Method and apparatus to generate driving guides

• US 6,826,472 B1
• Filed: 11/16/2000
• Issued: 11/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tomtom North America Incorporated (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: Tele Atlas North America (TomTom NV)
• Inventors: Kamei, Asao, Suranyi, Edward J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US09/714,745
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• Field of Search: 701/202, 701/200, 701/210, 701/211, 701/23, 701/36, 731/78.R, 340/995.14, 340/995.19, 340/995.24
• US Class Current: 701/202
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3605 Destination input or retrieval

Abstract

A navigation device displays major routes and direction indications without a specific destination requirement. Where several possible destinations are presented, the device displays information for a destination at or when nearing decision points for traveling to the destination. Direction indicators can be presented on top of an appropriately scaled map having routes displayed which are integral to the indicators and directions. A destination displayed may be selected to retrieve detailed driving instructions to that specific destination. In one embodiment, the navigation device displays direction indications to major destinations, entrances, exits, and other important facilities in a “highway sign” fashion at major decision points.

Claims

1. A method, comprising the steps of:

receiving information indicating an origin;

determining a set of at least one general destination without receiving an indication of a specific destination;

computing directional information between said origin and each general destination; and

reporting said directional information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said general destinations are at least one of cities, waypoints, waypaths, and other general destinations.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of determining a set of at least one general destination comprises:

accessing a set of general destinations from a database;

prioritizing the accessed general destinations based on data making it more probable or less probable that each accessed general destination is a destination or waypoint of a user of said method.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said step of prioritizing includes prioritizing the accessed general destinations based on priority criteria, including at least one of:

landmark filters that assign a value to landmarks based on predetermined criteria;

distance of said user from a general destination;

metrics, including at least one of capacity of the general destination, popularity of the general destination, size of the general destination, and other metrics describing the general destinations;

history of past travels of said user to the same or similar types of general destinations; and

contact listings and other data stored connecting said user to each general destination.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said step of prioritizing, includes the step of retrieving at least part of said priority criteria from an external data source.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said external data source comprises at least one of a laptop computer, a handheld computer, a data source attached to a device performing said method via an Internet or other data communications channel.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

selecting driving information corresponding to the computed directional information;

wherein said step of reporting includes reporting the selected driving information.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of reporting comprises the step of:

dividing said directional information into regions each corresponding to a decision point; and

reporting said directional information by region, when said origin is within a predetermined radius of a corresponding decision point.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said step of reporting directional information by region comprises the steps of:

determining a decision point closest to said origin; and

reporting parts of said directional information needed for navigation when said origin is within a close proximity of said closest decision point.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of reporting comprises the step of:

displaying said directional information in a basic highway sign format.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said highway sign format only includes at least one destination and a mileage designation to at least one of said destinations.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein said highway sign format only includes at least one destination and at least one directional indication associated with at least one of said destinations.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said highway sign format further includes a mileage designation to at least one of said destinations.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein said step of displaying includes the step of:

displaying icons associated with a destination in close proximity to the associated destination, said icons identifying services, attributes, or features of the associated destination.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of reporting comprises the steps of:

displaying at least one destination in a selectable format;

receiving a destination selected by a user; and

displaying detailed directional information corresponding to the selected destination.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said selectable format includes at least one of:

a touch selectable format,

a voice selectable format,

a web browser selectable format,

and any of pushbutton, trackball, mouse, and keyboard selectable formats.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein said step of receiving a destination comprises the step of:

receiving at least one of an audible selection, a touch selection, a dialog box selection, a pushbutton, trackball, mouse, and keyboard selection elicited by said step of displaying at least one destination.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of reporting comprises the steps of:

displaying a map of an area within a predetermined proximity of said origin; and

placing directional indicators on said map indicating any of routes and partial routes to each of said destinations.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein said step of reporting further comprises the step of:

identifying a location and current travel direction of said origin.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein said step of reporting further comprises the step of:

identifying a location and current travel direction of said origin;

wherein said origin represents a location of a vehicle.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein said step of displaying a map comprises the step of:

displaying said map at a level at or above a level of a road currently being traveled at said origin.

22. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of reporting comprises the steps of:

formatting an audio file having said directional information; and

playing said audio file to a user.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein said audio file is in at least one of .WAV, Microsoft®

sound file, MP3, real audio, a streaming audio format, and other audio formats.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein said audio file is prepared using a text-to-speech generator.

25. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of reporting comprises the steps of:

performing a text-to-speech conversion of the directional information computed; and

playing the converted speech.

26. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of reporting comprises the step of:

writing said directional information to a file.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein said file is at least one of ASCII, HTML, VRML, Excel®

, Quattro Pro®

, Microsoft Word®

, WordPerfect®

, and other application readable formats.

