Quick selection of destinations in an automobile navigation system

• US 6,600,994 B1
• Filed: 05/17/2001
• Issued: 07/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TomTom Navigation B.V (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: Horizon Navigation, Inc.
• Inventors: Polidi, Ari I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US09/861,406
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 701/207, 701/208, 701/209, 701/210, 701/211, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement

Abstract

An automobile navigation system which allows quick selection of destinations by users is described herein. The system maintains a record of destinations selected by each of multiple users of the system. For each user, the system determines a set of destinations most-commonly selected by the user, based on the record of selected destinations. The system determines which of the users is the current user, and in response to receiving a predetermined input, displays a list of destinations corresponding to the most-commonly selected destinations for the current user. When an input selecting one of the displayed destinations is received, the system computes a route to the selected destination.

Claims

1. An automobile navigation system comprising:

a processor;

an input interface;

an output device; and

a storage device coupled to the processor and storing instructions for execution by the processor to configure the navigation system to;

maintain a database indicating destinations selected by each of a plurality of users of the system, including data indicating a frequency at which each of the destinations is selected by each of the users;

for each of the plurality of users, determine a set of destinations most-commonly selected by said user, based on the database;

determine which of the plurality of users is the current user of the system;

in response to receiving first predetermined input from the current user via the input interface, display a list of destinations corresponding to the set of most-commonly selected destinations associated with the current user;

receive second input from the current user via the input interface, the second input selecting a displayed one of the commonly selected destinations;

compute a route to the selected destination; and

output route guidance information to the current user using the output device based on the computed route.

2. An automobile navigation system as recited in claim 1, wherein said determining which of the plurality of users is the current user comprises selecting a default user.

3. An automobile navigation system as recited in claim 1, wherein said determining which of the plurality of users is the current user comprises receiving a user input selecting one of the plurality of users.

4. An automobile navigation system as recited in claim 3, wherein the input interface comprises an input device to sequentially select from among the plurality of users when activated.

5. An automobile navigation system as recited in claim 4, wherein the input device comprises a toggle button.

6. An automobile navigation system as recited in claim 4, wherein the input interface further comprises a pre-assigned button to receive the first predetermined input.

7. An automobile navigation system as recited in claim 1, wherein said determining which of the plurality of users is the current user comprises automatically determining which of the plurality of users is the current user of the system based on any one or more of the following:

an indication of a current position of a driver'"'"'s seat of the automobile;

an indication of a current position of a steering wheel of the automobile;

or

an indication, from a separate subsystem of the automobile, of which user is the driver of the automobile.

8. An automobile navigation system as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said maintaining a record of destinations selected by each of the plurality of users comprises recording the times of day the destinations are selected by each user; and

said displaying a list of destinations representing the set of most-commonly selected destinations is further based on the time of day when the first predetermined input is received and the recorded times of day.

9. An automobile navigation system as recited in claim 1, wherein for each user, the set of most-commonly selected destinations comprises both categories of destinations and specific destinations.

10. An automobile navigation system as recited in claim 1, wherein the instructions further configure the system to allow each user to add destinations to the set of destinations most commonly selected by each said user.

11. An automobile navigation system comprising:

means for maintaining a record of destinations selected by each of a plurality of users of the system and the times of day the destinations are selected by each user;

means for determining, for each of the plurality of users, a set of destinations most-commonly selected by said user, based on the record of selected destinations, wherein for each user, the set of most-commonly selected destinations comprises both categories of destinations and specific destinations;

means for determining which of the plurality of users is the current user of the system;

means for displaying a list of destinations corresponding to the set of most-commonly selected destinations associated with the current user, in response to receiving first predetermined input from the current user, based on the time of day when the first predetermined input is received and the recorded times of day;

means for receiving second input from the current user selecting a displayed one of the commonly selected destinations; and

means for computing a route to the selected destination.

12. An automobile navigation system as recited in claim 11, wherein said means for determining which of the plurality of users is the current user comprises means for selecting a default user.

13. An automobile navigation system as recited in claim 11, wherein said means for determining which of the plurality of users is the current user comprises means for receiving a user input selecting one of the plurality of users.

14. An automobile navigation system as recited in claim 11, wherein the means for determining which of the plurality of users is the current user of the system comprises an input device to sequentially select from among the plurality of users when activated.

15. An automobile navigation system as recited in claim 14, wherein the input device comprises a toggle button.

16. An automobile navigation system as recited in claim 15, wherein the input interface further comprises a pre-assigned button to receive the first predetermined input.

17. An automobile navigation system as recited in claim 11, wherein said means for determining which of the plurality of users is the current user comprises means for automatically determining which of the plurality of users is the current user of the system based on any one or more of the following:

an indication of a current position of a driver'"'"'s seat of the automobile;

an indication of a current position of a steering wheel of the automobile;

or

an indication, from a separate subsystem of the automobile, of which user is the driver of the automobile.

