System, device and method for providing proximate addresses

• US 7,079,947 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2004
• Issued: 07/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Garmin Limited
• Original Assignee: Garmin Limited
• Inventors: Tompkins, Mark D., Walters, Thomas H., Runquist, Shane R., Robinson, Stephen C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Broadhead, Brian J.
• Application Number:
  US11/020,288
• Publication Number:
  US 20050143913A1
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 701/210, 701/208, 701/207, 701/211, 701/213
• US Class Current: 701/210
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3673 Labelling using text of road map data items, e.g. road names, POI names
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location

Abstract

Systems, devices and methods are provided to display or otherwise provide addresses in proximity to the device, and to periodically update the addresses as the navigational aid device is transported along a road. The device is adapted to be transported on a road. The device includes a processor and a memory adapted to communicate with the processor. The processor and the memory are adapted to cooperate to provide an address that is proximate to the device. Another aspect includes a method. According to one method embodiment, an address proximate to a navigational aid device is estimated and displayed on the navigational aid device. Other aspects are provided herein.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

means for estimating an address representative of a position of the device and updating the address representative of the position of the device to account for device travel; and

means for providing a user of the device with the address, including means for displaying the address and means for enabling a user to select between odd and even addresses to be displayed.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the means for estimating the address includes:

means for identifying a road segment proximate to the position of the device;

means for identifying an address range associated with the road segment; and

means for estimating the address range based on a position of the device.

3. The device of claim 2, further comprising means for determining a direction of travel for the device, wherein the means for estimating the address within the address range includes means for estimating the address within the address range based on the direction of travel.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the means for estimating an address representative of a position of the device and updating the address representative of the position of the device to account for device travel includes means for updating the address at an update event.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the means for updating the address at the update event includes means for periodically updating the address.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the means for periodically updating the address includes means for periodically updating the address at time intervals of approximately one second.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the means for providing a user of the device with the address includes means for displaying a map to illustrate a mad and a position of the device on the road, and means for displaying the address with the map.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the means for displaying a map includes means for displaying a heads-up display so that a direction of travel remains up on the map.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising means for the device to determine the position of the device.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising means for receiving a wireless signal from a server, the wireless signal including position information for the device.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising means for displaying either odd addresses or even addresses based on whether the device is traveling on an odd side of the road or an even side of the road.

12. A device, comprising:

a memory;

a display;

a global positioning system (GPS) antenna and receiver;

a processor adapted to communicate with the memory, the display and the GPS antenna and receiver,

the memory being embedded with computer-readable instructions, which when operated on by the processor, perform a process to provide and display addresses proximate to the device while the device travels, the process including;

using the GPS antenna and receiver to determine device positions;

estimating addresses representative of the device positions; and

presenting addresses on the display of the device that are representative of the device positions; and

wherein the process performed by the processor operating on the computer-readable instructions includes displaying either odd addresses or even addresses, depending on a direction of travel.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein, in the process performed by the processor operating on the computer-readable instructions, using the GPS antenna and receiver to determine device positions and estimating addresses representative of the device positions include:

determining a current device position using the GPS antenna and receiver;

determining an address range associated with the current device position;

determining a distance from the current device position to an endpoint of the address range; and

estimating an address using the address range and the distance from the current device position to the endpoint of the address range.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the process performed by the processor operating on the computer-readable instructions is periodically performed.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the memory includes cartographic data, and the processor is adapted to present a map representative of the device positions on the display with the address.

16. The device of claim 15, further comprising a network port through which the processor is adapted to communicate with an external database to update the cartographic data in the memory.

17. The device of claim 15, further comprising a cellular transceiver end antenna through which the processor is adapted to communicate with en external database to update the cartographic data in the memory.

18. The device of claim 12, wherein the process performed by the processor operating on the computer-readable instructions includes receiving a user command to display either odd or even addresses, and displaying the addresses according to the user command.

