Neutral zones for navigation

The described method and system provide for treatment of certain areas as neutral zones during GPS navigation to avoid unnecessary off-route notifications and route recalculation. A GPS unit determines whether the user has entered a geographic region designated as a neutral zone, and does not provide the user with off-route notifications while the user is within the neutral zone. Not providing off-route notifications may be implemented by the GPS device by considering the user to be within the calculated route while the user is within a neutral zone, or by disabling off-route notifications (and route recalculation) while the user is within the neutral zone. The neutral zone may be defined by a set of GPS coordinates. The neutral zone may further be polygonal, and the size of the neutral zone may be based on the accuracy of the GPS device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Telematics units within mobile vehicles provide subscribers with connectivity to a telematics service provider (TSP). The TSP provides the subscriber with an array of services ranging from emergency call handling and stolen vehicle recovery to diagnostics monitoring and turn-by-turn navigation. Telematics units are often provisioned and activated at a point of sale when a subscriber purchases a telematics-equipped vehicle. Upon activation, the telematics unit can be utilized to provide a subscriber with the telematics services.

One of the services conventionally provided by TSPs is GPS navigation, which may include the provision of Turn-by-Turn (TBT) directions. To use GPS navigation, a user of the telematics unit may enter a destination, and the GPS component of the telematics unit may provide directions (e.g. through a display and/or through vocal instructions) to the user based on a calculated course from the user's current location to the user's destination. When a user does not follow the directions and goes off-course (i.e., when the position of the vehicle is not on the calculated course), the GPS unit may recalculate a new course for the user to take based on the vehicle's position when it goes off-course.

While this is often a helpful feature for users who accidentally take a wrong turn, miss a turn, or encounter some unanticipated obstacle (e.g. road closures), this course recalculation is often a source of annoyance for users who are intentionally making a deviation from the calculated course but plans to return to the calculated course (e.g. a user stopping at a rest stop). Thus, it is an object in part to provide a system and method for processing GPS navigation such that intentional deviations from a calculated course do not trigger off-course notifications. However, while this is an object underlying certain implementations of the invention, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to systems that solve the problems noted herein. Moreover, the inventors have created the above body of information merely for the convenience of the reader; the foregoing is a discussion of problems discovered and/or appreciated by the inventors, and is not an attempt to review or catalog the prior art.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a system and method for treatment of certain areas as neutral zones during GPS navigation to avoid unnecessary off-route notifications and route recalculation. In an implementation of the present invention, the method comprises receiving, at a GPS device, input from a user corresponding to an intended destination, calculating a route from a starting point to that destination, determining whether the user has entered a geographic region designated as a neutral zone, and not providing the user with off-route notifications while the user is within the neutral zone. The neutral zone may be defined by a set of GPS coordinates, and the GPS device may determine whether the user is within the neutral zone by comparing the current position of the user to the set of GPS coordinates. The user may also provide an input to the GPS device indicating that the user is entering an area that the user considers to be a neutral zone.

Not providing off-route notifications may be implemented by the GPS device by considering the user to be within the calculated route while the user is within a neutral zone, or by disabling off-route notifications while the user is within the neutral zone. Route recalculation based on determining that the user is off-route may also be disabled while the user is in the neutral zone. The neutral zone may further be polygonal, and the size of the neutral zone may be based on the accuracy of the GPS device. The starting point of the calculated route may be the current position of the user at approximately the time of route calculation.

The method may further be implemented on a tangible non-transient computer-readable medium in a GPS system through corresponding instructions. A database for storing neutral zone information is part of the GPS system, and the GPS device may retrieve neutral zone data from the database. The database may be located at a call center, and neutral zones may be programmed into the database by the call center or by the user.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Before discussing the details of the invention and the environment wherein the invention may be used, a brief overview is given to guide the reader. In general terms, not intended to limit the claims, the invention is directed to a system and method for treatment of certain areas as neutral zones during GPS navigation to avoid unnecessary off-route notifications and route recalculation. In certain implementations, the GPS navigation may be performed by a GPS unit that is part of a telematics system on a vehicle.

Given this overview, an exemplary environment in which the invention may operate is described hereinafter. It will be appreciated that the described environment is an example, and does not imply any limitation regarding the use of other environments to practice the invention. With reference toFIG. 1there is shown an example of a communication system100that may be used with the present method and system and generally includes a vehicle102, a wireless carrier system104, a land network106and a call center108. It should be appreciated that the overall architecture, setup and operation, as well as the individual components of a system such as that shown here are generally known in the art. Thus, the following paragraphs simply provide a brief overview of one such exemplary information system100; however, other systems not shown here could employ the present method as well.

