Method and system for dynamic and interactive route finding

• US 6,484,092 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2001
• Issued: 11/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Seibel, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US09/818,993
• Publication Number:
  US 20020152020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200-215, 701/26, 701/25, 701/24, 701/23, 701/117-119, 340/905, 340/934, 340/995, 340/988, 340/989, 340/990, 455/456, 180/65.8, 320/107
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3453 Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments

Abstract

A method and system for dynamic and interactive navigation is presented. A navigation request is received from a user. The navigation request comprises an originating location description, a destination location description, and at least one criterion to be satisfied by a desired route. Dynamic condition information associated with at least one route between the originating location and the destination location is retrieved. Based on the dynamic condition information, a desired route between the originating location and the destination location is determined.

Claims

1. A method for a user to control risk in a dynamic and interactive navigation system, the method comprising:

receiving, from a user, a risk factor input associated with at least one predetermined risk attribute, the risk factor input specifying a user risk filter to apply to determination of routes,

wherein, if a determined route has the at least one risk attribute, then the determined route is not presented to the user, and

wherein the at least one risk attribute relates to a hazard associated with a route;

receiving a navigation request, the navigation request comprising a destination location description and at least one criterion to be satisfied by a desired route, wherein the at least one criterion differs from the at least one risk attribute;

retrieving dynamic condition information associated with at least one route between an originating location and the destination location, the retrieving not being triggered by an input of the user;

determining, according to the navigation request, at least one candidate route between the originating location and the destination location based on the dynamic condition information;

applying the user risk filter to the at least one candidate route; and

determining, based on the applying, the desired route between the originating location and the destination location,

wherein the desired route does not have the at least one risk attribute.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving and the determining the desired route are iterated until the destination location is reached.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic condition information includes a probability that the desired route has a characteristic desired by the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the hazard includes a traffic or weather condition.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic condition information includes time and date information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic condition information includes information about traffic and road conditions.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic condition information includes driving speed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic condition information includes information generated by a neural network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one criterion includes a fastest route.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting the dynamic condition information, retrieved by the retrieving, to the user;

interactively acquiring a navigation change request, the navigation change request being specified by the user based on the dynamic condition information presented to the user by the presenting; and

updating the navigation request based on the navigation change request, prior to the determining the at least one candidate route.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the dynamic condition information is presented to the user via a speech synthesis mechanism.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the navigation change request is spoken by the user and received by a speech processing mechanism.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the updating includes updating the destination location and the at least one criterion.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the dynamic condition information includes one or more points of interest along a route.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

navigating along the desired route, determined by the determining the desired route;

determining a speed at which the user is moving towards the destination location;

estimating time of arrival at the destination location based on the speed, the destination location description, and the dynamic condition information; and

informing the user about the time of arrival.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a query from a user for at least one desired destination location;

retrieving dynamic condition information based on the query;

determining zero or more destination locations that satisfy the query using dynamic condition information;

selecting a destination location from the zero or more destination locations by the user; and

generating the navigation request based on the destination location selected by the user.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the query specifies a type of destination location and at least one query criterion.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one query criterion includes a cost to patronize an establishment.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic condition information includes information from the Internet.

20. A user risk control system for dynamic and interactive navigation, the system comprising:

an input mechanism,

the input mechanism being configured to receive, from a user, a risk factor input associated with at least one predetermined risk attribute, the risk factor input specifying a user risk filter to apply to determination of routes,

wherein, if a determined route has the at least one risk attribute, then the determined route is not presented to the user, and

wherein the at least one risk attribute relates to a hazard associated with a route,

the input mechanism being further configured to receive a navigation request, the navigation request comprising a destination location description and at least one criterion to be satisfied by a desired route, wherein the at least one criterion differs from the at least one risk attribute;

a receiver configured to retrieve dynamic condition information associated with at least one route between an originating location and the destination location, the retrieval not being triggered by an input of the user; and

a route calculator configured to determine, according to the navigation request, at least one candidate route between the originating location and the destination location based on the dynamic condition information, to apply the user risk filter to the at least one candidate route, and to determine, based on the applying, the desired route between the originating location and the destination location,

wherein the desired route does not have the at least one risk attribute.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising an output mechanism configured to convey information to the user, the information including the desired route.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the output mechanism includes a speech synthesis mechanism.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the input mechanism includes a speech processing mechanism configured to receive a navigation request spoken by the user.

24. The system of claim 21, further comprising a navigation request generator, and wherein:

the input mechanism is configured to receive a query from a user for at least one desired destination location;

the receiver is configured to retrieve dynamic condition information based on the query; and

the navigation request generator is configured to determine zero or more destination locations that satisfy the query using dynamic condition information, and generate the navigation request based on a destination location, selected by the user, from the zero or more destination locations.

25. A computer-readable medium encoded with a plurality of processor-executable instruction sequences for:

receiving, from a user, a risk factor input associated with at least one predetermined risk attribute, the risk factor input specifying a user risk filter to apply to determination of routes,

wherein, if a determined route has the at least one risk attribute, then the determined route is not presented to the user, and

wherein the at least one risk attribute relates to a hazard associated with a route;

receiving a navigation request, the navigation request comprising a destination location description and at least one criterion to be satisfied by a desired route, wherein the at least one criterion differs from the at least one risk attribute;

retrieving dynamic condition information associated with at least one route between an originating location and the destination location, the retrieving not being triggered by an input of the user;

determining, according to the navigation request, at least one candidate route between the originating location and the destination location based on the dynamic condition information;

applying the user risk filter to the at least one candidate route; and

determining, based on the applying, the desired route between the originating location and the destination location,

wherein the desired route does not have the at least one risk attribute.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the retrieving and the determining the desired route are iterated until the destination location is reached.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, further comprising processor-executable instruction sequences for:

presenting the dynamic condition information, retrieved by the retrieving, to the user;

interactively acquiring a navigation change request, the navigation change request being specified by the user based on the dynamic condition information presented to the user by the presenting; and

updating the navigation request based on the navigation change request, prior to the determining the at least one candidate route.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, further comprising processor-executable instruction sequences for:

navigating along the desired route, determined by the determining the desired route;

determining the speed at which the user is moving towards the destination location;

estimating time of arrival at the destination location based on the speed, the destination location description, and the dynamic condition information; and

informing the user about the time of arrival.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, further comprising processor-executable instruction sequences for:

receiving a query from a user for at least one desired destination location;

retrieving dynamic condition information based on the query;

determining zero or more destination locations that satisfy the query using dynamic condition information;

selecting a destination location from the zero or more destination locations by the user; and

generating the navigation request based on the destination location selected by the user.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the query specifies a type of destination location and at least one query criterion.