Navigational lane guidance

• US 9,625,268 B2
• Filed: 02/29/2016
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Artax LLC (IPValuation Partners, LLC)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Clark, Brant Miller, Goddard, Mark, Kaplan, Diego Andres
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): POINT, RUFUS C
• Application Number:
  US15/056,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20160178391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: 340905, 340988, 3409951, 34099514
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3632 Guidance using simplified or iconic instructions, e.g. using arrows G01C21/365 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3644 Landmark guidance, e.g. using POIs or conspicuous other objects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3655 Timing of guidance instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3658 Lane guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/588 Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road

Abstract

Navigational lane guidance enhances a maneuver display by incorporating full display of available lanes in a freeway, when available in the map data. An otherwise regular turn icon display is replaced with a variable width image that grows to show all available lanes, highlighting lanes usable to complete a navigated maneuver. A new lane TrueType font displays the lane guidance image, with individual characters representing each possible line situation. Since TrueType fonts are vector-based, they can be used to generate the lane images at any size, in a platform-independent fashion. The lane font has direction arrows, which can be combined to form composite arrows; and additional direction arrows as needed to allow replacement of the routing icons currently in use. Lane dividers may also be implemented.

Claims

1. A method of providing navigational lane guidance, comprising:

determining multiple possible lanes available to be taken by a user device; and

building a variable width image with TrueType font, said variable width image growing in width based on TrueType font lane characters printed together therein to show all of said multiple possible lanes available to provide navigational lane guidance regarding said multiple possible lanes to be taken.

2. The method of providing navigational lane guidance according to claim 1, wherein:

said navigational lane guidance is provided both visually and verbally.

3. The method of providing navigational lane guidance according to claim 1, further comprising:

highlighting a plurality of lanes in said variable width image to provide a navigational lane guidance to said multiple possible lanes to be taken to complete a navigated maneuver.

4. The method of providing navigational lane guidance according to claim 1, wherein said TrueType font comprises:

a straight lane arrow;

a slight left lane arrow;

a left lane arrow;

a slight right lane arrow; and

a right lane arrow.

5. A method of providing navigational lane guidance, comprising:

determining multiple possible lanes available to be taken by a user device; and

generating and using TrueType font printed together to form a graphical representation of an available lane;

wherein the combined printed characters being a composite having a variable width image growing in width with TrueType font characters.

6. The method of providing navigational lane guidance according to claim 5, further comprising:

displaying all of said multiple possible lanes available to provide navigational lane guidance regarding said multiple possible lanes to be taken.

7. The method of providing navigational lane guidance according to claim 5, wherein:

said navigational lane guidance is provided both visually and verbally.

8. The method of providing navigational lane guidance according to claim 5, further comprising:

highlighting a plurality of lanes in said variable width image to provide a navigational lane guidance to said multiple possible lanes to be taken to complete a navigated maneuver.

9. The method of providing navigational lane guidance according to claim 5, wherein said TrueType font comprises:

a straight lane arrow;

a slight left lane arrow;

a left lane arrow;

a slight right lane arrow; and

a right lane arrow.

10. Apparatus for providing navigational lane guidance, comprising:

means for determining multiple possible lanes available to be taken by a user device; and

means for generating and using TrueType font printed together to form a graphical representation of an available lane;

wherein the combined printed characters being a composite having a variable width image growing in width with TrueType font characters.

11. The apparatus for providing navigational lane guidance according to claim 10, further comprising:

means for displaying all of said multiple possible lanes available to provide navigational lane guidance regarding said multiple possible lanes to be taken.

12. The apparatus for providing navigational lane guidance according to claim 10, wherein:

said navigational lane guidance is provided both visually and verbally.

13. The apparatus for providing navigational lane guidance according to claim 10, further comprising:

means for highlighting a plurality of lanes in said variable width image to provide a navigational lane guidance to said multiple possible lanes to be taken to complete a navigated maneuver.

14. The apparatus for providing navigational lane guidance according to claim 10, wherein said TrueType font comprises:

a straight lane arrow;

a slight left lane arrow;

a left lane arrow;

a slight right lane arrow; and

a right lane arrow.