Apparatuses and methods for managing route navigation via mobile devices

• US 9,341,494 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Kosakowski, Martin, Schink, Roland, Zielinski, Ernst
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nolan, Peter D
• Application Number:
  US12/004,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20090164115A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,070 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701/207, 701/209, 701/210, 701/211, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.4, 455/457
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3641 Personalized guidance, e.g. limited guidance on previously travelled routes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods for managing route navigation via mobile devices. A route is calculated between a starting point and a destination point. The route is divided into multiple segments based on the complexity of the calculated route, and navigation features are controlled as a function of the segment that corresponds to the user'"'"'s current location. The user may opt to identify one or more segments, or one or more route portions independent of whether or not segmentation has occurred, in order to specify a portion(s) of the route where navigation support is not needed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

calculating a route between a starting point and a destination point;

determining a complexity of the route, wherein the complexity is based at least in part on one or more of at least one predetermined complexity profile and at least one complexity factor specified by a user;

dividing the route into a plurality of segments, wherein each segment is based at least in part on a complexity of the segment, and the complexity of the segment is based on the determined complexity of the route; and

controlling at least one route navigation feature as a function of the complexity of the segment that corresponds to a current location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising facilitating user identification of one or more of the segments in which the controlling of the at least one route navigation feature is overridden and one or more of the navigation features are functionally reduced.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising facilitating user identification of one or more of the segments in which the controlling of the at least one route navigation feature is overridden and one or more of the navigation features are functionally suspended.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the complexity of the calculated route by identifying a plurality of route types along the calculated route, and wherein dividing the route comprises designating each of the segments as a portion of the calculated route having a contiguous, common route type.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein dividing the route into the plurality of segments based on the complexity of the calculated route comprises:

determining the complexity of the calculated route by identifying distinguishable route types along the calculated route; and

grouping substantially contiguous spans of the route having common route types to form each of the segments of the calculated route.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein dividing the route into the plurality of segments comprises dividing the route into the plurality of segments based on an extent of curvature of the calculated route.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying an extent of curvature along the calculated route;

determining the complexity of the calculated route by establishing distinguishable levels of the curvature along the calculated route; and

wherein dividing the route into the plurality of segments based on the complexity of the calculated route comprises dividing the route into substantially contiguous segments corresponding to the established distinguishable levels of the curvature.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein dividing the route into the plurality of segments comprises dividing the route into the plurality of segments based on a quantity of intersections traversing the calculated route.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the at least one route navigation feature comprises deactivating one or more route presentation or generation features on a segment-by-segment basis.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the at least one route navigation feature comprises controlling operation of a display.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein controlling operation of the display comprises one of turning the display off or reducing its brightness.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising utilizing an audio interface when the display is turned off.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the at least one route navigation feature comprises at least reducing the power consumption of components involved in the at least one navigation feature.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the at least one route navigation feature comprises increasing a time interval between positioning system tracking operations.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the at least one route navigation feature comprises controlling processing resources involved in presenting the calculated route to a user.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising placing visual indicia along the route, wherein a quantity of the visual indicia placed in each segment is proportional to the complexity of the calculated route at the respective segment.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating user velocity; and

performing GPS location updates at a rate proportional to the velocity of the user.

18. A method comprising:

calculating a route between a starting point and a destination point;

receiving a user-specified identification of one or more parts of the route to be subject to limited navigation support;

applying the limited navigation support to the one or more parts identified for the limited navigation support; and

applying a standard navigation support to the one or more parts not identified for the limited navigation support.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising dividing the route into a plurality of segments, and wherein receiving the user-specified identification of the one or more parts of the route comprises receiving the user-specified identification of the one or more of the plurality of segments to be subject to the limited navigation support.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein dividing the route comprises dividing the route into the plurality of segments based on a complexity of the calculated route, and wherein applying a standard navigation support is based on the complexity of the respective segment.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein receiving the user-specified identification of the one or more parts of the route comprises receiving user-specified identification of the one or more parts of the route to be subject to the limited navigation support during the user'"'"'s movement along the route.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein applying the limited navigation support comprises at least deactivating a display that presents the route.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising facilitating user entry of the user-specified identification of the one or more parts of the route that are to be subject to the limited navigation support.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising facilitating user-controlled toggling between applying the limited navigation support and the standard navigation support.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein applying the limited navigation support comprises suspending operation of a display for navigating the route.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein applying the limited navigation support comprises reducing a brightness of a visual presentation on a display for navigating the route.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein applying the limited navigation support comprises reducing the power consumption of components involved in the at least one navigation feature.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein applying the limited navigation support comprises reducing or suspending navigation feedback associated with the at least one navigation feature.

