Navigation system

• US 9,177,471 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2012
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hinz, Ole
• Primary Examiner(s): Algahaim, Helal A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hilgendorf, Dale W
• Application Number:
  US13/421,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20120239281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,327 Days
• Field of Search: 701/414, 701/421, 701/439, 701/516
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages

Abstract

A system provides a description of a road segment using location reference points. The system may receive traffic information about a road segment along a road. The system may determine two sets of location reference points based on the traffic information. The system may generate a description of the road segment based on the two determined sets of location reference points.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing a description of a road segment, the method comprising:

selecting two first location reference extension points to identify a road that includes the road segment, wherein a first point of the two first location reference extension points corresponds to a first location along the road and a second point of the two first location reference extension points corresponds to a second location along the road;

determining a first distance between the first point and the road segment and a second distance between the second point and the road segment;

selecting, based on the first distance and the second distance, two second location reference extension points to identify a portion of the road that is located between the first location and the second location, wherein the portion of the road includes the road segment;

generating, via a processor, the description of the road segment based on the two first location reference extension points and the two second location reference extension points, wherein the description identifies the road using the two first location reference extension points and identifies the road segment using the two second location reference extension points;

generating a textual output of the road segment based on the description; and

causing the textual output to be outputted to a display.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first point of the two first location reference extension points corresponds to a geographic object located at the first location along the road, and the second point of the two first location reference extension points corresponds to a geographic object located at the second location along the road.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a portion of the road segment is located at a connection point representing an intersection between a first path connecting the two first location reference extension points and a second path connecting the two second location extension reference points.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the road segment represents a portion of the road where a traffic event has occurred.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the two second location reference extension points delimit the road segment on the road.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the two first location reference extension points and the two second location reference extension points are selected based on one or more of:

a distance to the road segment, a name of a road between the respective location reference extension points, and a population of geographic areas corresponding to the respective location reference extension points.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each of the selected two second location reference extension points are located along the road.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the selected two second location reference extension points is located along a second road, and wherein the portion of the road is identified using a location reference point where the road and the second road intersect.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein one of the selected two second location reference extension points is located along a second road, wherein another one of the selected two second location reference extension points is located along a third road, and wherein the portion of the road is identified using location reference points respectively located at intersections of the road with the second and third roads.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the two second location reference extension points are not located on the road.

11. A system for generating a description of a road segment, the system comprising:

a receiver configured to receive information about the road segment;

a processing unit configured to;

determine two first location reference extension points identifying a road that includes the road segment, wherein a first point of the two first location reference extension points corresponds to a first location along the road and a second point of the two first location reference extension points corresponds to a second location of the road,

determine a first distance between the first point and the road segment and a second distance between the second point and the road segment; and

determine, based on the first distance and the second distance, two second location reference extension points identifying a portion of the road that is located between the first location and the second location, wherein the portion of the road includes the road segment; and

a message generating unit configured to;

generate the description of the road segment based on the two first location reference extension points and the two second location reference extension points, wherein the description identifies the road using the two first location reference extension points and identifies the road segment using the two second location reference extension points, and

generate a textual output of the road segment based on the description.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the two second location reference extension points identify geographic objects that delimit the road segment of the road.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the geographic objects are villages or urban agglomerations.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the two first location reference extension points and the two second location reference extension points are selected based on one or more of:

a distance to the road segment, a name of a road between the respective location reference extension points, and a population of geographic areas corresponding to the location reference extension points.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the two second location reference extension points are not located on the road.

16. A receiving device configured to alert a user about a traffic event on a road segment, the receiving device comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive a message, the message comprising;

two first location reference extension points identifying a road that includes the road segment experiencing the traffic event, wherein a first point of the two first location reference extension points corresponds to a first location along the road and a second point of the two first location reference extension points corresponds to a second location along the road, and

two second location reference extension points identifying a portion of the road that is located between the first location and the second location, wherein the portion of the road includes the road segment, and the two location reference extension points are determined based on a first distance between the first point and the road segment and a second distance between the second point and the road segment;

a decoder configured to decode the received message and extract the two first location reference extension points and the two second location reference extension points; and

an information unit configured to;

generate a description of the road segment based on the two first location reference extension points and the two second location reference extension points, wherein the description identifies the road using the two first location reference extension points and identifies the road segment using the two second location reference extension points, and

generate a textual output of the road segment based on the description.

17. The receiving device of claim 16, wherein the two second location reference extension points identify geographic objects that delimit the road segment of the road.

18. The receiving device of claim 16, wherein the two first location reference extension points and the two second location reference extension points are selected based on one or more of:

a distance to the road segment, a name of a road between the respective location reference extension points, and a population of geographic areas corresponding to the location reference extension points.

19. The receiving device of claim 16, wherein the two second location reference extension points are not located on the road.