Vehicle navigation system and method

• US 7,330,786 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2006
• Issued: 02/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intellisist, Inc. dba Spoken Communications (Avaya Incorporated)
• Inventors: Sutherland, Alastair Bruce, Odinak, Gilad
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US11/474,191
• Publication Number:
  US 20070073472A1
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 701200-202, 701/208, 701/211, 701/213, 701 24- 26, 342/357.06, 342/357.08, 342/357.09, 342/357.13, 342/357.1, 340/988
• US Class Current: 701/202
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3644 Landmark guidance, e.g. using POIs or conspicuous other objects
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0968 Systems involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle

Abstract

A vehicle navigation system and method. The system includes a unit located in a vehicle and coupled to a first network, a traffic information center coupled to a second network, and a server coupled to the first and second networks. A trip plan is generated according to navigation information, vehicle coordinates and trip request information received from the unit, and road information received from the traffic information center. The trip plan is sent to the unit for presentation. The trip plan includes trip overview information and voice prompts associated with one or more landmarks. A trip plan may be a tourist trip plan.

Claims

1. A vehicle navigation method comprising:

initiating a trip request, including trip request information;

determining vehicle coordinates;

sending vehicle coordinates and the entered trip request information to a server over a network;

retrieving at the server road information based on the vehicle coordination and entered trip request information from an information center over a network connection;

generating a trip plan according to navigation information stored in a memory associated with the server, the generated trip plan including a table of locations of the trip plan with associated navigation prompts;

sending the generated trip plan table to the vehicle over the network;

comparing present vehicle coordinates to the trip plan table;

defining a threshold value to ascertain adherence of present vehicle coordinates to the trip plan and if, according to the comparison, the vehicle coordinates are within a threshold value from a location in the table, presenting the navigation prompt associated with the location in the table that is within the threshold value of the vehicle'"'"'s location to confirm adherence to the trip plan.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the road information includes traffic information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigation prompts include voice prompts.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if the vehicle is adhering to the trip plan, wherein determining adherence comprises:

determining distance of the vehicle coordinates to the trip plan; and

if the vehicle coordinates are not within a threshold value from the trip plan, making a request to pause the trip plan, and resuming the trip plan when instructed.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating comprises generating trip overview information, and further comprising:

presenting the trip overview information within the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the trip overview information includes a voice prompt that includes legs of the trip plan that meet a predetermined trip overview requirement.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the trip plan further includes one or more voice prompts associated with one or more landmarks.

8. A vehicle navigation system comprising:

a unit located in a vehicle, the unit comprising;

a first component configured to initiate a trip request;

a second component configured to determine vehicle coordinates; and

a user interface;

a traffic information center coupled to a network configured to generate road information; and

a server comprising;

a receiving component configured to receive the determined vehicle coordinates and the trip request information from the unit over a network;

a component configured to retrieve road information from the traffic information center based on the received vehicle coordinates and the trip request information;

a memory configured to store navigation information;

a trip plan component configured to generate a trip plan with threshold values signifying the extent of adherence to the trip plan according to the navigation information, the received vehicle coordinates, the trip request information, and the retrieved road information, wherein the generated trip plan includes a table of locations of the trip plan with associated navigation prompts; and

a transmission component configured to send the generated trip plan to the unit, wherein the user interface is configured to present the navigation prompts based on present vehicle location information with the threshold values confirming trip plan adherence.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the user interface comprises:

a component configured to compare present vehicle coordinates to the trip plan table, wherein the user interface presents a navigation prompt, if, according to the comparison component, the vehicle coordinates are within a threshold value from a location in the table associated with the navigation prompt.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the road information includes traffic information.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the navigation prompts include voice prompts.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the unit further comprises:

a component configured to determine distance of the vehicle coordinates to the trip plan; and

a component configured to make a request to pause the trip plan, and to resume the trip plan when instructed, if the vehicle coordinates are determined to not be within a threshold value from the trip plan.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the trip plan component is further configured to generate trip overview information, and the user interface is further configured to present the trip overview information within the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the trip overview information includes a voice prompt that includes legs of the trip plan that meet a predetermined trip overview requirement.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the trip plan further includes one or more voice prompts associated with one or more landmarks.

16. A vehicle navigation method comprising:

initiating a trip request, including trip request information;

determining vehicle coordinates;

sending vehicle coordinates and the entered trip request information to a server over a network;

retrieving at the server road information based on the vehicle coordinates and entered trip request information from an information center over a network connection;

generating a trip plan according to navigation information stored in a memory associated with the server, the vehicle coordinates, the trip request information, and the retrieved road information, wherein the generated trip plan includes an electronic map with threshold values signifying the extent of adherence to the trip plan and a table of locations of the trip plan with associated navigation prompts;

sending the generated trip plan table to the vehicle over the network;

comparing present vehicle coordinates to the trip plan table;

if, according to the comparison, the vehicle coordinates are within a threshold value from a location in the table, presenting the navigation prompt associated with the location in the table that is within the threshold value of the vehicle'"'"'s location;

sending the sent electronic map to a personal data assistant (PDA); and

displaying the electronic map on a display of the PDA based on the vehicle'"'"'s present location.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the electronic map is wirelessly sent to the PDA.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the electronic map includes detail information that is displayed on the display of the PDA upon selection of an associated feature using a user interface device of the PDA.

19. A vehicle navigation system comprising:

a unit located in a vehicle, the unit comprising;

a first component configured to initiate a trip request;

a second component configured to determine vehicle coordinates; and

a user interface;

a personal data assistant (PDA) coupled to the unit, the PDA comprising a display and a user interface;

a traffic information center coupled to a network configured to generate road information; and

a server comprising;

a receiving component configured to receive the determined vehicle coordinates and the trip request information from the unit over a network;

a component configured to retrieve road information from the traffic information center based on the received vehicle coordinates and the trip request information;

a memory configured to store navigation information;

a trip plan component configured to generate a trip plan with threshold marks signifying the extent of adherence to the trip plan according to the navigation information, the received vehicle coordinates, the trip request information, and the retrieved road information, wherein the generated trip plan includes an electronic map and a table of locations of the trip plan with associated navigation prompts; and

a transmission component configured to send the generated trip plan to the unit, wherein the user interface is configured to present the threshold marks and navigation prompts based on present vehicle location information, wherein the electronic map is sent to the PDA and the PDA displays the electronic map on the display with threshold marks confirming trip plan adherence.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the electronic map is wirelessly sent from the unit to the PDA.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the electronic map includes detail information that is displayed on the display of the PDA upon selection of an associated feature using the user interface of the PDA.