Vehicle102is preferably a mobile vehicle such as a motorcycle, car, truck, recreational vehicle (RV), boat, plane, etc., and is equipped with suitable hardware and software that enables it to communicate over system100. Some of the vehicle hardware110is shown generally inFIG. 1including a telematics unit114, a microphone116, a speaker118and buttons and/or controls120connected to the telematics unit114. Operatively coupled to the telematics unit114is a network connection or vehicle bus122. Examples of suitable network connections include a controller area network (CAN), a media oriented system transfer (MOST), a local interconnection network (LIN), an Ethernet, and other appropriate connections such as those that conform with known ISO, SAE, and IEEE standards and specifications, to name a few.

The telematics unit114is an onboard device that provides a variety of services through its communication with the call center108, and generally includes an electronic processing device128one or more types of electronic memory130, a cellular chipset/component124, a wireless modem126, a dual antenna160and a navigation unit containing a GPS chipset/component132. In one example, the wireless modem126is comprised of a computer program and/or set of software routines executing within processing device128. The cellular chipset/component124and the wireless modem126may be called the network access device (NAD) of the telematics unit114.

The telematics unit114provides too many services to list them all, but several examples include: turn-by-turn directions and other navigation-related services provided in conjunction with the GPS based chipset/component132; airbag deployment notification and other emergency or roadside assistance-related services provided in connection with various crash and or collision sensor interface modules156and sensors158located throughout the vehicle.

GPS navigation services may be implemented based on the geographic position information of the vehicle provided by the GPS based chipset/component132. A user of the telematics unit may enter a destination using inputs corresponding to the GPS component, and a route to a destination may be calculated based on the destination address and a current position of the vehicle determined at approximately the time of route calculation. Turn-by-turn (TBT) directions may further be provided on a display screen corresponding to the GPS component and/or through vocal directions provided through a vehicle audio component154. It will be appreciated that the calculation-related processing may occur at the telematics unit or may occur at a call center108.

Infotainment-related services where music, Web pages, movies, television programs, video games and/or other content is downloaded by an infotainment center136operatively connected to the telematics unit114via vehicle bus122and audio bus112. In one example, downloaded content is stored for current or later playback.

Again, the above-listed services are by no means an exhaustive list of all the capabilities of telematics unit114, as should be appreciated by those skilled in the art, but are simply an illustration of some of the services that the telematics unit114is capable of offering. It is anticipated that telematics unit114include a number of known components in addition to those listed above.

Vehicle communications preferably use radio transmissions to establish a voice channel with wireless carrier system104so that both voice and data transmissions can be sent and received over the voice channel. Vehicle communications are enabled via the cellular chipset/component124for voice communications and a wireless modem126for data transmission.

In order to enable successful data transmission over the voice channel, wireless modem126applies some type of encoding or modulation to convert the digital data so that it can communicate through a vocoder or speech codec incorporated in the cellular chipset/component124. Any suitable encoding or modulation technique that provides an acceptable data rate and bit error can be used with the present method. Dual mode antenna160services the GPS chipset/component and the cellular chipset/component.

Microphone116provides the driver or other vehicle occupant with a means for inputting verbal or other auditory commands, and can be equipped with an embedded voice processing unit utilizing a human/machine interface (HMI) technology known in the art. Conversely, speaker118provides verbal output to the vehicle occupants and can be either a stand-alone speaker specifically dedicated for use with the telematics unit114or can be part of a vehicle audio component154. In either event, microphone116and speaker118enable vehicle hardware110and call center108to communicate with the occupants through audible speech.

The vehicle hardware also includes one or more buttons or controls120for enabling a vehicle occupant to activate or engage one or more of the vehicle hardware components110. For example, one of the buttons120can be an electronic push button used to initiate voice communication with call center108(whether it be a live advisor148or an automated call response system). In another example, one of the buttons120can be used to initiate emergency services.

The audio component154is operatively connected to the vehicle bus122and the audio bus112. The audio component154receives analog information, rendering it as sound, via the audio bus112. Digital information is received via the vehicle bus122. The audio component154provides AM and FM radio, CD, DVD, and multimedia functionality independent of the infotainment center136. Audio component154may contain a speaker system, or may utilize speaker118via arbitration on vehicle bus122and/or audio bus112.

The vehicle crash and/or collision detection sensor interface156are operatively connected to the vehicle bus122. The crash sensors158provide information to the telematics unit114via the crash and/or collision detection sensor interface156regarding the severity of a vehicle collision, such as the angle of impact and the amount of force sustained.

