Patent Application
20080228397
The present invention relates generally to route location determination, and more particularly to determining an address of a route destination
Navigation systems are well known for guiding a user. Typically, present navigation systems generate a route between a source and a destination when the addresses for the same are fed into the system. For example, MapQuest determines a route between two locations when addresses for both the locations are provided to the system. Present navigation systems may generate shortest distance or fastest route, but there exists no navigation system that can determine address of a destination from a description of a route to the destination.
The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views and which together with the detailed description below are incorporated in and form part of the specification, serve to further illustrate various embodiments and to explain various principles and advantages all in accordance with the present invention.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
Before describing in detail embodiments that are in accordance with the present invention, it should be observed that the embodiments reside primarily in user electronic device that function in a system. Accordingly, the apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.
In this document, relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by “comprises . . . a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.
For the illustrated route 100, after the first via point 106 and the first segment 104 are determined, the user may say “turn right from the first intersection and move on road B until road B intersects with road C and then take a left from the intersection of road B and road C”. The route 100 on road B may be referred to as a second segment 108 and the intersection of road B and road C may be referred to as a second via point 110. The user may also provide information regarding the distance to be traveled in a certain direction. After the second segment 108 and the second via point 110 are determined, the electronic device 300 may ask the user for the verification of the second via point 110 and the second segment 108. When the second segment 110 and the second via point 110 are verified, the electronic device 300 stores the information about both the second via point 110 and the second segment 108 into the memory 304. If the second segment 108 and the second via point 110 as determined by the electronic device 300 do not come out to be the segment and via point as explained by the user, then the electronic device 300 may discard the information. Then, the electronic device 300 asks the user to provide the information again, in some instances in a different manner. The user then provides the information again and when the route 100 generated by the electronic device 300 is verified by the user then the electronic device 300 may ask the user for next set of commands.
After the second segment 108 and the second via point 110 are determined, a similar method is followed to determine more segments (such as segments 112, 116, 122, 129) and via points (such as via points 114, 118, 124, 128) until the route 100 to an approximate location 132 near the destination 134 is described. Furthermore, in addition to the intersections, via points may be identified using landmarks or structures (120, 126) to determine the approximate location 132 of the destination 134. For example, when the user says “turn left from the structure 120”, then the structure 120 may be referred to as fourth via point 118. The user may also point out a landmark and refer the landmark as via point to give further directions to the electronic device 300. For example, the user may say “go to the water tower and take the first right turn” (not shown in
The electronic device 300 may also generate a specific via list without creating fake stopping points. The specific via list may exclude fake stopping points. The fake stopping points may include points where the user may stop for not so good reasons like stopping at a petrol station for fuel, etc., which may be indicated as such by the user.
After the approximate location 132 is determined, a candidate address 130 is also determined by the electronic device 300. The candidate address 130 is an address that is typically one that is nearest to the approximate location 132. The approximate location 132 and the candidate address 130 are the key factors to determine the address of the destination 134.
Referring to
At step 204, the electronic device 300 receives information from the user about the segment of the route 100. In some of the embodiments in which the user travels on the route 100, the information may be received from the GPS device. Receiving information about the segment of the route 100 from the user further comprises receiving at least one of the (a) identification of a path, (b) one or more distances along the path, (c) one or more intersections along the path, (d) one or more structures along the path, (e) one or more stroke inputs from the touch sensitive device and (f) one or more inputs from the GPS device.
In addition, a map may be presented and the interpretation of the electronic device 300 of the route 100 may be shown and corrected until the route 100 to the destination 134 is generated. If the map is not presented to the user, the user explains the route 100 to the electronic device 300 as described above. The map may be stored either internal to the electronic device 300 or in an external memory 304/server 310 (as shown in
At step 206, the electronic device 300 determines the segment and a new via point using a map database. The map database may be stored either internal to the electronic device 300 or in an external memory 304/sever 310. At step 208, the electronic device 300 determines whether the new via point is the final via point (that is, the final via point before the destination 134). This may be done by an input from the user identifying a via point as the final via point, or may be done by determining that an input from the user is an approximate location 132 of the destination 134, from which it may be deduced that the previous via point was the final via point. When the new via point is not the final via point, the electronic device 300 receives information from the user again about the further segments of the route 100. The steps of receiving the information and determining the segments continue until the new via point is the final via point. When the new via point is the final via point, the electronic device 300 may then determine a final segment 129. The final segment 129 may be defined as the route 100 from the final via point to the approximate location 132. The final segment 129 may also be used to determine the approximate location 132 or/and the address of the destination 134. As an alternative to using a distance or an easily identifiable structure to define the approximate location 132 or the address of the destination 134, a plurality of structures may be used. For example, another way to determine the approximate location 132 or the address of the destination 134 may be to count structures, for example, 5th house on the right, along the final segment.
