Intelligent route navigation

• US 9,347,780 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2013
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Caine, Horatio, Houston, Daniel S., Krastev, Mihail S., Wallis, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Foster, Gerrad A
• Application Number:
  US14/046,070
• Publication Number:
  US 20140100780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3453 Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3641 Personalized guidance, e.g. limited guidance on previously travelled routes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09

Abstract

Embodiments relate to providing navigation instructions to a user for reaching a destination via a route planned on a map of a navigation system, said map comprising a plurality of road segments, at least a subset of said road segments comprising an assigned familiarity score. An aspect includes tracking a route taken by a user. Another aspect includes calculating an updated familiarity score of the one or more road segments of the tracked route using at least one of a user-defined updating variable and an updating variable based on at least one dynamically obtained actual travelling condition. Yet another aspect includes storing the updated familiarity score in a data storage of the navigation system.

Claims

1. A method for providing navigation instructions to a user for reaching a destination via a planned route on a map of a navigation system, said map comprising a plurality of road segments, at least a subset of said road segments comprising an assigned familiarity score, the method comprising:

determining an identity of a first user of a plurality of users of the navigation system, wherein the navigation system stores a respective profile for each of the plurality of users in a data storage;

tracking a route comprising one or more road segments taken by the first user;

determining, based on the profile of the first user, the assigned familiarity score of the one or more road segments of the tracked route for the first user;

calculating an updated familiarity score of the one or more road segments of the tracked route based on the assigned familiarity score using a user-defined updating variable and an updating variable based on at least one dynamically obtained actual travelling condition, wherein the actual travelling condition comprises an actual weather condition; and

storing the updated familiarity score in the profile of the first user in the data storage of the navigation system, wherein a familiarity scores for the one or more road segments in the profile of the first user is different from a familiarity score for the one or more road segments in a profile of a second user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

planning a route based on a user-specified destination;

selecting navigation instructions based on the updated familiarity score of a set of road segments of the planned route; and

presenting the selected navigation instructions to the user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting the user with a selection menu for selecting the user-defined updating variable; and

receiving the user-defined updating variable from the user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising dynamically obtaining an actual travelling condition by wireless connection to an external data source.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the actual travelling condition further comprises an actual light condition, and an actual traffic condition in an area through which the user is travelling.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the updated familiarity score of the road segment further comprises calculating said updated familiarity score based on a frequency of use of said road segment.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning an initial familiarity score to at least the subset of road segments and storing said initial familiarity score in said data storage.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving a user-defined known area, wherein said assigning comprises assigning a defined familiarity score to all road segments within a known area.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the road segments within said known area are excluded from said updating.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein selecting navigation instructions comprises replacing a first number of navigation instructions for navigating the user over a plurality of road segments of the planned route with a smaller number of navigation instructions in case the updated familiarity score of said plurality of road segments exceeds a defined threshold.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein selecting said navigation instructions comprises:

selecting an initial navigation instruction for navigating the user from a first road segment to a second road segment of the route; and

assigning a relevance score to said initial navigation instruction;

and cancelling the selected initial navigation instruction if a familiarity value of at least one of the road segment and the second road segment is at least the assigned relevance score.

12. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

planning said route between an actual location of the user and a user-defined destination such that the planned route has an optimal aggregate familiarity score;

and planning said route based on profiles of other users of the plurality of users by determining a route that is popular with one or more of the other users.

13. A system for providing navigation instructions to a user for reaching a destination via a planned route on a map of a navigation system, said map comprising a plurality of road segments, at least a subset of said road segments comprising an assigned familiarity score, the system comprising:

an input device, a display device and an audio output device, wherein the input device is configured to receive user input including a destination, the display device is configured to display at least a portion of the map; and

the audio output device is adapted to output the navigation instructions, the system configured to;

determine an identity of a first user of a plurality of users of the navigation system, wherein the navigation system stores a respective profile for each of the plurality of users in a data storage;

track a route comprising one or more road segments taken by the first user;

determine, based on the profile of the first user, the assigned familiarity score of the one or more road segments of the tracked route for the first user;

calculate an updated familiarity score of the one or more road segments of the tracked route based on the assigned familiarity score using a user-defined updating variable and an updating variable based on at least one dynamically obtained actual travelling condition, wherein the actual travelling condition comprises an actual weather condition; and

store the updated familiarity score in the profile of the first user in the data storage of the navigation system, wherein a familiarity scores for the one or underline more road segments in the profile of the first user is different from a familiarity score for the one or more road segments in a profile of a second user.

14. The system of claim 13, the system further configured to plan a route based on a user-specified destination;

select navigation instructions based on the updated familiarity score of a set of road segments of the planned route; and

present the selected navigation instructions to the user.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

presenting the user with a selection menu for selecting the user-defined updating variable; and

receiving the user-defined updating variable from the user.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising dynamically obtaining an actual travelling condition by wireless connection to an external data source.

17. A computer program product for providing navigation instructions to a user for reaching a destination via a planned route on a map of a navigation system, said map comprising a plurality of road segments, at least a subset of said road segments comprising an assigned familiarity score, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code executable by a processor for;

determining an identity of a first user of a plurality of users of the navigation system, wherein the navigation system stores a respective profile for each of the plurality of users in a data storage;

tracking a route comprising one or more road segments taken by the first user;

determining, based on the profile of the first user, the assigned familiarity score of the one or more road segments of the tracked route for the first user;

calculating an updated familiarity score of the one or more road segments of the tracked route based on the assigned familiarity score using a user-defined updating variable and an updating variable based on at least one dynamically obtained actual travelling condition, wherein the actual travelling condition comprises an actual weather condition; and

storing the updated familiarity score in the profile of the first user in the data storage of the navigation system, wherein a familiarity scores for the one or more road segments in the profile of the first user is different from a familiarity score for the one or more road segments in a profile of a second user.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

planning a route based on a user-specified destination;

selecting navigation instructions based on the updated familiarity score of a set of road segments of the planned route; and

presenting the selected navigation instructions to the user.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

presenting the user with a selection menu for selecting the user-defined updating variable; and

receiving the user-defined updating variable from the user.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising dynamically obtaining an actual travelling condition by wireless connection to an external data source.