Navigation system with acoustic route information

• US 7,463,975 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2003
• Issued: 12/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Bruelle-Drews, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US10/528,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20060031009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,115 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/201, 701/208, 701/209, 701/211, 701/212, 701/213, 340/990, 340/995.1
• US Class Current: 701/209
• 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 21/3655 Timing of guidance instructions

Abstract

A navigation system (100) capable of providing acoustic route information summarizing a route to a predetermined destination. The navigation system (100) includes a route calculation module (110) that is capable of calculating a route to a trip destination. A route overview module (104) may also be included for creating a route overview list that is based on the route. An acoustic message module (108) may be used to generate at least one acoustic route overview message as a function of the route overview list associated with the route.

Claims

1. A navigation system having memory storing instructions in the form of a plurality of modules, the instructions executable on a processor, the modules comprising:

a route calculation module configured to calculate a route to a predetermined destination;

a route overview module configured to create a route overview list as a function of the route, the route overview list being a summary or survey of the entire route; and

an acoustic message module configured to generate at least one acoustic route overview message based on the route overview list, the acoustic route overview message being an audible summary of the route to the predetermined destination;

where the acoustic message module is further configured to shorten the route overview list based on at least one predetermined weighting factor to fit within a predetermined amount of time; and

where the acoustic route overview message is limited to the predetermined amount of time.

2. The navigation system of claim 1 where the acoustic route overview message is output on at least one loudspeaker.

3. The navigation system of claim 1 where the acoustic route overview message is output in response to a request for a route overview entered by a user.

4. The navigation system of claim 1 where the route overview list includes at least one item selected from a group of items including a street name on the route, a name of a place on the route, a via on the route, a city on the route, an alternative street name on the route, a business location on the route, and a landmark on the route.

5. The navigation system of claim 1 where the predetermined weighting factor is a function of a popularity ranking associated with each item contained in the route overview list.

6. The navigation system of claim 1 where the predetermined weighting factor is based on a length of a mad segment to be traveled on the route.

7. The navigation system of claim 1 where the acoustic route overview message includes an anticipated time of arrival.

8. The navigation system of claim 1 where the acoustic message module retrieves at least one audio file from an acoustic message database to generate the acoustic route overview message.

9. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of modules further comprises a route guidance module configured to generate a road network map including the route calculated by the route calculation module.

10. The navigation system of claim 1 where the predetermined weighting factor is a function of the amount of time to acoustically generate each item contained in the route overview list.

11. A method of generating acoustic route information in a navigation system, comprising the steps of:

calculating a route to a predetermined destination;

creating a route overview list based on the route to the predetermined destination, where the route overview list is a summary or survey of the entire route; and

generating an acoustic route overview message as a function of the route overview list, where the acoustic route overview message is an audible summary of the route to the predetermined destination.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of audibly reproducing the acoustic route overview message on at least one loudspeaker.

13. The method of claim 11 where the acoustic route overview message is audibly reproduced in response to a request from a user.

14. The method of claim 11 where the route overview list is determined by a route overview module.

15. The method of claim 11 where the route overview list includes at least one item selected from a group of items including a street name on the route, a name of a place on the route, a via on the route, a city on the route, an alternative street name on the route, a business location on the route, and a landmark on the route.

16. The method of claim 11 where the acoustic route overview message is limited to a predetermined amount of time.

17. The method of claim 16 where the route overview list is shortened based on at least one predetermined weighting factor to fit within the predetermined amount of time.

18. The method of claim 17 where the predetermined weighting factor is a function of a popularity ranking associated with each item contained in the route overview list.

19. The method of claim 17 where the predetermined weighting factor is based on a length of a mad segment to be traveled on the route.

20. The navigation system of claim 17 where the predetermined weighting factor is a function of the amount of time to acoustically generate each item contained in the route overview list.

21. The method of claim 11 where the acoustic route overview message includes an anticipated time of arrival.

22. The method of claim 11 where the acoustic route overview message is generated by an acoustic message module.

23. The method of claim 22 where the acoustic message module retrieves at least one audio file from an acoustic message database to generate the acoustic route overview message.

24. A navigation system, comprising:

a navigation server having a memory storing instructions in the form of a plurality of modules,the plurality of modules comprising;

a route calculation module executable by the navigation server and configured to calculate a route to a predetermined destination;

a route overview module executable by the navigation server and configured to create a route overview list based on the route, the route overview list being a summary or survey of the entire route; and

an acoustic message module executable by the navigation server and configured to generate an acoustic route overview message as a function of the route overview list, the acoustic route overview message being an audible summary of the route to the predetermined destination; and

a navigation control unit connected to the navigation server and configured to receive the acoustic route overview message from the navigation server.

25. The navigation system of claim 24 where the navigation control unit is connected with the navigation server by a wireless access device.

26. The navigation system of claim 24 where the route overview list includes at least one item selected from a group of items including a street name on the route, a name of a place on the route, a via on the route, a city on the route, an alternative street name on the route, a business location on the route, and a landmark on the route.

27. The navigation system of claim 24 where the acoustic route overview message is limited to a predetermined amount of time.

28. The navigation system of claim 24 where the acoustic route overview message includes an anticipated time of arrival.

29. The navigation system of claim 24 where the acoustic message module retrieves at least one audio file from an acoustic message database to generate the acoustic route overview message.

30. The navigation system of claim 24 wherein the plurality of modules further comprises a route guidance module configured to generate a road network map including the route calculated by the route calculation module.

31. A method of generating acoustic route information, comprising the steps of:

calculating a route to a predetermined destination with a navigation server;

creating a route overview list based on the calculated route to the predetermined destination with the navigation server, the route overview list being a summary or survey of the entire route;

generating an acoustic route overview message as a function of the route overview list with the navigation server the acoustic route overview message being an audible summary of the route to the predetermined destination; and

transmitted the acoustic route overview message to a navigation control unit.

32. The method of claim 31 where the acoustic route overview message is transmitted to the navigation control unit using a wireless access device.

33. The method of claim 31 further comprising the step of audibly reproducing the acoustic route overview message on at least one loudspeaker.

34. The method of claim 31 where the route overview list includes at least one item selected from a group of hems including a street name on the route, a name of a place on the route, a via on the route, a city on the route, an alternative street name on the route, a business location on the route, and a landmark on the route.

35. The method of claim 31 where the acoustic route overview message is limited to a predetermined amount of time.

36. The method of claim 31 where the acoustic route overview message includes an anticipated time of arrival.

37. The method of claim 31 where the acoustic route overview message is generated by an acoustic message module.

38. The method of claim 37 where the acoustic message module retrieves at least one audio file from an acoustic message database to generate the acoustic route overview message.