METHOD AND APPARATUS TO SEARCH FOR LOCAL PARKING

• US 20090187341A1
• Filed: 01/18/2008
• Published: 07/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Magellan Navigation Incorporated (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Vavrus, Jon L., Clark, Brant M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,700,314 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/210
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas

Abstract

A method for searching for parking for a vehicle using a positioning device and a map having a plurality of segments; determining that the vehicle is near a first location; generating a first route comprising segments from the plurality of segments, prioritizing segments closer to the first location and avoiding use of segments more than once in the first route; generating signals to direct the vehicle along the route using positioning information from the positioning device; and determining that the vehicle is parked.

Claims

1. A method for searching for parking for a vehicle using a positioning device and a map having a plurality of segments;

determining that the vehicle is near a first location;

generating a first route comprising segments from the plurality of segments, prioritizing segments closer to the first location and avoiding use of segments more than once in the first route;

generating signals to direct the vehicle along the route using positioning information from the positioning device; and

determining that the vehicle is parked.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle is parked at a second location, the method further comprising generating a second route from the second location to the first location;

and generating signals to provide directions along the second route.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first route is one of a spiral pattern around the first location, a zig-zag pattern around near the first location, and a grid pattern near the first location.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein process of determining the vehicle is parked comprises at least one of determining whether the engine is shut off, determining whether the positioning device is removed from the vehicle, and receiving a user-input indicating that the vehicle is parked.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the first route is generated in response to the positioning system determining that the vehicle is near the first location.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the signals are one of speech-synthesized voice announcements, a visual display, and audio tones.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a restart signal; and

in response to the signal;

determining a second location using the positioning device, the second location being the location of the vehicle;

generating a point-to-point route from the second location to the first location using the map; and

generating signals to provide directions along the point-to-point route using the positioning device.

8. The method of claim 8 wherein the restart signal is generated in response to one of a user-input and the vehicle being more than a predetermined distance from the first location.

9. A positioning device using a map having a plurality of segments, the positioning device comprising:

a program for determining that the positioning device is near a first location;

a program for generating a first route comprising segments from the plurality of segments, prioritizing segments closer to the first location and avoiding use of segments more than once in the first route;

a program for generating signals to direct the user along the route using positioning information from the positioning device; and

a program for determining that a vehicle is parked.

10. The positioning device of claim 9 wherein the first route is one of a spiral pattern around the first location, a zig-zag pattern around near the first location, and a grid pattern near the first location.

11. The positioning device of claim 9 wherein the vehicle is parked at a second location, further comprising:

a program for generating a second route from the second location to the first location; and

a program for generating signals to provide directions along the route.

12. The positioning device of claim 9 wherein generating the first route is performed in response to the positioning system determining that the vehicle is near the first location.

13. The positioning device of claim 11 wherein the signals one of speech-synthesized voice announcements, a visual display, and audio tones.

14. The positioning device of claim 11 further comprising:

a program for receiving a restart signal; and

in response to the restart signal, the program for receiving a restart signal;

determining a second location using the positioning device, the second location being the location of the vehicle;

generating a point-to-point route from the second location to the first location using the map; and

generating signals to provide directions along the point-to-point route using the positioning device.

15. The positioning device of claim 11 wherein the restart signal is generated in response to one of a user-input and the vehicle being more than a predetermined distance from the first location.

16. A machine-readable medium that provides instructions for a processor, which when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

determining that the vehicle is near a first location;

generating a first route comprising segments from the plurality of segments, prioritizing segments closer to the first location and avoiding use of segments more than once in the first route;

generating signals to direct the vehicle along the route using positioning information from the positioning device; and

determining that the vehicle is parked.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the vehicle is parked at a second location, the method further comprising generating a second route from the second location to the first location;

and generating signals to provide directions along the second route.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the first route is one of a spiral pattern around the first location, a zig-zag pattern around near the first location, and a grid pattern near the first location.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 16 wherein process of determining the vehicle is parked comprises at least one of determining whether the engine is shut off, determining whether the positioning device is removed from the vehicle, and receiving a user-input indicating that the vehicle is parked.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 16 further comprising:

receiving a restart signal; and

in response to the signal;

determining a second location using the positioning device, the second location being the location of the vehicle;

generating a point-to-point route from the second location to the first location using the map; and

generating signals to provide directions along the point-to-point route using the positioning device.