Vehicle sensors162, connected to various sensor interface modules134are operatively connected to the vehicle bus122. Example vehicle sensors include but are not limited to gyroscopes, accelerometers, magnetometers, emission detection and/or control sensors, and the like. Example sensor interface modules134include power train control, climate control, and body control, to name but a few.

Wireless carrier system104is preferably a cellular telephone system or any other suitable wireless system that transmits signals between the vehicle hardware110and land network106. According to an example, wireless carrier system104includes one or more cell towers138, base stations and/or mobile switching centers (MSCs)140, as well as any other networking components required to connect the wireless system104with land network106. A component in the mobile switching center may include a remote data server.

As appreciated by those skilled in the art, various cell tower/base station/MSC arrangements are possible and could be used with wireless system104(also referred to as the “cellular network” herein). For example, a base station and a cell tower could be co-located at the same site or they could be remotely located, and a single base station could be coupled to various cell towers or various base stations could be coupled with a single MSC, to name but a few of the possible arrangements. Preferably, a speech codec or vocoder is incorporated in one or more of the base stations, but depending on the particular architecture of the wireless network, it could be incorporated within a Mobile Switching Center or some other network components as well.

Land network106can be a conventional land-based telecommunications network that is connected to one or more landline telephones and connects wireless carrier network104to call center108. For example, land network106can include a public switched telephone network (PSTN) and/or an Internet protocol (IP) network, as is appreciated by those skilled in the art. Of course, one or more segments of the land network106can be implemented in the form of a standard wired network, a fiber or other optical network, a cable network, other wireless networks such as wireless local networks (WLANs) or networks providing broadband wireless access (BWA), or any combination thereof.

Call Center (OCC)108is designed to provide the vehicle hardware110with a number of different system back-end functions and, according to the example shown here, generally includes one or more switches142, servers144, databases146, live advisors148, as well as a variety of other telecommunication and computer equipment150that is known to those skilled in the art. These various call center components are preferably coupled to one another via a network connection or bus152, such as the one previously described in connection with the vehicle hardware110. Switch142, which can be a private branch exchange (PBX) switch, routes incoming signals so that voice transmissions are usually sent to either the live advisor148or an automated response system, and data transmissions are passed on to a modem or other piece of equipment150for demodulation and further signal processing.

The modem150preferably includes an encoder, as previously explained, and can be connected to various devices such as a server144and database146. For example, database146could be designed to store subscriber profile records, subscriber behavioral patterns, or any other pertinent subscriber information. Although the illustrated example has been described as it would be used in conjunction with a manned call center108, it will be appreciated that the call center108can be any central or remote facility, manned or unmanned, mobile or fixed, to or from which it is desirable to exchange voice and data.

With further reference to the architecture ofFIG. 1, and turning more specifically toFIG. 2, a diagram200is depicted illustrating the designation of a neutral zone201on a simplified exemplary map. In this example, a vehicle102is currently traveling on the State X Turnpike headed towards a destination entered into the GPS unit by the user. The calculated route provided to the user informs the user that the next maneuver (i.e., the next “turn” in the provision of TBT directions) is to exit at a ramp205. It will be appreciated that TBT directions is merely a type of GPS navigation, and because the principles described herein are applicable to GPS navigation, they are equally applicable to GPS navigation through TBT directions. It will also be appreciated that the processing associated with GPS navigation/TBT directions may be carried out at a vehicle through a telematics unit, at a TSP call center, or both (e.g. the intelligence for route calculation may be implemented locally at the GPS unit of the vehicle, or may be implemented at the call center and provided wirelessly to the vehicle).

In a conventional system, if the user were to decide to take a break and stop at rest stop203, the GPS system may determine that the user is going “off-route” and may inform the user that it is going off-route and attempt to recalculate a route to the destination. However, in this implementation, the area surrounding the rest stop203has been designated a “neutral zone”201wherein off-route notifications and route recalculation are disabled. Thus, the GPS unit will continue to display, and the TBT directions will continue to indicate, that the next maneuver is to exit at ramp205. In one implementation, the neutral zone201may be a polygonal area represented by a set of GPS coordinates stored at a database at the telematics unit of vehicle102or at a call center108.

In a further implementation, the designation of a neutral zone may depend on the calculated route. For example, if a user is traveling from State X to State Y along a highway, the area surrounding many of the exits where vehicles travelling on that highway often stop for gas, food, or lodging may all be designated as neutral zones for the purposes of that calculated route from State X to State Y. However, if a user is travelling locally from a point A to point B within State X along one of those exits, that area may not be a neutral zone because the user's calculated route does not encompass the aforementioned stretch of highway. Thus, an area that may be considered a neutral zone for one route may not be a neutral zone for a different route. In yet another further implementation, the size of the neutral zone may be varied based on the accuracy of the GPS position of the vehicle provided by the GPS unit.