18. An automobile navigation system as recited in claim 11, further comprising means for allowing each user to add destinations to the set of destinations most commonly selected by each said user.

19. A method of operating an automobile navigation system in an automobile, the method comprising:

maintaining a record of destinations selected, for purposes of requesting route guidance from the system, by each of a plurality of users of the system;

for each user of the plurality of users, determining a set of destinations most-commonly selected by said user during prior instances of said user requesting route guidance from the system, based on the record of selected destinations;

determining which of the plurality of users is the current user of the system;

in response to receiving first predetermined input from the current user, displaying a list of destinations corresponding to the set of most-commonly selected destinations associated with the current user;

receiving second input from the current user selecting a displayed one of the commonly selected destinations; and

computing a route to the selected destination.

20. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein said determining which of the plurality of users is the current user comprises selecting a default user.

21. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein said determining which of the plurality of users is the current user comprises receiving a user input selecting one of the plurality of users.

22. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein said determining which of the plurality of users is the current user comprises automatically determining which of the plurality of users is the current user of the system based on any one or more of the following:

an indication of a current position of a driver'"'"'s seat of the automobile;

an indication of a current position of a steering wheel of the automobile;

or

an indication, from a separate subsystem of the automobile, of which user is the driver of the automobile.

23. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein:

said maintaining a record of destinations selected by each of the plurality of users comprises recording the times of day the destinations are selected by each user; and

said displaying a list of destinations representing the set of most-commonly selected destinations is further based on the time of day when the first predetermined input is received and the recorded times of day.

24. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein for each user, the set of most-commonly selected destinations comprises both categories of destinations and specific destinations.

25. A method as recited in claim 19, further comprising allowing each user to add destinations to the set of destinations most commonly selected by each said user.

26. A method of operating an navigation system installed in an automobile, the method comprising:

determining and storing a set of destinations commonly requested by a plurality of users during prior instances of said users requesting route guidance from the navigation system;

enabling each of the plurality of users of the navigation system independently to add destinations to the stored set of commonly requested destinations;

receiving a first user input at a first control of the navigation system, wherein the first control is preassigned for accessing the stored set of commonly requested destinations;

identifying which of the plurality of users is currently using the navigation system;

in response to the first user input

generating a list of commonly requested destinations to be output on a display device of the navigation system, according to which of the plurality of users is currently using the navigation system, wherein each of the commonly requested destinations is located within a predetermined distance from a current location of the automobile; and

outputting the list of commonly requested destinations on the display device;

receiving a second user input;

when the second user input represents selection of one of the commonly requested destinations, then responding to the second user input by

computing a route from the current location of the automobile to the selected destination, and

outputting route guidance information for guiding the current user of the navigation system to the selected destination.

27. A method as recited in claim 26, wherein said identifying which of the plurality of users is currently using the navigation system comprises receiving a user input directly at a second control of the navigation system.

28. A method as recited in claim 26, wherein said identifying which of the plurality of users is currently using the navigation system comprises:

receiving input from a subsystem of the automobile that is outside of the navigation system; and

using the input to determine which of the plurality of users is currently using the navigation system.

29. A method as recited in claim 28, wherein the subsystem comprises a system for positioning a driver seat of the automobile.

30. A method as recited in claim 28, wherein the subsystem comprises a system for positioning a steering wheel of the automobile.

31. A method as recited in claim 26, wherein said identifying which of the plurality of users is currently using the navigation system comprises sensing an amount of weight on a driver seat of the vehicle.

32. A method as recited in claim 26, wherein said generating the list of commonly requested destinations comprises generating the list of commonly requested destinations based, at least in part, on a history of travel of the automobile.

33. A method as recited in claim 32, further comprising recording the history of travel of the vehicle.

34. A method as recited in claim 32, wherein said generating the list of commonly requested destinations comprises generating the list of commonly requested destinations based, at least in part, on pattern of driving of the current user of the navigation system.

35. A method as recited in claim 34, further comprising generating the list of commonly requested destinations based, at least in part, on a current time of day.

36. A method as recited in claim 34, further comprising recording the pattern of driving of said one of the plurality of users.

37. A method as recited in claim 26, wherein the list further includes one or more categories of commonly requested destinations.

38. A method as recited in claim 37, wherein:

when the second user input represents selection of one of the categories, then

identifying and displaying on the display device one or more destinations of the selected category which are located within a predetermined distance from the current location of the automobile,

receiving a third user input selecting one of the destinations of the selected category,

computing a route from the current location of the automobile to the selected destination of the selected category, and

outputting route guidance information for guiding the current user of the navigation system to the selected destination of the selected category.

39. A method as recited in claim 37, further comprising enabling each of a plurality of users of the navigation system independently to add categories to said one or more categories of commonly requested destinations.