Adaptable navigation system

• US 7,349,800 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2005
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Slingshot IOT LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Forlenza, Randolph Michael, Kaemmerer, John Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu; Yonel
• Application Number:
  US11/104,045
• Publication Number:
  US 20060229806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: 701200-202, 701207-208, 701213-215, 701 25- 28, 701/224, 340/988, 340/995.1, 342/357.06, 342/357.12, 342/357.13
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles

Abstract

The invention is a new and useful improvement to navigation system software that, when combined with conventional navigation system hardware, provides an operator with a means for modifying a course generated by a navigation system, and for saving the modified course for future trips. More specifically, the invention comprises an improvement to navigation system software that provides several manual means for modifying a computer-planned course according to real-time operator preferences; and an improvement to navigation system software that provides an automatic means for adapting navigation system planning to conform to a course that an operator has used repetitively.

Claims

1. In a vehicle navigation system having an input device and a display device, the input device having a command activator and a graphical selection pointer, the display device having a map drawn thereon, the map comprising the vehicle'"'"'s current position and a planned course of navigable features between an origin and a destination in a geographic area, a method of modifying the planned course, the method comprising:

identifying navigable feature segments in the geographic area, wherein each navigable feature segment has a terminus coincident with an intersection between two navigable features;

receiving a start signal from the input device indicating that the command activator has been activated;

drawing the navigable feature segments on the map;

receiving selection signals from the input device indicating that the graphical selection pointer has selected one or more navigable feature segments;

drawing the planned course and the selected navigable feature segments as blinking elements on the map if the selected navigable feature segments do not comprise an alternate course between the vehicle'"'"'s current position and the destination or between the vehicle'"'"'s current position and any position along the planned course;

replacing the navigable features of the planned course with the selected navigable feature segments if the selected navigable feature segments comprise an alternate course between the vehicle'"'"'s current position and the destination; and

identifying unnecessary navigable features of the planned course and replacing the unnecessary navigable features of the planned course with the selected navigable feature segments if the selected navigable feature segments comprise an alternate course between the vehicle'"'"'s current position and any position along the planned course.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the input device further has a second command activator, and the method further comprises:

receiving a save signal from the input device indicating that the second command activator has been activated;

responsive to receiving the save signal, storing the alternate course in a travel history database so that the vehicle navigation system includes the alternate course when planning a course between the origin and the destination.

3. In a vehicle navigation system having an input device and a display device, the input device having a first command activator, a second command activator, and a graphical selection pointer, the display device having a map drawn thereon, the map comprising the vehicle'"'"'s current position and a planned course of navigable features between an origin and a destination in a geographic area, a method of modifying the planned course, the method comprising:

receiving a start signal from the input device indicating that the first command activator has been activated and the vehicle is about to deviate from the planned course;

responsive to receiving the start signal, acquiring the vehicle'"'"'s position and storing the vehicle'"'"'s position as a deviation point in a travel history database;

acquiring the vehicle'"'"'s subsequent positions at regular intervals and storing the subsequent positions in the travel history database until receiving a stop signal from the input device indicating that the second command activator has been activated;

responsive to receiving the stop signal, acquiring the vehicle'"'"'s position and storing the vehicle'"'"'s position as the destination in the travel history database;

whereby the vehicle navigation system includes the positions stored in the travel history database when planning a course between the deviation point and the destination.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the input device further comprises a third command activator, and the method further comprises:

receiving a path signal from the input device indicating that the third command activator has been activated;

responsive to receiving the path signal, acquiring the vehicle'"'"'s position and storing the vehicle'"'"'s position as a path point in the travel history database.