Methods and systems for testing navigation routes

• US 8,364,402 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2009
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ross, Joseph N., Kaiser, Micah J., Santori, Nello Joseph, Boll, David P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US12/544,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20110046883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,258 Days
• Field of Search: 701/400, 701408-412, 701/530, 701533-534, 701/431, 701/433, 340/988
• US Class Current: 701/534
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/005 with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching G01C21/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 25/00 Manufacturing, calibrating, cleaning, or repairing instruments or devices referred to in the other groups of this subclass testing, calibrating or compensating compasses G01C17/38

Abstract

Various embodiments may include a method and system for testing data defining one or more navigation routes. A starting location may be input at a computer remote from the starting location. A destination location may also be input. Map data including GPS information based on the starting location input and the destination location input may be received. Route data may also be received. Based on the map data and the route data, data defining one or more navigation instructions may be generated for one or more routes. The one or more navigation instructions may be executed at the computer and compared to the map data. Based on the comparison, an accuracy of the navigation instructions may be determined. The data defining the navigation instructions may be corrected if the data is determined to be inaccurate.

Claims

1. A method for testing data defining one or more navigation routes, the method comprising:

inputting at a computer one or more starting locations remote from a location of the computer;

inputting at the computer one or more destination locations;

receiving at the computer map data including GPS information for one or more geographical vicinities based on the starting location input and the destination location input;

receiving at the computer route data;

using the computer to generate data defining one or more navigation instructions for one or more routes based on the map data and the route data;

executing at the computer the one or more navigation instructions for testing the navigation instruction data;

comparing the executed navigation instructions to the map data;

determining an accuracy of the navigation instructions based on the comparison; and

correcting the data defining navigation instructions if the data is determined to be inaccurate.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the starting location is different than the location of the computer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the map data is received from an Internet mapping application.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein inputting the destination location includes speaking the destination location.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the starting location and the destination location are in different geographical vicinities.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the starting location and the destination location are in the same geographical vicinity.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the starting location and the destination location are selected from the group consisting of a full address, a city, a zip code, cross streets, or a point of interest (POI).

8. A system for testing data defining one or more navigation routes, the system comprising:

at least one computer operably configured with executable instructions to;

receive input defining a starting location;

receive input defining a destination location;

receive map data including GPS information for one or more geographical vicinities based on the starting location input and the destination location input;

receive route data including a route from the starting location to the destination location;

generate one or more navigation instructions for one or more routes based on the map data and the route data;

execute the one or more navigation instructions for testing the navigation instruction data;

execute instructions for comparing the executed navigation instructions to the map data;

determine an accuracy of the navigation instructions based on the comparison; and

correct one or more navigation instructions determined to be inaccurate.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the at least one computer is further configured to receive the map data from the Internet.

10. The system of claim 8 further comprising a nomadic device communicating with the at least one computer over a telecommunications network, wherein the at least one computer is further configured to receive the route data over the telecommunications network.

11. The system of claim 8 further comprising a service delivery network in wireless communication with the at least one computer.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the navigation instructions are text-based instructions and the at least one computer is further configured to:

convert the text based navigation instructions to speech; and

output the one or more navigation instructions in a spoken language.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the starting location input or the destination location input are speech-based inputs and the at least one computer is further configured to:

convert the speech-based inputs to text;

transmit the text-based inputs to a routing engine to receive the route data.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the at least one computer is further configured to:

display a virtual vehicle for executing the one or more navigation instructions; and

receive one or more inputs defining a control of the virtual vehicle.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the one or more inputs define a steering control of the virtual vehicle.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the one or more inputs define a speed of the virtual vehicle.

17. The system of claim 8 wherein the at least one computer is further configured to receive input defining the one or more starting location or one or more destination locations from at least one of a keyboard, mouse, or microphone.

18. The system of claim 8 wherein the at least one computer is further configured to:

store the executed navigation instructions; and

retrieve the navigation instructions from the computer as input defining the one or more starting locations.