Device, system and method of landmark-based routing and guidance

• US 20080262717A1
• Filed: 04/17/2007
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Esther Abramovich Ettinger
• Inventors: Ettinger, Esther Abramovich
• Granted Patent: US 8,930,135 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/206
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3476 using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3644 Landmark guidance, e.g. using POIs or conspicuous other objects

Abstract

Device, system and method of landmark-based routing and guidance; for example, an apparatus including a route guidance information generator adapted to generate route guidance information including one or more road-based references and one or more landmark-based references.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a route guidance information generator adapted to generate route guidance information including one or more road-based references and one or more landmark-based references.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the route guidance information generator is adapted to selectively include a landmark-based reference in said route guidance information based on efficiency of navigation using said landmark-based reference.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the route guidance information generator is adapted to include in said route guidance information a reference to at least one of:

an address of a personal contact associated with a user, or

a latitude and longitude data item of said personal contact associated with said user.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the route guidance information generator is adapted to select, based on one or more pre-defined criteria, a first landmark from a plurality of navigation landmarks, and to generate route guidance information including a reference to said landmark.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the route guidance information generator is adapted to selectively include a reference to said first landmark in said route guidance information and to selectively exclude a reference to a second landmark from said route guidance information if a visibility of the first landmark from a route segment is greater than a visibility of the second landmark from said route segment.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the route guidance information generator is adapted to selectively include a reference to said first landmark in said route guidance information and to selectively exclude a reference to a second landmark from said route guidance information if the first landmark is included in a list of cooperating landmarks and the second landmark is not included in said list of cooperating landmarks.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the route guidance information generator is adapted to selectively include a reference to said first landmark in said route guidance information if the first landmark is contextually associated with a destination of said route.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the route guidance information generator is adapted to generate route guidance information including a reference to an off-route landmark.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said off-route landmark comprises a landmark selected from a group consisting of:

a landmark located away from a node of said route,

a landmark located away from a route segment,

a landmark located away from an intersection of route segments,

a landmark located along a route segment, and

a landmark inaccessible by vehicle from said route.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a landmark database operably associated with at least one of;

a map generator, a route generator, and said route guidance information generator,

wherein the landmark database is adapted to store landmark description data associated with landmark location data; and

an updater to automatically update information stored in the landmark database based on input received from one or more client devices located remotely from the landmark database.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the input comprises an input selected from a group consisting of:

an input indicating a request to add a new landmark,

an input indicating a request to delete a landmark,

an input indicating a request to modify a landmark location, and

an input indicating a request to modify a landmark description.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein at least one of the landmark description data and the landmark location data is associated with a quality indicator value.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said route guidance information generator is to generate route guidance information including a reference to said landmark description data if said quality indicator value is greater than a pre-defined threshold.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a route guidance information generator adapted to generate route guidance information including a navigation reassurance information item.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the navigation reassurance information item comprises an information item associated with a landmark visible from a segment of said route.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the navigation reassurance information item comprises an information item indicating to a traveler that said traveler is located on correct route.

17. A method comprising:

generating route guidance information including one or more road-based references and one or more landmark-based references.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising:

selectively including a landmark-based reference in said route guidance information based on efficiency of navigation using said landmark-based reference.

19. The method of claim 17, comprising:

including in said route guidance information a reference to at least one of;

an address of a personal contact associated with a user, or

a latitude and longitude data item of said personal contact associated with said user.

20. The method of claim 17, comprising:

based on one or more pre-defined criteria, selecting a first landmark from a plurality of navigation landmarks and generating route guidance information including a reference to said landmark.

21. The method of claim 17, comprising:

selectively including a reference to said first landmark in said route guidance information and selectively excluding a reference to a second landmark from said route guidance information if a visibility of the first landmark from a route segment is greater than a visibility of the second landmark from said route segment.

22. The method of claim 17, comprising:

selectively including a reference to said first landmark in said route guidance information and selectively excluding a reference to a second landmark from said route guidance information if the first landmark is included in a list of cooperating landmarks and the second landmark is not included in said list of cooperating landmarks.

23. The method of claim 17, comprising:

selectively including a reference to said first landmark in said route guidance information if the first landmark is contextually associated with a destination of said route.

24. The method of claim 17, comprising:

generating route guidance information including a reference to an off-route landmark.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein generating comprises:

generating an off-route landmark selected from a group consisting of;

a landmark located away from a node of said route,

a landmark located away from a route segment,

a landmark located away from an intersection of route segments,

a landmark located along a route segment, and

a landmark inaccessible by vehicle from said route.

26. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

creating a landmark database operably associated with at least one of;

a map generator, a route generator, and said route guidance information generator,

wherein the landmark database is adapted to store landmark description data associated with landmark location data; and

automatically updating information stored in the landmark database based on input received from one or more client devices located remotely from the landmark database.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein updating comprises:

updating information based on input selected from a group consisting of;

an input indicating a request to add a new landmark,

an input indicating a request to delete a landmark,

an input indicating a request to modify a landmark location, and

an input indicating a request to modify a landmark description.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein at least one of the landmark description data and the landmark location data is associated with a quality indicator value.

29. The method of claim 28, comprising:

generating route guidance information including a reference to said landmark description data if said quality indicator value is greater than a pre-defined threshold.

30. A method comprising:

generating route guidance information including a navigation reassurance information item.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein generating the navigation reassurance information item comprises generating an information item associated with a landmark visible from a segment of said route.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein generating the navigation reassurance information item comprises generating an information item indicating to a traveler that the traveler is located on correct route.