PREDICTIVE DESTINATION ENTRY FOR A NAVIGATION SYSTEM

• US 20130166096A1
• Filed: 12/27/2011
• Published: 06/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Jotanovic, Mark A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,688,290 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement

Abstract

A predictive destination entry system for a vehicle navigation system to aid in obtaining a destination for the vehicle. The navigation system utilizes a memory for storing data relating to prior driving history or habits. A processor connected with the memory examines the information stored in the memory for making predictions for the current destination desired by a user of the vehicle. The information stored in the memory may be segregated into distinct user profiles and may include the vehicle location, previous driving history of the vehicle, previous searching history of a user of the vehicle, or sensory input relating to one or more characteristics of the vehicle. The navigation system may either confirm the predicted destination with the user of the vehicle before generating or displaying a travel route to the predicted destination or may automatically generate and display the travel route without verifying the destination with the user.

Claims

1. A navigation system for a vehicle comprising:

a memory for storing data;

a display coupled with the vehicle; and

a processor coupled with the display and with the memory, the processor configured to predict a destination for the vehicle based upon the data stored in the memory.

2. The navigation system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to predict the destination for the vehicle without requiring a user of the vehicle to manually input a portion of the destination.

3. The navigation system of claim 1 wherein the data stored in the memory comprises a prior driving history of the vehicle.

4. The navigation system of claim 1 wherein the data stored in the memory comprises a prior searching history of a user of the vehicle.

5. The navigation system of claim 1 further comprising a sensor coupled with the processor for sensing a characteristic of the vehicle.

6. The navigation system of claim 5 wherein the characteristic of the vehicle comprises a fuel level of the vehicle.

7. The navigation system of claim 5 wherein the characteristic of the vehicle comprises a state of battery charge of the vehicle.

8. The navigation system of claim 5 wherein the characteristic of the vehicle comprises a maximum driving range of the vehicle.

9. A method for predicting a destination for a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a navigation unit having a display, a processor coupled with the display, and a memory coupled with the processor;

storing in the memory a prior destination for the vehicle;

determining a current location of the vehicle using the processor; and

predicting a current destination for the vehicle using the processor based on the prior destination of the vehicle stored in the memory.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the prior destination for the vehicle is a destination traveled to by the vehicle without being manually input by a user to the navigation unit.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the prior destination for the vehicle is a destination manually input by a user to the navigation unit.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of determining a current time, day, or date, wherein the step of predicting the current destination for the vehicle is based on the current time, day, or date.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of displaying a message on the display of the navigation unit for confirming the predicted current destination for the vehicle by a user of the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of automatically displaying a travel route from the current location of the vehicle to the predicted current destination on the display of the navigation unit.

15. A method for predicting a destination for a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a navigation system having a display, a processor coupled with the display, and a memory coupled with the processor;

providing a sensor coupled to the vehicle and communicating with the processor;

determining a current location of the vehicle using the processor;

sensing a characteristic of the vehicle using the sensor; and

predicting a current destination for the vehicle using the processor based on the characteristic of the vehicle sensed by the sensor.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the characteristic of the vehicle sensed by the sensor is a driving range of the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the characteristic of the vehicle sensed by the sensor is a fuel level or battery charge level of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of determining a current time, day, or date, wherein the step of predicting the current destination for the vehicle is based on the current time, day, or date.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of displaying a message on the display of the navigation system for confirming the predicted current destination for the vehicle by a user of the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of automatically displaying a travel route from the current location of the vehicle to the predicted current destination on the display of the navigation system.