Navigation Technologies Corporation

Navteq North America, LLC

Here Global B.v.

Robert P Fernekes

Richard A Ashby

Vijaya S Israni

David S Lampert

John C Jasper

Paul M Bouzide

James A Meek

Senthil K Natesan

Nicholas E Smith

William McDonough

Matthew Friederich

Jerry S Feigen

John M Jaugilas

Srinivasa Doddapaneni

Gregory M Nyczak

Asta Kavakh

Grant S Killey

Lawrence M Kaplan

Roy Casino

Aaron I Crane

Michael Livshutz

Lisa M Becker

Joseph P Mays

Bishnu P Phuyal

Joseph Ciprian

Robert Yates

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided for developing an improved route from a navigation mesh. A route is provided, wherein the route includes a plurality of connected nodes having a starting node, an ending node, and internal nodes. Each internal node of the plurality of connected nodes is scored by an algorithm, wherein the score provided for each internal node based on an importance of the respective internal node to the overall shape of the route. The internal node with a score having a least importance on the shape of the route is removed, so long a valid path between the starting node and the ending node is maintained. The process may be repeated until a threshold simplification of the route has been achieved or until no further internal nodes can be removed without creating an invalid path.

Generating routes using navigation meshes

A navigable map database, stored on a computer-readable medium and used with a navigation application program, includes data which are spatially parcelized into a plurality of parcels. Associated with each of the plurality of parcels is a first index which associates the area represented by the data in the parcel with a plurality of sub-areas formed of the area. Also associated with each of the parcels is a second index associating each of the data in the parcel with at least one of the sub-areas. Further disclosed is a method for producing a navigable map database which is parcelized into a plurality of parcels, wherein each of the plurality of parcels includes a first index which associates the area represented by the data in the parcel with a plurality of sub-areas formed of the area and a second index associating each of the data in the parcel with at least one of the sub-areas. Also further disclosed are a program and method for finding data in one or more parcels that match a spatial search criterion using a navigable map database that is parcelized into a plurality of parcels, wherein each of the plurality of parcels includes a first index which associates the area represented by the data in the parcel with a plurality of sub-areas formed of the area and a second index associating each of the data in the parcel with at least one of the sub-areas. The program and method use the first and second indices to identify which of the data in at least one of the plurality of parcels satisfy the spatial search criterion.

Parcelized geographic data medium with internal spatial indices and method and system for use and formation thereof

An improved method and system for storage of data that represent geographic features in a region. The data are organized into parcels each of which contains data that represent those geographic features that are located within a separate one of a plurality of rectangular areas into the region is divided. The method identifies linearly extending features that extend across multiple rectangular areas so that data representing the linearly extending feature can be included in each parcel that contains data that represents a rectangular area in which the linearly extending feature extends at least in part.

System and method for use and storage of geographic data on physical media

A system and method are disclosed that allow a navigation system that uses a geographic database to also use the data in traffic messages broadcast by a traffic broadcast system. One aspect of a present system and method includes the formation, storage, and use of location reference data records in a geographic database used by a navigation system. These location reference data records identify certain other kinds of data records that represent physical geographic features, such as data records that represent segments of roads, as being associated with certain location reference numbers. These location reference records may be included in a geographic database installed in the vehicle or may be provided to vehicles via a wireless communication link. Another aspect of a present system and method includes the formation, storage, and use of one or more indices that relate location reference numbers used by a traffic broadcast system to location reference records in a geographic database used by the navigation system. Another aspect of a present system and method is the formation, storage, and use of data that identify, for each location reference number, the immediately previous and the immediately next location reference number. Still another aspect of a present system and method includes the programming, and methods of use thereof, that query the geographic database and return the data entities associated with certain identified location reference numbers.

Method and system for using real-time traffic broadcasts with navigation systems

A feature provided by a navigation system or other device whereby additional information about roadside signs can be provided to a driver of a vehicle while traveling along a road. The additional information may be provided automatically or in response to a request from the driver. The additional information may include a translation of the sign text into a selected language, supplementary information about the subject matter of the sign, commercial information about the subject matter of the sign, or other kinds of information. In one embodiment, the additional information is contained in a database that includes data identifying locations of roadside signs and additional information about the roadside signs. Programming in the navigation system or other device determines the location of the vehicle, uses the database to identify one or more roadside signs close to the location of the vehicle, and provides the driver with the additional information about the one or more roadside signs via a user interface.

