Method and system of using turn-by-turn server based reroutes data to improve a navigation user interface

• US 9,395,196 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Johnson, Richard A., Tengler, Steven C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Amin, Bhavesh V
• Application Number:
  US12/165,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20090326801A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,941 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents

Abstract

A navigation server as part of a vehicle navigation system provides a set of turn-by-turn directions to a vehicle driver from the vehicle'"'"'s current location to a destination chosen by the driver. Further, a navigation server receives new route requests because a vehicle driver disregards a previous a maneuver contained in a previous set of turn-by-turn directions. The navigation server tracks vehicle locations whereat new routes have been requested. If a large number of new route requests occur in a given location, the system analyzes this location to determine whether the location is one where poor directions are given. Improved directions may thus be generated and provided.

Claims

1. A method of improving turn-by-turn directions in a vehicle navigation system using new route requests, the method comprising:

providing turn-by-turn directions from a navigation server to a vehicle telematics unit via a wireless communication network;

receiving at the navigation server from the vehicle telematics unit over the wireless communication network a new route request indicating that the vehicle has deviated from the provided turn-by-turn directions, wherein the new route request includes a current vehicle location and date stamp;

determining whether a total number of new route requests received from the location identified in the new route request exceeds a predetermined threshold number; and

if the number of new route requests exceeds the predetermined threshold number, flagging the vehicle location as a candidate location for direction improvement.

2. The method of improving turn-by-turn directions according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

analyzing the candidate location for poor directions to determine an improved set of turn-by-turn directions for the candidate location for the poor directions; and

storing the improved set of turn-by-turn directions in the navigation server.

3. The method of improving turn-by-turn directions according to claim 1, wherein the date stamp comprises a day of the week, a time of day, and a date.

4. The method of improving turn-by-turn directions according to claim 1, wherein the telematics unit includes an in-vehicle navigation system.

5. The method of improving turn-by-turn directions according to claim 4, wherein the in-vehicle navigation system includes a user interface comprising at least one of an audio interface and a video interface.

6. The method of improving turn-by-turn directions according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication network includes one of a wireless wide area network, a wireless metropolitan area network, a wireless local area network, a CDMA2000 network, an Evolution Data Optimized (EVDO) network, a High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) network, a GSM network, a WiFi network, and a WiMAX network.

13. The method of improving turn-by-turn directions according to claim 2, further comprising:

receiving another request for turn-by-turn directions from another vehicle telematics unit for a route from a first location to a second location, the other request for turn-by-turn directions having a location stamp different from the location stamp of the new route request but wherein the route from the first location to the second location includes the location from which the new route request was sent; and

in response to the other request for turn-by-turn directions, providing the improved set of turn-by-turn directions within a set of turn-by-turn directions to travel from the first location to the second location.

7. A system of using new route requests to improve turn-by-turn directions, the system comprising;

a navigation server for receiving a new route across a wireless network from a an in-vehicle navigation system, the new route request being indicative of the in-vehicle navigation system having deviated from a previously provided set of turn-by-turn directions;

an application at the navigation server that analyzes a plurality of new route requests at the navigation server for determining whether the new route request causes the number of new route requests received from the same location to exceed a predetermined threshold and, if so, for creating an improved set of turn-by-turn directions about the location; and

a database accessible to the navigation server to store the improved set of turn-by-turn directions about the location.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein each new route request includes a current vehicle location and a date stamp.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein the navigation server

selects the threshold for the number of new route requests for a vehicle location.

10. The system according to claim 7, wherein the navigation server is further adapted to provide the improved set of turn-by-turn directions for the candidate location in response to any request for turn-by-turn directions covering a route that contains the candidate location.

11. The system of according to claim 7, wherein the wireless communication network includes one of a wireless wide area network, a wireless metropolitan area network, a wireless local area network, a CDMA2000 network, an Evolution Data Optimized (EVDO) network, a High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) network, a GSM network, a WiFi network, and a WiMAX network.

12. The system according to claim 8, wherein the date stamp comprises a day of the week, a time of day, and a date.