Mobile navigation system

• US 8,200,426 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2001
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: BSQUARE Corporation
• Original Assignee: InfoGation Corporation
• Inventors: Pu, Qing Kent, Li, Hui Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARC-COLEMAN, MARTHE Y
• Application Number:
  US09/935,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20010056325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,947 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701/202, 701/207, 701/412, 701208-411, 455/456.1, 340/995.12, 368/47, 370/345, 370/312
• US Class Current: 701/412
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3453 Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments
• 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 21/3492 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3608 using speech input, e.g. using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• 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 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096861 where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services

Abstract

A client navigation system establishes a wireless connection to a navigation server on a computer network. The client requests a route by uploading start and stop specifications. The server calculates an optimal route based on real-time data available on the network. A generic natural language description is used to specify the optimal route downloaded to the client. The natural language description is independent from the local mapping database software on the client and includes a plain text description for each link using pre-defined generic terms. The client interprets the route, interfaces with the local mapping database and reconstructs the optimal route using a mapping reconstruction algorithm. The route is displayed on the client navigation system using whatever mapping database is present. An enhanced user-interface data-entry feature is provided that anticipates data being entered by users to minimize the data-entry process. The current time zone is derived from the current GPS position and is used to set the clock on the navigation system in the client. Maps are automatically scrolled on a display screen so that a representation of the automobile is always pointing to the right or to the left to allow for additional look-ahead space on certain display systems. A telephone coupled with the navigation system automatically displays the current local time for a called party upon dialing out. The dialed number is used to query a local database for providing local time information.

Claims

1. A method for determining a current time zone for a mobile navigation system having a GPS receiver, the method comprising:

storing a digital representation of three sets of time zone division lines, ranging in accuracy from course to medium to fine, each of said three sets being represented by a number of polygons, wherein said number of polygons in each of said three sets is different in complexity from course to medium to fine;

obtaining a position from the GPS; and

comparing said position with said three sets of time zone division lines successively from course to medium to fine to determine how many of said three sets of time zone division lines said position is falling onto, wherein the current time zone is determined from a finer one of said three sets of time zone division lines that said position is falling onto.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a current GMT from the GPS;

converting said GMT to a local time in accordance with said current time zone; and

setting a clock on said mobile navigation system in accordance with said local time.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

said setting a clock on said mobile navigation system in accordance with said local time comprises;

determining what daylight saving is; and

adjusting the clock on said mobile navigation system in accordance with the daylight saving.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said comparing said position with said three sets of time zone division lines successively from course to medium to fine is stopped when a finer one of said three sets of time zone division lines is being fallen onto by said position.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said comparing said position with said three sets of time zone division lines successively from course to medium to fine further comprises:

comparing said position with said coarse set of time zone division lines to determine if the position is between the coarse set of time zone division lines, and if the position is between the coarse set of time zone division lines, comparing said position with said medium set of time zone division lines to determine if the position is between the medium set of time zone division lines, and if the position is between the medium set of time zone division lines, comparing said position with said fine set of time zone division lines to determine the current time zone.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein said fine set of time zone division lines is always used when the position from the GPS is moving from one time zone to another time zone.

7. A method for determining a current time zone for a mobile navigation system having a GPS receiver, the method comprising:

storing a digital representation of multiple sets of time zone division lines of different resolutions, each of said sets being represented by a number of polygons, wherein said number of polygons in each of said sets is different in complexity from course to medium to fine;

obtaining a position from the GPS; and

comparing said position with said digital representation to determine if said position is between said multiple sets of time zone division lines of different resolutions for determining the current time zone.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

obtaining a current GMT from the GPS;

converting said GMT to a local time in accordance with said current time zone; and

setting a clock on said mobile navigation system in accordance with said local time in accordance with a setting for daylight saving.

9. A method for determining a current time zone for a mobile navigation system having a GPS receiver, the method comprising:

storing a digital representation of multiple sets of time zone division lines of different resolutions for a time zone interface, the multiple sets of time zone division lines stored as corresponding multiple sets of polygons;

obtaining a position from the GPS; and

comparing said position with said digital representation to determine if the position is within the sets of polygons corresponding to the multiple sets of time zone division lines of different resolutions for a time zone interface for determining the current time zone.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

obtaining a current GMT from the GPS;

converting said GMT to a local time in accordance with said current time zone; and

setting a clock on said mobile navigation system in accordance with said local time and daylight saving.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein:

said storing step further includes the step of storing a coarse set of time zone division lines for the time zone interface, a medium set of time zone division lines for the time zone interface, and a fine set of time zone division lines for the time zone interface; and

said comparing step further includes the step of comparing said position with the polygons corresponding to the coarse set of time zone division lines to determine if the position is between the coarse set of time zone division lines, and if the position is between the coarse set of time zone division lines, comparing said position with the polygons corresponding to the medium set of time zone division lines to determine if the position is between the medium set of time zone division lines, and if the position is between the medium set of time zone division lines, comparing said position with the polygons corresponding to the fine set of time zone division lines to determine the current time zone.