Navigation method, system or service and computer program product

• US 8,788,192 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2005
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines SA (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McMahan, Paul F., Uthe, Robert T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Amin, Bhavesh V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kiswanto, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US10/908,585
• Publication Number:
  US 20060265119A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,352 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/411
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers

Abstract

A navigation method, system, service and computer program product may include providing enhanced travel instructions in response to receiving a destination and detailed travel directions from at least one waypoint to the destination being available.

Claims

1. A navigation method, comprising:

receiving a destination by a navigation device;

calculating a route from a first location to a waypoint by the navigation device, the waypoint being a location proximate to the destination; and

providing detailed travel directions via a non-GPS network from the waypoint to the destination by the navigation device so that the navigation device provides complete directions from the first location to the destination in response to the detailed travel directions from the waypoint to the destination being available, wherein the detailed travel directions comprise landmarks or visual cues to define a path for guidance from the waypoint to the destination, the detailed travel directions being provided and customized by an entity affiliated with the destination; and

determining a distance of the path from the waypoint to the destination; and

one of;

rejecting the detailed travel directions in response to the distance of the path exceeding a predetermined threshold; and

ranking the detailed travel directions as unfavorable in response to the distance of the path exceeding the predetermined threshold;

wherein the method further comprises;

determining the distance of the path defined by the detailed travel directions by the navigation device; and

providing a safeguard that the detailed travel directions are bogus in response to the distance from the waypoint to the destination exceeding the predetermined threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising prompting the user for a travel time and date in response to time sensitive detailed travel directions being available from the waypoint to the destination.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a list of different multiple detailed travel directions in response to multiple detailed directions being available.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a ranked list of different multiple sets of detailed travel directions in response to different multiple sets of detailed travel directions being available, wherein the different multiple sets of detailed travel directions are ranked according to at least one predetermined criteria, the at least one predetermined criteria comprising previous user feedback, and previous user ranking.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing at least one of missed destination visual cues and recovery instructions.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a graphical representation of the detailed travel directions.

2. A navigation service executed by a processor, comprising:

at least one set of detailed travel directions from at least one waypoint to a destination provided from a non-GPS source, wherein the at least one waypoint comprises a location proximate to the destination, and wherein the at least one set of detailed travel directions are provided and customized by an entity affiliated with the destination and comprises;

a list of multiple sets of detailed directions sorted or ranked by at least one predetermined criteria;

a set of landmarks or visual cues associated with each set of detailed directions to define a path for guidance from the waypoint to the destination;

a set of visual cues available in response to passing the destination; and

a set of recovery directions available in response to passing the destination; and

wherein a distance of the path from the waypoint to the destination is determined; and

one of;

the detailed travel directions are rejected in response to the distance of the path exceeding a predetermined threshold; and

the detailed travel directions are ranked as unfavorable in response to the distance of the path exceeding the predetermined threshold;

wherein

the distance of the path defined by the detailed travel directions by the navigation device is determined; and

a safeguard that the detailed travel directions are bogus is provided in response to the distance from the waypoint to the destination exceeding the predetermined threshold.

9. The navigation service of claim 2, further comprising means for ranking the multiple sets of detailed directions based on previous user feedback, and previous user ranking.

10. The navigation service of claim 2, wherein the at least one predetermined criteria for sorting or ranking the multiple sets of detailed directions comprises any time sensitive information, previous user feedback, previous user ranking, most scenic routes, shortest travel time, shortest travel distance, most use of expressways, least use of expressways and any other parameters entered by a user.

3. A computer program product to improve navigation accuracy, comprising:

non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable medium comprising;

computer readable program code configured to provide detailed travel directions from a waypoint to a destination in response to receiving the destination and the detailed travel directions from the waypoint to the destination being available, wherein the waypoint comprises a location proximate to the destination, and wherein the detailed travel directions comprise landmarks or visual cues to define a path for guidance from the waypoint to the destination, the detailed travel directions being provided and customized by an entity located at the destination; and

computer readable program code configured to determine a distance of the path from the waypoint to the destination; and

one of;

computer readable program code configured to reject the detailed travel directions in response to the distance of the path exceeding a predetermined threshold; and

computer readable program code configured to rank the detailed travel directions as unfavorable in response to the distance of the path exceeding the predetermined threshold;

computer readable program code configured to determine the distance of the path defined by the detailed travel directions by the navigation device; and

computer readable program code configured to provide a safeguard that the detailed travel directions are bogus in response to the distance from the waypoint to the destination exceeding the predetermined threshold.

11. The computer program product of claim 3, further comprising computer readable program code configured to prompt a user for a travel time and date in response to time sensitive detailed travel directions being available from the waypoint to the destination.

12. The computer program product of claim 3, further comprising computer readable program code configured to provide at least one of:

a set of time sensitive detailed directions;

a list of multiple sets of detailed directions sorted or ranked by at least one predetermined criteria;

a set of visual cues available in response to passing the destination;

a set of recovery directions available in response to passing the destination; and

a set of graphical representations of a route defined by the detailed directions.

13. The computer program product of claim 3, further comprising computer readable program code configured to provide a ranked list of different multiple sets of detailed travel directions in response to different multiple sets of detailed travel directions being available, wherein the different multiple sets of detailed travel directions are ranked according to at least one predetermined criteria, the at least one predetermined criteria comprising any time sensitive information, previous user feedback, previous user ranking, most scenic routes, shortest travel time, shortest travel distance, most use of expressways, least use of expressways and any other parameters entered by a user.

14. The computer program product of claim 3, further comprising computer readable program code configured to provide a graphical representation of the detailed travel directions.

15. The computer program product of claim 3, further comprising computer readable program code configured to provide at least one of a missed destination visual cue and recovery instructions in response to traveling past the destination.