19. A device, comprising:

means for estimating an address representative of a position of the device and updating the address representative of the position of the device to account for device travel, wherein the means for estimating the address includes -means for identifying a road segment proximate to the position of the device, means for identifying an address range associated with the road segment, and

means for estimating the address range based on a position of the device;

means for determining a direction of travel for the device, wherein the means for estimating the address within the address range includes means for estimating the address within the address range based on the direction of travel; and

means for providing a user of the device with the address.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the means for estimating an address representative of a position of the device and updating the address representative of the position of the device to account for device travel includes means for updating the address at an update event.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the means for updating the address at the update event includes means for periodically updating the address.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the means for periodically updating the address includes means for periodically updating the address at time intervals of approximately one second.

23. The device of claim 19, wherein the means for providing a user of the device with the address includes means for displaying a map to illustrate a road and a position of the device on the road, and means for displaying the address with the map.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the means for displaying a map includes means for displaying a heads-up display so that a direction of travel remains up on the map.

25. The device of claim 19, further comprising means for the device to determine the position of the device.

26. The device of claim 19, further comprising means for receiving a wireless signal from a server, the wireless signal including position information for the device.

27. A device, comprising:

means for estimating an address representative of a position of the device and updating the address representative of the position of the device to account for device travel; and

means for providing a user of the device with the address, including means for displaying the address by displaying either odd addresses or even addresses based on whether the device is traveling on an odd side of the road or an even side of the road.

28. The device of claim 27, wherein the means for estimating the address includes:

means for identifying a road segment proximate to the position of the device;

means for identifying an address range associated with the mad segment; and

means for estimating the address range based on a position of the device.

29. The device of claim 28, further comprising means for determining a direction of travel for the device, wherein the means for estimating the address within the address range includes means for estimating the address within the address range based on the direction of travel.

30. The device of claim 27, wherein the means for estimating an address representative of a position of the device and updating the address representative of the position of the device to account for device travel includes means for updating the address at an update event.

31. The device of claim 30, wherein the means for updating the address at the update event includes means for periodically updating the address.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein the means for periodically updating the address includes means for periodically updating the address at time intervals of approximately one second.

33. The device of claim 27, wherein the means for providing a user of the device with the address includes means for displaying a map to illustrate a road and a position of the device on the road, and means for displaying the address with the map.

34. The device of claim 33, wherein the means for displaying a map includes means for displaying a heads-up display so that a direction of travel remains up on the map.

35. The device of claim 27, further comprising means for the device to determine the position of the device.

36. The device of claim 27, further comprising means for receiving a wireless signal from a server, the wireless signet including position information for the device.

37. A device, comprising:

a memory;

a display;

a global positioning system (GPS) antenna and receiver;

a processor adapted to communicate with the memory, the display and the GPS antenna and receiver;

the memory being embedded with computer-readable instructions, which when operated on by the processor, perform a process to provide and display addresses proximate to the device while the device travels, the process including using

the GPS antenna and receiver to determine device positions,

estimating addresses representative of the device positions, and

presenting addresses on the display of the device that are representative of the device positions; and

wherein the process performed by the processor operating on the computer-readable instructions includes receiving a user command to display either odd or even addresses, and displaying the addresses according to the user command.

38. The device of claim 37, wherein, in the process performed by the processor operating on the computer-readable instructions, using the GPS antenna and receiver to determine device positions and estimating addresses representative of the device positions include:

determining a current device position using the GPS antenna and receiver;

determining an address range associated with the current device position;

determining a distance from the current device position to an endpoint of the address range; and

estimating an address using the address range and the distance from the current device position to the endpoint of the address range.

39. The device of claim 37, wherein the process performed by the processor operating on the computer-readable instructions is periodically performed.

40. The device of claim 37, wherein the memory includes cartographic data, and the processor is adapted to present a map representative of the device positions on the display with the address.

41. The device of claim 40, further comprising a network port through which the processor is adapted to communicate with an external database to update the cartographic data in the memory.

42. The device of claim 40, further comprising a cellular transceiver and antenna through which the processor is adapted to communicate with an external database to update the cartographic data in the memory.