Electronic navigation system and method

• US 7,049,981 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2002
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navteq North America LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Jones, Randall B., Behr, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US10/325,797
• Publication Number:
  US 20030156049A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 340/995.1, 340/995.12, 340/995.13, 340/995.23, 340/995.24, 340/995.27, 340/995.19, 701/200, 701/201, 701/208, 701/209, 701/211, 701/213
• US Class Current: 340/995.24
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096816 where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once

Abstract

The invention provides a method and system for providing route guidance and other information from a base unit to a remote unit in response to a request from the remote unit. A query is formatted at the remote unit, the query including the request, and is transmitted from the remote unit to the base unit. Requested route guidance information is calculated at the base unit in response to the query, using a large up-to-date database located at the base unit. A response to the query is formatted at the base unit, the response including route guidance information. The response is then transmitted from the base unit to the remote unit for display. The transmission is made in a compact form through the use of maneuver arms and combined maneuver arms and through the use of tokenized forms. A maneuver arm represents a road at an intersection, for depiction on a display, by one or two endpoint coordinates. The tokenized forms are expanded at the remote unit into textual driving instructions for each of one or more languages. In addition, the amount of information available at a remote unit can be increased by providing the remote unit with information from the base unit which is not adequately covered by any databases on-board the remote unit.

Claims

1. A navigation information services provider system comprising:

a base unit, wherein said base unit comprises;

an I/O interface that exchanges data messages, wherein said data messages include query messages sent from a plurality of remote units and a plurality of control units, wherein said plurality of remote units include at least a plurality of mobile units having wireless communication equipment and wherein said plurality of control units are coupled to said base unit through an external interface, and wherein said data messages further include reply messages sent from said base unit;

programming logic that provides multiple navigation services, wherein said multiple navigation services include at least;

route guidance services wherein first query messages from said plurality of remote units, each of said first query messages identifying an origin and a destination, are responded to with corresponding first reply messages, each corresponding first reply message providing route guidance information for traveling from the respective identified origin to the respective identified destination;

surroundings explorer services, wherein second query messages from said plurality of remote units, each second query message requesting identification of points of interest meeting specified parameters, wherein said parameters include a point of interest category, are responded to with corresponding second reply messages, each corresponding second reply message identifying points of interest, if any, meeting the specified parameters in said corresponding first query message; and

tracking information services, wherein tracking information from said mobile units that indicate current locations of respective mobile units is obtained from said base unit upon request by said control units, wherein said current location of said mobile unit is evaluated to determine whether said mobile unit has varied from a route from the respective identified origin to the respective identified destination.

3. A system supporting the distribution of navigation services, comprising:

abase unit as set forth in claim 1 or 2; and

a plurality of remote units, wherein said plurality of remote units includes at least a plurality of mobile units, wherein each of said plurality of mobile units includes wireless communication equipment that enable transmission of query messages from a respective one of said plurality of mobile units and receipt of reply messages from said base unit.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein each of said plurality of mobile units further comprises a GPS system.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein said plurality of remote units further comprises:

a plurality of desktop computers, each of which includes communication equipment that enables transmission of query messages from a respective one of said plurality of desktop computers and receipt of reply messages from said base unit.

6. The invention of claim 1 or 2, wherein said base unit further comprises:

a map database including information on a roadway network within at least one geographic area, wherein said map database is accessible by said programming logic to provide said multiple navigation services.

7. The system of claim 1 or 2 wherein the tracking information indicates current locations of respective mobile units with respect to a street network.

2. A navigation information services provider system comprising:

a base unit, wherein said base unit comprises;

an I/O interface that exchanges data messages, wherein said data messages include query messages sent from a plurality of remote units and a plurality of control units, wherein said plurality of remote units include at least a plurality of mobile units having wireless communication equipment and wherein said plurality of control units are coupled to said base unit through an external interface, and wherein said data messages further include reply messages sent from said base unit;

programming logic that provides multiple navigation services, wherein said multiple navigation services include at least;

route guidance services wherein first query messages from said plurality of remote units, each of said first query messages identifying an origin and a destination, are responded to with corresponding first reply messages, each corresponding first reply message providing route guidance information for traveling from the respective identified origin to the respective identified destination;

time and distance estimator services, wherein second query messages from said plurality of remote units, each second query message requesting at least one of a time of travel and a distance of travel between an origin and a destination, are responded to with corresponding second reply messages, each corresponding second reply message identifying an estimate of to distance of travel between the origin and destination specified in said corresponding second query message; and

tracking information services, wherein location information from said mobile units that indicate current locations of respective mobile units is obtained from said base unit upon request by said control units, wherein said current location of said mobile unit is evaluated to determine whether said mobile unit has varied from a route from the respective identified origin to the respective identified destination.

8. A navigation information services provider system comprising:

a base unit, wherein said base unit comprises;

an I/O interface that exchanges data messages, wherein said data messages include query messages sent from a plurality of remote units and a plurality of control units, wherein said plurality of remote units include at least a plurality of mobile units having wireless communication equipment and wherein said plurality of control units are coupled to said base unit through an external interface, and wherein said data messages further include reply messages sent from said base unit;

programming logic that provides multiple navigation services, wherein said multiple navigation services include at least;

route guidance services wherein first query messages from said plurality of remote units, each of said first query messages identifying an origin and a destination, are responded to with corresponding first reply messages, each corresponding first reply message providing route guidance information for traveling from the respective identified origin to the respective identified destination; and

third-party data integrator services, wherein second query messages from said plurality of remote units, each second query message requesting yellow page information, are responded to with corresponding second reply messages, each corresponding second reply message providing the yellow page information requested in said corresponding second query message, wherein said yellow page information is obtained from a database accessible at the base unit and said database receives real-time database updates.

9. An information provider system comprising:

a base unit capable of exchanging data messages with a plurality of remote units to provide multiple information services, wherein said multiple information services include at least;

route guidance services providing route guidance information to said remote unit for traveling along a route from an origin to a destination; and

third-party data integrator services providing yellow page information to said remote unit, wherein said yellow page information is obtained from a database accessible at the base unit and said database receives real-time database updates.