Non real time traffic system for a navigator

• US 6,604,047 B1
• Filed: 08/03/2001
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Scott C Harris
• Original Assignee: Scott C Harris
• Inventors: Harris, Scott C.
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US09/682,200
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/201, 701/206, 701/207, 701/211, 701/213, 701/214, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995, 342/357.01, 342/357.06, 342/357.08, 342/357.13
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages

Abstract

A system for improving the operation of a GPS based navigator. Statistical and/or time of day information is used to select the best route between a current location and a desired location. The statistical information may take into account anomalies, and a user can select the amount of risk they which take. The system can be updated with more updated information. In addition, the selection of the desired location can be carried out by downloading information from a PDA.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a position monitoring element, monitoring a current position; and

a processor element, allowing mapping between the current position and a desired location, said mapping carried out based on statistical information about routes between the current position and the desired location.

2. A system as in claim 1, wherein said processor element includes a memory storing map information, and time information about a time to travel between different locations within the map information, wherein said time information includes information as a function of time of day that the traveling will occur.

3. A system as in claim 2, wherein said time information further includes information about higher order statistical variations within the time to travel between said different parts.

4. A system as in claim 1, further comprising a user interface, allowing a user to select the desired location.

5. A system as in claim 4, wherein said user interface includes an interface to a PDA allowing information in the PDA to be used to select the desired location.

6. A system as in claim 1, further comprising an update function, providing more updated information about said routes.

7. A system as in claim 1, wherein said processor element carries out said mapping by first mapping a portion of the route closest to the current position, but less than the entire portion of the route, beginning a guiding operation which guides a user of the system along the route, and subsequently finishing said mapping by mapping the remainder of the entire portion of the route.

8. A system as in claim 7, wherein said portion of the route closest to the current position includes a portion of the route which will take a specified amount of time to travel.

9. A system, comprising:

a position monitoring element, monitoring a current position; and

a processor element, allowing mapping between the current position and a desired location, said mapping carried out based on information about routes between the current position and the desired location which is specific to a specified time of day.

10. A system as in claim 9, wherein said processor element includes a memory storing map information, said map information including time information to move between different parts in a map within the map information as a function of time of day, and wherein said mapping comprises selecting mapping information based on a current time of day from different information within said map information.

11. A system as in claim 10, wherein said processor element also carries out mapping based on statistical information about said routes.

12. A system as in claim 11, wherein said statistical information includes at least standard deviation of time to traverse the route.

13. A system as in claim 9, further comprising a PDA, physically separate from said processor element, having a user interface allowing a user to select the desired location, wherein said PDA includes an interface to said processor element, allowing the PDA to provide information to the processor element.

14. A system as in claim 9, wherein said position monitoring element includes a GPS system.

15. A system, comprising:

a position monitoring element, monitoring a current position of an installed vehicle, said position monitoring element producing information indicative of said current position;

a processor element, including an associated memory, responsive to said information indicative of said current position, operating to determine mapping information, based on stored map data in said memory, and to determine information about said current position relative to the said mapping information; and

a user interface for said processor element, and enabling entry of information to obtain said mapping information, said user interface including an interface to a PDA which enables information in the PDA to be used to select said mapping information.

16. A system as in claim 15, wherein said mapping information includes a map of a route to a desired location, and wherein said information in the PDA is used to set said desired location.

17. A system as in claim 16, wherein said information in the PDA includes an address for a desired contact, which address is used to set said desired location.

18. A system as in claim 16, wherein said mapping information includes routing information between said current position and said desired location.

19. A system as in claim 16, wherein said interface to the PDA includes an infrared interface.

20. A system as in claim 16, wherein said interface to the PDA includes a wired interface.

21. A system as in claim 16, wherein said interface to the PDA includes an interface connection that is used for synchronizing the PDA contents with another computer.

22. A system, comprising:

a memory, storing mapping information,

a user interface, allowing the selection of a destination; and

a processor, operating based on said selection of said destination, and said mapping information from said memory, to calculate automatically a route to said destination, said processor operating to first map a first portion of the route which will first be followed and produce an output indicative of a display of information, and to subsequently map a second portion of the route, after said output is produced.

23. A system as in claim 22, wherein said first portion includes a portion of the route which will take a specified amount of time to travel.

24. A system as in claim 22, further comprising a position monitoring element, monitoring a current position, and wherein said processor calculates said route from said current position to said destination.