29. The method of claim 18, wherein applying the limited navigation support comprises increasing a time interval between positioning system tracking operations.

30. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

facilitate user entry of at least a route destination;

calculate a route between a route origin and the route destination,

determine a complexity of the route, wherein the complexity is based at least in part on one or more of at least one predetermined complexity profile and at least one complexity factor specified by a user;

divide the route into a plurality of segments, wherein each segment is based at least in part on a complexity of the segment, and the complexity of the segment is based on the determined complexity of the route;

determine a user'"'"'s location along the route; and

control at least one route navigation feature as a function of the complexity of the segment in which the user is currently located.

31. The apparatus as in claim 30, wherein the complexity of the route is determined by identifying a plurality of route types along the calculated route, and the route is divided by designating each of the segments as a portion of the calculated route having a contiguous, common route type.

32. The apparatus as in claim 30, wherein the route is divided into the plurality of segments based on an extent of curvature of the calculated route.

33. The apparatus as in claim 30, wherein the user'"'"'s location is determined via a global positioning module configured to communicate with global positioning system infrastructure to identify the location of the user as a function of latitude and longitude.

34. The apparatus as in claim 30, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

display at least the calculated route and the user'"'"'s location, wherein the at least one route navigation feature includes the display of the calculated route and the user'"'"'s location, and wherein the display is controlled as a function of the segment in which the user is currently located.

35. The apparatus as in claim 30, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

audibly present at least instructions for traveling the calculated route, wherein the at least one route navigation feature includes the presentation of the instructions, and wherein the presentation of the instructions is controlled as a function of the segment in which the user is currently located.

36. The apparatus as in claim 30, wherein the at least one route navigation feature includes position tracking along the route, and wherein the position tracking is controlled by the processor.

37. The apparatus as in claim 30, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

establish a route origin based on the user'"'"'s location, and

calculate the route between the route origin and a route destination.

38. The apparatus as in claim 30, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

facilitate user entry of the route origin.

39. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

calculate a route between a route origin and a route destination;

receive a user-specified identification of one or more parts of the route to be subject to limited navigation support; and

apply the limited navigation support to the one or more parts identified for the limited navigation support, and to apply a standard navigation support to the one or more parts not identified for the limited navigation support.

40. The apparatus as in claim 39, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

divide the route into a plurality of segments.

41. The apparatus as in claim 39, wherein the user-specified identification of the one or more parts of the route to be subject to limited navigation support is received during a user'"'"'s movement along the route, and wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

apply the limited navigation support or the standard navigation support depending on a state of received user-specified identifications.

42. The apparatus as in claim 39, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

facilitate user-controlled toggling between applying the limited navigation support and the standard navigation support.

43. The apparatus as in claim 39, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

display at least the calculated route; and

limit visual presentations of the display when the limited navigation support is applied.

44. The apparatus as in claim 39, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

communicate information over-the-air; and

limit the communication of the information when the limited navigation support is applied.

45. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:

calculating a route between a starting point and a destination point;

determining a complexity of the route, wherein the complexity is based at least in part on one or more of at least one predetermined complexity profile and at least one complexity factor specified by a user;

dividing the route into a plurality of segments, wherein each segment is based at least in part on a complexity of the segment, and the complexity of the segment is based on the determined complexity of the route; and

controlling at least one route navigation feature as a function of the complexity of the segment that corresponds to a current location.

46. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:

calculating a route between a starting point and a destination point;

receiving a user-specified identification of one or more parts of the route to be subject to limited navigation support;

applying the limited navigation support to the one or more parts identified for the limited navigation support; and

applying a standard navigation support to the one or more parts not identified for the limited navigation support.