Vehicle navigation system and methods for incorporating user preferences into same

• US 7,289,904 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2005
• Issued: 10/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Uyeki, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli; Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US11/040,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20050222763A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096888 where input information is obtained using learning systems, e.g. history databases

Abstract

Traffic information, including traffic flow information and traffic incident information, obtained through a traffic management system for providing and facilitating the exchange of traffic information between a remote location and a vehicle may be presented to a user on a user display in the vehicle. The traffic information may be presented to the user in several circumstances, either as cued by the user, or automatically presented by the traffic management system. The present invention discloses a vehicle navigation system for providing personalized traffic information to a user of the vehicle navigation system and methods for the same. The personalized traffic information is based at least in part on user preferences, either manually input by the user or automated by the vehicle navigation system.

Claims

1. A vehicle navigation system providing a travel route to a user of a vehicle based on traffic information received from a remotely located supplier, comprising:

a navigation device including a processor, a memory unit, and a receiver adapted to receive the traffic information; and

an owner link device located outside the vehicle enabling manual entry of a commute preference by the user and in communication with said navigation device to transmit the commute preference thereto;

wherein said processor filters the received traffic information to extract a subset of the received traffic information based at least in part on the commute preference, discards an unextracted portion of the received traffic information, and calculates the travel route based at least in part on the extracted traffic information.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said commute preference is stored in said memory unit.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein said receiver receives traffic information from the remote location based at least in part on the commute preference.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said owner link device comprises a computer.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said owner link device comprises a personal digital assistant.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said navigation device is located in the vehicle.

7. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein said owner link device transmits the commute preference to said navigation device before the user enters the vehicle.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said owner link device transmits the commute preference via a wireless communication network.

9. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said owner link device transmits the commute preference via a satellite communication network.

10. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the commute preference comprises a destination address.

11. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the commute preference comprises a time that a user of the navigation device begins travel.

12. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the commute preference comprises a travel route that a user of the navigation device prefers to travel along between a first location and a second location.

13. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said navigation device further includes a visual display screen.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein said visual display screen includes touch-sensitive pads enabling user entry of the commute preference.

15. A vehicle navigation device providing a travel route to a user and receiving traffic information from a remote location, comprising:

a processor;

a receiver operatively coupled to said processor and adapted to receive the traffic information from the remote location;

a visual display screen operatively coupled to said processor and having touch-sensitive pads enabling user entry of a commute preference; and

a memory unit operatively coupled to said processor and adapted to store the commute preference;

wherein said processor filters the received traffic information to extract a subset of the received traffic information based at least in part on the commute preference, discards an unextracted portion of the received traffic information, and calculates the travel route based at least in part on the extracted traffic information.

16. The device as recited in claim 15, further comprising a position detection device.

17. The device as recited in claim 16, wherein said position detection device comprises a satellite navigation system.

18. A method for providing personalized traffic information to a user of a vehicle navigation system that receives traffic information from a remote location, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a commute preference from the user;

(b) receiving traffic information from the remote location;

(c) filtering the received traffic information to extract a subset of the received traffic information based at least in part on the commute preference and to discard an unextracted portion of the received traffic information;

(d) calculating a travel route, based at least in part on the extracted traffic information in said step (c); and

(e) displaying the travel route calculated in said step (d);

wherein said step (a) further comprises receiving the commute preference via a wireless communication network.

19. A method for providing personalized traffic information to a user of a vehicle navigation system that receives traffic information from a remote location, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a commute preference from the user;

(b) receiving traffic information from the remote location;

(c) filtering the received traffic information to extract a subset of the received traffic information based at least in part on the commute preference and to discard an unextracted portion of the received traffic information;

(d) calculating a travel route, based at least in part on the extracted traffic information in said step (c); and

(e) displaying the travel route calculated in said step (d);

wherein said step (a) further comprises receiving the commute preference via a satellite communication network.

20. A method for providing personalized traffic information to a user of a vehicle navigation system that receives traffic information from a remote location, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a commute preference from the user;

(b) receiving traffic information from the remote location;

(c) filtering the received traffic information to extract a subset of the received traffic information based at least in part on the commute preference and to discard an unextracted portion of the received traffic information;

(d) calculating a travel route, based at least in part on the extracted traffic information in said step (c); and

(e) displaying the travel route calculated in said step (d);

wherein said step (b) further comprises receiving the traffic information via a satellite communication network.

21. A method for providing traffic information to a user of a vehicle navigation system that receives traffic information from a remotely located supplier, comprising the steps of:

(a) establishing a commute pattern of the user;

(b) receiving traffic information from the supplier, based at least in part on the commute pattern established in said step (a);

(c) receiving at least one commute preference from the user;

(d) filtering the received traffic information to extract a subset of the received traffic information based at least in part on the at least one commute preference and to discard an unextracted portion of the received traffic information;

(e) calculating a travel route, based at least in part on the extracted traffic information in said step (d); and

(f) displaying the travel route calculated in said step (e);

wherein establishing a commute pattern in said step (a) comprises storing a plurality of addresses that the user has visited.

22. A method for providing traffic information to a user of a vehicle navigation system that receives traffic information from a remotely located supplier, comprising the steps of:

(a) establishing a commute pattern of the user;

(b) receiving traffic information from the supplier, based at least in part on the commute pattern established in said step (a);

(c) receiving at least one commute preference from the user;

(d) filtering the received traffic information to extract a subset of the received traffic information based at least in part on the at least one commute preference and to discard an unextracted portion of the received traffic information;

(e) calculating a travel route, based at least in part on the extracted traffic information in said step (d); and

(f) displaying the travel route calculated in said step (e);

wherein steps (a) through (e) are completed before the user enters the vehicle.

23. A method for providing traffic information to a user of a vehicle navigation system that receives traffic information from a remotely located supplier, comprising the steps of:

(a) establishing a commute pattern of the user;

(b) receiving traffic information from the supplier, based at least in part on the commute pattern established in said step (a);

(c) receiving at least one commute preference from the user;

(d) filtering the received traffic information to extract a subset of the received traffic information based at least in part on the at least one commute preference and to discard an unextracted portion of the received traffic information;

(e) calculating a travel route, based at least in part on the extracted traffic information in said step (d); and

(f) displaying the travel route calculated in said step (e);

wherein establishing a commute pattern in said step (a) comprises storing a plurality of addresses that the user has visited;

wherein traffic information is received in said step (b) when the vehicle navigation system is located within a predetermined distance from each one of the plurality of addresses stored in said step (a).