METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING OFF-ROAD GUIDANCE

• US 20100063731A1
• Filed: 07/03/2007
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polaris Industries Incorporated (Polaris Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Primordial, Inc. (Polaris Inc.)
• Inventors: Estes, Kyle K., Freed, Erik S., Milbert, Randy L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,818,710 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence

Abstract

The present invention is a computer-implemented system for providing guidance information to aid a user in traveling along an off-road route. This system assumes that the route has already been determined. Also, it is assumed that the user'"'"'s position and orientation can be determined, for example using existing techniques such as the global positioning system (GPS). The present invention uses a Look-Ahead-Point Finder (100) to find a point, which we refer to as a look-ahead point, located on the route ahead of the user'"'"'s current location. A Guidance Message Constructor (102) and a Guidance Presenter (106) are used to present the user with guidance information directing him towards the look-ahead point. If the user is already headed towards the look-ahead point, then a Turn Analyzer (108) is used to search the route in order to find the next turn location. If the user is found to be nearing a turn, then the Guidance Message Constructor (102) and the Guidance Presenter (106) are used to give the user information about the turn including its distance and direction.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for automatically generating and presenting guidance information to direct a user along an off-road route, the method comprising:

(a) electronically and automatically identifying a point located on said route, referred to as a look-ahead point, and

(b) electronically presenting information to said user in order to guide said user towards said look-ahead point.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(a) electronically searching said route to find a turn in said route, and

(b) electronically presenting information to said user regarding said turn.

3. The methods of claim 2 wherein said methods are implemented by one or more hardware or software devices or both.

4. The methods of claim 2 wherein said methods are implemented in a computer-readable medium including one or more computer readable instructions embedded therein and configured to cause one or more computer processors to perform the steps of said methods.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of electronically and automatically identifying said look-ahead point includes electronically identifying said look-ahead point as a point on said route ahead of said user'"'"'s location.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of electronically and automatically identifying said look-ahead point includes electronically identifying said look-ahead point as a point on said route located ahead of a point on said route nearest to said user'"'"'s location.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of electronically and automatically identifying said look-ahead point includes:

(a) electronically identifying the point on said route nearest to said user'"'"'s location, and

(b) electronically identifying said look-ahead point as a point on said route located a fixed distance ahead of said nearest point.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of presenting information to said user in order to guide said user toward said look-ahead point includes electronically conveying to said user the angle towards said look-ahead point relative to said user.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of electronically searching a route to find a turn includes:

(a) electronically searching said route to find the location of the next turn in said route, and

(b) electronically determining the angle of said turn relative to said user.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of electronically searching said route to find the location of the next turn in said route includes:

(a) electronically determining a starting location on the route at which to begin said search, and

(b) electronically searching said route, beginning at said starting location, in order to find the location of the next turn on said route.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of electronically determining a starting location on the route at which to begin said search includes electronically setting said starting location equal to a point on said route near to said user'"'"'s location.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of electronically determining a starting location on the route at which to begin said search includes electronically setting said starting location equal to said look-ahead point.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of electronically searching said route, beginning at said starting location, in order to find the location of the next turn on said route includes:

(a) electronically searching said route, beginning at said starting location, to find a segment of said route located at the next turn in said route, and

(b) electronically determining the location of said turn based on said segment.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of electronically determining the location of said turn based on said segment includes electronically determining said turn location as the start, or end, or center point of said segment.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of electronically determining the location of said turn based on said segment includes electronically determining said turn location as the unique intersection of said user'"'"'s line of sight with the unique line determined by said segment.

16. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of electronically presenting information to said user regarding said turn includes electronically conveying to said user the angle of said turn relative to said user, and/or electronically conveying to said user the distance to said turn from said user.

17. A computer implemented method for automatically generating and presenting guidance information to direct a user along an off-road route, the method comprising:

(a) electronically searching said route to find a turn in said route, and

(b) electronically presenting information to said user regarding said turn.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of electronically searching a route to find a turn in said route includes:

(a) electronically searching said route to find the location of the next turn in said route, and

(b) electronically determining the angle of said turn relative to said user.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of electronically searching said route to find the location of the next turn in said route includes:

(a) electronically determining a starting location on the route at which to begin said search, and

(b) electronically searching said route, beginning at said starting location, in order to find the location of the next turn on said route.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of electronically determining a starting location on the route at which to begin said search includes electronically setting said starting location equal to a point on said route near to said user'"'"'s location.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of electronically searching said route, beginning at said starting location, in order to find the location of the next turn on said route includes:

(a) electronically searching said route to find a segment of said route located at the next turn in said route, and

(b) electronically determining the location of said turn based on said segment.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of electronically determining the location of said turn based on said segment includes electronically determining said turn location as the start, or end, or center point of said segment.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of electronically determining the location of said turn based on said segment includes electronically determining said turn location as the unique intersection of said user'"'"'s line of sight with the unique line determined by said segment.

24. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of electronically presenting information to said user regarding said turn includes electronically conveying to said user the angle of said turn relative to said user.

25. A system for automatically generating and presenting guidance information to direct a user along an off-road route, given said route and a location and orientation of said user as inputs, the system comprising:

(a) a look-ahead-point finder for finding a point, referred to as a look-ahead point, located on said route ahead of said user, and

(b) a guidance presenter for presenting information to guide said user.

26. The system of claim 25 further comprising a turn analyzer for searching said route to find a turn location.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein said look-ahead-point finder is configured to:

(a) electronically use a nearest point finder to identify a point on said route nearest to said user'"'"'s location, and

(b) electronically determine said look-ahead point as a point on said route located a fixed threshold distance ahead of said nearest point.

28. The system of claim 25 wherein said guidance presenter is configured to electronically convey to said user the angle of said look-ahead point relative to said user.

29. The system of claim 26 wherein said turn analyzer includes:

(a) a turn finder to search said route and find a segment, referred to as a turn segment, of said route located at the next turn in said route,

(b) a turn location finder for determining a turn location corresponding to said turn segment, and

(c) an angle-of-turn finder for finding the angle of said turn as the angle of said turn segment relative to said user'"'"'s orientation.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein said turn location finder is configured to electronically determine said turn location as the start, or end, or center point of said turn segment.

31. The system of claim 29 wherein said turn location finder is configured to electronically determine said turn location as the unique intersection of said user'"'"'s line of sight with the unique line determined by said turn segment.

32. The system of claim 26 wherein said guidance presenter is configured to electronically determine if said user is heading approximately towards said look-ahead point, and if said user is not heading approximately towards said look-ahead point, then electronically convey to said user the angle of said look-ahead point relative to said user, and otherwise if said user is heading approximately towards said look-ahead point, then electronically determine if said turn analyzer successfully discovered a turn, and if said turn analyzer successfully discovered a turn, then electronically convey to said user the angle of said turn relative to said user.