With further reference to the architecture ofFIG. 1and the exemplary map ofFIG. 2, a process300for GPS navigation and TBT directions through the neutral zone201is depicted byFIG. 3. The user in vehicle102driving on State Turnpike X is being provided directions normally301by the GPS unit of the telematics unit until the telematics unit (or call center) determines, through the vehicle's GPS unit, that the vehicle has entered a neutral zone303. It will be appreciated that neutral zones may be pre-marked with the map information from a map database used by the GPS unit to provide directions to the user or may be separately retrieved by the GPS unit (e.g. from a separate neutral zone database) to determine whether there are neutral zones along the user's calculated route.

While the vehicle102is within the neutral zone, the telematics unit (or call center) may disable off-route notifications and route recalculation305. In an alternative implementation, the telematics unit (or call center) may simply designate the entire neutral zone as being “on-route”307, and thus, any movement of the vehicle102within the neutral zone will not trigger off-route notifications or route recalculation. When the vehicle leaves the neutral zone309, the GPS navigation and TBT directions may resume normal operation301, providing off-route notifications and route recalculation when the user deviates from the calculated route. It will be appreciated that, while the user is within the neutral zone, the display in the vehicle corresponding to the GPS unit may continue to display the current location of the vehicle and continue to indicate information such as distance to the next maneuver. TBT directions may also continue to indicate the same next maneuver to the user.

Turning now toFIG. 4, a diagram400is depicted illustrating different ways through which neutral zones may be stored in a database. In one implementation, the database146is at a call center108, and neutral zone information (e.g., sets of GPS coordinates corresponding to neutral zones) is programmed into the database146through a computer413by a person412associated with the call center according to neutral zone designations by the call center. It will be appreciated that person412and computer413need not physically be at the call center108.

A user402may further manually program neutral zones into the database146through a computer403or other computing device (e.g. mobile phone) through a program, website, or other application suitable for communicating neutral zone information to database146. For example, a user may often travel certain routes and may regularly deviate from the routes at certain locations, and it may be desirable for the user to manually designate certain areas as neutral zones. In another implementation, a user may program neutral zones directly into the database146when the user is in the vehicle102. For example, if the user in vehicle102is stopping at a rest stop that is not already stored in the database146as a neutral zone, the user may provide an input to the telematics unit (e.g. through pressing a button) that indicates to the GPS navigation/TBT directions unit that the user is entering a neutral zone (e.g., corresponding to303inFIG. 3). The user can then press another button when the user leaves the neutral zone to indicate that the user has left the neutral zone (e.g., corresponding to309inFIG. 3), and the GPS unit will resume normal operation (301inFIG. 3). In a further implementation, the telematics unit or GPS/TBT unit may give the user the option to store the neutral zone traversed by the user at database146such that in the future, the GPS/TBT unit will automatically recognize the area as a neutral zone when the vehicle enters the area. It will further be appreciated that the database146may also be implemented locally at the vehicle telematics unit instead of remotely at the call center108.

It will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that the execution of the various machine-implemented processes and steps described herein may occur via the computerized execution of computer-executable instructions stored on a tangible computer-readable medium, e.g., RAM, ROM, PROM, volatile, nonvolatile, or other electronic memory mechanism. Thus, for example, the operations performed by the telematics unit may be carried out according to stored instructions or applications installed on the telematics unit, and operations performed at the call center may be carried out according to stored instructions or applications installed at the call center. It will further be appreciated that, although the above implementations have been described in the context of a telematics unit and vehicles, the principles described herein are not limited to telematics units or vehicles and may also be implemented on standalone GPS devices and other types of GPS navigation units (such as those provided on mobile phones).

It will thus be appreciated that the described system and method allows for treatment of certain areas as neutral zones during GPS navigation to avoid unnecessary off-route notifications and route recalculation. It will also be appreciated, however, that the foregoing methods and implementations are merely examples of the inventive principles, and that these illustrate only preferred techniques.

It is thus contemplated that other implementations of the invention may differ in detail from foregoing examples. As such, all references to the invention are intended to reference the particular example of the invention being discussed at that point in the description and are not intended to imply any limitation as to the scope of the invention more generally. All language of distinction and disparagement with respect to certain features is intended to indicate a lack of preference for those features, but not to exclude such from the scope of the invention entirely unless otherwise indicated.

Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.