Vehicle navigation system and methods for incorporating user preferences into same

• US 20050222763A1
• Filed: 01/21/2005
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Uyeki, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,289,904 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/210
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• 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 1/096827 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 1/096883 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

Abstract

Traffic information, including traffic flow information and traffic incident information, obtained through a traffic management system for providing and facilitating the exchange of traffic information between a remote location and a vehicle may be presented to a user on a user display in the vehicle. The traffic information may be presented to the user in several circumstances, either as cued by the user, or automatically presented by the traffic management system. The present invention discloses a vehicle navigation system for providing personalized traffic information to a user of the vehicle navigation system and methods for the same. The personalized traffic information is based at least in part on user preferences, either manually input by the user or automated by the vehicle navigation system.

Claims

1. A vehicle navigation system providing a travel route to a user based on traffic information transmitted by a remote location, comprising:

a navigation device including a processor, a memory unit, and a receiver adapted to receive the traffic information transmitted from the remote location; and

an owner link device enabling manual entry of a commute preference by the user and operatively coupled to said navigation device to transmit the commute preference thereto; and

wherein, said processor calculates the travel route based at least in part on the commute preference and the traffic information.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said commute preference is stored in said memory unit.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said owner link device comprises a computer.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said owner link device comprises a personal digital assistant.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said navigation device is located in a vehicle.

6. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein said owner link device transmits the commute preference to said navigation device before the user enters the vehicle.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said owner link device transmits the commute preference via a wireless communication network.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said owner link device transmits the commute preference via a satellite navigation network.

9. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the commute preference comprises a destination address.

10. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the commute preference comprises a time that a user of the navigation device begins travel.

11. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the commute preference comprises a travel route that a user of the navigation device prefers to travel along between a first location and a second location.

12. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said navigation device further includes a visual display screen.

13. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein said receiver receives traffic information from the remote location based at least in part on the commute preference.

14. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein said visual display screen includes touch-sensitive pads enabling user entry of the commute preference.

15. A vehicle navigation device providing a travel route to a user and receiving traffic information from a remote location, comprising:

a processor;

a receiver operatively coupled to said processor and adapted to receive the traffic information from the remote location;

a visual display screen operatively coupled to said processor and having touch-sensitive pads enabling user entry of a commute preference; and

a memory unit operatively coupled to said processor and adapted to store the commute preference;

wherein, said processor calculates the travel route based at least in part on the traffic information and the commute preference.

16. The device as recited in claim 15, further comprising a position detection device.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein said position detection device comprises a satellite navigation system.

18. A method for providing personalized traffic information to a user of a vehicle navigation system that receives traffic information from a remote location, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a commute preference from the user;

(b) receiving traffic information from the remote location;

(c) calculating a travel route, based at least in part on the commute preference received in said step (a) and the traffic information received in said step (b); and

(d) displaying the travel route calculated in said step (c).

19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the commute preference received in said step (a) comprises a time to begin travel.

20. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the commute preference received in said step (a) comprises a destination address.

21. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein said step (a) further comprises receiving the commute preference via a wireless communication network.

22. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein said step (a) further comprises receiving the commute preference via a satellite navigation network.

23. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein said step (b) further comprises receiving the traffic information via a wireless communication network.

24. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein said step (b) further comprises receiving the traffic information via a satellite navigation network.

25. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein said step (d) further comprises displaying the travel route on a visual display screen.

26. A method for providing traffic information to a user of a vehicle navigation system that receives traffic information from a remote location, comprising the steps of:

(a) establishing a commute pattern of the user;

(b) receiving traffic information from the remote location, based at least in part on the commute pattern established in said step (a);

(c) calculating a travel route, based at least in part on the traffic information received in said step (b); and

(d) displaying the travel route calculated in said step (c).

27. The method as recited in claim 26, wherein establishing a commute pattern in said step (a) comprises storing a plurality of addresses that the user has visited.

28. The method as recited in claim 26, wherein receiving the traffic information in said step (b) and calculating the travel route in said step (c) are completed before the user enters the vehicle.

29. The method as recited in claim 27, wherein traffic information is received in said step (b) when the vehicle navigation system is located within a predetermined distance from each one of the plurality of addresses stored in said step (a).