Sign text display method and apparatus for vehicle navigation system
First Claim
1. In a navigation system, a method of indicating to a user a route on a road network, the road network including a plurality of road segments connecting at intersections, the method comprising the steps of:
- assigning a decision point to each of selected intersections;
storing guiding data associated with each decision point, the guiding data indicating a guided route at the associated decision point;
for a guided route including a plurality of road segments, retrieving the guiding data associated with all decision points along the guided route;
comparing the guiding data associated with a current decision point along the guided route to the guiding data associated with a last decision point along the guided route; and
if at least a portion of the compared guiding data coincides, providing to the user only the guiding data associated with the last decision point.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In a vehicle navigation system, an improvement in the way sign text data is displayed. Sign text data stored in the system corresponds to road signs and is displayed for route guidance purposes. Along certain types of road segments, for instance freeway ramps where there are multiple signs in sequence and each sign is associated with a decision point at which the driver must decide which direction to take, a comparison is made between the content (the sign text) of the first sign and the last sign in the sequence. If any words or phrases coincide, only the content of the last sign is displayed at the point of the first sign. This simplifies the displayed sign text and provides better and more concise route guidance to the driver.
77 Citations
35 Claims
-
1. In a navigation system, a method of indicating to a user a route on a road network, the road network including a plurality of road segments connecting at intersections, the method comprising the steps of:
-
assigning a decision point to each of selected intersections; storing guiding data associated with each decision point, the guiding data indicating a guided route at the associated decision point; for a guided route including a plurality of road segments, retrieving the guiding data associated with all decision points along the guided route; comparing the guiding data associated with a current decision point along the guided route to the guiding data associated with a last decision point along the guided route; and if at least a portion of the compared guiding data coincides, providing to the user only the guiding data associated with the last decision point. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A navigation system for indicating to a user a route on a road network, the road network including a plurality of road segments connecting at intersections, the system comprising:
-
means for assigning a decision point to each of selected intersections; a memory storing guiding data associated with each decision point, the guiding data indicating a guided route at the associated decision point; means for retrieving from the memory the guiding data associated with all decision points along the guided route, for a guided route including a plurality of road segments; means for comparing the guiding data associated with a current decision point along the guided route to guiding data associated with a last decision point along the guided route; and means for providing to the user only the guiding data associated with the last decision point if at least a portion of the compared guiding data coincides. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
-
-
34. A computer-readable memory containing program instructions for indicating to a user of a navigation system a route on a road network, the road network including a plurality of road segments connecting at intersections, the instructions comprising:
-
assigning a decision point to each of selected intersections; storing guiding data associated with each decision point, the guiding data indicating a guided route at the associated decision point; for a guided route including a plurality of road segments, retrieving the guiding data associated with all decision points along the guided route; comparing the guiding data associated with a current decision point along the guided route to the guiding data associated with a last decision point along the guided route; and if at least a portion of the compared guiding data coincides, providing to the user only the guiding data associated with the last decision point.
-
-
35. A computer-implemented navigation system for indicating to a user a route on a road network, the road network including a plurality of road segments connecting at intersections, the system comprising:
-
means for assigning a decision point to each of selected intersections; a memory storing guiding data associated with each decision point, the guiding data indicating a guided route at the associated decision point; means for retrieving from the memory the guiding data associated with all decision points along the guided route, for a guided route including a plurality of road segments; means for comparing the guiding data associated with a current decision point along the guided route to guiding data associated with a last decision point along the guided route; and means for providing to the user only the guiding data associated with the last decision point if at least a portion of the compared guiding data coincides.
-
Specification