PDA system, method and device for labeling thoroughfares

• US 6,847,884 B1
• Filed: 10/15/2002
• Issued: 01/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garmin Limited
• Original Assignee: Garmin Limited
• Inventors: Childs, Michael E., Runquist, Shane R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US10/271,959
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/208, 701/211, 701/24, 701/25, 701/1, 731/78.R, 340/995.22, 340/995.23, 340/995.26, 340/995.27, 361/600, 361/682, 361/741, 361/756
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3673 Labelling using text of road map data items, e.g. road names, POI names

Abstract

A name of a thoroughfare is identified from at least one name for the thoroughfare in reference to a set of criteria. In one example, the set of criteria includes whether or not the thoroughfare is an interstate, whether or not a name is shielded, has a suffix, and/or has an identified prefix. Interstate thoroughfares are often identified by a shielded name of the interstate thoroughfare, and non-interstate thoroughfares are often identified by a non-shielded name of the non-interstate thoroughfare. The identified name includes a name which is most recognized or well-known for navigating.

Claims

1. A personal digital assistant (PDA) to identify a name of a thoroughfare comprising:

a calendar function;

an address book function;

a memory having one or more names of a thoroughfare; and

a processor to communicate with the memory, the processor is to identify a well-known name of the thoroughfare from among the one or more names based on a set of criteria, the set of criteria includes a name of the throroughfare and a shield type of the thoroughfare.

2. The PDA of claim 1, wherein the shield type is selected from a group of types consisting of a shielded type and a non-shielded type.

3. The PDA of claim 1, wherein the memory includes a plurality of thoroughfares, and the memory includes at least one name for each of a plurality of thoroughfares.

4. The PDA of claim 1, wherein the processor is to identify a first name of the one or more names when none of the names in the one or more names satisfies the set of criteria.

5. The PDA of claim 1, wherein the processor is to identify an alternative name to a shielded name when the thoroughfare is an interstate having a suffix.

6. The PDA of claim 1, wherein the set of criteria includes an interstate name having no suffix.

7. The PDA of claim 1, wherein the set of criteria includes a non-interstate name or a name having no suffix, and the name having a non-shielded type and having an identified prefix.

8. The PDA of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to communicate the identified name to a display of the PDA.

9. The PDA of claim 1, wherein the PDA includes a telecommunication functionality operable for transmitting and receiving voice data.

10. The PDA of claim 1, wherein the PDA includes a Bluetooth capability.

11. The PDA of claim 1, wherein the PDA includes an audio interface operable to audibly communicate the identified name.

12. A handheld multifunction device to communicate navigation information, comprising:

a calendar function;

an address book function;

a processor operably coupled to a display and a memory, the memory having cartographic data for a plurality of thoroughfares, and a plurality of thoroughfare label data stored therein, the plurality of thoroughfare label data including data indicative of a well-known name for a thoroughfare associated with the cartographic data; and

wherein the processor is operable to identify a well-known name of the thoroughfare in reference to a name of the thoroughfare and a shield type of the thoroughfare.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the display includes an audio interface and a voice synthesis unit.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the shield type of the thoroughfare includes data indicative of interstates, U.S. highways, state highways, county roads, and city streets.

15. A method of identifying a name of a thoroughfare, comprising:

in a PDA, obtaining one or more names of the thoroughfare, the one or more names of the thoroughfare including a shield type and a number of alternative names; and

selecting a better-known name as a label name for the thoroughfare in reference to the shield type and the number of alternative names.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the selecting includes:

selecting a shield name as the label name if the shield type indicates that the thoroughfare is an interstate and the shield name has no suffix.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the selecting includes:

selecting a non-shield name as the label name if the shield type indicates that the thoroughfare is an interstate, and the name of the thoroughfare has a suffix;

selecting a non-shield name as the label name if the shield type indicates that the thoroughfare is not an interstate; and

selecting an alternative name as the label name if the shield type indicates that the name of the thoroughfare begins with an identified string.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the obtaining includes:

obtaining a next name from the one or more names of the thoroughfare and the method is iteratively performed until a label name is selected in reference to the shield type and the number of alternative names.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the method is being performed for the first iteration and the next name from the one or more names of the thoroughfare includes a first name.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the method includes communicating the selected label name to a display of the PDA.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the display includes a voice synthesis unit and the communicating includes communicating the selected label name to the display in an audible format.

22. A PDA system for selecting a well-known name of a thoroughfare, comprising:

a server having a processor and a memory, the memory having navigation data, the navigation data including data indicative of a name of the thoroughfare and a shield type of the name of the thoroughfare;

wherein the server includes executable instructions stored thereon, the processor operable on the executable instructions to;

identify a well-known name of the thoroughfare in reference to the name of the thoroughfare and the shield type of the name of the thoroughfare.

23. The PDA system of claim 22, wherein the system includes:

a PDA operable to communicate with, and retrieve, navigation data from the server via a communication channel, wherein the PDA includes a display operable to display the well-known name.

24. The PDA system of claim 22, wherein the system further includes a voice synthesis unit operable to communicate the well-known name.

25. The PDA system of claim 23, wherein the communication channel includes a wireless channel.

26. The PDA system of claim 23, wherein the system includes a data storage operable to store navigation data.

27. The PDA system of claim 23, wherein the server includes a processor operable to respond to a request from the PDA by performing calculations on the navigation data and transmitting results to the PDA.

28. The PDA system of claim 27, wherein the PDA is operable to communicate with and retrieve navigation data from the server using a Bluetooth technology.

29. The PDA system of claim 22, wherein the set of executable instructions further include instructions for:

identifying a first name in a plurality of names associated with the thoroughfare as the well-known name, if the shield type of the name indicates that the thoroughfare is not an interstate or the name of the thoroughfare has a suffix, and the name is shielded and the plurality of names associated with the thoroughfare is exhausted, or the name is not shielded and the name begins with an identified string and the plurality of names associated with the thoroughfare is exhausted.

30. The PDA system of claim 22, wherein the set of executable instructions further include instructions for:

identifying a name in a plurality of names associated with the thoroughfare as the well-known name, if the name of the thoroughfare has no suffix and the shield type of the thoroughfare reflects that the thoroughfare is an interstate.

31. The PDA system of claim 22, wherein the set of executable instructions further include instructions for:

obtaining iteratively a next name from a plurality of thoroughfare names until the plurality of thoroughfare names is exhausted.