Systems, functional data, and methods to bias map matching

• US 6,845,320 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2003
• Issued: 01/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garmin Limited
• Original Assignee: Garmin Limited
• Inventors: Krull, Jay Dee, Tompkins, Mark D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US10/365,169
• Publication Number:
  US 20030158659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: 701/209, 701/211, 701/200, 340/991, 340/993, 340/995, 731/78.R
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching

Abstract

Devices, systems, functional data and methods are provided for biasing an active location to an acceptable location within a planned route of a map. The navigational device with map biasing capabilities includes a processor communicating with a memory. In biasing a map, an active position and a planned position are received, and an active score and a planned score are associated with each position, respectively. The active position is checked to ensure it falls within a second range, and if it does the active score is made to fall within a first range associated with the planned score, such that the active position is biased to appear as if it were the planned position.

Claims

1. A navigation system, comprising:

a navigation device in communication with a positioning system to determine a current position for the navigation device; and

a set of executable instructions processing on the navigation device that biases the current position of the navigation device to a route position on a planned route when the current position when compared to thorough fare positions is within a threshold, wherein the threshold is a predefined value representing an acceptable delta distance from the route position.

2. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the current position, the route position, and the thoroughfare positions are dynamically updated as the navigation device moves.

3. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the navigation device is portable.

4. The navigation system of claim 3, wherein the navigation device is a personal digital assistant.

5. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the score is generated by uses velocity information and bearing information associated with the current position.

6. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the navigation device is in wireless communication with the positioning system.

7. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the navigation audibly and visually communicates the current position, the route position, and the planned route.