Travel guide and schedule-based routing device and method

• US 8,706,401 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2010
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garmin Switzerland GmbH (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Garmin Switzerland GmbH (Garmin Limited)
• Inventors: Lee, Choy Wai
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US12/896,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20110022304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• Field of Search: 701/400, 701408-410, 701/421, 701/426, 701/438, 701/454, 701/457, 34099514-99519, 340/995.25, 340/995.27, 340/995.28, 340/995.2
• US Class Current: 701/410
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3423 Multimodal routing, i.e. combining two or more modes of transportation, where the modes can be any of, e.g. driving, walking, cycling, public transport
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries

Abstract

A navigational aid device is provided that includes a GPS module, a processor, and memory. The device is configured to automatically determine a route to a destination and to account for, in its determination of a route, a plurality of modes of public, private, or both public and private transportation. Some of these configurations may also be configured to recommend a mode or modes of transportation to take to get to a destination, and/or accept user preferences in recommending a route or the mode or modes of transportation to take to get to the destination.

Claims

1. A navigation device comprising:

a display;

a user interface operable to receive a travel preferences input from a user, the travel preferences input indicating user preferences for driving, walking, and mass-transit;

a memory including cartographic data corresponding to a plurality of transit thoroughfares, the cartographic data including mass-transit fee information and mass-transit route segments;

a location determining component operable to determine a current geographic location of the navigation device; and

a processor coupled with the location determining component, the memory, and the display, the processor operable to;

calculate a route to a destination based on the travel preferences input, the mass-transit route segments, and the cost for traveling on one or more mass-transit route segments, the calculated route including one or more mass-transit route segments, and

control the display to present a visual indication of progress along the calculated route based on the current geographic location of the navigation device determined by the location determining component.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the cartographic data includes road data and mass-transit track data.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the calculated route includes driving and walking route segments.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the travel preferences input includes preferences for one or more modes of transportation.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the mass transit route segments correspond to travel between entry points associated with a mode of transportation.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the entry points associated with subway route segments are subway stations.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to:

generate navigation instructions based on the calculated route and the current geographic location of the navigation device; and

control the display to present a visual indication of the generated navigation instructions.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the display is a touch-screen display and the user interface comprises at least a portion of the display.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the mass-transit fee information includes bus fare and train fare.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the cartographic data includes mass-transit schedule information and the route is calculated based on the mass-transit schedule information.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the mass-transit route segments include subway route segments.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the mass-transit route segments include bus route segments.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to determine the lowest cost route to a destination.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the location determining component includes a global positioning system (GPS) receiver.

15. A navigation device comprising:

a display;

a user interface operable to receive a travel preferences input from a user, the travel preferences input indicating user preferences for driving, walking, and mass-transit;

a memory including cartographic data corresponding to road data, mass-transit schedule information, mass-transit fee information and mass-transit route segments;

a location determining component operable to determine a current geographic location of the navigation device; and

a processor coupled with the location determining component, the memory, and the display, the processor operable to;

calculate a route to a destination based on the travel preferences input, the mass-transit schedule information, the mass-transit route segments, and the cost for one or more mass-transit route segments, the calculated route including at least two or more driving, walking, and mass-transit route segments,

generate navigation instructions based on the calculated route and the current geographic location of the navigation device,

control the display to present the lowest cost route to a destination and a visual indication of progress along the calculated route based on the current geographic location of the navigation device determined by the location determining component, and

control the display to present a visual indication of the generated navigation instructions.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the display is a touch-screen display and the user interface comprises at least a portion of the display.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the mass-transit fee information includes bus fare and train fare.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the location determining component includes a global positioning system (GPS) receiver.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the mass-transit route segments include subway route segments.

20. The device of claim 15, wherein the mass-transit route segments include bus route segments.

21. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further operable to control the display to present the amount of fare needed.

22. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further operable to control the display to present a number associated with the mass-transit vehicle and a location from which the mass-transit vehicle departs.