Guidance with feature accounting for insignificant roads

• US 6,834,230 B1
• Filed: 10/15/2002
• Issued: 12/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garmin Limited
• Original Assignee: Garmin Limited
• Inventors: Childs, Michael E., Beesley, Darin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thu V.
• Application Number:
  US10/271,155
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 701/25-26, 701/200-202, 701/206, 701/208-212, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995, 340/996, 342/357.13
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968

Abstract

PDA systems, devices and methods are provided to account for insignificant route segments to enhance a route guidance experience. A PDA is provided according to one aspect. The PDA includes a processor and a memory adapted to communicate with the processor. The processor and memory are adapted to cooperate to provide route guidance that accounts for insignificant route segments. According to various embodiments, insignificant route segments are accounted for by nullifying and/or modifying route guidance maneuvers associated with the insignificant route segments. Other aspects are provided herein.

Claims

1. A personal digital assistant (PDA), comprising:

a calendar function;

an address book function;

a processor; and

a memory adapted to communicate with the processor, wherein the processor and memory cooperate to provide the calendar function and the address book function, and further cooperate to;

identify a sequence of route segments and a sequence of maneuvers associated with the route segments,

determine whether a route segment in the sequence of route segments is significant or insignificant,

provide route guidance for a maneuver associated with a significant route segment, and

account for an insignificant route segment prior to providing route guidance for the maneuver associated with the insignificant route segment, wherein accounting for the insignificant route segments includes nullifying some maneuvers associated with insignificant route segments and modifying other maneuvers associated with insignificant route segments.

2. The PDA of claim 1, wherein the processor and the memory determine whether a segment in the sequence of route segments is significant or insignificant by determining whether the segment has a name.

3. The PDA of claim 1, wherein the processor and the memory determine whether a segment in the sequence of route segments is significant or insignificant by determining whether the segment has a length less than a predetermined distance.

4. The PDA of claim 1, wherein the processor and the memory determine whether a segment in the sequence of route segments is significant or insignificant by determining whether the segment has a length less than a length of a successive segment.

5. The PDA of claim 1, wherein the processor and the memory determine whether a segment in the sequence of route segments is significant or insignificant by determining whether a route guidance maneuver for the segment and a route guidance maneuver for a successive segment qualify for nullification.

6. The PDA of claim 1, wherein the processor and the memory determine whether a segment in the sequence of route segments is significant or insignificant by determining whether a route guidance maneuver for the segment and a route guidance maneuver for a successive segment qualify for modification, and by modifying the route guidance maneuver for the segment upon determining that the route guidance maneuver for the segment and the route guidance maneuver for the successive segment qualify for modification.

7. The PDA of claim 1, wherein the processor and the memory determine whether a segment in the sequence of route segments is significant or insignificant by:

determining whether the segment has a name;

determining whether the segment has a length less than a predetermined distance;

determining whether the segment has a length less than a length of a successive segment; and

determining whether a route guidance maneuver for the segment and a route guidance maneuver for a successive segment qualify for nullification or modification.

8. A personal digital assistant (PDA) navigation system, comprising:

a server; and

a PDA to communicate with and retrieve navigation data from the server via a communication channel,

wherein the system is adapted to provide route guidance that accounts for insignificant route segments, including route guidance that modifies a maneuver associated with an insignificant route segment, wherein the system is adapted to identify a sequence of route segments and a sequence of maneuvers associated with the route segments, determine whether a route segment in the sequence of route segments is significant or insignificant, provide route guidance for a maneuver associated with a significant route segment, and account for an insignificant route segment prior to providing route guidance for a maneuver associated with the insignificant route segment.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the route guidance for a maneuver associated with the insignificant route segment includes route guidance that nullifies a maneuver associated with an insignificant route segment.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the communication channel includes a wireless channel.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the server includes a remote server.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the server includes a processor adapted to respond to a request from the PDA by performing calculations on the navigation data and transmitting the results to the PDA.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the PDA is to communicate with and retrieve navigation data from the server using streaming data.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the PDA is to communicate with and retrieve navigation data from the server using cellular communication technology.

15. The navigation system of claim 8, wherein:

the PDA includes a processor in communication with a memory; and

the processor and the memory of the PDA cooperate to;

identify the sequence of route segments and the sequence of maneuvers associated with the route segments,

determine whether a route segment in the sequence of route segments is significant or insignificant,

provide route guidance for the maneuver associated with a significant route segment, and

account for an insignificant route segment prior to providing route guidance for the maneuver associated with the insignificant route segment.

16. A personal digital assistant (PDA), comprising:

a calendar function;

an address book function;

a processor; and

a memory adapted to communicate with the processor, wherein the processor and memory cooperate to provide the calendar function and the address book function, and further cooperate to;

identify a sequence of route segments and a sequence of maneuvers associated with the route segments;

determine whether a route segment in the sequence of route segments is significant or insignificant;

provide route guidance for a maneuver associated with a significant route segment; and

account for an insignificant route segment prior to providing route guidance for the maneuver associated with the insignificant route segment,

wherein the processor and the memory determine whether a segment in the sequence of route segments is significant or insignificant by;

determining whether the segment has a name;

determining whether the segment has a length less than a predetermined distance;

determining whether the segment has a length less than a length of a successive segment; and

determining whether a route guidance maneuver for the segment and a route guidance maneuver for a successive segment qualify for nullification or modification.