Method of exchanging navigation information

• US 7,117,085 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2002
• Issued: 10/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fodus Communications, Inc., Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Buecher, Andreas, Draeger, Gerd, Friedrichs, Arne, Skwarek, Volker
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US10/467,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20040111214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,718 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701/208, 701/209, 701/207, 701/213, 701/211, 701/212, 701/200, 701/300, 340/995.1, 342/357.09
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096822 where the segments of the route are transmitted to the vehicle at different locations and times
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096894 where input is assisted by the navigation device, i.e. the user does not type the complete name of the destination, e.g. using zip codes, telephone numbers, progressively selecting from initial letters

Abstract

A method of exchanging navigation information between a terminal, an offboard vehicle navigation device in particular, and a control center is described, the navigation information including route information for at least one route between a starting point and a destination. The method involves the following steps: a) verifying a starting point reference ID and/or starting coordinates and verifying a destination reference ID and/or destination coordinates and b) calculating route data and transmitting to the terminal a route response containing at least parts of the route data, the route data corresponding to at least one complete route from the starting point to the destination or at least one partial route from the starting point to an intermediate point located between the starting point and the destination at least as a function of the length of the route from the starting point to the destination.

Claims

1. A method of exchanging navigation information between a terminal and a control center, the navigation information including route information for at least one route between a starting point and a destination, the method comprising:

verifying at least one of a starting point reference ID and starting coordinates;

verifying at least one of a destination reference ID and destination coordinates;

calculating route data;

transmitting to the terminal a route response containing at least a part of the route data, wherein the route data correspond to one of the at least one route and at least one partial route from a starting point to an intermediate point located between the starting point and the destination at least as a function of a length of the at least one route, and wherein the intermediate point has at least one of a verified intermediate point reference ID and verified intermediate point coordinates; and

requesting additional route data from the control center via one of the terminal and a separate device before the intermediate point is reached, wherein;

the terminal includes a mobile terminal, and

the additional route data corresponding to one of a route from the intermediate point to the destination and a route from the intermediate point to an additional intermediate point.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the terminal includes an offboard vehicle navigation device.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the at least one of the verified intermediate point reference ID and the verified intermediate point coordinates from the control center to the terminal.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

one of the mobile terminal and the separate device transmits at least one of the verified intermediate point reference ID and the verified intermediate point coordinates to the control center if the additional route data is requested.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the control center transmits an unambiguous route ID to one of the terminal and a separate device.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

one of the mobile terminal and the separate device transmits a route ID to the control center if the additional route data is requested.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting to the control center at least one of the following;

geographic coordinates,

at least one address as a set of attributes corresponding to city, street, house number, and postal code,

at least one of the starting point reference ID and destination reference ID already verified in the control center,

at least one telephone number,

at least one map segment,

geometric road descriptions,

at least one text description,

at least one sound recording,

at least one of photographic recordings and video recordings, and

customer information and a user/use profile including vehicle type, speed range, a route optimization preference.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting at least one of the following;

one of unambiguous reference IDs and partially unambiguous reference IDs for one of individual addresses and sub-attributes including city, street, house number, and zip code,

time information as a set of attributes including year, month, day, hour, minute, and second,

message time stamp, and

desired travel time.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting at least one of the starting point reference ID and the starting coordinates; and

transmitting at least one of the destination reference ID and the destination coordinates.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting at least one of the following;

at least one abort criterion for a route calculation and including maximum data volume, maximum waiting time until data transfer, and distance,

coding of terminal capabilities with reference to at least one of display capabilities and audio capabilities,

user preferences corresponding to type of desired supplemental information in the route data,

time information as a set of attributes including year, month, day, hour, minute, and second,

a personalized driving profile, and

at least one of traffic information and route disturbances.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the route response includes at least one of the following information items:

supplemental map attributes including distances, trip time, street classes, street names, route guidance instructions,

at least one of images, photographic recordings, and video recordings,

sound recordings,

traffic reports,

supplemental information including advertising,

data header information corresponding to language identification, country identification, reference system, coding used, coordinate coding, route data format, and flags concerning existing supplemental attributes,

time information as a set of attributes including year, month, day, hour, minute, and second,

message time stamp, and

travel time.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

storing in at least one of the terminal and a separate device at least one of;

the starting point reference ID,

the starting coordinates,

the destination reference IDs, and

the destination coordinates.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

storing in the control center at least one of;

the starting point reference ID,

the starting coordinates,

the destination reference IDs, and

the destination coordinates.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the separate device includes a mobile telecommunications terminal.

16. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the separate device includes a computer.

7. A method of exchanging navigation information between a terminal and a control center, the navigation information including route information for at least one route between a starting point and a destination, the method comprising:

verifying at least one of a starting point reference ID and starting coordinates;

verifying at least one of a destination reference ID and destination coordinates;

calculating route data;

transmitting to the terminal a route response containing at least a part of the route data, wherein the route data correspond to one of the at least one route and at least one partial route from a starting point to an intermediate point located between the starting point and the destination at least as a function of a length of the at least one route;

wherein the verifying of the at least one of the starting point reference ID and the starting coordinates includes;

transmitting an address resolution query to the control center,

transmitting an address resolution response from the control center to one of the terminal and a separate device, and

transmitting a route query to the control center.