Apparatus and method for use with a navigation system

• US 9,714,839 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2013
• Issued: 07/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Bottari, Giulio
• Primary Examiner(s): Pipala, Edward J
• Application Number:
  US14/780,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20160047673A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,580 Days
• 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 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for announcing content information in a navigation system, wherein the content information relates to non guidance direction instructions. The method comprises the step of receiving route information, the route information comprising a plurality of route segments that constitute a route from a start point to an end point, each route segment having an estimated time period for completion. The method also comprises the step of receiving content information which is to be announced. It is determined whether one or more of the route segments comprises an estimated time period for completion which is above a threshold value, and, if so, allocating such route segments as silent route segments. Content information is announced in one or more of the determined silent route segments.

Claims

1. A method for announcing content information in a navigation system, wherein the content information relates to non guidance-direction instructions, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving route information, the route information comprising a plurality of route segments that constitute a route from a start point to an end point, each route segment having an estimated time period for completion;

receiving the content information which is to be announced;

determining, by a processor, whether one or more of the route segments comprises an estimated time period for completion which is above a threshold value and, if so, allocating such route segments as silent route segments;

partitioning the content information into a plurality of content information segments including a first content information segment and a second content information segment;

announcing the first content information segment in a first silent route segment; and

announcing the second content information segment in a second silent route segment, wherein

a first route segment of the plurality of route segments is allocated as a first silent route segment,

a second route segment of the plurality of route segments is allocated as a second silent route segment,

the partitioning step comprises the steps of;

a) forming a list of the silent route segments and an associated duration of each silent route segment and b) partitioning the content information such that a) the duration of the first content information segment is a function of the duration of the first silent route segment and b) the duration of the second content information segment is a function of the duration of the second silent route segment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the duration of a content information segment is substantially equal to the duration of a corresponding silent route segment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the duration of a content information segment is less than the duration of a corresponding silent route segment.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein:

the content information segment is arranged substantially symmetrically within a corresponding silent route segment;

or

the content information segment is arranged non-symmetrically within a silent route segment;

or

the content information segment is arranged within a silent route segment such that the gap to a preceding boundary of the silent route segment is less than the gap to a succeeding boundary of the silent route segment;

or

the content information segment is arranged within a silent route segment such that the gap to a preceding boundary of the silent route segment is more than the gap to a succeeding boundary of the silent route segment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein two or more content information segments have different time durations, which are a function of the different time durations of two or more corresponding silent route segments.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving updated route information comprising one or more route segments, wherein at least one route segment differs from a previously received route segment;

determining a new set of one or more updated silent route segments for the updated route information; and

for any content information which has not yet been announced, partitioning such content information into a plurality of updated content information segments corresponding to the updated silent route segments.

7. A computer program product for announcing content information in a navigation system, comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing code for causing, when executed, a navigation device to execute the method of claim 1.

8. An apparatus for announcing content information in a navigation system, wherein the content information relates to non guidance-direction instructions, the apparatus comprising:

an input interface adapted to receive;

route information, the route information comprising a plurality of route segments that constitute a route from a start point to an end point, each route segment having an estimated time period for completion; and

content information which is to be announced;

a processing unit configured to determine whether one or more of the route segments comprises an estimated time period for completion which is above a threshold value and, if so, allocate such route segments as silent route segments; and

an output interface for outputting content information which is to be announced in one or more of the silent route segments, wherein

the processing unit is adapted to partition the content information into a plurality of content information segments, such that each content information segment can be announced in a corresponding silent route segment and

the processing unit is configured to;

a) form a list of silent route segments and an associated duration of each silent route segment and b) partition the content information such that the duration of a content information segment is a function of the duration of a corresponding silent route segment.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processing unit is configured to partition the content information such that the duration of a content information segment is substantially equal to the duration of a corresponding silent route segment.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processing unit is configured to partition the content information such that the duration of a content information segment is less than the duration of a corresponding silent route segment.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the processing unit is configured to:

arrange the content information segment to be substantially symmetrically within a corresponding silent route segment;

or

arrange the content information segment to be non-symmetrically within a silent route segment;

or

arrange the content information segment to be within a silent route segment such that the gap to a preceding boundary of the silent route segment is less than the gap to a succeeding boundary of the silent route segment;

or

arrange the content information segment to be within a silent route segment such that the gap to a preceding boundary of the silent route segment is more than the gap to a succeeding boundary of the silent route segment.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein processing unit is configured to partition two or more content information segments to have different time durations which are a function of the different time durations of two or more corresponding silent route segments.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein:

the input interface is adapted to receive updated route information comprising one or more route segments, wherein at least one route segment differs from a previously received route segment; and

wherein the processing unit is adapted to determine a new set of one or more updated silent route segments for the updated route information, and, for any content information which has not yet been announced, partition such content information into a plurality of updated content information segments corresponding to the updated silent route segments.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus is comprised in a navigation device.