Navigation system

• US 20080189033A1
• Filed: 10/10/2007
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TomTom Navigation B.V (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: TomTom International BV (TomTom NV)
• Inventors: Geelen, Pieter, Ribbink, Alexander, Goddlin, Harold
• Granted Patent: US 8,135,538 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3655 Timing of guidance instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle

Abstract

A portable navigation device is set out for calculating fuel related parameters and returning related data to the user of the device. The related data may include fuel cost of a particular calculated route. Additional data may include particular displays of information including a theoretical calculated volumetric amount of fuel used by a vehicle in traveling along a calculated route before, during or after completion of travel. Other displayed data includes a theoretical calculated financial cost of fuel used by the vehicle in traveling along the calculated route before, during or after completion of travel. Still further displayed data may include an optimal calculated route chosen from many possible calculated routes, the optimization occurring on account of the relative fuel cost of each of the calculated routes.

Claims

1. A personal navigation device comprising processing means, a graphical display, memory, map data stored in said memory, user-input means, and signal reception means for receiving one or more wireless signals by means of which the processor can determine a present location of the system and in conjunction with user input desired destination information, perform route calculation and subsequent navigation functions, said location determination, route calculation and navigation functions being performed by software installed on the device, wherein:

said memory further comprises one or more fuel-related parameters, said route calculation function utilizing said one or more parameters to return data representative of a fuel cost of a particular calculated route, said PND causing display of said data in terms of one of;

a theoretical calculated volumetric amount of fuel used by said vehicle in traveling along the calculated route before, during or after completion of travel along said route,

a theoretical calculated financial cost of fuel used by said vehicle in traveling along the calculated route before, during or after completion of travel along said route, and

an optimal calculated route chosen from a plurality of possible calculated routes, the optimization occurring on account of the relative fuel cost of each of the calculated routes.

2. The personal navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said one or more fuel-related parameters are input by said device user.

3. The personal navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said one or more fuel-related parameters is one of actual fuel volume, actual fuel cost, average vehicle urban fuel consumption, and average vehicle extra-urban fuel consumption.

4. The personal navigation device according to claim 2, wherein said one or more fuel-related parameters in said memory of said PND are derived from the user input information.

5. The personal navigation device according to claim 2, further comprising means for updating said one or more fuel-related parameters stored in memory by performing one or more averaging functions on said parameters with each additional entry of user-provided data.

6. The personal navigation device according to claim 2, wherein said device prompts said user for fuel-related data entry at a time when said device has been stationery for a predetermined time at a location, identified in said map data as substantially coinciding with a fuel station point of interest (POI) identified within on map data.

7. The personal navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the personal navigation device further comprises means for receiving wirelessly transmitted data including information regarding current fuel prices in one or more countries and of one or more fuel providers.