HIGH LEVEL INSTRUCTION FOR NAVIGATIONAL ROUTING SYSTEMS

• US 20170314949A1
• Filed: 04/30/2016
• Published: 11/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Rovik, Christopher L., Schmidt, Eric R.
• Granted Patent: US 10,139,243 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• 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 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence

Abstract

A navigation system (NAV system) may provide a variety of information and may be integrated with a variety of on-board vehicle systems or features. The NAV system may provide various route guidance options between a present location and a desired destination. The route guidance options may be based on a high level of user preferences. The high level of user preferences may be selected by the user in advance or at the time of requesting route guidance. The NAV system may provide various route options based on key geographical features along the route. The NAV system may provide various route options based on personal points of interest. The NAV system may provide various route options based on a user'"'"'s route habits or frequency.

Claims

1. A navigation system comprising:

a display operable to display visual information;

a route guidance system operable to provide route guidance between a current position and a desired destination, the route guidance system providing multiple route options between the current position and the desired destination based on user preferences, the multiple route options being characteristic of the user preferences; and

wherein the user preferences include at least one of an avoid bridges option, an avoid tunnels option, an avoid mountain passes option, an avoid deserts option, an allow international crossings option, an allow usual route option, and a show personal points of interest (POI) option.

2. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the user preferences includes an allow usual route option and the route guidance system provides at least one route option that the user has traveled before.

3. The navigation system of claim 2, further comprising a route history module having multiple previously traveled routes between the current position and the destination and wherein the route history module provides multiple route options to travel between the current position and destination, each route option being a previously traveled route.

4. The navigation system of claim 3, wherein a user can assign a name to the previously traveled routes and the route guidance identifies the route options using the assigned name.

5. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the user preferences includes an allow personal POIs option and wherein the route guidance system provides route options that include at least one route that goes by a personal POI if that personal POI is within a predetermined value from a more direct route between the current position and the destination.

6. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the user preferences includes an allow international border crossing option and wherein the route guidance system provides at least one route option that includes an international border crossing and at least one route option that does not include an international border crossing.

7. The navigation system of claim 6, wherein when a route is selected that includes an international border crossing, a user is advised of documents required for the border crossing.

8. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the user preferences includes an avoid bridges option and the route guidance system provides at least one route option that avoids traveling over bridges.

9. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the user preferences includes an avoid tunnels option and the route guidance system provides at least one route option that avoids traveling thru tunnels.

10. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the user preferences includes an avoid mountain passes option and the route guidance system provides at least one route option that avoids traveling through a mountain pass.

11. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the user preferences includes an avoid deserts option and the route guidance system provides at least one route option that avoids traveling through a desert.

12. A method of providing route guidance, the method comprising:

displaying visual information on a display;

entering a destination;

selecting at least one route guidance user preference, the selected at least one user preference including at least one of an avoid bridges option, an avoid tunnels option, an avoid mountain passes option, an avoid deserts option, an allow international crossings option, an allow usual route option, and a show personal points of interest (POI) option;

ascertaining multiple routes between a current location and the destination, at least one of the routes being based on the selected user preference;

providing a user with the multiple routes;

selecting one of the provide routes; and

providing route guidance based on the selected route.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein when the selected user preferences is the allow usual route option the provided multiple routes includes at least one route option that the user has traveled before.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising a route history module having multiple previously traveled routes between the current position and the destination and wherein providing multiple routes includes providing multiple routes that the user has traveled before between the current position and destination.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein when the selected user preference is the allow personal POIs option the provided multiple routes includes at least one route that goes by a personal POI if that personal POI is within a predetermined value from a more direct route between the current position and the destination.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein when the selected user preference is the allow international border crossing option the provided routes include at least one route option that crosses an international border and at least one route option that does not cross an international border.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein when the selected route includes an international border crossing a user is advised of documents required for the border crossing.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein when the selected user preference is the avoid bridges option and the route guidance system provides at least one route option that avoids traveling over bridges.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein when the selected user preference is the avoid tunnels option the provided routes include at least one route option that avoids traveling thru tunnels.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein when the selected user preference is the avoid mountain passes option the provided routes includes least one route option that avoids traveling through a mountain pass.