Smart detour

• US 7,590,490 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2006
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Clark, Brant
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peche; Jorge O
• Application Number:
  US11/327,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20070162223A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,345 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701/210, 701/23, 701/25, 701/26, 701/202, 701/211, 701/209, 340/994, 340/995.19, 340/995.21
• US Class Current: 701/210
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents

Abstract

A method of and apparatus for generating an alternate route for a system to travel to a predetermined destination are described. The method comprises determining a velocity of a system traveling along a primary route; and generating an alternate route to the primary route if the system velocity is below a predetermined motion threshold. A navigation system for generating an alternate route to a destination includes a motion sensor for detecting the navigation system velocity along a primary route and a controller coupled with the motion sensor. The controller receives a motion signal indicating navigation system motion and generates an alternate route to the primary route responsive to the motion signal indicating navigation system motion different from a predetermined motion threshold value.

Claims

1. A method implemented on a navigation system installed on a vehicle to generate an alternate route for the vehicle to travel to a predetermined destination, the method comprising:

receiving, by the navigation system, a detour distance;

receiving, by the navigation system, a predetermined timeout value;

determining, using a motion sensor installed on the vehicle, a velocity of the vehicle on which the navigation system is installed, while the vehicle is traveling along a primary route;

determining whether the velocity of the vehicle has been below a predetermined vehicle motion threshold for a time period exceeding the predetermined timeout value; and

generating, by the navigation system automatically, an alternate route to guide the vehicle to travel to the predetermined destination on a detour of the primary route in accordance with the detour distance, in response to a determination that the velocity of the vehicle on which the navigation system is installed has been below the predetermined vehicle motion threshold for a time period exceeding the predetermined timeout value.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

presenting a user interface to receive a timeout value from a user of the navigation system as the predetermined timeout value.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user response regarding generating an alternate route.

4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising:

prompting a user of the navigation system to decide whether to use the alternate route;

wherein the alternate route is generated before the user is prompted to decide whether to use the alternate route.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

presenting a user interface to receive the detour distance from a user of the navigation system.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the detour distance is a user-specified, custom detour distance.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing route information to a user based on the generated alternate route.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

presenting a user interface to allow a user of the system to enable or disable an option for the navigation system to automatically compute a detour route when the velocity of the vehicle has been below a predetermined vehicle motion threshold for a time period exceeding the predetermined timeout value;

wherein the generating of the alternate route is performed if the option is enabled via the user interface.

9. A method according to claim 3, wherein the user response includes a user request for generation of an alternate route.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the user response further includes at least one of a user-specified vehicle motion threshold, a user-specified timeout value, and a user-specified detour distance.

11. A navigation system installed on a vehicle to generate an alternate route to a destination, the navigation system comprising:

a motion sensor configured to generate a motion signal indicative of a velocity of the vehicle while the vehicle is travelling along a primary route; and

a controller operatively coupled with the motion sensor and arranged to receive the motion signal, the controller arranged to;

receive a detour distance;

receive a predetermined timeout value;

determine whether the velocity of the vehicle, on which the navigation system is installed, has been below a predetermined vehicle motion threshold for a time period exceeding the predetermined timeout value; and

generate automatically an alternate route to guide the vehicle to travel to the destination on a detour of the primary route in accordance with the detour distance, responsive to the motion signal

being below the predetermined vehicle motion threshold for a time period exceeding the predetermined timeout value.

12. A navigation system according to claim 11, further comprising:

a user interface to receive a timeout value from a user of the navigation system as the predetermined timeout value.

13. A navigation system according to claim 11, further comprising:

a user interface to receive the detour distance from a user of the navigation system.

14. A navigation system according to claim 11, further comprising:

a user interface device operatively coupled with the controller and arranged to provide information to a user and receive user commands.

15. A navigation system according to claim 14, wherein the user interface device is arranged to receive a user response regarding generation of an alternate route.

16. A navigation system according to claim 15, wherein the user response includes a user request for generation of an alternate route;

and

wherein the controller is arranged to generate the alternate route if the user requests generation of the alternate route.

17. A navigation system according to claim 15, wherein the user response includes at least one of a user-specified vehicle motion threshold, a user-specified timeout value, and a user-specified detour distance.

18. A computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor of a navigation system installed on a vehicle, cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving a detour distance;

receiving a predetermined timeout value;

determining, using a motion sensor installed on the vehicle, a velocity of the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling along a primary route;

determining whether the velocity of the vehicle on which the navigation system is installed has been below a predetermined vehicle motion threshold for a time period exceeding the predetermined timeout value; and

generating, automatically, an alternate route to guide the vehicle to travel to the predetermined destination on a detour of the primary route based on the detour distance, in response to a determination that the velocity of the vehicle on which the navigation system is installed has been below the predetermined vehicle motion threshold for a time period exceeding the predetermined timeout value.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the computer-readable medium comprises a memory.