Navigational Lane Guidance

• US 20130194109A1
• Filed: 01/28/2013
• Published: 08/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Artax LLC (IPValuation Partners, LLC)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Clark, Brant Miller, Goddard, Mark, Kaplan, Diego Andres
• Granted Patent: US 9,423,266 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3632 Guidance using simplified or iconic instructions, e.g. using arrows G01C21/365 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3644 Landmark guidance, e.g. using POIs or conspicuous other objects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3655 Timing of guidance instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3658 Lane guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/588 Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road

Abstract

Navigational lane guidance enhances a maneuver display by incorporating full display of available lanes in a freeway, when available in the map data. An otherwise regular turn icon display is replaced with a variable width image that grows to show all available lanes, highlighting lanes usable to complete a navigated maneuver. A new lane TrueType font displays the lane guidance image, with individual characters representing each possible line situation. Since TrueType fonts are vector-based, they can be used to generate the lane images at any size, in a platform-independent fashion. The lane font has direction arrows, which can be combined to form composite arrows; and additional direction arrows as needed to allow replacement of the routing icons currently in use. Lane dividers may also be implemented.

Claims

1. A method of providing navigational lane guidance, comprising:

counting a number of lanes available to a user device;

determining if a navigated lane is on either side or in a middle of other available lanes; and

providing navigational lane guidance regarding multiple possible lanes to be taken when an exit lane is not in a middle lane, otherwise providing a general turn prompt instead when said exit lane is in between other possible lanes.

2. The method of providing navigational lane guidance according to claim 1, wherein:

said navigational lane guidance is provided both visually and verbally.

3. A vector-based TrueType font to build a variable-width, lane guidance widget, comprising:

individual TrueType characters each representing a different lane line;

individual TrueType characters representing different direction arrows, said direction TrueType arrow characters being combinable to form a composite arrow;

wherein a selection of TrueType fonts are combined together to form a desired visual lane configuration that shows all available lanes.

4. A vector-based TrueType font to build a variable-width lane guidance widget according to claim 3, wherein:

a plurality of lanes in said visual lane configuration are highlighted to provide a navigational lane guidance to a plurality of possible lanes to complete a navigated maneuver.

5. A vector-based TrueType font to build a variable-width lane guidance widget according to claim 3, wherein said direction TrueType arrow characters include:

a straight arrow;

a slight left arrow;

a left arrow;

a slight right arrow; and

a right arrow.

6. A method of concatenating a voice navigation, comprising:

determining a length of time remaining to a navigation maneuver based on a rated speed of a road being navigated on;

when a navigation announcement is too long to fit into said length of time remaining to said given navigation maneuver, shortening said navigation announcement for said given navigation maneuver by any of;

disabling lane guidance,

disabling natural guidance,

removing a destination, and

removing a stacked instruction,

until said announcement is short enough to fit said length of time remaining.