Predictive destination entry for a navigation system

• US 8,688,290 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2011
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Jotanotivc, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): MARC-COLEMAN, MARTHE Y
• Application Number:
  US13/338,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20130166096A1
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/468, 701/29.1, 701/439, 701/423, 340/995.19
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement

Abstract

A predictive destination entry system for a vehicle navigation system to aid in obtaining a destination for the vehicle. The navigation system utilizes a memory for storing data relating to prior driving history or habits. A processor connected with the memory examines the information stored in the memory for making predictions for the current destination desired by a user of the vehicle. The information stored in the memory may be segregated into distinct user profiles and may include the vehicle location, previous driving history of the vehicle, previous searching history of a user of the vehicle, or sensory input relating to one or more characteristics of the vehicle. The navigation system may either confirm the predicted destination with the user of the vehicle before generating or displaying a travel route to the predicted destination or may automatically generate and display the travel route without verifying the destination with the user.

Claims

1. A navigation system for a vehicle comprising:

a first sensor configured to receive user profile data from a key fob or a wireless device, the user profile data corresponding to at least a prior driving history of the vehicle and a search term other than destination addresses to which the vehicle has previously traveled;

a memory for storing the user profile data;

a processor coupled with the memory, the processor configured to predict a destination for the vehicle based on the user profile data corresponding to the at least prior driving history and search term; and

a display coupled with the processor, for displaying the predicted destination for the vehicle.

2. The navigation system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to predict the destination for the vehicle without requiring a user of the vehicle to manually input a portion of the destination.

3. The navigation system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to predict the destination based on a relationship between the search term and a current location of the vehicle.

4. The navigation system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to predict the destination based on a relationship between the search term and a current time, day, or date.

5. The navigation system of claim 1 further comprising a second sensor configured to sense a characteristic of the vehicle.

6. The navigation system of claim 5 wherein the characteristic of the vehicle sensed by the second sensor comprises a fuel level of the vehicle.

7. The navigation system of claim 5 wherein the characteristic of the vehicle sensed by the second sensor comprises a state of battery charge of the vehicle.

8. The navigation system of claim 5 wherein the characteristic of the vehicle sensed by the second sensor comprises a maximum driving range of the vehicle.

9. A method for predicting a destination for a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a navigation unit having a display, a processor coupled with the display, a memory coupled with the processor and a first sensor coupled with the memory;

identifying, using the first sensor, a driver of the vehicle;

storing, in the memory, prior driving history data of the driver;

storing, in the memory, prior searching history data of the driver including a search term other than destination addresses to which the vehicle has previously traveled;

determining a current location of the vehicle using the processor; and

predicting a current destination for the vehicle using the processor based on the prior driving history data, the prior searching history data and the current location.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the prior driving history data corresponds to at least a destination traveled to by the vehicle without being manually input by a user to the navigation unit.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the prior driving history data corresponds to at least a destination manually input by a user to the navigation unit.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of determining a current time, day, or date, wherein the step of predicting the current destination for the vehicle is based on the current time, day, or date.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of displaying a message on the display of the navigation unit for confirming the predicted current destination for the vehicle by a user of the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of automatically displaying a travel route from the current location of the vehicle to the predicted current destination on the display of the navigation unit.

15. A method for predicting a destination for a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a navigation system having a display, a processor coupled with the display, a memory coupled with the processor, a first sensor coupled with the processor, and a second sensor coupled with the processor;

identifying, using the first sensor, a driver of the vehicle;

storing, in the memory, prior driving history data of the driver;

storing, in the memory, prior searching history data of the driver including a search term that is not an entry in the prior driving history data;

determining a current location of the vehicle using the processor;

sensing a characteristic of the vehicle using the second sensor; and

predicting a current destination for the vehicle using the processor based on the prior driving history data, the prior searching history data and the characteristic of the vehicle sensed by the second sensor.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the characteristic of the vehicle sensed by the second sensor is a driving range of the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the characteristic of the vehicle sensed by the second sensor is a fuel level or battery charge level of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of determining a current time, day, or date, wherein the step of predicting the current destination for the vehicle is based on the current time, day, or date.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of displaying a message on the display of the navigation system for confirming the predicted current destination for the vehicle by a user of the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of automatically displaying a travel route from the current location of the vehicle to the predicted current destination on the display of the navigation system.

21. A navigation system for a vehicle comprising:

a memory for storing prior driving history data, and for storing prior searching history data corresponding to at least a search term other than destination addresses to which the vehicle has previously traveled;

a processor coupled with the memory and configured to predict a destination for the vehicle based on the prior driving history data and the prior searching history data; and

a display coupled with the processor, for displaying the predicted destination for the vehicle.

22. The navigation system of claim 21 wherein the search term corresponds to a location to which the vehicle has not previously traveled.

23. The navigation system of claim 21 wherein the processor is configured to predict the destination based on a relationship between the search term and a current location of the vehicle.

24. The navigation system of claim 21 wherein the processor is configured to predict the destination based on a relationship between a time, day, or date associated with the search term and a current time, day, or date.