Validating map data corrections

• US 9,541,414 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2015
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TomTom Navigation B.V (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: TomTom International BV (TomTom NV)
• Inventors: Gruijters, Paulus, Lukassen, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUD, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US14/722,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20150253147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 701/411, 701/413, 701/418, 701/445, 701/532, 340/993, 340/995.12
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3856 Data obtained from user input
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3885 Transmission of map data to client devices; Reception of map data by client devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

A system for validating a correction to map data for a geographic location, the system comprising: a processing resource; and a navigation device; wherein the processing resource comprises: a user request generator that is configured to generate a user request for transmission to the navigation device; a transmitter for transmitting the generated user request to the navigation device; and a receiver for receiving a user response from said navigation device; and the navigation device comprises: a receiver for receiving the user request transmitted from the processing resource; a user request module configured to present said received user request to a user of the navigation device; a user response module for capturing a user response to said presented user request, and a transmitter for transmitting said captured user response to said processing resource.

Claims

1. A navigation device configured for use in the validation of a correction to map data for a geographic location, the navigation device comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a user request to validate a correction to map data transmitted from a server;

a user request module configured to present said received user request to a user of the navigation device;

a user response module configured to capture the user response to said presented user request;

a transmitter configured to transmit said captured user response to said server;

a route planning module configured to plan a route to a destination; and

a navigation module configured to determine the geographic position of the navigation device and to generate instructions for provision to the user to guide the user along a planned route, wherein the navigation device is configured, upon receiving said user request, to issue the user with instructions to guide the user from a current position of the navigation device to a geographic location associated with the correction.

2. A navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the navigation device is configured to vary a planned route to include the location associated with the correction, and to guide the user along the route from the current position of the navigation device to the location associated with the correction.

3. A navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the navigation device is further configured, after guiding the user to the location associated with the correction, to issue the user with instructions to guide the user back to the location of the navigation device before being diverted to the location associated with the correction.

4. A navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the user request includes position information defining one or more geographic locations at which said user request module presents said user request to said user, and wherein said user request module is configured to present said user request to the user when said navigation module indicates that the geographic location of said navigation device is included in said position information.

5. A navigation device according to claim 4, wherein said position information defines a zone that is a predetermined distance from the location associated with said geographic location.

6. A navigation device according to claim 5, wherein said predetermined distance varies in accordance with the type of correction that is to be validated.

7. A navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said user request module is configured to present said user request by playing an audio message to said user.

8. A navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said user request module is configured to present said user request by displaying a visual message to said user.

9. A method of validating a correction to map data for a geographic location, the method comprising:

receiving, at a navigation device, a user request to validate a correction to map data transmitted from a server;

controlling the navigation device to present said received user request to a user of the navigation device;

issuing the user with instructions to guide the user from a current position of the navigation device to a geographic location associated with the correction;

capturing a user response to said presented user request; and

transmitting said captured user response to said server.

10. A method according to claim 9, comprising varying a planned route to include the location associated with the correction, and issuing the user with instructions to guide the user along the route from the current position of the navigation device to the location associated with the correction.

11. A method according to claim 9, comprising, after guiding the user to the location associated with the correction, issuing the user with instructions to guide the user back to the location of the navigation device before being diverted to the location associated with the correction.

12. A method according to claim 9, wherein the user request includes position information defining one or more geographic locations at which said user request is to presented to said user, and wherein the method comprises presenting said user request to the user when said navigation module indicates that the geographic location of said navigation device is included in said position information.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein said position information defines a zone that is a predetermined distance from the location associated with said geographic location.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein said predetermined distance varies in accordance with the type of correction that is to be validated.

15. A method according to claim 9, comprising controlling the navigation device to present said received user request to the user by playing an audio message to said user.

16. A method according to claim 9, comprising controlling the navigation device to present said received user request to the user by displaying a visual message to said user.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a computer program including computer readable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a navigation device, cause the navigation device to perform a method comprising:

receiving, at the navigation device, a user request to validate a correction to map data transmitted from a server;

controlling the navigation device to present said received user request to a user of the navigation device;

issuing the user with instructions to guide the user from a current position of the navigation device to a geographic location associated with the correction;

capturing a user response to said presented user request; and

transmitting said captured user response to said server.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 17, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the navigation device to vary a planned route to include the location associated with the correction, and to issue the user with instructions to guide the user along the route from the current position of the navigation device to the location associated with the correction.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 17, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the navigation device, after guiding the user to the location associated with the correction, to issue the user with instructions to guide the user back to the location of the navigation device before being diverted to the location associated with the correction.