Methods of assisting a user with selecting a route after a personal navigation device transitions from driving mode to walking mode

• US 20110077853A1
• Filed: 09/25/2009
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Stanton, Richard, Ranford, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,855,918 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3423 Multimodal routing, i.e. combining two or more modes of transportation, where the modes can be any of, e.g. driving, walking, cycling, public transport

Abstract

A method of assisting a user of a personal navigation device with automatically selecting a route after the personal navigation device transitions from driving mode to walking mode includes detecting a mode transition in the personal navigation device from driving mode to walking mode, recording a vehicle location where the mode transition from driving mode to walking mode occurs, receiving a request from the user to create navigation instructions to a destination location, determining a distance from the current location to the destination location, and guiding the user back to the vehicle location by providing walking instructions with the personal navigation device when the distance from the current location to the destination location is greater than or equal to a threshold distance and then guiding the user to the destination location by providing driving instructions with the personal navigation device.

Claims

1. A method of assisting a user of a personal navigation device with automatically selecting a route after the personal navigation device transitions from driving mode to walking mode, the method comprising:

detecting a mode transition in the personal navigation device from driving mode to walking mode;

recording a vehicle location where the mode transition from driving mode to walking mode occurs;

receiving a request from the user to create navigation instructions to a destination location;

determining a distance from the current location to the destination location; and

guiding the user back to the vehicle location by providing walking instructions with the personal navigation device when the distance from the current location to the destination location is greater than or equal to a threshold distance and then guiding the user to the destination location by providing driving instructions with the personal navigation device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising guiding the user to the destination location directly by providing walking instructions with the personal navigation device when the distance from the current location to the destination location is less than a threshold distance.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the mode transition in the personal navigation device from driving mode to walking mode is performed by detecting that the user picked a vehicle parking area as a penultimate waypoint on a most recent journey.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the mode transition in the personal navigation device from driving mode to walking mode is performed by detecting that the user asked for parking at the destination of a recent journey.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the mode transition in the personal navigation device from driving mode to walking mode is performed by detecting that the personal navigation device was removed from a cradle in a vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the mode transition in the personal navigation device from driving mode to walking mode is performed by detecting that the user manually changed the mode of the personal navigation device from driving mode to walking mode.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the mode transition in the personal navigation device from driving mode to walking mode is performed by detecting that the movement of the personal navigation device is consistent with driving movement and then detecting that the movement of the personal navigation device is consistent with walking movement.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting that the personal navigation device is powered on;

comparing a location where the personal navigation device is powered on with a location where the personal navigation device was powered off; and

ignoring the most recent vehicle location when a distance between the location where the personal navigation device is powered and the location where the personal navigation device was powered off is greater than a predetermined distance.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

recording the time of the mode transition in the personal navigation device from driving mode to walking mode;

detecting that the personal navigation device is powered on;

comparing a time at which the personal navigation device is powered on with the time of the mode transition from driving mode to walking mode; and

ignoring the most recent vehicle location when a period of time elapsed between the time of the mode transition and the time at which the personal navigation device is powered on is greater than a predetermined period of time.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising calculating an estimated time of arrival to the destination location while considering the walking instructions or driving instructions provided.

11. A method of assisting a user of a personal navigation device with automatically selecting a route after the personal navigation device transitions from driving mode to walking mode, the method comprising:

detecting a mode transition in the personal navigation device from driving mode to walking mode;

recording a vehicle location where the mode transition from driving mode to walking mode occurs;

receiving a request from the user to create navigation instructions to a destination location;

determining a distance from the vehicle location to the destination location; and

guiding the user back to the vehicle location by providing walking instructions with the personal navigation device when the distance from the vehicle location to the destination location is greater than or equal to a threshold distance and then guiding the user to the destination location by providing driving instructions with the personal navigation device.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising guiding the user to the destination location directly by providing walking instructions with the personal navigation device when the distance from the vehicle location to the destination location is less than a threshold distance.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting the mode transition in the personal navigation device from driving mode to walking mode is performed by detecting that the user picked a vehicle parking area as a penultimate waypoint on a most recent journey.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting the mode transition in the personal navigation device from driving mode to walking mode is performed by detecting that the user asked for parking at the destination of a recent journey.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting the mode transition in the personal navigation device from driving mode to walking mode is performed by detecting that the personal navigation device was removed from a cradle in a vehicle.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting the mode transition in the personal navigation device from driving mode to walking mode is performed by detecting that the user manually changed the mode of the personal navigation device from driving mode to walking mode.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting the mode transition in the personal navigation device from driving mode to walking mode is performed by detecting that the movement of the personal navigation device is consistent with driving movement and then detecting that the movement of the personal navigation device is consistent with walking movement.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

detecting that the personal navigation device is powered on;

comparing a location where the personal navigation device is powered on with a location where the personal navigation device was powered off; and

ignoring the most recent vehicle location when a distance between the location where the personal navigation device is powered and the location where the personal navigation device was powered off is greater than a predetermined distance.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

recording the time of the mode transition in the personal navigation device from driving mode to walking mode;

detecting that the personal navigation device is powered on;

comparing a time at which the personal navigation device is powered on with the time of the mode transition from driving mode to walking mode; and

ignoring the most recent vehicle location when a period of time elapsed between the time of the mode transition and the time at which the personal navigation device is powered on is greater than a predetermined period of time.

20. The method of claim 11 further comprising calculating an estimated time of arrival to the destination location while considering the walking instructions or driving instructions provided.