Vectors may be defined, used or even drawn between via points, but in many embodiments, the electronic device 300 may establish geographic locations of succeeding via points of connected segments in the route 100. The segments may follow the paths, roads, rail track, bike trails, walkways, etc and the segments may not necessarily be straight. Vectors may be generated by differences in GPS locations or by commands such as left, right, distance, etc.
At step 210, the electronic device 300 determines the approximate location 132. At step 212, the electronic device 300 determines the candidate address 130 nearest to the approximate location 132 of the destination 134 using an address database. The address database may be stored either internal to the electronic device 300 or in an external memory 304/server 310. At step 214, it may be determined whether the candidate address 130 and the approximate location 132 meet a criterion. In some embodiments, the candidate address 130 and the approximate location 132 are said to meet the criterion when the distance between the candidate address 130 and the approximate location 132 is less than a predetermined distance, such as 100 yards or any such distance. When the candidate address 130 and the approximate location 132 do not meet the criterion, the electronic device 300 may ask the user to provide the information again, in some instances in a different manner. Alternatively, the electronic device 300 may determine a plurality of candidate addresses close to the approximate location 132 when the criterion is not met. The electronic device 300 may calculate the distance and direction of each of the plurality of candidate addresses from the approximate location 132 and present the distance and direction of each to the user, so that the user may choose the appropriate one of them and select the candidate address 130. When the candidate address 130 and the approximate location 132 meet the criterion, the electronic device 300 determines the address of the destination 134.
Referring to
The at least one memory 304 may be used to store a map database and/or an address database. The processor 306 may access the map database and the address database from the at least one memory 304. The server 310 may also be used by the processor 306 to access the map database and the address database.
At least one input device 308 is used by a user to provide information to the electronic device 300. The one input device 308 may be, for example, a keyboard, a microphone and speaker, a touch sensitive device, a GPS device, etc. At least one output modality 302 could be, for example, a display or a text to speech modality for the user. The output modality 308 may be used to display information related to the destination 134 or/and approximate location 132 or/and candidate address 130. For example, the information could be the address of the destination 134/approximate location 132 or it could be the name of the resident at the destination 134/approximate location 132 or it could be the name of the building/business, etc. The information may be determined by the electronic device 300.
The processor 306 is controlled by programmed instructions stored in the at least one memory 304. The processor 306 perform the functions of (a) receiving information from the user about a segment of a route 100, using the at least one input device 308, (b) determining the segment and a new via point using the map database stored in the at least one memory 304, (c) determine whether the new via point is a final via point, (d) determining the address of the destination 134 after the new via point has been determined to be the final via point, and (e) presenting the address of the destination 134 on the at least one output modality 302. The processor 306 may also determine a candidate address 130 and may also present information related to the candidate address 130 at the least one output modality 302.
It will be appreciated that embodiments of the invention described herein may be comprised of one or more conventional processor 306 and unique stored program instructions that control the one or more processors 306 to implement, in conjunction with certain non-processor circuits, some, most, or all of the functions of descriptive route generation methods described herein. The non-processor circuits may include, but are not limited to, a radio receiver, a radio transmitter, signal drivers, clock circuits, power source circuits, and user input devices. As such, these functions may be interpreted as steps of a method to perform descriptive route generation methods. Alternatively, some or all functions could be implemented by a state machine that has no stored program instructions, or in one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), in which each function or some combinations of certain of the functions are implemented as custom logic. Of course, a combination of the two approaches could be used. Thus, methods and means for these functions have been described herein. Further, it is expected that one of ordinary skill, notwithstanding possibly significant effort and many design choices motivated by, for example, available time, current technology, and economic considerations, when guided by the concepts and principles disclosed herein will be readily capable of generating such software instructions and programs and ICs with minimal experimentation.
In the foregoing specification, specific embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of present invention. The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all the claims. The invention is defined solely by the appended claims including any amendments made during the pendency of this application and all equivalents of those claims as issued.
