Method, computer program and system for optimising routes provided by navigation systems

• US 8,185,304 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2008
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maplebear Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: MacLellan, Scot, Insolia, Nina
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith, Jack W
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIPALA, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US12/113,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20090326798A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,482 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/201, 701/205, 701/207, 701/208, 701/209, 701/210, 701/213, 701/117, 701/400, 701/408, 701/409, 701/410, 701/411, 701/414, 701/417, 701/418, 701/424, 701/466, 340/988, 340/995.1, 340/995.13, 340/995.14, 340/995.19, 340/995.2, 340/995.21, 342/357.01, 342/357.06, 342/357.13
• US Class Current: 701/410
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968

Abstract

A method of controlling a navigation system is provided which builds up historical information of routes taken by a vehicle and uses this information to provide an appropriate route for the vehicle based upon deviations from suggested routes stored upon a mobile computer unit of the navigation system of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a navigation system comprising:

inputting an indication of a destination location to a mobile computer unit;

monitoring the current location of the mobile computer unit;

outputting a suggested route for reaching the destination location from the current location along a route selected on a predefined map, wherein the suggested route is determined by the mobile computer unit and takes into consideration traffic data stored on the mobile computer unit;

monitoring at the mobile computer unit, deviations from the suggested route;

building in the mobile computer unit, a repository of historical information about the deviations; and

using the historical information about the deviations in the mobile computer unit to improve the traffic data stored on the mobile computer unit.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determination of the suggested route includes comparing the number of times a deviation from the suggested route was taken with the number of times the suggested route was taken.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the traffic data stored on the mobile computer unit is updated when the number of times a deviation from the suggested route was taken exceeds a predetermined threshold.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of outputting the suggested route for reaching the destination location includes the additional step of considering one or more predetermined user preferences.

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

providing, responsive to a number of the deviations in historical information exceeding a threshold, an alternative route that includes the deviation from the suggested route; and

allowing a selection between the alternative route and the suggested route.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile computer unit is coupled with a vehicle, wherein the suggested route is further determined by taking into consideration that traffic data stored on the mobile computer unit which is relevant to a type of the vehicle, and wherein using the historical information about the deviations improves the traffic data stored on the mobile computer unit for the type of the vehicle.

7. A computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium including computer usable code for performing a method for controlling a navigation system when the computer program is executed on a data processing system, the method comprising:

inputting an indication of a destination location to a mobile computer unit;

monitoring the current location of the mobile computer unit;

outputting a suggested route for reaching the destination location from the current location along a route selected on a predefined map, wherein the suggested route is determined by the mobile computer unit and takes into consideration traffic data stored on the mobile computer unit;

monitoring at the mobile computer unit, deviations from the suggested route;

building in the mobile computer unit, a repository of historical information about the deviations; and

using the historical information about the deviations in the mobile computer unit to improve the traffic data stored on the mobile computer unit.

8. The computer program product according to claim 7, wherein the determination of the suggested route includes comparing the number of times a deviation from the suggested route was taken with the number of times the suggested route was taken.

9. The computer program product according to claim 8, wherein the traffic data stored on the mobile computer unit is updated when the number of times a deviation from the suggested route was taken exceeds a predetermined threshold.

10. The computer program product according to claim 7, wherein the step of outputting the suggested route for reaching the destination location includes the additional step of considering one or more predetermined user preferences.

11. The computer program product according to claim 7, further comprising:

providing, responsive to a number of the deviations in historical information exceeding a threshold, an alternative route that includes the deviation from the suggested route; and

allowing a selection between the alternative route and the suggested route.

12. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the mobile computer unit is coupled with a vehicle, wherein the suggested route is further determined by taking into consideration that traffic data stored on the mobile computer unit which is relevant to a type of the vehicle, and wherein using the historical information about the deviations improves the traffic data stored on the mobile computer unit for the type of the vehicle.

13. A mobile computer unit for a navigation system, the mobile computer unit comprising:

a data storage device including a storage medium, wherein the data storage device stores computer usable code, the computer usable code comprising;

computer usable code for inputting an indication of a destination location to the mobile computer unit;

computer usable code for storing traffic data;

computer usable code for calculating a suggested route for reaching the destination location from a current location along a route selected on a predefined map, wherein the suggested route is calculated by the mobile computer unit and takes into consideration traffic data stored on the mobile computer unit;

computer usable code for outputting the suggested route;

computer usable code for monitoring at the mobile computer unit, deviations from the suggested route;

computer usable code for building in the mobile computer unit, a repository of historical information about the deviations; and

computer usable code for improving the traffic data using the historical information about the deviations in the mobile computer unit.

14. The mobile computer unit according to claim 13, wherein the determination of the suggested route includes comparing the number of times a deviation from the suggested route was taken with the number of times the suggested route was taken.

15. The mobile computer unit according to claim 14, wherein the traffic data stored on the mobile computer unit is updated when the number of times a deviation from the suggested route was taken exceeds a predetermined threshold.

16. The mobile computer unit according to claim 13, wherein the step of outputting the suggested route for reaching the destination location includes the additional step of considering one or more predetermined user preferences.

17. The mobile computer unit according to claim 13, further comprising:

computer usable code for providing, responsive to a number of the deviations in historical information exceeding a threshold, an alternative route that includes the deviation from the suggested route; and

computer usable code for allowing a selection between the alternative route and the suggested route.

18. The mobile computer unit of claim 13, wherein the mobile computer unit is coupled with a vehicle, wherein the suggested route is further determined by taking into consideration that traffic data stored on the mobile computer unit which is relevant to a type of the vehicle, and wherein using the historical information about the deviations improves the traffic data stored on the mobile computer unit for the type of the vehicle.

19. An apparatus for a navigation system, the apparatus comprising:

means for inputting an indication of a destination location to a mobile computer unit;

means for storing traffic data;

means for calculating a suggested route for reaching the destination location from a current location along a route selected on a predefined map, wherein the suggested route is calculated by the mobile computer unit and takes into consideration traffic data stored on the mobile computer unit;

means for outputting the suggested route;

means for monitoring at the mobile computer unit, deviations from the suggested route;

means for building in the mobile computer unit, a repository of historical information about the deviations; and

means for improving the traffic data using the historical information about the deviations in the mobile computer unit.