28. The method according to claim 26, wherein said step of reporting further comprises the step of:

sending said file over a network to a client device.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein said network comprises at least one of an intranet, LAN, WAN, a telephony based communication medium, a satellite based communications medium, the Internet, and World Wide Web.

30. The method according to claim 28, wherein said client device comprises at least one of a portable computing device, including any of notebook or palm pilot type computing devices, a cellular phone, and a navigation device.

31. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of reporting comprises the step of displaying said directional information on a display of a device.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein said device is one of a computer, a notebook computer, a palm pilot type device, a cellular phone, a hand-held navigation device, and a vehicle mounted navigation device.

33. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of reporting includes the step of sending audio information representing said directional information to one of a cellular phone, a computer, a notebook computer, a palm pilot type device, a hand-held navigation device, and a vehicle mounted navigation device.

34. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of reporting comprises the step of:

reporting said directional information continuously.

35. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of computing directional information comprises at least one of:

applying a route determination method to data corresponding to at least said origin and each of said destinations; and

formatting results of said route determination method as said directional information.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein said route determination method is at least one of pathfinding, an application of Dijkstra'"'"'s algorithm, and other route determination methods applied to said data.

37. The method according to claim 35, wherein said data is a directed graph having nodes and links representing each of streets, highways, and other navigable roads within a predetermined radius of said origin.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein said data is stored in a database and then loaded into a memory for application of said route determination method.

39. The method according to claim 35, further comprising the steps of:

determining decision points associated with said directional information; and

displaying said directional information in close proximity to said decision points.

40. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

determining decision points associated with said directional information.

41. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of computing directional information comprises the steps of:

identifying an origin tile associated with said origin and a set of at least one destination tiles associated with each of said destinations; and

performing a route determination method between said origin and each of said destinations located in a same tile as said origin tile.

42. The method according to claim 41, wherein said step of computing directional information further comprises the step of:

formatting results of said route determination method as said directional information.

43. The method according to claim 41, wherein said route determination method comprises at least one of pathfinding, an application of Dikjstra'"'"'s algorithm, and other route determination methods.

44. The method according to claim 41, wherein said step of computing directional information further comprises the steps of:

performing an origin/exit point route determination method between said origin and each exit point located in a same tile as said origin tile;

looking up routing information between the origin tile and a tile associated with each destination not in the same tile as said origin tile; and

performing an entrance point/destination route determination method between entrance points of each destination tile and each destination in the destination tiles;

selecting a best route or partial route from results of each of said origin/exit point route determination, said routing information looked up, and said entrance point/destination route determination; and

formatting the selected best route or partial route as said directional information.

45. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of determining a set of at least one destination comprises the step of:

retrieving at least one destination from a database.

46. The method according to claim 45, wherein said step of retrieving at least one destination comprises the step of:

retrieving destinations from said database that are within a predetermined cost of said origin.

47. The method according to claim 45, wherein said step of retrieving at least one destination comprises the step of:

retrieving destinations from said database having a predetermined amount of importance relative to other destinations in said database.

48. The method according to claim 47, wherein importance of the determined destinations is based on at least one of yearly traffic volume, seasonal traffic volume, daily traffic volume, traffic volume during a same time frame that said method is being performed, radius from said origin, population of a city, value of a landmark, capacity of routes to the retrieved destinations, and any available traffic information.

49. The method according to claim 48, wherein said daily traffic volume corresponds to a similar day of the week that said method is being performed.

50. The method according to claim 45, further comprising the step of:

excluding destinations having less than a predetermined historical traffic volume on a same day, time, or season as at least one of a day, time, or season that said method is being performed, or is indicated by a user of said method.

51. The method according to claim 46, wherein said predetermined cost is at least one of estimated travel time, distance, travel expenses, or a level corresponding to said origin.

52. The method according to claim 45, wherein said destinations are at least one of routes intersecting a route being traversed by a user at said origin, and entrance points and exit points selected from a pre-calculated set of entrance points and exit points stored in said database.

53. The method according to claim 1, wherein said destinations include at least one of freeways, highways, streets, and other routes.

54. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

prioritizing each destination based on an evaluation criteria.

55. The method according to claim 54, wherein said evaluation criteria comprises at least one of a traffic volume associated with each destination, and a number or volume of connections that can be made by a route intersecting a route being traversed by said origin.

56. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of determining a set of at least one destination comprises the step of:

calculating at least one entrance point or one exit point from data contained in a database.

57. The method according to claim 45, wherein said step of retrieving destinations, comprises the step of:

retrieving an identification of tiles within a predetermined cost of a tile containing said origin.

