navigation system of claim 10 wherein the means for identifying a first contextual information based on the sensor information from the one or more sensors on the vehicle comprises:

means for identifying a first contextual information that includes text-based contextual information representative of a traffic sign in an external environment associated with the vehicle.

12. A vehicle, comprising:

one or more sensors on the vehicle, the one or more sensors including at least one camera;

a global positioning system;

at least one output device;

a vehicle electronic system coupled to the one or more sensors, the global positioning system, and the at least one output device, the vehicle electronic system including;

at least one processor,

a first I/O interface to couple to the at least one processor and receive sensor data from one or more sensors on a vehicle;

a second I/O interface to couple to the at least one processor and transmit output information to the at least one output device;

a communications interface to transmit a first contextual information to a network-based navigation application and receive a second contextual information from the network-based navigation application; and

at least one computer-readable storage device having instructions stored thereon, that when executed by the at least one processor result in operations that include;

identify information from the one or more sensors including image data from the at least one camera;

identify the first contextual information based on the information from the one or more sensors, the first contextual information including image data from the at least one camera, the image data representative of an external environment associated with of the vehicle;

communicate the first contextual information to the network-based navigation application;

receive the second contextual information from the network-based navigation application;

generate output information that includes at least a portion of one or more directions for the vehicle to travel, the one or more directions for the vehicle to travel based on the second contextual information from the network-based navigation application.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein the first contextual information includes text-based contextual information.

14. The vehicle of claim 13 wherein the text-based contextual information includes text-based contextual information representative of a traffic sign in the external environment associated with the vehicle.

15. The vehicle of claim 13 wherein the text-based contextual information includes text-based contextual information representative of a billboard in the external environment associated with the vehicle.

16. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein the first contextual information includes traffic-based contextual information from vehicles in the external environment associated with the vehicle.

17. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein the first contextual information includes information to identify one or more objects in the external environment associated with the vehicle.

18. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein at least a portion of the first contextual information is included in the second contextual information.

19. At least one computer-readable storage device having instructions stored thereon, that when executed by the at least one processor result in operations that include:

identify sensor information from one or more sensors on a vehicle, the sensor information including image data from at least one camera;

identify a first contextual information based on the sensor information from the one or more sensors, the first contextual information including image data from the at least one camera, the image data representative of an external environment associated with the vehicle;

communicate the first contextual information to a network-based navigation application;

receive a second contextual information from the network-based navigation application;

generate output information that includes at least a portion of one or more directions for the vehicle to travel, the one or more directions for the vehicle to travel based on the second contextual information from the network-based navigation application.

20. The at least one computer-readable storage device of claim 19 wherein the instructions that result in the operation to identify a first contextual information based on the sensor information from the one or more sensors result in operations that include:

identify the first contextual information based on the sensor information from the one or more sensors, wherein the first contextual information includes text-based contextual information.

21. The at least one computer-readable storage device of claim 20 wherein the instructions that result in the operation to identify the first contextual information based on the sensor information from the one or more sensors, wherein the first contextual information includes text-based contextual information result in operations that include:

identify the first contextual information based on the sensor information from the one or more sensors, wherein the first contextual information includes text-based contextual information representative of a traffic sign in the external environment associated with the vehicle.

22. The at least one computer-readable storage device of claim 20 wherein the instructions that result in the operation to identify the first contextual information based on the sensor information from the one or more sensors, wherein the first contextual information includes text-based contextual information result in operations that include:

identify the first contextual information based on the sensor information from the one or more sensors, wherein the first contextual information includes text-based contextual information representative of a billboard in the external environment associated with the vehicle.

23. The at least one computer-readable storage device of claim 19 wherein the instructions that result in the operation to identify a first contextual information based on the sensor information from the one or more sensors result in operations that include:

identify the first contextual information based on the sensor information from the one or more sensors, wherein the first contextual information includes traffic-based contextual information from vehicles in the external environment associated with the vehicle.

24. The at least one computer-readable storage device of claim 19 wherein the instructions that result in the operation to identify a first contextual information based on the sensor information from the one or more sensors result in operations that include:

identify the first contextual information based on the sensor information from the one or more sensors, wherein the first contextual information includes information to identify one or more objects in the external environment associated with the vehicle.

25. The at least one computer-readable storage device of claim 19 wherein the instructions that result in the operation to receive the second contextual information from the network-based navigation application result in operations that include:

receive the second contextual information from the network-based navigation wherein at least a portion of the first contextual information is included in the second contextual information.