Methods and systems for displaying enhanced turn-by-turn guidance on a personal navigation device

• US 8,694,246 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2012
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Yamakawa, Devender A., Forutanpour, Babak, Baker, Daniel S.
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C.
• Application Number:
  US13/472,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20130311081A1
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: 701/428, 701/410, 701/431, 701/436
• US Class Current: 701/428
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• 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 21/3641 Personalized guidance, e.g. limited guidance on previously travelled routes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3815 Road data

Abstract

Embodiment methods and systems enable personal navigation devices to warn drivers during turn-by-turn navigation directions when they are approaching a difficult turn. Personal navigation devices may report to a server when a turn is missed during turn-by-turn directions, including identifying the turn and situation information. The server may aggregate missed turn reports from many personal navigation devices to generate a difficult turn database. Personal navigation devices may access the difficult turn database when generating turn-by-turn directions to identify turns requiring enhanced directions. The difficult turn database may be stored on personal navigation devices, and/or may be maintained on the server. Personal navigation devices may be configured to recognize when turns are intentionally missed, and only report missed turns when they determined that the turn was missed unintentionally. Indications of turn difficulty may be correlated to situation information received in missed turn reports to more accurately reflect when turns are difficult.

Claims

1. A method for providing enhanced turn-by-turn directions by a personal navigation device, comprising:

accessing a database of difficult turns with the personal navigation device to obtain a difficulty indication for an upcoming turn along a planned route of travel, wherein the difficulty indication indicates a likelihood of unintentionally missing the upcoming turn;

determining on the personal navigation device whether the difficulty indication for the upcoming turn exceeds a threshold; and

issuing enhanced directions for the upcoming turn with the personal navigation device in response to the difficulty indication for the upcoming turn exceeding the threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing a database of difficult turns with the personal navigation device comprises accessing with the personal navigation device a local database of difficult turns stored on the personal navigation device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing a database of difficult turns with the personal navigation device comprises accessing with the personal navigation device a local database of difficult turns stored on the personal navigation device using situation parameters comprising at least one of time of day, day of year, weather conditions, outside temperature, traffic conditions, lighting conditions, speed of travel, direction of travel, and vehicle type.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising gathering information with the personal navigation device regarding one or more situation parameters, wherein accessing with the personal navigation device a local database of difficult turns stored on the personal navigation device using situation parameters comprises accessing with the personal navigation device the local database of difficult turns using the gathered information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing a database of difficult turns with the personal navigation device comprises:

sending a request for an indication of difficulty for a particular turn from the personal navigation device to a server on which is maintained a database of difficult turns, the request identifying the turn; and

receiving on the personal navigation device a difficulty indication for the particular turn from the server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein issuing enhanced directions for the upcoming turn with the personal navigation device comprises providing a user with at least one of an earlier warning that a difficult turn is ahead and information regarding the difficulty of the upcoming turn with the personal navigation device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining from a local driving database on the personal navigation device whether a user of the personal navigation device is familiar with the upcoming turn, wherein issuing enhanced directions for the upcoming turn with the personal navigation device is only accomplished when the user of the personal navigation device is unfamiliar with the upcoming turn.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining with the personal navigation device whether one or more turns along the planned route exceed a difficulty threshold; and

planning a new route with the personal navigation device in response to one or more of turns along the planned route exceeding a difficulty threshold.

9. A personal navigation device, comprising:

a display;

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the display and to the memory and configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising;

accessing a database of difficult turns to obtain a difficulty indication for an upcoming turn along a planned route of travel, wherein the difficulty indication indicates a likelihood of unintentionally missing the upcoming turn;

determining whether the difficulty indication for the upcoming turn exceeds a threshold; and

issuing enhanced directions for the upcoming turn in response to the difficulty indication for the upcoming turn exceeding the threshold.

10. The personal navigation device of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that accessing a database of difficult turns comprises accessing a local database of difficult turns stored on the memory.

11. The personal navigation device of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that accessing a database of difficult turns comprises accessing a local database of difficult turns stored in the memory using situation parameters comprising at least one of time of day, day of year, weather conditions, outside temperature, traffic conditions, lighting conditions, speed of travel, direction of travel, and vehicle type.

12. The personal navigation device of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising gathering information regarding one or more situation parameters,

wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that accessing a local database of difficult turns stored in the memory using situation parameters comprises accessing the local database of difficult turns using the gathered information.

13. The personal navigation device of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that accessing a database of difficult turns comprises:

sending a request for an indication of difficulty for a particular turn to a server on which is maintained a database of difficult turns, the request identifying the turn; and

receiving a difficulty indication for the particular turn from the server.

14. The personal navigation device of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that issuing enhanced directions for the upcoming turn comprises providing a user with at least one of an earlier warning that a difficult turn is ahead and information regarding the difficulty of the upcoming turn.

15. The personal navigation device of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising determining from a local driving database whether a user of the personal navigation device is familiar with the upcoming turn,

wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that issuing enhanced directions for the upcoming turn is only accomplished when it is determined that the user of the personal navigation device is unfamiliar with the upcoming turn.

16. The personal navigation device of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:

determining whether one or more turns along the planned route exceed a difficulty threshold; and

planning a new route in response to one or more of turns along the planned route exceeding a difficulty threshold.

17. The personal navigation device of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:

determining when a turn is missed during turn-by-turn directions;

determining whether the missed turn was missed unintentionally;

gathering situation information related to the missed turn; and

transmitting to a server a missed turn report identifying the term that was missed and including at least some of the gathered situation information.

