Method For Operating A Navigation System

• US 20080312827A1
• Filed: 06/02/2008
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Navigon AG (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Navigon AG (Garmin Limited)
• Inventors: Katzer, Jochen, Kahlow, Matthias
• Application Number:
  US12/131,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20080312827A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3655 Timing of guidance instructions

Abstract

The invention pertains to a method for operating a navigation system. The navigation system includes a data base, in which a geographic region is described by means of machine-readable data, wherein the data base also contains signpost data sets that respectively describe the signpost information of signposts in the geographic region, a route calculating unit for calculating a route, a position finding unit that makes it possible to determine the current position, and at least one output device for outputting at least part of a signpost data set; in the form of an optical, anchor acoustical signpost message in dependence on the current position. The method includes the following steps:

a) determining at least two signpost data sets, wherein a first signpost data set describes the signpost information of a first signpost along the route, and wherein a second signpost data set describes die signpost information of a second signpost that lies behind the first signpost along the route,
b) comparing the determined signpost data sets,
c) deriving the signpost message, wherein the content of the signpost message is determined in dependence on the result of the comparison between the determined signpost data sets, and
d) optically and/or acoustically outputting the signpost message.

Claims

1. A method for operating a navigation system comprising:

a data base, in which a geographic region is described by means of machine-readable data, wherein the data base also contains signpost data sets (08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13) that respectively describe the signpost information (14) of signposts in the geographic region,

a route calculating unit for calculating a route (01), a position finding unit that makes it possible to determine the current position, and

at least one output device for outputting at least part of a signpost data set in the form of an optical and/or acoustical signpost message in dependence on the current position,

wherein said method comprising the following steps;

a) determining at least two signpost data sets, wherein a first signpost data set describes the signpost information of a first signpost along the route, and wherein a second signpost data set describes the signpost information of a second signpost that lies behind the first signpost along the route,

b) comparing the determined signpost data sets,

c) deriving the signpost message, wherein the content of the signpost message is determined in dependence on the result of the comparison between the determined signpost data sets, and

d) optically and/or acoustically outputting the signpost message.

2. The method according to claim 1, in which the first signpost data set is assigned to the signpost along the route that lies closest relative to the current position.

3. The method according to claim 1, in which the signpost data sets evaluated for deriving, the signpost message are assigned to uninterrupted string of signposts along the route.

4. The method according to claim 1, in which the signpost message is derived by comparing the signpost information of at least two signpost data sets assigned to two consecutive signposts along the route, wherein the signpost information of the first signpost data set that does not concur with any signpost information in the second signpost data set is filtered out.

5. The method according to claim 4, in which the signpost information of the first signpost data set that remains after the filtering is intermediately stored in the form of a comparison result list, wherein the comparison result list is additionally used for deriving the signpost message.

6. The method according to claim 5, in which the filtering of signpost information from the comparison result list of the first signpost data set in the form of a comparison with additional signpost data sets assigned to an uninterrupted string of signposts along the route is continued until concurring signpost information can no longer be detected or until no additional signpost data sets exist for the route, wherein the signpost information of the last non-empty comparison result list is used for deriving the signpost message.

7. The method according to claim 6, in which all signpost information of the last non-empty comparison result list is output as signpost message.

8. The method according to claim 6, in which exactly one signpost information, particularly the respectively first signpost information of the last non-empty comparison result list, is output as signpost message.

9. The method according to claim 4, in which a new comparison result list is prepared by comparing additional signpost data sets after the comparison result list has been cleared.

10. The method according to claim 1, in which signpost data sets are checked to determine whether they contain the destination of the route as signpost information, wherein the destination is output as signpost message in this case.

11. The method according to claim 1, in which two pieces of signpost information are classified as concurring if the respective pieces of signpost information contain

a) at least one identical word and/or

b) at least one identical word constituent and/or

c) at least one identical word group and/or

d) at least one identical graphic symbol.

12. The method according to claim 1, in which auxiliary words, particularly prepositions, are not taken into consideration in the comparison of signpost information in order to determine concurrences.

13. The method according to claim 1, in which two signpost data sets are classified as concurring if both signpost data sets contain concurring metadata, wherein the metadata is derived from the signpost information.

14. The method according to claim 13, in which the phonetic transcription of the signpost information stored in the signpost data sets is compared during a comparison of the metadata of two signpost data sets.

15. The method according to claim 1, in which all signpost messages to be output along the route are derived before the start of the route navigation, wherein the individual signpost messages are intermediately stored until they are output in dependence on their position.

16. The method according to claim 1, in which individual signpost messages are derived in dependence on the position, particularly for individual maneuvering instructions.

17. The method according to claim 1, in which the graphic design of the signpost message that is output in dependence on the position, particularly the colors of the sign post message, corresponds to the graphic design of the signpost provided in the current position.