58. The method according to claim 57, further comprising the step of:

selecting retrieved tiles as destinations based on at least one of average yearly travel volumes, seasonal travel volumes, and weekday/weekend travel volumes associated with the retrieved tiles.

59. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

prioritizing the determined destinations; and

eliminating destinations not reaching a predetermined prioritization level.

60. The method according to claim 59, wherein said step of prioritizing includes the step of:

reading a user profile that identifies a priority of types of destinations; and

prioritizing the determined destinations based on a type of each destination and a priority level of each destination type in said user profile.

61. The method according to claim 59, further comprising the steps of:

displaying a user profile in a user modifiable interface; and

storing priorities of destination types based on user inputs to the user-modifiable interface.

62. The method according to claim 45, further comprising the steps of:

prioritizing the retrieved destinations; and

eliminating destinations not reaching a predetermined prioritization level.

63. The method according to claim 45, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a selection of at least one of said destinations retrieved; and

reporting specific directional information corresponding to each of the selected destinations.

64. The method according to claim 63, further comprising the step of repeating said steps of receiving and reporting after said origin changes position.

65. The method according to claim 63, wherein said step of receiving a selection comprises the steps of:

reporting a set of at least one of said destinations; and

receiving an indication from a user of the selected destinations.

66. The method according to claim 65, wherein said step of reporting a set of at least one of said destinations comprises:

sending at least one of a web based communication to a client web browser, a computer readable communication to a client computer, and a transmission readable by a remote wireless device.

67. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of determining a set of at least one destination comprises the steps of:

locating a tile corresponding to said origin; and

retrieving exit points and destinations associated with said tile corresponding to said origin.

68. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of determining a set of at least one destination comprises the steps of:

receiving a user communication identifying at least one class of destinations; and

retrieving exit points, entrance points, and destinations associated with said at least one class of destinations.

69. The method according to claim 68, wherein said at least one class of destinations is chosen from a list including any of gas stations, repair facilities, hospitals, banks, ATM machines, shopping malls, grocery stores, convenience stores, other store types, restaurants, highway entrances and exits, cities, parking lots, mass transit stations, campgrounds, public restrooms, government buildings, police stations, call boxes, public telephones, schools, libraries, points of interest, tourist attractions, stadiums, or any other type of classifiable location.

70. The method according to claim 69, further comprising the steps of:

prioritizing said class of destinations; and

eliminating destinations not reaching a predetermined prioritization level.

71. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of receiving information comprises the step of:

receiving data from a position locating device indicating a location of said origin.

72. The method according to claim 71, wherein said step of receiving data is performed at any one of a predetermined interval and after the location of said origin changes.

73. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of receiving information comprises the step of:

reading a file having information identifying a location of said origin stored therein.

74. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of receiving information comprises the step of:

receiving a communication from a user containing a location of said origin.

75. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of receiving information comprises the steps of:

sending a query to one of a user and a position-locating device; and

receiving a response to said query having information indicating a location of said origin.

76. The method according to claim 75, wherein:

said step of sending a query to a user comprises the step of sending an Internet communication to said user; and

said step of receiving a response to said query comprises the step of receiving an Internet communication from said user.

77. The method according to claim 76, wherein said Internet communication sent to said user comprises at least one of an HTML formatted document, a Java®

language applet, or other Internet browser compatible communication.

78. The method according to claim 77, wherein said Internet communication includes data for placing one of a dialog box, question line, and other query mechanism at a display screen of said user.

79. The method according to claim 76, wherein said step of receiving a response comprises the step of:

receiving a response formatted according to information included in said Internet communication sent to said user.

80. The method according to claim 75, wherein said step of receiving a response comprises the step of:

receiving an audible response from said user having information indicating said origin.

81. The method according to claim 1, wherein said method is performed by a one of a navigation device and a position-locating device.

82. The method according to claim 1, wherein said method is performed on at least one of a computing device, a portable computing device, a hand-held computing device, a palm pilot type device, a navigation device, and a cellular phone.

83. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of determining a set of at least one general destination includes identifying roads in proximity to a city center.

84. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of determining a set of at least one general destination includes the steps of:

identifying a map record that includes a city center and does not include a current location;

identifying roads in said map record that cross a boundary of said map record; and

reporting said roads as destinations.

85. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of determining a set of at least one general destination includes the steps of:

set a generalization level as a top level;

acquiring position of an auto and of a city center;

acquiring a first map record ID for said auto;

acquiring a second map record ID for said city center;

determining whether said first map record ID is identical to said second map record ID;

reporting said city center as a destination if said first map record ID is identical to said second map record ID said generalization level is a lowest level;

decreasing said generalization level if said first map record ID is identical to said second map record ID and said generalization level is not a lowest level;

retrieving a map record for said city center if said first map record ID is not identical to said second map record ID;

identifying roads in said map record that cross a boundary of said map record; and

reporting said roads as destinations.

86. One or more processor readable storage devices having processor readable code embodied on said processor readable storage devices, said processor readable code for programming a processor to perform a method comprising the steps of:

receiving information indicating an origin;

determining a set of at least one destination without receiving an indication of a specific destination;

computing directional information between said origin and each destination; and

reporting said directional information.

87. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 86, wherein said step of determining a set of at least one general destination includes the steps of:

identifying a map record that includes a city center and does not include a current location;

identifying roads in said map record that cross a boundary of said map record; and

reporting said roads as destinations.

88. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 86, wherein said set of at least one destination includes one of a final destination and a waypoint to a destination.

89. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 86, wherein said step of reporting directional information by region comprises the steps of:

determining a decision point closest to said origin; and

reporting parts of said directional information needed for navigation when said origin is within a close proximity of said closest decision point.

90. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 86, wherein said step of reporting directional information by region comprises the steps of:

determining a decision point closest to said origin; and

continuously reporting directional information needed for navigation from said origin to said closest decision point.

91. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 86, wherein said step of reporting comprises the step of:

displaying said directional information in a basic highway sign format.

92. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 91, wherein said highway sign format only includes at least one destination and at least one directional indication associated with at least one of said destinations.

93. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 86, wherein said step of reporting comprises the steps of:

displaying at least one destination in a selectable format;

receiving a destination selected by amuser; and

displaying detailed directional information corresponding to the selected destination.

94. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 86, wherein said step of reporting comprises the steps of:

displaying a map of an area within a predetermined proximity of said origin; and

placing directional indicators on said map indicating any of routes and partial routes to each of said destinations.

95. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 94, wherein said step of reporting further comprises the step of:

identifying a location and current travel direction of said origin on said map.

96. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 86, wherein said computer is one of a portable computer, a laptop computer, a palm computer, a cellular phone, and a navigation device.

97. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 86, wherein said step of computing directional information comprises at least one step of:

applying a route determination method to data corresponding to at least said origin and each of said destinations; and

formatting results of said route determination method as said directional information.

98. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 86, wherein said destinations are any one of a final destinations and waypoints between said origin and said final destination.

99. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 98, wherein said route determination method is at least one of pathfinding, an application of Dikjstra'"'"'s algorithm, and other route determination methods applied to said data.

100. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 86, wherein said step of computing directional information comprises the steps of:

identifying a origin tile associated with said origin and a set of at least one destination tiles associated with each of said destinations; and

performing a route determination method between said origin and each of said destinations located in a same tile as said origin tile.

101. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 100, wherein said step of computing directional information further comprises the steps of:

performing an origin/exit point route determination method between said origin and each of exit points located in a same tile as said origin tile;

looking up routing information between the origin tile and a tile associated with each destination not in the same tile as said origin tile; and

performing a entrance point/destination route determination method between entrance points of each destination tile and each destination in the destination tiles;

selecting a best route from results of each of said origin/exit point route determination, said routing information looked up, and said entrance point/destination route determination; and

formatting the selected route as said directional information.

102. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 86, wherein said step of determining a set of at least one destination comprises the step of:

retrieving destinations from a database that are within a predetermined cost of said origin.

103. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 102, wherein said step of determining a set of at least one destination further comprises the steps of:

reading a user profile providing importance data regarding said destinations; and

modulating the retrieved destinations by any of at least ranking elimination based on the user profile.

104. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 102, further comprising the step of:

excluding destinations having less than a predetermined historical traffic volume on a same day, time, or season as at least one of a day, time, or season that said method is being performed, or is indicated by a user of said method.

105. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 86, wherein said step of determining a set of at least one destination comprises the steps of:

locating a tile corresponding to said origin; and

retrieving exit points and destinations associated with said tile corresponding to said origin.

106. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 86, wherein said step of determining a set of at least one destination comprises the steps of:

receiving a user communication identifying at least one class of destinations; and

retrieving exit points, entrance points, and destinations associated with said at least one class of destinations.

107. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 106, wherein said at least one class of destinations is chosen from a list including any of gas stations, repair facilities, hospitals, banks, ATM machines, shopping malls, grocery stores, convenience stores, other store types, restaurants, highway entrances and exits, cities, parking lots, mass transit stations, campgrounds, public restrooms, government buildings, police stations, call boxes, public telephones, schools, libraries, points of interest, tourist attractions, stadiums, or any other type of classifiable location.

108. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 107, further comprising the step of ranking each destination at least in part based on a rank of each destination class.

109. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 86, wherein said step of receiving information comprises the step of:

receiving data from a position locating device indicating a location of said origin.

110. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 86, wherein said step of receiving information comprises the step of:

receiving a communication from a user containing a location of said origin.

111. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 86, wherein said step of receiving information comprises the steps of:

sending a query to a user; and

receiving a response to said query from said user having information indicating a location of said origin.

112. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 111, wherein:

said step of sending a query to a user comprises the step of sending an Internet communication to said user; and

said step of receiving a response to said query comprises the step of receiving an Internet communication from said user.

113. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 112, wherein said Internet communication sent to said user comprises at least one of an HTML formatted document, a Java®

language applet, or other Internet browser compatible communication.

114. An apparatus for providing direction information, comprising:

an origin locator configured to determine a location of an origin;

a destination mechanism configured to determine a set of at least one destination without information regarding any specific destination;

a directions finding device configured to compute directional information from said origin to each of said destinations; and

a report mechanism configured to report the directional information computed.

115. The device according to claim 114, further comprising:

a decision point mechanism configured to determine at least one decision point closest to said origin;

wherein said report mechanism is further configured to report only parts of said directional information needed for navigation when said origin is within a close proximity of said closest decision point.

116. The device according to claim 115, wherein said close proximity is determined based on any of distance to and estimated time to said closest decision point.

117. The device according to claim 114, wherein:

said report mechanism is further configured to report said directional information in a basic highway sign format.

118. The device according to claim 117, wherein:

said highway sign format only includes at least one destination and at least one directional indication associated with at least one of said destinations.

119. The device according to claim 114, wherein:

said report mechanism includes,

a display device configured to display at least one destination in a selectable format,

a selection mechanism configured to receive a destination selected by a user, and

said report mechanism is further configured to display detailed directional information corresponding to the selected destination on said display device.

120. The device according to claim 114, wherein:

said reporting mechanism is further configured to report a map of an area within a predetermined proximity of said origin having directional indicators indicating routes to each of said destinations.

121. The device according to claim 114, wherein said direction finding device includes a direction component that performs at least one of pathfinding, an application of Dikjstra'"'"'s algorithm, and other route determination methods applied to said origin and at least one of said destinations.

122. The device according to claim 114, wherein:

said destination mechanism includes,

a reception device configured to receive a user communication identifying at least one class of destinations, and

a destination identifier configured to retrieve exit points, entrance points, and destinations associated with said at least one class of destinations.

123. The device according to claim 122, wherein said at least one class of destinations is chosen from a list including any of gas stations, repair facilities, hospitals, banks, ATM machines, shopping malls, grocery stores, convenience stores, other store types, restaurants, highway entrances and exits, cities, parking lots, mass transit stations, campgrounds, public restrooms, government buildings, police stations, call boxes, public telephones, schools, libraries, points of interest, tourist attractions, stadiums, or any other type of classifiable location.

124. The device according to claim 114, wherein said origin locator comprises at least one of a Global Position System, Satellite Navigation System, Loran, Automatic Direction Finder, Radio Direction Finder, or other position finding mechanism.

125. The device according to claim 114, wherein:

said origin locator includes a reception device configured to receive a communication from a user containing a location of said origin.

126. The device according to claim 114, wherein:

said origin locator comprises a server configured to send a query to a user and receive a response to said query from said user.

127. The device according to claim 126, wherein said query and said response are Internet communications comprising at least one of an HTML formatted document, a Java language applet, or other Internet browser compatible communication.

128. The device according to claim 114, wherein said computer is one of a portable computer, a laptop computer, a palm computer, a cellular phone, and a navigation device.

129. The device according to claim 114, wherein said destination mechanism performs a method comprising the steps of:

identifying a map record that includes a city center and does not include a current location;

identifying roads in said map record that cross a boundary of said map record; and

reporting said roads as destinations.

130. A method, comprising the steps of:

receiving information indicating a destination;

determining a set of two or more possible origins without receiving an indication of a specific origin;

computing directional information between said destination and each possible origin; and

reporting said directional information.

131. A method according to claim 130, wherein:

said step of determining a set of two or more possible origins includes comparing a current location to a set of potential origins and selecting a subset of said potential origins which are closest to said current location.

132. A method according to claim 130, wherein:

said step of computing takes into account current traffic information.

133. A method according to claim 130, wherein:

said set of two or more possible origins includes a plurality of cities.

134. A method according to claim 130, wherein:

said set of two or more possible origins includes a plurality of roads.