Landmark-based routing

• US 7,912,637 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2007
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Couckuyt, Jeffrey D., Paulin, Alan, Zhuge, Yue, Swartz, Tanya Lisa, Qian, Zhenyu, Wu, Xin, Schwartz, Joseph, Lombardi, Steve, Li, Jin, Ofek, Eyal, Horvitz, Eric J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner; Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Algahaim; Helal A
• Application Number:
  US11/767,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20080319659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,366 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/207, 701/208, 701/209, 701/211
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3476 using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3641 Personalized guidance, e.g. limited guidance on previously travelled routes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3644 Landmark guidance, e.g. using POIs or conspicuous other objects
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

Driving directions can be helpful if in addition to spatial information, landmark information is provided. Landmarks assist in adding context to directions as well as allowing for a greater likelihood of success of an operator following directions. There can be employment of physical identification of landmarks as well as processing regarding the utility of a landmark in regards to driving directions. Driving directions can be highly useful if integrated landmarks relate to knowledge possessed by an operator of a vehicle. Landmark based driving direction can be integrated with advertisements that relate to the directions.

Claims

1. A system for providing to a user of a vehicle route guidance with landmark information, the system comprising:

at least one sensor on the vehicle, the at least one sensor collecting information comprising at least one of user stress, user feedback, voice recognition, facial recognition, gesture recognition and language parsers;

a generation component that;

creates a route, and

selects, based on a plurality of scores and information comprising at least one of the user stress, user feedback, voice recognition, facial recognition, gesture recognition and language parsers collected by the at least one sensor, a landmark to be included in the landmark information;

a modification component that;

integrates the landmark information comprising the landmark selected based on the plurality of scores and the information collected by the at least one sensor upon the route to obtain an integrated route; and

a transmission component that emits the integrated route to an auxiliary location.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of scores comprise a score calculated for the landmark based on at least one of a static property of the landmark and a relationship of the landmark to the route, and

the generation component selects the landmark based on the calculated score.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor collects information relating to operation of the vehicle and comprises at least one of a tire pressure sensor, tire wear sensor, vibration sensor, noise sensor, air quality sensor, power meters, fuel sensors, energy levels sensor, and energy utilization sensor.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising storage that holds a landmark database that is used in integration of the landmark information to the route.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising an analysis component that performs an operation upon information related to the route.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a calculation component that performs at least one estimation in relation to an operator perception of the landmark, wherein the estimation is used in integration of the landmarks upon the route.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising artificial intelligence that makes an inference or determination on what landmark information to integrate upon the route.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising an input component that obtains information from the user that is used in creation of the route.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the information collected by the at least one sensor is user stress.

10. The system of claim 3, wherein the information collected by the at least one sensor comprises information on an amount of fuel remaining in the vehicle and the generation component selects the landmark as a landmark comprising a station to re-fuel the vehicle.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one estimation in relation to the operator perception of the landmark comprises an estimation of a perceptual salience of the landmark based on at least one of a time of day and a season of the year.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein an analysis component selects the landmark based on the estimation of the perceptual salience of the landmark comprising lighting.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein an analysis component selects the landmark based on the estimation of the perceptual salience of the landmark comprising weather.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the artificial intelligence determines a probability of usefulness of the landmark.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor collects information relating to environment around the vehicle and comprises at least one of a terrain sensor, noise sensor, air quality sensor, video perception sensors and audio perception sensors.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein information collected by the video perception sensors comprises at least lighting of the environment.

15. A method for providing route guidance with landmark information, the method comprising:

operating at least one processor to;

determine a route based on user input from a user;

select landmarks based on a plurality of scores, wherein a number of the selected landmarks is selected based on a likelihood of the user being lost while using the route such that the number of the selected landmarks is higher when the likelihood of the user being lost is higher;

integrate the selected landmarks into the route to obtain an integrated route, the integrated route comprising directions for following the route, at least one of the directions comprising a direction of travel relative to a selected landmark from the selected landmarks; and

emit the integrated route to an auxiliary location.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein selecting the landmarks based on a plurality of scores comprises preferentially selecting a landmark to which the user of the integrated route is inferred to have prior exposure.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein selecting the landmarks based on a plurality of scores comprises preferentially selecting a landmark that is highly visible to a driver of a vehicle traversing the route.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the auxiliary location comprises a display screen or a speaker.