Navigation system with sign assistance

A feature provided by a navigation system or other device whereby additional information about roadside signs can be provided to a driver of a vehicle while travelling along a road. The additional information may be provided automatically or in response to a request from the driver. The additional information may include a translation of the sign text into a selected language, supplementary information about the subject matter of the sign, commercial information about the subject matter of the sign, or other kinds of information. In one embodiment, the additional information is contained in a database that includes data identifying locations of roadside signs and additional information about the roadside signs. Programming in the navigation system or other device determines the location of the vehicle, uses the database to identify one or more roadside signs close to the location of the vehicle, and provides the driver with the additional information about the one or more roadside signs via a user interface.

A geographic database for use with a navigation application program that provides navigation features to an end-user. The geographic database includes a plurality of data records of a first type and a plurality of data records of a second type. The plurality of records of the first type are organized into a plurality of parcels, each of which includes a plurality of data records of the first type and the plurality of records of the second type are organized into a plurality of parcels, each of which includes a plurality of data records of the second type. The parcels of data records of the first type are interleaved with the parcels of data records of the second type. This interleaving enables navigation functions that use these different types to access these different types more quickly and efficiently, thereby enhancing navigation system performance. Also disclosed is a method for forming a geographic database that includes a plurality of data records that represent geographic features and which can be used in a navigation system. The method includes the step of interleaving parcels containing pluralities of data records of a first type with parcels containing pluralities of data records of a second type.

Segment aggregation and interleaving of data types in a geographic database and methods for use thereof in a navigation application

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 program and method are disclosed that provide for determining a position of a vehicle relative to a road network represented by a geographic database. An intermediate position density is determined along a plurality of road segments in the road network by shifting a prior position density which had been determined along the plurality of road segments by a distance traveled by the vehicle since the prior position density had been determined. Then, the intermediate position density is modified to take into account sensor-derived data received since the prior position density had been determined to form a new position density. The sensor-derived data include data indicating three metrics, namely (1) a position of the vehicle, (2) a heading of the vehicle, and (3) a curvature history. The curvature history represents a change of heading of the vehicle as a function of distance. Then, the position of the vehicle is determined to be that location along the plurality of road segments at which the new position density is greatest. Also disclosed is a program and method that operate when it has been determined that the vehicle has just completed a turn. According to this program and method, processed data values from the sensors that indicate the vehicle position are adjusted to correspond to a position along the road network as represented by the geographic database. Further, if it has been determined that the vehicle is located on a straight road segment after having completed a turn, processed data values of the sensors that indicate a vehicle heading are adjusted to correspond to the heading of the straight road segment upon which the vehicle has been determined to be located.

Vehicle positioning using three metrics

A system and method for storing and using data representing crossings of geographic features, and an associated product having the data embodied thereon, for use with a computer based navigation system, is disclosed. A computer-readable medium has computer-readable data embodied thereon that represents geographic features in a geographic region. The computer-readable data includes a plurality of data entities of a first type each of which represents a respective one of a plurality of linearly extending geographic features and a plurality of data entities of a second type each of which represents a respective crossing at which one of the linearly extending geographic features represented by one of the plurality of data entities of the first type crosses over another of the linearly extending geographic features represented by another of the plurality of data entities of the first type at a higher altitude.

Method and system for representation of overlapping features in

A geographic database for use with a navigation application program that provides navigation features to an end-user. The geographic database includes data entities that represent segments of roads and additionally includes data entities that represent aggregations of segments of roads. The data entities that represent aggregations of segments of roads are used during a route calculation by the navigation application to suppress evaluation of roads of lesser functional rank thereby enhancing performance of the navigation system. According to one aspect, each of the data entities that represent segments of roads that represents a segment of a road that together with at least one other segment of a road forms part of an aggregation which is represented by one of the data entities that represent aggregations of segments of roads includes a reference thereto. According to another aspect, each of the data entities that represent aggregations of segments of roads refers to data entities that are abbreviated representations of the segments of roads included in the represented aggregation. Each of the data entities that are abbreviated representations of the segments of roads refers to a corresponding one of the data entities that represent segments of roads that represents the same respective segment of road. According to this aspect, at least some of the data entities that represent aggregations of segments of roads are stored separately from the data entities that are abbreviated representations of the segments of roads included in the represented aggregation. According to a further aspect, the navigation application program uses the references between the data entities that represent segments of roads, the data entities that represent aggregations of segments of roads, and the data entities that are abbreviated representations of the segments of roads included in the represented aggregation to provide navigation features, including evaluating which data entities to use for route calculation and ascertaining whether a solution route has been found.

Growing community of inventors

Wood Dale, IL, United States of America

Robert P Fernekes