Navigation data quality feedback

• US 8,024,114 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2006
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnitracs LLC (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Doyle, Thomas F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOYER, DALE S
• Application Number:
  US11/345,977
• Publication Number:
  US 20070179709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,057 Days
• Field of Search: 340/995.19, 340/995.23, 342/357.1, 701/117, 701200-201, 701/205, 701207-210, 701/213, 701/224
• US Class Current: 701/210
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3453 Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096816 where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09685 where the complete route is computed only once and not updated
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096888 where input information is obtained using learning systems, e.g. history databases

Abstract

A computer assisted navigation system determines a recommended route for a vehicle to travel between a source and destination location, and provides exception notifications in some events where the vehicle travels a route different that the recommended route. The vehicle includes a navigation system that has a location monitoring component. It is determined if the location of the vehicle is different than a location along the recommended route. An exception notification is generated when the vehicle is not along the recommended route it is likely that the reason the recommended route was not used is because the recommended route is not the optimal route between the source and destination locations.

Claims

1. A method for determining exceptions from a recommended route in a navigation application, comprising:

providing to a computer assisted navigation system a recommended route for a vehicle to travel from a first location to a second location;

monitoring a location of the vehicle when the vehicle is traveling from the first location to the second location;

determining that the vehicle has deviated from the recommended route;

determining if the deviation from the recommended route is one of a set of expected deviations by examining a set of rules associated with the monitored location of the vehicle;

querying, by a dispatcher located remote from the vehicle, a driver of the vehicle when the deviation from the recommended route is different than the one of the set of expected deviations;

receiving a response from the driver of the vehicle indicating that the recommended route is not an optimal route; and

generating an exception notification based on the response from the driver of the vehicle.

2. The method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said determining that the vehicle has deviated from the recommended route comprises:

firstly determining that the monitored location of the vehicle is different than an expected location provided in the recommended route; and

secondly determining that a subsequent monitored location of the vehicle is within another expected location provided in the recommended route.

3. The method, as claimed in claim 2, wherein said determining if the deviation from the recommended route is one of the set of expected deviations comprises:

determining that the vehicle did not stop for longer than a predetermined time between said firstly and secondly determining steps.

4. The method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said determining if the deviation from the recommended route is one of the set of expected deviations comprises:

firstly determining that the monitored location of the vehicle is greater than a predetermined distance from an expected location provided in the recommended route.

5. The method, as claimed in claim 4, further comprising, after said firstly determining:

secondly determining that a predetermined length of time has elapsed since the monitored vehicle location has been different than the expected location provided in the recommended route.

6. The method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said determining that the vehicle has deviated from the recommended route comprises:

firstly determining that the monitored location of the vehicle is different than an expected location provided in the recommended route; and

secondly determining that a subsequent monitored location of the vehicle is the same as the monitored location of the vehicle.

7. The method, as claimed in claim 6, wherein said determining if the deviation from the recommended route is one of the set of expected deviations comprises:

thirdly determining that an elapsed time between said firstly determining step and said secondly determining step was not longer than a predetermined time period.

8. The method, as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

modifying the recommended route in response to generating the exception notification.

9. A computer assisted navigation system that is operably interconnected with a vehicle and operable to assist a driver of the vehicle with navigation, comprising:

a location sensor operable to output a current location of the vehicle;

a wireless communication portion operable to send/receive wireless communication;

a controller operably coupled to said location sensor and wireless communication portion; and

a user interface operable to provide the driver with navigation information, wherein said controller is operable to receive current location information from said location sensor, use said location information to determine that the vehicle has deviated from a recommended route, determine if the deviation from the recommended route is one of a set of expected deviations by examining a set of predefined rules associated with the current location of the vehicle, query, by a dispatcher located remote from the vehicle, a driver of the vehicle when the deviation from the recommended route is not the one of the set of expected deviations, receive a response from the driver of the vehicle indicating that the recommended route is not an optimal route, and generate an exception notification based on the response from the driver of the vehicle.

10. The computer assisted navigation system, as claimed in claim 9, wherein said controller is operable to receive current location information from said location sensor and transmit, using said wireless communication portion, said current location information to a remote server.

