APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING TRAVEL INFORMATION
First Claim
1. A vehicle computer for providing travel information, comprising:
- a database storing information regarding a travel area, wherein the information includes traffic control device information and at least one of road information, street information, and intersection information;
a receiver and a transmitter configured to communicate with at least one other vehicle computer;
a processor for processing a request for information regarding an optimal travel route from a present location of a vehicle to a destination, wherein the processor processes the request by identifying each of at least two possible travel routes to the destination utilizing the traffic control device information stored in the database, and further wherein the processor identifies the optimal travel route to the destination from the at least two possible travel routes, wherein the processor generates a message containing travel directions or instructions corresponding to the optimal travel route; and
an output device for outputting the information contained in the message.
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for providing travel information, including a database for storing information regarding a travel area, wherein the information includes at least one of road information, street information, intersection information, and traffic control device information, a processor for processing a request for information regarding an optimal travel route from a present location of a vehicle to a destination, wherein the processor processes the request by utilizing the information stored in the database, and further wherein the processor identifies at least two possible travel routes to the destination, and further wherein the processor identifies an optimal travel route to the destination, wherein the processor generates a message containing travel directions or instructions corresponding to the optimal travel route, and an output device for outputting the information contained in the message.
51 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A vehicle computer for providing travel information, comprising:
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a database storing information regarding a travel area, wherein the information includes traffic control device information and at least one of road information, street information, and intersection information; a receiver and a transmitter configured to communicate with at least one other vehicle computer; a processor for processing a request for information regarding an optimal travel route from a present location of a vehicle to a destination, wherein the processor processes the request by identifying each of at least two possible travel routes to the destination utilizing the traffic control device information stored in the database, and further wherein the processor identifies the optimal travel route to the destination from the at least two possible travel routes, wherein the processor generates a message containing travel directions or instructions corresponding to the optimal travel route; and an output device for outputting the information contained in the message. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for providing travel information, comprising:
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obtaining in real time at a vehicle computer traffic control device information directly from traffic control devices; storing information regarding a travel area in a memory device, wherein the information includes the traffic control device information and at least one of road information, street information, and intersection information; processing a request for information regarding an optimal travel route from a present location of a vehicle in which the vehicle computer is installed to a destination with a processing device; identifying each of at least two possible travel routes to the destination utilizing the stored traffic control device information; identifying an optimal travel route to the destination from the at least two possible travel routes; generating a message containing travel directions or instructions corresponding to the optimal travel route; and outputting the information contained in the message via an output device. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A navigation system, comprising:
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a memory storing program code; at least one processor coupled to the memory to execute the program code; a data storage device coupled to the at least one processor; a receiver and a transmitter configured to communicate with at least one other navigation system installed in another vehicle; a user output device capable of communicating travel information under control of the at least one processor; and an input device capable of providing information to the at least one processor; wherein; the at least one processor and the data storage device are configured to implement a database storing a map information for an area, the map information comprising traffic control device information for at least some traffic control devices in the area; and the at least one processor, under control of the code, is configured to; receive, through the input device, a request for a travel route between a first point and a second point within the area; identify each of a plurality of travel routes between the first and the second points utilizing the traffic control device information; and select a first route from the plurality of travel routes using the traffic control device information. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A computer-assisted method of navigating roads in an area, the method comprising:
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obtaining at a vehicle computer traffic control device information for the area, wherein the step of obtaining is performed in real time and directly from at least one traffic control device; receiving a request for a travel route between a first point and a second point within the area; identifying a plurality of travel routes between the first and the second points, wherein each travel route of the plurality of travel routes is identified using the traffic control device information; selecting a first route from the plurality of travel routes; and providing directions for travel between the first point and the second point along the first route. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33)
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Specification