Method of operating a navigation system

• US 7,149,626 B1
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navteq North America LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Devries, Steven P., Herbst, James M., Borak, Jason M., Bennett, James R., Hopkins, Karen A., McGrath, Suzanne M., Bauer, Ellen M.
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US10/881,310
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701/202, 701/23, 701/25, 701/209, 701/211, 701/208, 701/212, 340/988, 342/357.01, 342/357.13
• US Class Current: 701/211
• 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

A method for operating a navigation system obtains an ordered plurality of interconnected segments providing a route from an origin to a destination. A guidance message for each of the segments is formed. The step of forming the guidance message comprises determining whether to reference a previous segment and adding a reference to a current segment.

Claims

1. A method of operating a navigation system comprising:

providing a geographic database containing data that represent geographic features in a geographic region;

obtaining an ordered plurality of interconnected segments providing a route from an origin to a destination, wherein said route includes at least a first segment followed by a second segment; and

forming a guidance message for said second segment, said step of forming said guidance message comprising;

obtaining data associated with said first segment from said geographic database that indicates whether a reference to the first segment provides orientation for an end user traveling from said first segment to said second segment;

if said data indicates said reference provides orientation, providing a phrase of after or a synonym thereof and a name of said first segment;

providing an indication of travel direction to said second segment; and

providing a reference to said second segment.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said name of said first segment is a name of at least one feature visible from a location proximate said first segment.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said reference to said second segment includes one of a predetermined number of phrases and a name of said second segment.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said name of said second segment is a name of at least one feature visible from a location proximate said second segment.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein said one of a predetermined number of phrases is selected from the group consisting of above, through, by, right, left, between, up, down, across, after, along, past and synonyms thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of forming said guidance message further comprising:

determining whether to reference a current node, wherein said current node connects said first segment to said second.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein if said step of determining whether to reference said current node determines to reference said currents node, said guidance message includes a phrase of at or a synonym thereof and a name of said current node.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said step of determining whether to reference a current node comprising:

obtaining data associated with said current node from said geographic database that indicates whether a reference to the current node provides orientation for an end user traveling from said first segment to said second segment.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of providing said direction of travel comprising:

calculating an angle between said first segment and said second segment; and

adding to said guidance message a turn direction corresponding to said angle.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of forming said guidance message further comprising:

determining whether to reference a next node, wherein said next node connects said second segment to a next segment.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein if said step of determining whether to reference said next node, said guidance message includes a phrase of toward or a synonym thereof and a name of said next node.

12. A navigation system comprising:

a geographic database containing data that represent geographic features in a geographic region;

a route calculation application that generates an ordered list of interconnected segments providing a route from an origin to a destination; and

a route guidance application that generates a guidance message for each segment of said route, wherein said guidance message for a current segment is generated by;

obtaining data associated with a previous segment from the geographic database that indicates whether a name of the previous segment provides orientation for an end user on said route traveling to said current segment;

if said data indicates said name of the previous segment provides orientation, providing said name of said previous segment, wherein said name of said previous segment is a name of a geographic feature visible from said previous segment;

providing an indication of travel direction to said current segment; and

providing a name of said current segment, wherein said name of said current segment is a name of a geographic feature visible from said current segment.

13. The navigation system claim 12 wherein prior to said name of said previous segment said guidance message includes a phrase of after or a synonym thereof.

14. The navigation system of claim 12 wherein prior to or after said name of said current segment includes a phrase selected from a group consisting of above, through, by, right, left, between, up, down, across, after, along, past and synonyms thereof.

15. The navigation system of claim 12 wherein said guidance message further comprising:

a reference to a current node, wherein said current node connects said previous segment to said current segment.

16. The navigation system of claim 15 wherein said reference to said current node includes a phrase of at or a synonym thereof and a name of said current node.

17. The navigation system of claim 12 wherein said generating said guidance message further comprising:

calculating an angle between said previous segment and said current segment; and

adding to said guidance message a turn direction corresponding to said angle for said a direction of travel.

18. The navigation system of claim 12 wherein said guidance message further comprising:

a reference to a next node, wherein said next node connects said current segment to a next segment.

19. The navigation system of claim 18 wherein said reference to said next node includes a phrase of toward or a synonym thereof and a name of said next node.

20. A navigation system comprising:

a route guidance application that provides a guidance message, wherein said guidance message comprising;

a phrase of after or a synonym thereof;

a name of a previous segment, wherein said name of said previous segment is a name of a geographic feature visible from a location proximate said previous segment;

an indication of a travel direction to a current segment; and

a name of said current segment, wherein said name of said current segment is a name of a geographic feature visible from a location proximate said current segment.

21. The navigation system of claim 20 wherein prior to or after said name of said current segment said guidance messages comprising a phrase selected from a group consisting of above, through, by, right, left between, up, down, across, after, along, past and synonyms thereof.