Navigation Device With Adaptive Navigation Instructions

• US 20090157294A1
• Filed: 07/06/2006
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TomTom Navigation B.V (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: TomTom Navigation B.V (TomTom NV)
• Inventors: Geelen, Pieter, Tkachenko, Serhiy, Wesselius, Kees, Stelpstra, David
• Granted Patent: US 9,086,294 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3641 Personalized guidance, e.g. limited guidance on previously travelled routes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3655 Timing of guidance instructions

Abstract

A navigation device is disclosed wherein, in at least one embodiment. navigation instruction are adapted to the driver preferences. The driving behaviour of the driver is recorded (like speed, time to prepare for an exit etc.), and the way he responds to navigation instructions (promptly, or always too late for example). Traffic, weather and time information may be combined with information on the driving behaviour of the driver. This information is examined and used to build up a driver profile. This driver profile is used to adapt future navigation instructions. Alternatively, traffic and weather information may be used to build up route and/or environmental profiles. These profiles can also be used separate from the driver profile to adjust the navigation instruction. The combination of these two techniques, building up a profile (or adapt a pre-defined profile) and adapt the navigation instructions, makes the navigation device a more personal-fit navigation aid. Also, giving the right instructions to a specific driver may contribute to a safer behaviour.

Claims

1. Navigation device arranged to give navigation instructions to a driver of a vehicle, said navigation device comprising:

a route calculation module, arranged to determine a route from an origin to a destination;

an instructions module, arranged to produce a set of base instructions for the driver to enable the driver to travel the determined route;

a profile module, arranged to build up at least one profile; and

a profile-to-instruction translator, arranged to convert the produced set of base instructions into a set of output instructions depending on said built up at least one profile.

2. Navigation device according to claim 1, wherein each base instruction out of said produced set of base instructions is converted into K output instructions, wherein K is an integer value larger than or equal to zero, depending on data in said at least one profile.

3. Navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said profile-to-instruction translator is arranged to determine a voice used to utter at least one of the set of output instructions depending on said at least one profile.

4. Navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said profile-to-instruction translator is arranged to determine a volume used to utter at least one of the set of output instructions depending on said at least one profile.

5. Navigation device according claim 1, wherein said profile-to-instruction translator is arranged to determine a timing of the set of output instructions depending on said at least one profile.

6. Navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said profile-to-instruction translator is arranged to determine a distance between a point at which at least one of the set of output instructions is given and a point of the route associated with the at least one of the set of output instructions depending on said at least one profile.

7. Navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said profile module comprises a driver profiler arranged to build up a driver profile comprising driver parameters.

8. Navigation device according to claim 7, wherein said driver profiler is arranged to build up said driver profile by adapting a preset driver profile.

9. Navigation device according to claim 7, wherein said driver profile comprises at least one of:

home address,

driver ID,

date of birth,

for a plurality of predefined areas, the number of times an administrative area has been visited,

number of times certain destinations are driven,

percentage of exits ignored by driver,

percentage of turns where driver mistook left for right or vice versa,

degree of aggression,

mobile phone number,

driver is making a phone call at the moment at least one of the set of output instructions is planned for the near future,

difficulty level of the driving conditions,

driver does not want navigation instructions in his own home location or recent destination, arranged for each destination,

drivers susceptibility to the current day of week, and

drivers susceptibility to the time of day.

10. Navigation device according to claim 9, wherein said navigation device comprises a driver recorder arranged to record at least one drivers driving behaviour parameter and to send said at least one parameter to said driver profiler.

11. Navigation device according to claim 10, wherein said at least one drivers driving behaviour parameters comprise at least one of:

an acceleration factor equal to a moving average of an acceleration of the vehicle divided by a predefined maximum acceleration;

a deceleration factor equal to a moving average of a deceleration in of the vehicle divided by a predefined maximum deceleration,

a curve aggression factor equal to a moving average of a curve acceleration during a curve divided by a predefined maximum curve acceleration; and

a number of times the driver is driving in a particular administrative area.

12. Navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the navigation device is arranged to, each time the driver ignores one of the set of output instructions, store data on at least the location and the time in a list of confusing locations.

13. Navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said profile module comprises a environmental profiler arranged to build up an environmental profile comprising environmental parameters.

14. Navigation device according to claim 13, wherein said environmental parameters comprise weather conditions.

15. Navigation device according to claim 13, wherein said environmental parameters comprise road conditions.

16. Navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said profile module comprises a route profiler arranged to build up a route profile comprising traffic conditions of the determined route.

17. Navigation device according to claim 1, further comprising a driver recognition module arranged to recognize a driver when the user is sitting behind a steering wheel of a car.

18. Vehicle, comprising a navigation device according to claim 1.

22. Navigation device according to claim 8, wherein said driver profile comprises at least one of:

home address,

driver ID,

date of birth,

for a plurality of predefined areas, the number of times an administrative area has been visited,

number of times certain destinations are driven,

percentage of exits ignored by driver,

percentage of turns where driver mistook left for right or vice versa,

degree of aggression,

mobile phone number,

driver is making a phone call at the moment at least one of the set of output instructions is planned for the near future,

difficulty level of the driving conditions,

driver does not want navigation instructions in his own home location or recent destination, arranged for each destination,

drivers susceptibility to the current day of week, and

drivers susceptibility to the time of day.

23. Navigation device according to claim 2, wherein said profile-to-instruction translator is arranged to determine a voice used to utter at least one of the set of output instructions depending on said at least one profile.

24. Navigation device according to claim 2, wherein said profile-to-instruction translator is arranged to determine a volume used to utter at least one of the set of output instructions depending on said at least one profile.

25. Navigation device according claim 2, wherein said profile-to-instruction translator is arranged to determine a timing of the set of output instructions depending on said at least one profile.

19. Method for providing navigation directions using a navigation device, the method comprising:

determining a route from an origin to a destination;

producing a set of base instructions for a user to enable the user to travel the determined route;

building up at least one profile; and

converting the produced set of base instructions into a set of output instructions, depending on said built up at least one profile.

20. Computer program, when loaded on a computer arrangement, giving the computer arrangement the ability to perform the method of claim 19.

21. Data carrier, comprising a computer program according to claim 20.