Using routing symbols to describe a driving maneuver

• US 7,620,494 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2006
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MapQuest, Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Matthews, Marshall B., Gearhart, G. Duane, Schmitz, Michael David
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Dalena
• Application Number:
  US11/278,077
• Time in Patent Office: 1,328 Days
• Field of Search: 701/211, 701/200, 701/202, 701/208, 701/209, 340/995.19, 340/995.24, 340/990, 340/995.27, 340/988, 340/995.1, 731/78.R
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3658 Lane guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

Driving directions are presented where a maneuver in the driving directions includes a road symbol and an action symbol. A road symbol identifies the road involved in the particular maneuver, and an action symbol identifies an action to be performed to execute the particular maneuver. In one example, a road symbol, an action symbol and narrative text may be presented in displayed or printed driving directions. In another example, a road symbol and an action symbol may be used to describe a maneuver presented by an on-board or mobile navigation system when the vehicle in which the navigation system is present approaches the point at which the maneuver is to be taken. The road symbol and the action symbol may be presented with, or without, narrative driving directions.

Claims

1. A method for displaying driving directions, the method comprising:

accessing data that describes at least one maneuver to be executed to traverse a route from an origin to a destination;

selecting a portion of the accessed data that describes a particular maneuver, the particular maneuver including an action and a road;

determining a road symbol to associate with the particular maneuver, the road symbol having substantially the same appearance as a road sign used to mark the road involved in the particular maneuver;

determining an action symbol to associate with the particular maneuver, the action symbol having substantially the same appearance as a road sign used to identify the action to be performed to execute the particular maneuver; and

presenting both the road symbol and the action symbol to describe the particular maneuver, such that the road symbol and the action symbol describe the particular maneuver.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting text, in addition to the road symbol and the action symbol, to describe the particular maneuver.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting both the road symbol and the action symbol comprises presenting only the road symbol and the action symbol to describe the particular maneuver.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting both the road symbol and the action symbol while travel is occurring.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein a navigation system capable of determining geographic location is used to present the road symbol and the action symbol to describe the particular maneuver.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein a communication device capable of transmitting and receiving voice communications is used to present the road symbol and the action symbol to describe the particular maneuver.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the action symbol indicates a turn direction involved in the particular maneuver.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the action symbol indicates a turn angle involved in the particular maneuver.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the action symbol indicates a merge involved in the particular maneuver.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the action symbol indicates an exit involved in the particular maneuver.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the road symbol includes a road number that identifies the road represented by the road symbol.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the road symbol comprises an interstate road symbol having substantially the same appearance as an interstate sign used to mark the interstate represented by the interstate road symbol.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting the road symbol and the action symbol comprises presenting the road symbol and the action symbol in positions that are adjacent to one another.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the road symbol and the action symbol describe the particular maneuver without descriptive text.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the road symbol has substantially the same shape, and coloration, and markings as the road sign used to mark the road involved in the particular maneuver.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the action symbol has substantially the same shape, coloration, and markings as the road sign used to identify the action to be performed to execute the particular maneuver.

21. The apparatus of claim 16 comprising a navigation system configured to determine geographic location.

17. An apparatus for displaying driving directions, the apparatus being configured to:

access data that describes at least one maneuver to be executed to traverse a route from an origin to a destination;

select a portion of the accessed data that describes a particular maneuver, the maneuver including an action and a road;

determine a road symbol to associate with the particular maneuver, the road symbol having substantially the same appearance as a road sign used to mark the road involved in the particular maneuver;

determine an action symbol to associate with the particular maneuver, the action symbol having substantially the same appearance as a road sign used to identify the action to be performed to execute the particular maneuver; and

present both the road symbol and the action symbol to describe the particular maneuver, such that the road symbol and the action symbol describe the particular maneuver.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 further configured to present text, in addition to the road symbol and the action symbol, to describe the particular maneuver.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 further configured to present only the road symbol and the action symbol to describe the particular maneuver.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 further configured to present both the road symbol and the action symbol while travel is occurring.

22. The apparatus of claim 17 comprising a communication device configured to transmit and receive voice communications.

23. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the action symbol indicates a turn direction involved in the particular maneuver.

24. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the action symbol indicates a turn angle involved in the particular maneuver.

25. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the action symbol indicates a merge involved in the particular maneuver.

26. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the action symbol indicates an exit involved in the particular maneuver.

27. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the road symbol includes a road number that identifies the road represented by the road symbol.

28. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the road symbol comprises an interstate road symbol that has substantially the same appearance as an interstate sign used to mark the interstate represented by the interstate road symbol.

29. The apparatus of claim 17 further configured to present the road symbol and the action symbol in positions that are adjacent to one another.

30. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the road symbol and the action symbol describe the particular maneuver without descriptive text.

31. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the road symbol has substantially the same shape, coloration, and markings as the road sign used to mark the road involved in the particular maneuver.

32. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the action symbol has substantially the same shape, coloration, and markings as the road sign used to identify the action to be performed to execute the particular maneuver.

33. A system for displaying driving directions, the system comprising:

means for accessing data that describes at least one maneuver to be executed to traverse a route from an origin to a destination;

means for selecting a portion of the accessed data that describes a particular maneuver, the maneuver including an action and a road;

means for determining a road symbol to associate with the particular maneuver, the road symbol having substantially the same appearance as a road sign used to mark the road involved in the particular maneuver;

means for determining an action symbol to associate with the particular maneuver, the action symbol having substantially the same appearance as a road sign used to identify the action to be performed to execute the particular maneuver; and

means for presenting both the road symbol and the action symbol to describe the particular maneuver, such that the road symbol and the action symbol are sufficient, without descriptive text, to describe the particular maneuver.