Navigation device and method providing a logging function

• US 9,329,048 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TomTom Navigation B.V (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: TomTom International BV (TomTom NV)
• Inventors: Yakali, Hakan
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kong, Sze-Hon
• Application Number:
  US13/616,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20130013192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,327 Days
• Field of Search: 369/21, 701/32.4, 701/33.4, 701/454, 701/461, 701/466, 701/521, 701/400, 701/408, 701/409, 701/424, 701/425, 701/430, 701/467, 701/468, 701/483, 701/519
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/02 Registering or indicating driving, working, idle, or waiting time only apparatus forming part of taximeters G07B13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method of providing a logging function in a portable navigation device and a portable device adapted to provide such a function are described. The method includes the step of storing location information relating to current position and time-specific information relating to a current position in a non-volatile memory of the device to create a log. The storage of such information only occurs when one of a specified set of events occurs, the set of events being specific to either a navigation mode or a free-driving mode of operation of the device.

Claims

1. A method of providing a logging function in a personal navigation device, the method comprising the steps of:

storing information relating to current position and time-specific information relating to said current position in a non-volatile memory of the device to create a log file, said step of storing occurring only when one of a specified set of events occurs, said set of events being at least one of;

user-specification of an spatial, temporal or device event, changing an activity between business and personal, reaching a destination, powering the device on and/or off, being stationary at a location for more than a predetermined time period, arriving at or departing from any favorite or recent location stored in the memory of the device, and arriving at or departing from any home location stored in the memory of the device;

receiving a navigation mode or a free-driving mode of operation selection on the navigation device, wherein the selection causes an automatic storing of information related to a selectable additional set of events specific to either the navigation mode or the free-driving mode that are different for each of the mode of operation; and

compressing a collection of events in said log file that were collected in said free-driving mode, said compressing comprising;

determining, based on information in said log file, two or more locations that were traveled to during said free-driving mode;

calculating a notional route between said two or more locations;

iterating through event information included in said log file to determine whether any of said two or more locations are present on said notional route; and

when said two or more locations are represented on said notional route, replacing, in said log file, some or all of said collection of events by said notional route.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said set of events or said additional set of events can be defined as a state change of a setting within the navigation device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said additional set of events particular to the navigation mode include at least one of a calculation of a new route, recalculation of a new route, deviation from a previously calculated route, and every turn or route change made at any route intersection;

and

said set of events particular to the free driving mode being a deviation of the navigation device from the current direction and road along which the device is traveling.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether a logging function is enabled on said navigation device, and performing the logging function only if such a function is enabled.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the navigation mode of operation of said device, said set of events which triggers a logging of information, includes powering on or off of the device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the freedriving mode, said event of a deviation of the navigation device from the current direction and road along which the device is traveling triggers a logging of information when said navigation device recognizes a change in road identification, as represented in map data by reference to which current device location is identified to said user.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of determining whether said device is operating in a business or personal capacity, and logging information in a manner categorized according to the business or personal use of the navigation device.

8. A navigation device for providing a logging function, the navigation device comprising:

a memory; and

a processor, the processor being arranged to store information relating to current position and time-specific information relating to said current position in a non-volatile memory of the device to create a log file, said step of storing occurring only when one of a specified set of events occurs, said set of events being at least one of;

user-specification of an spatial, temporal or device event, changing an activity between business and personal, reaching a destination, powering the device on and/or of being stationary at a location for more than a predetermined time period, arriving at or departing from any favorite or recent location stored in the memory of the device, and arriving at or departing from any home location stored in the memory of the device;

receive a navigation mode or a free-driving mode of operation selection on the navigation device, wherein the selection causes a selectable automatic storing of information related to an additional set of events specific to either the navigation mode or the free-driving mode that are different for each of the mode of operation; and

compressing a collection of events in said log file that were collected in said free-driving mode, said compressing comprising;

determining, based on information in said log file, two or more locations that were traveled to during said free-driving mode;

calculating a notional route between said two or more locations;

iterating through event information included in said log file to determine whether any of said two or more locations are present on said notional route; and

when said two or more locations are represented on said notional route, replacing, in said log file, some or all of said collection of events by said notional route.

9. The navigation device according to claim 8, wherein said set of events or said additional set of events can be defined as a state change of a setting within the navigation device.

10. The navigation device according to claim 8, wherein said additional set of events particular to the navigation mode include at least one of a calculation of a new route, recalculation of a new route, deviation from a previously calculated route, and every turn or route change made at any route intersection;

and

said set of events particular to the free driving mode being a deviation of the navigation device from the current direction and road along which the device is traveling.

11. The navigation device according to claim 8, wherein said processor is further arranged to:

determine whether a logging function is enabled on said personal navigation device; and

perform the logging function only if such a function is enabled.

12. The navigation device according to claim 8, wherein, in the navigation mode of operation of said navigation device, said set of events which triggers a logging of information, includes powering on or off of the device.

13. The navigation device according to claim 8, wherein, in a free-driving mode, said event of a deviation of the navigation device from the current direction and road along which the device is traveling triggers a logging of information when said navigation device recognizes a change in road identification, as represented in map data by reference to which current device location is identified to said user.

14. The navigation device according to claim 8, wherein said processor is further arranged to:

determine whether said device is operating in a business or personal capacity; and

log information in a manner categorized according to the business or personal use of the navigation device.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium which stores a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for method of providing a logging function in a personal navigation device, the method comprising the steps of:

storing information relating to current position and time-specific information relating to said current position in a non-volatile memory of the device to create a log file, said step of storing occurring only when one of a specified set of events occurs, said set of events being at least one of;

user-specification of an spatial, temporal or device event, changing an activity between business and personal, reaching a destination, powering the device on and/or off, being stationary at a location for more than a predetermined time period, arriving at or departing from any favorite or recent location stored in the memory of the device, and arriving at or departing from any home location stored in the memory of the device;

receiving a navigation mode or a free-driving mode of operation selection on the navigation device, wherein the selection causes an automatic storing of information related to a selectable additional set of events specific to either the navigation mode or the free-driving mode that are different for each of the mode of operation; and

compressing a collection of events in said log file that were collected in said free-driving mode, said compressing comprising;

determining, based on information in said log file, two or more locations that were traveled to during said free-driving mode;

calculating a notional route between said two or more locations;

iterating through event information included in said log file to determine whether any of said two or more locations are present on said notional route; and

when said two or more locations are represented on said notional route, replacing, in said log file, some or all of said collection of events by said notional route.

16. The computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein said additional set of events particular to the navigation mode include at least one of a calculation of a new route, recalculation of a new route, deviation from a previously calculated route, and every turn or route change made at any route intersection;

and

said set of events particular to the free driving mode being a deviation of the navigation device from the current direction and road along which the device is traveling.