Navigation Methods and Devices Using User-Specific Landmark Types

• US 20130166197A1
• Filed: 07/12/2012
• Published: 06/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG), Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG), Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: LATHROP, William Brian, Tseng, Philip, SISON, Jo Ann, JUAREZ, Crystal
• Granted Patent: US 9,618,354 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/426
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3476 using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3641 Personalized guidance, e.g. limited guidance on previously travelled routes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3644 Landmark guidance, e.g. using POIs or conspicuous other objects

Abstract

A method includes: providing a map database; providing a landmark database; providing at least one user-specific landmark type; determining navigation instructions based on the map database, the landmark database, and the at least one user-specific landmark type; and outputting the determined navigation instructions.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a map database;

providing a landmark database;

providing at least one user-specific landmark type;

determining navigation instructions based on the map database, the landmark database, and the at least one user-specific landmark type; and

outputting the determined navigation instructions.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining of navigation instructions includes:

identifying at least one landmark in a vicinity of a location needing navigation instructions;

checking if one or more landmarks of the at least one landmark match a user-specific landmark type; and

determining the navigation instructions based on the one or more landmarks matching a user-specific landmark type.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

determining the navigation instructions to contain a generic landmark and/or a distance information if no landmark of the at least one landmark matches a user-specific landmark type.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein at least two landmarks of the at least one landmark match a user-specific landmark type;

and

wherein the determining of navigation instructions includes selecting one landmark of the at least two landmarks based on a predetermined criterion, and determining the navigation instructions using the selected landmark.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the criterion is based on scores attributed to user-specific landmark types.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the criterion is based on distances between the at least two landmarks and the location needing navigation instructions.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining of navigation instruction includes using a landmark of a user-specific type as a reference point for the navigation instruction.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the providing of at least one user-specific landmark type includes determining a user-specific landmark type depending on locations a user has visited.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising classifying a landmark type as a usable user-specific landmark type if a landmark of the user-specific landmark type has been visited by a user at least a predetermined number of times.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising attributing a score to user-specific landmark types, the score being based on a number of times a user has visited a landmark of user-specific type.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising determining landmarks a user has visited including receiving a destination entry from a user and/or determining a location at an initial starting of a navigation system.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the providing of at least one user-specific landmark type includes receiving the at least one user-specific landmark type from a mobile device.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method is performed by a navigation system, including:

a storage device adapted to store the map database and the landmark database;

a processing device adapted to determine the navigation instructions based on the map database, the landmark database, and the at least one user-specific landmark type; and

an output device adapted to output the determined navigation instructions.

14. A method, comprising:

determining navigation instructions based on a map database, a landmark database, and at least one user-specific landmark type; and

outputting the determined navigation instructions.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

providing the map database;

providing the landmark database; and

providing the at least one user-specific landmark type.

16. A navigation system, comprising:

a storage device adapted to store a map database and a landmark database;

a processing device adapted to determine navigation instructions based on the map database, the landmark database, and at least one user-specific landmark type; and

an output device adapted to output the determined navigation instructions.

17. The navigation system according to claim 16, wherein the map database and the landmark database are stored in the storage device.

18. The navigation system according to claim 16, further comprising an interface adapted to receive at least one user-specific landmark type.

19. The navigation system according to claim 16, wherein the navigation system is adapted perform a method, including:

providing the map database;

providing the landmark database;

providing the at least one user-specific landmark type;

determining the navigation instructions based on the map database, the landmark database, and the at least one user-specific landmark type; and

outputting the determined navigation instructions.