Electronic navigation system and method

• US 6,614,363 B1
• Filed: 05/18/2000
• Issued: 09/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navigation Technologies Corp. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Jones, Randall B., Behr, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US09/572,877
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• Field of Search: 340/995, 340/990, 340/991, 340/989, 340/993, 340/994, 340/928, 340/905, 340/988, 701/208, 701/211, 701/200, 701/209, 701/201
• US Class Current: 340/995.19
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3896 Transmission of map data from central databases
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096816 where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096822 where the segments of the route are transmitted to the vehicle at different locations and times
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096861 where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096894 where input is assisted by the navigation device, i.e. the user does not type the complete name of the destination, e.g. using zip codes, telephone numbers, progressively selecting from initial letters

Abstract

The invention provides a method and system for providing route guidance and other information from a base unit to a remote unit in response to a request from the remote unit. A query is formatted at the remote unit, the query including the request, and is transmitted from the remote unit to the base unit. Requested route guidance information is calculated at the base unit in response to the query, using a large up-to-date database located at the base unit. A response to the query is formatted at the base unit, the response including route guidance information. The response is then transmitted from the base unit to the remote unit for display. The transmission is made in a compact form through the use of maneuver arms and combined maneuver arms and through the use of tokenized forms. A maneuver arm represents a road at an intersection, for depiction on a display, by one or two endpoint coordinates. The tokenized forms are expanded at the remote unit into textual driving instructions for each of one or more languages. In addition, the amount of information available at a remote unit can be increased by providing the remote unit with information from the base unit which is not adequately covered by any databases on-board the remote unit.

Claims

1. A navigation information services provider system, comprising:

a base unit, wherein said base unit comprises;

an I/O interface that exchanges data messages, wherein said data messages include query messages sent from a plurality of remote units, wherein said plurality of remote units include at least a plurality of mobile units having wireless communication equipment, and wherein said data messages further include reply messages sent from said base unit;

programming logic that provides multiple navigation services, wherein said multiple navigation services include at least;

route guidance services wherein first query messages from said plurality of remote units, each of said first query messages identifying an origin and a destination, are responded to with corresponding first reply messages, each corresponding first reply message providing route guidance information for travelling from the respective identified origin to the respective identified destination; and

language query services, wherein second query messages from said plurality of remote units, each second query message requesting a list of available languages in which navigation services can be provided, are responded to with corresponding second reply messages, each corresponding second reply message providing a list of languages in which navigation services are available.

2. A system supporting the distribution of navigation services, comprising:

a base unit as set forth in claim 1, and

a plurality of remote units, wherein said plurality of remote units includes at least a plurality of mobile units, wherein each of said plurality of mobile units includes wireless communication equipment that enable transmission of query messages from a respective one of said plurality of mobile units and receipt of reply messages from said base unit.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein each of said plurality of mobile units further comprises a GPS system.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein said plurality of remote units further comprises:

a plurality of desktop computers, each of which includes communication equipment that enables transmission of query messages from a respective one of said plurality of desktop computers and receipt of reply messages from said base unit.

5. The invention of claim 1, wherein said base unit further comprises:

a map database including information on a roadway network within at least one geographic area, wherein said map database is accessible by said programming logic to provide said multiple navigation services.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said data messages are exchanged over a TCP/IP network.