11. The computer assisted navigation system, as claimed in claim 9, wherein said controller generates a further exception notification when the vehicle is not stopped for longer than a predetermined time period when the current location of the vehicle is different than a predetermined location within the recommended route.

12. The computer assisted navigation system, as claimed in claim 9, wherein said controller is further operable to modify the recommended route in response to generating the exception notification.

13. A tangible data storage medium comprising executable data capable of causing a programmable device to perform the steps of:

providing a recommended route for a vehicle to travel from a first location to a second location;

monitoring a location of the vehicle when the vehicle is traveling from the first location to the second location;

determining that the vehicle has deviated from the recommended route;

determining if the deviation from the recommended route is one of a set of expected deviations by examining a set of rules associated with the monitored location of the vehicle;

querying, by a dispatcher located remote from the vehicle, a driver of the vehicle when the deviation from the recommended route is different than the one of the set of expected deviations;

receiving a response from the driver of the vehicle indicating that the recommended route is not an optimal route; and

generating an exception notification based on the response from the driver of the vehicle.

14. The tangible data storage medium of claim 13 wherein said determining that the vehicle has deviated from the recommended route comprises:

firstly determining that the monitored location of the vehicle is different than an expected location provided in the recommended route; and

secondly determining that a subsequent monitored location of the vehicle is within another expected location provided in the recommended route.

15. The tangible data storage medium of claim 14 wherein said determining if the deviation from the recommended route is one of the set of expected deviations comprises:

determining that the vehicle did not stop for longer than a predetermined time between said firstly and secondly determining steps.

16. The tangible data storage medium of claim 13 wherein said determining if the deviation from the recommended route is one of the set of expected deviations comprises:

firstly determining that the monitored location of the vehicle is greater than a predetermined distance from an expected location provided in the recommended route.

17. The tangible data storage medium of claim 16 further comprising, after said firstly determining:

secondly determining that a predetermined length of time has elapsed since the monitored vehicle location has been different than the expected location provided in the recommended route.

18. The tangible data storage medium of claim 13 wherein said determining that the vehicle has deviated from the recommended route comprises:

firstly determining that the monitored location of the vehicle is different than an expected location provided in the recommended route; and

secondly determining that a subsequent monitored location of the vehicle is the same as the monitored location of the vehicle.

19. The tangible data storage medium of claim 18 wherein said determining if the deviation from the recommended route is one of the set of expected deviations comprises:

thirdly determining that an elapsed time between said firstly determining step and said secondly determining step was not longer than a predetermined time period.

20. The tangible data storage medium of claim 13, wherein said programmable device further performs:

modifying the recommended route in response to generating the exception notification.

21. A method for determining exceptions from a recommended route in a computer assisted navigation application, comprising:

providing a computer assisted navigation system that is capable of noting deviations between a location of the vehicle and a recommended route for the vehicle;

determining that the vehicle has deviated from the recommended route;

determining that another vehicle made a similar deviation from the recommended route;

querying, by a dispatcher located remote from the vehicle, a driver of the vehicle when it is determined that at least two vehicles made the similar deviation from the recommended route;

receiving a response from the driver of the vehicle indicating that the recommended route is not an optimal route; and

generating an exception notification based on the response from the driver of the vehicle.

22. The method, as claimed in claim 21, wherein said determining that the another vehicle made a similar deviation comprises:

determining if the another vehicle has been provided with the recommended route;

determining that the another vehicle has deviated from the recommended route; and

determining if the deviations from the recommended route of the vehicle and the another vehicle are substantially similar.

23. The method, as claimed in claim 22, further comprising:

determining that the deviations from the recommended route of the vehicle and the another vehicle occurred within a predetermined time period.

24. The method, as claimed in claim 21, wherein said determining that a vehicle has deviated from the recommended route comprises:

collecting the location of the vehicle;

comparing the location of the vehicle with the recommended route;

determining that the location of the vehicle is different than the recommended route for at least a portion of the recommended route; and

determining that the vehicle deviated from the recommended route when the difference in location of the vehicle is not within a set of predefined rules.

25. The method, as claimed in claim 21, further comprising:

modifying the recommended route in response to generating the exception notification.