18. A personal navigation device, comprising:

means for accessing a database of difficult turns to obtain a difficulty indication for an upcoming turn along a planned route of travel, wherein the difficulty indication indicates a likelihood of unintentionally missing the upcoming turn;

means for determining whether the difficulty indication for the upcoming turn exceeds a threshold; and

means for issuing enhanced directions for the upcoming turn in response to the difficulty indication for the upcoming turn exceeding the threshold.

19. The personal navigation device of claim 18, wherein means for accessing a database of difficult turns comprises means for accessing a local database of difficult turns stored on the personal navigation device.

20. The personal navigation device of claim 18, wherein means for accessing a database of difficult turns comprises means for accessing a local database of difficult turns stored on the personal navigation device using situation parameters comprising at least one of time of day, day of year, weather conditions, outside temperature, traffic conditions, lighting conditions, speed of travel, direction of travel, and vehicle type.

21. The personal navigation device of claim 20, further comprising means for gathering information regarding one or more situation parameters,

wherein means for accessing a local database of difficult turns stored on the personal navigation device using situation parameters comprises means for accessing the local database of difficult turns using the gathered information.

22. The personal navigation device of claim 18, wherein means for accessing a database of difficult turns comprises:

means for sending a request for an indication of difficulty for a particular turn to a server on which is maintained a database of difficult turns, the request identifying the turn; and

means for receiving a difficulty indication for the particular turn from the server.

23. The personal navigation device of claim 18, wherein means for issuing enhanced directions for the upcoming turn comprises means for providing a user with at least one of an earlier warning that a difficult turn is ahead and information regarding the difficulty of the upcoming turn.

24. The personal navigation device of claim 18, comprising means for determining from a local driving database whether a user of the personal navigation device is familiar with the upcoming turn,

wherein means for issuing enhanced directions for the upcoming turn comprises means for issuing enhanced directions for the upcoming turn only accomplished when the user of the personal navigation device is unfamiliar with the upcoming turn.

25. The personal navigation device of claim 18, further comprising:

means for determining whether one or more turns along the planned route exceed a difficulty threshold; and

means for planning a new route in response to one or more of turns along the planned route exceeding a difficulty threshold.

26. The personal navigation device of claim 18, further comprising:

means for determining when a turn is missed during turn-by-turn directions;

means for determining whether the missed turn was missed unintentionally;

means for gathering situation information related to the missed turn; and

means for transmitting to a server a missed turn report identifying the term that was missed and including at least some of the gathered situation information.

27. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having stored thereon processor executable instructions configured to cause a personal navigation device processor to perform operations comprising:

accessing a database of difficult turns to obtain a difficulty indication for an upcoming turn along a planned route of travel, wherein the difficulty indication indicates a likelihood of unintentionally missing the upcoming turn;

determining whether the difficulty indication for the upcoming turn exceeds a threshold; and

issuing enhanced directions for the upcoming turn in response to the difficulty indication for the upcoming turn exceeding the threshold.

28. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the stored processor executable instructions are configured to cause the personal navigation device processor to perform operations such that accessing a database of difficult turns comprises accessing a local database of difficult turns stored on the personal navigation device.

29. The non-transitory processor -readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the stored processor executable instructions are configured to cause the personal navigation device processor to perform operations such that accessing a database of difficult turns comprises accessing a local database of difficult turns stored on the personal navigation device using situation parameters comprising at least one of time of day, day of year, weather conditions, outside temperature, traffic conditions, lighting conditions, speed of travel, direction of travel, and vehicle type.

30. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the stored processor executable instructions are configured to cause the personal navigation device processor to perform operations further comprising gathering information regarding one or more situation parameters,

wherein the stored processor executable instructions are configured to cause the personal navigation device processor to perform operations such that accessing a local database of difficult turns stored on the personal navigation device using situation parameters comprises accessing the local database of difficult turns using the gathered information.

31. The non-transitory processor -readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the stored processor executable instructions are configured to cause the personal navigation device processor to perform operations further comprising:

determining when a turn is missed during turn-by-turn directions;

determining whether the missed turn was missed unintentionally;

gathering situation information related to the missed turn; and

transmitting to the server a missed turn report identifying the term that was missed and including at least some of the gathered situation information.

32. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the stored processor executable instructions are configured to cause the personal navigation device processor to perform operations further comprising:

sending a request for an indication of difficulty for a particular turn to a server on which is maintained a database of difficult turns, the request identifying the turn; and

receiving a difficulty indication for the particular turn from the server.

33. The non-transitory processor -readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the stored processor executable instructions are configured to cause the personal navigation device processor to perform operations such that issuing enhanced directions for the upcoming turn comprises providing a user with at least one of an earlier warning that a difficult turn is ahead and information regarding the difficulty of the upcoming turn.

34. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the stored processor executable instructions are configured to cause the personal navigation device processor to perform operations further comprising determining from a local driving database whether a user of the personal navigation device is familiar with the upcoming turn,

wherein the stored processor executable instructions are configured to cause the personal navigation device processor to perform operations such that issuing enhanced directions for the upcoming turn is only accomplished when the user of the personal navigation device is unfamiliar with the upcoming turn.

35. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the stored processor executable instructions are configured to cause the personal navigation device processor to perform operations further comprising:

determining whether one or more turns along the planned route exceed a difficulty threshold; and

planning a new route in response to one or more of turns along the planned route exceeding a difficulty threshold.