System and method of representing route information

• US 8,924,142 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2010
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Fink, Daniel Edward, Gourlay, Alastair, Petersen, Roger James
• Primary Examiner(s): Mawari, Redhwan K
• Application Number:
  US12/861,287
• Publication Number:
  US 20110208417A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,590 Days
• Field of Search: 701/533, 701/433, 701/532, 701/414, 340/995.13
• US Class Current: 701/408
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

A route comprises interconnected road segments that can be traveled to get from a location to a destination. Previously, routes are represented by display of the spatial arrangement of such road segments (e.g., a map). Here, a route is depicted as a linear shape, and portions of the linear shape represent portions of the route, regardless of their spatial arrangement. A scale is applied between a characteristic of the route and the linear shape. Information elements can be depicted at points on the linear shape that correspond, based on the scale, to locations on the route where such information applies. Portions of the linear shape can be colored or cross-hatched according to traffic congestion conditions. Incident reports can be represented by indicators along the linear shape. Alternate routes (detours) can be represented by respective separate linear shapes; lead lines can connect such linear shapes to points of the route linear shape where each such detour would be taken.

Claims

1. A method implemented on a computerized device, comprising:

representing a non-linear route, comprising a sequence of segments, for traveling from a location to a destination, on a display as a substantially straight linear shape extending between a location end and a destination end;

attributing a scaling factor between a characteristic of the route and a length of the linear shape with different scaled portions of the linear representation pertaining to the different travel segments of the route; and

depicting an informational element pertaining to a point along the route relative to a point along the linear shape corresponding, based on the scaling factor, to the informational element.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the location end and the destination end of the linear shape at fixed locations on the display.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the scaling factor based on one of a distance of the route and an estimated travel time.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising deriving the estimated travel time from a reported travel time for a segment of the route based on traffic updates.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information element comprises a segment depicted along a portion of the linear shape, and wherein the information element represents information relevant to the portion of the route represented by that portion of the linear shape.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the information element is depicted on the display as another linear shape extending parallel to the linear shape.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a leader line is displayed to connect the point along the linear shape for the information element to the another linear shape.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the information element is indicative of a potential detour from the route, and the point along the linear shape at which the information element is depicted indicates where the detour can be taken.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising depicting different traffic congestion conditions along portions of the route using one or more of different coloring and different cross-hatching patterns in portions of the linear shape corresponding to those portions of the route.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying an indication of a traffic incident, a weather advisory, and a point of interest relative to the linear shape.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions for a method comprising:

representing a non-linear route, comprising a sequence of segments, for traveling from a location to a destination, on a display as a substantially straight linear shape extending between a location end and a destination end;

attributing a scaling factor between a characteristic of the route and a length of the linear shape with different scaled portions of the linear representation pertaining to the different travel segments of the route; and

depicting an informational element pertaining to a point along the route relative to a point along the linear shape corresponding, based on the scaling factor, to the informational element.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the location end and the destination end of the linear shape are displayed at fixed locations on the display.

13. A mobile device, comprising:

a display capable of displaying 2-D graphics based on inputs indicative of 2-D graphics;

a navigation module for obtaining a location and a destination, and determining a route comprising a plurality of interconnected travel segments between the location and the destination; and

a route representation module coupling with the display and the navigation module for outputting to the display a scaled linear representation of the route, with different portions of the linear representation pertaining to different travel segments of the route.

14. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the route representation module further is for outputting to the display one or more labels relating to respective characteristics of travel segments of the route provided along portions of the linear representation pertaining to such labels.

15. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the location initially represents an origin of the route and is updated to a current location of the device.

16. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the route representation module is operable to display ends of the linear representation at fixed locations on the display.

17. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the route representation module is operable to associate a scale with the linear representation of the route based on a dimension of the display along which the linear representation is displayed and a characteristic of the route.

18. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the route representation module is operable to use the scale to represent a relationship between length of the linear representation and one of an estimated travel time and a distance remaining to the destination.

19. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the route representation module is operable to estimate travel time using at least one speed limit on a segment of the route and a corresponding length of such segment.

20. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the route representation module is further for outputting an information element for display along a portion of the linear representation, which is representative of a selection from the set comprising a traffic congestion condition, a traffic incident, a weather advisory, and a point of interest.

21. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the route representation module is further for outputting an information element for display along a portion of the linear representation, which is representative of a selection from the set comprising:

a detour, a traffic congestion condition, a traffic incident, a weather advisory, and a point of interest.

22. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the route representation module is further for outputting for display an information element indicating a potential alternate route from a point along the route to the destination.

23. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the information element is indicative of a potential detour from the route, and the point along the linear shape at which the information element is depicted indicates where the detour can be taken.

24. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the route representation module is further for depicting different traffic congestion conditions along portions of the route using one or more of different coloring and different cross-hatching patterns in portions of the linear shape corresponding to those portions of the route.

25. The mobile device of claim 13, further comprising displaying an indication of a traffic incident, a weather advisory, and a point of interest relative to the linear shape.