NAVIGATION DEVICE AND METHOD USING MAP DATA CORRECTION FILES

• US 20100332118A1
• Filed: 01/28/2009
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TomTom Navigation B.V (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: TomTom Navigation B.V (TomTom NV)
• Inventors: Geelen, Pieter, Thomassen, Erik, Jones, Rory, Neef, Edwin, Kucheiko, Sergei, Roosen, Mareije
• Granted Patent: US 9,080,887 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3859 Differential updating map data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3896 Transmission of map data from central databases

Abstract

A method of operating a PND or navigation system is described, together with a PND or navigation system for performing such a method. The PND or navigation system includes memory storing map data consisting of base map data files and supplemental corrective data files. In at least one embodiment, the method includes correlating the current location with the map data, and in the event that the current location and derived map data are seemingly at odds with one another, performing at least one secondary action. In at least one embodiment, the secondary action may be the issuing of an approve/reject prompt to the user, or the automatic creation, modification or deletion of a new or pre-existing correction. In a further aspect, at least one embodiment of the invention also provides for a PND or navigation system storing an indication of a home location, and prompting a user to visit nearby locations for which corrections exist, followed by prompted or automatic confirmation or rejection thereof.

Claims

1. A method of operating a navigation system including one or more base map data files to which have been applied one or more map data correction files containing both geospatial information and error identification information, which together form a basis for navigation, route guidance, and map information display on a display screen of the navigation system, the method comprising:

determining a current or home location of the navigation system and a distance of the navigation system from one or more locations geospatially identified in the map data correction files; and

either

effecting at least one of alteration and qualification of the error identification either upon or after receiving an affirmative user response to a prompt output by the navigation system when the distance is less than a threshold or when the current or home location is coincident with one or more of the geospatially identified locations, the prompt at least partially being representative of the error identification, or

automatically effecting at least one of alteration and qualification of the error identification when the distance is less than the threshold or the current or home location is coincident with one or more of the geospatially identified locations, the location of the device as compared to the location of the error identification being such that an existence or absence of the error is automatically determinable by the navigation system without user input.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the prompt is a request of the user to confirm a veracity of the error identified at a specific geospatial location.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the prompt includes at least one of an approve and a reject option.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the alteration of the error identification is its deletion.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the prompt includes or causes display of a user data entry screen whereby the user is permitted to enter specific data relevant to the correction desired to be created, modified or deleted.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the error identification information includes qualifying information, the qualifying information being in the form of a trust level, the at least one of alteration and qualification including increasing or reducing a value of the qualifying information when a user approves or rejects a respective error, or automatically, in the event that the navigation system travels in a manner which is automatically indicative that an error identified in the map data correction files is correct or incorrect.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the qualification of the error identification includes providing an indication of a relative trust level of the error identification.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the error identification, subsequent to at least one of alteration and qualification, is stored on the navigation system for subsequent transmission to a centralized map correction data processing facility.

9. A computer readable medium comprising computer program code segments, adapted to perform the method of claim 1 when run on a computer device of the navigation system.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the navigation system is a personal navigation device (PND).

10. (canceled)

11. A navigation system, comprising:

memory, in which one or more base map data files, to which have been applied one or more map data corrections containing both geospatial information and error identification information, are stored;

a display; and

a process or, capable of processing received GPS signals to determine a current geospatial location of the navigation system, correlating the processed information with the map data and causing display of information representative of the map data at and in the vicinity of the current geospatial location of the navigation system, said process or also being capable of performing navigation and route guidance in an event that a desired destination is selected, wherein the memory additionally stores a current or home location, wherein said processor is capable of determining a distance of the current or home location from one or more of the locations geospatially identified in the map data correction files, the processor being capable of either

causing the navigation system to output a prompt soliciting a user response when the determined distance is less than a threshold or the current or home location is coincident with one or more of the geospatially identified locations, the prompt at least partially being representative of the error identification, affirmative user input response to said prompt subsequently causing modification or deletion of the one or more map data corrections, or

automatically creating, modifying or deleting the one or more map data corrections when the distance is less than the threshold or the current or home location is coincident with one or more of the geospatially identified locations, the location of the navigation system as compared to the location of the error identification being such that the existence or absence of the error is automatically determinable by the navigation system without user input.

14. A navigation system according to claim 11, wherein the navigation system is a personal navigation device (PND).

12. (canceled)