System and method for determining routes to desired locations

• US 8,527,196 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2011
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Alasry, Bilal, Vang, Doua, Thomas, Bryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US13/070,113
• Publication Number:
  US 20120245843A1
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 701/446, 701/410
• US Class Current: 701/410
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network

Abstract

A system includes a first module receives N points (N≧3) from a remote device, the N points indicating (i) a current location, (ii) a desired location, and (iii) one or more points between the current location and the desired location. A second module determines whether first information in a first datastore of the system is missing a link between each neighboring pair of points within the N points. A third module receives M points (M≧1) from the remote device for each missing one of the N−1 links, the M points indicating points between two of the N points associated with a missing link. A fourth module generates a route from the current location to the desired location based on the N points and the first information in a first datastore, and any M points received for missing ones of the N−1 links.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first module in a first device that via communications receives N points from a second device which is at a remote location with respect to the first device, the N points indicating

(i) a current location of the system,

(ii) a desired location, and

(iii) one or more points between the current location and the desired location, wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to three;

a second module in the first device that determines whether first information in a first datastore in the first device is missing a link between each neighboring pair of points within the N points;

a third module in the first device that receives M points from the second device for each missing one of the N−

1 links, the M points indicating points between two of the N points associated with a missing link, wherein M is an integer greater than or equal to one; and

a fourth module in the first device that generates a route from the current location to the desired location based on the N points and the first information in the first datastore, and any M points received for missing ones of the N−

1 links.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a fifth module in the first device that receives the desired location as input from a user.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a sixth module in the first device that transmits the desired location and the current location to the second device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the second device generates a desired route based on the desired location, the current location, and second information in a second datastore in the second device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the second device selects the N points based on the desired route, wherein each of the N points is located at a critical point along the desired route where a decision is required.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the fifth module disables the third module thereby disabling a requesting of and the receiving of M points for any missing ones of the N−

1 links, wherein the fifth module disables the third module when selected by a user or when communication between the system and the second device fails.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the fourth module generates the route based on the N points and the first information in the first datastore when the third module is disabled.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the second information in the second datastore is different than the first information in the first datastore.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the generated route is different than the desired route.

10. A vehicle comprising the system of claim 2, wherein the user is a driver of the vehicle, and wherein the second device is a third-party service provider.

21. The system of claim 5, wherein the missing link is caused when the second device selects the N points to decrease transmission bandwidth of the communications.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein

the first device is one of a vehicle device and a handheld device, and

the second device is a service provider that provides a geometrical route defined with the N points to the first device.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications are wireless communications.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the first device is located in a vehicle, and the second device is outside the vehicle.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving in a first device via communications N points from a second device which is at a remote location with respect to the first device, the N points indicating

(i) a current location,

(ii) a desired location, and

(iii) one or more points between the current location and the desired location, wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to three;

determining in the first device whether first information in a first datastore in the first device is missing a link between each neighboring pair of points within the N points;

receiving in the first device M points from the second device for each missing one of the N−

1 links, the M points indicating points between two of the N points associated with a missing link, wherein M is an integer greater than or equal to one; and

generating in the first device a route from the current location to the desired location based on the N points and the first information in the first datastore, and any M points received for missing ones of the N−

1 links.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving in the first device the desired location as input from a user.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising transmitting from the first device the desired location and the current location to the second device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second device generates a desired route based on the desired location, the current location, and second information in a second datastore in the second device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second device selects the N points based on the desired route, wherein each of the N points is located at a critical point along the desired route where a decision is required.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising disabling in the first device the receiving of the M points thereby disabling a requesting of and the receiving of M points for any missing ones of the N−

1 links, wherein the receiving of the M points is disabled when selected by a user or when communication with the second device fails.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising generating the route based on the N points and the first information in the first datastore when the third module is disabled.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second information in the second datastore is different than the first information in the first datastore.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the generated route is different than the desired route.

20. A vehicle that implements the method of claim 12, wherein the user is a driver of the vehicle, and wherein the second device is a third-party service provider.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein the missing link is caused when the second device selects the N points to decrease transmission bandwidth of the communications.

26. The method of claim 11, wherein

the first device is one of a vehicle device and a handheld device, and

the second device is a service provider that provides a geometrical route defined with the N points to the first device.

27. The method of claim 11, wherein the communications are wireless communications.

28. The method of claim 11, wherein the first device is located in a vehicle, and the second device is outside the vehicle.