Navigation Technologies Corporation

Jerry S Feigen

John C Jasper

Richard A Ashby

David S Lampert

Robert P Fernekes

Vijaya S Israni

Paul M Bouzide

Senthil K Natesan

Grant S Killey

Robert Chojnacki

Stephan V Bechtolsheim

Larry Dunn

Michele Roser

A Merri Boylan

Matthias Schmitt

Andreas Hecht

Yuksel Alp Aslandogan

A method and system for use by driver assistance systems installed in a motor vehicle to continuously provide such systems with updated data about paths along roads onto which the motor vehicle can travel from a current position of the motor vehicle as the motor vehicle travels along said roads. The method includes accessing a database that contains data that represents segments of roads and intersections of a road network located in a geographic region in which the motor vehicle is traveling and determining one or more paths along roads onto which the motor vehicle can travel from a current position of the motor vehicle. Each path is extended out to a threshold. Data representing each of the paths is provided in an organized data structure for use by the driver assistance systems.

Method and system for providing an electronic horizon in an advanced driver assistance system architecture

A system and method are disclosed that make operation of an emergency vehicle safer. When an emergency vehicle is traveling to or from an emergency, a route for the emergency vehicle to travel is calculated using a navigation system. Traffic signals along the calculated route are controlled to give the emergency vehicle the right-of-way along the calculated route. In addition, data indicating the calculated route of the emergency vehicle are transmitted to other vehicles located along the calculated route. In each of these other vehicles, warnings are provided to the vehicle drivers. These warnings indicate the presence of the emergency vehicle and optionally, the expected path of travel of the emergency vehicle.

Method and system for safe emergency vehicle operation using route calculation

A process and system for collecting data about roads located in a geographic area and using the collected data to develop representations of the locations and geometry of the roads for a geographic database. A vehicle in which data acquisition equipment is installed is driven on the roads. Using the data acquisition equipment, data are collected representing positions of the vehicle as it is being driven along the roads and data indicating the path of the vehicle as it is being driven along the roads. The data acquired while traveling may be smoothed and fused. The data acquired while traveling are processed by a program that automatically selects which of the data are necessary to provide a specified level of accuracy in a geographic database that includes data that represent the roads including data that represent positions and geometry of the roads. The data selected by the program are stored in the geographic database.

Method and system for automatic generation of shape and curvature data for a geographic database

A system and method are disclosed that make a navigation system easier to use. According to one aspect of the disclosed system and method, an end-user is permitted to define at least one preferred cities list. The cities included on the preferred cities list are selected by the end-user from all the available cities that are represented in the geographic database used by the navigation system. Thereafter, when the preferred cities list is in use and the end-user operates the navigation system to provide a function that requires that the end-user make a selection of a city, the end-user is presented with a list of the cities from the preferred cities list instead of all the available cities represented in the geographic database used by the navigation system. The preferred cities list is not restricted to cities, but may also include any kinds of places or administrative areas. According to another aspect of the disclosed system and method, the end-user can define a preferred cities list using a graphical image representation of a geographic area. The end-user defines the boundaries of a shape overlaid on the graphical image representation of a geographic area. Each city or administrative area any part of which is encompassed within the geographic boundaries corresponding to the shape drawn on the graphical image representation is included in a preferred cities list. According to yet another aspect of the disclosed system and method, the end-user defines a preferred area that is not restricted to city boundaries. The end-user defines the boundaries of a shape overlaid on the graphical image representation of a geographic area. Thereafter, when the preferred area is used and the end-user operates the navigation system to provide a function, the function is limited to only those places, locations, and so on, that are within the geographic area corresponding to the defined shape.

Method and system for providing end-user preferences with a navigation system

An improved method and system that provides for a data access interface layer in a navigation system. The navigation system is of the type that includes a navigation application software program that provides navigating features to a user of the system and a geographic database stored on a computer-readable storage medium wherein the geographical database includes information relating to the geographical region about which the navigation system provides the navigation features to the user. The data access interface layer is preferably stored in the navigation system as a library of software functions. The data access interface layer operates in conjunction with the navigation system application software. The data access interface layer isolates the navigation application software from the geographic data which are stored on the storage medium. The data access interface layer intercepts requests by the navigation application software for geographic data. The data access interface layer retrieves geographic data from the storage medium and converts the data into a format usable by the navigation application software. The data access interface layer also provides for memory management that facilitates accessing and using geographic data from the particular storage medium quickly and efficiently. By recognizing that different media types have different physical formats, the data access interface layer accommodates and isolates the differences so that the portions of the data access interface layer that interact with the navigation application software can be generic.

Interface layer for navigation system

A process and system for collecting data about roads located in a geographic area and using the collected data to develop representations of the roads for a geographic database. Data representing positions along roads are acquired using equipment installed in a vehicle which is driven on the roads. The data acquired while driving may be smoothed and fused. The data acquired while driving are processed by a program that automatically determines new coordinates to adjust the represented positions to align with the centerlines of the represented roads. Data including the new coordinates are stored in the geographic database.

Method and system for automatic centerline adjustment of shape point data for a geographic database

Growing community of inventors

Chicago, IL, United States of America

Jerry S Feigen