Patent Publication Number: US-2009240429-A1

Title: Method for route planning on a navigation system including points of interest

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     I. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to a method for route planning for use with a vehicle navigation system. 
     II. Description of Related Art 
     Automotive navigation systems have become increasingly popular in modern automotive vehicles. Such navigation systems include a screen display mounted within the vehicle passenger compartment in a position visible to the occupants of the vehicle. Typically, a roadmap is displayed on the screen from an internally accessible map database while the position of the automotive vehicle is also displayed on the screen, usually through a GPS system. 
     Early vehicle navigation systems typically did little more than calculate and display a preferred route, typically the quickest route, between an origin or position of the vehicle and a user inputted destination. However, as the vehicle navigation systems have developed, more recent navigation systems are capable of displaying points of interest on the navigation screen to the vehicle occupants. These points of interest may include, for example, restaurants, sport activities, tourist attractions, museums, and the like. 
     Even though the more modern vehicle navigation systems have been able to display points of interest along the route, these navigation systems have not been able to provide route planning for the vehicle operator which enhances the enjoyment of a particular trip for the vehicle occupants. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     The present invention provides both a method and apparatus for route planning for a vehicle navigation system which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the previously known methods and systems. 
     In brief, the present invention utilizes a computer separate from the computer contained within the navigation system to input the route origin, route destination and departure time. This computer, which typically is a home computer, such as a PC, also enables the person planning the trip to input activities of interest that are desired during the trip. These activities of interest may include, for example, different types of restaurants, sporting activities, tourist attractions, cultural activities and the like. 
     After inputting not only the trip origin and destination but also the activities of interest, the computer searches a point of interest database for points of interest which match the activities of interest along the preferred route. Once such matches are identified, the computer wirelessly transmits the preferred route and the matching points of interest along the route to the navigation system. Typically, the computer is coupled to a network, such as the World Wide Web, which in turn is connected to a communication transmitter for transmitting this data to the navigation systems. 
     Upon receipt of the preferred route together with the points of interest which match the activities of interest inputted by the vehicle occupant, the route together with the points of interest are then displayed on the navigation system screen. 
     Consequently, since the computer is able to search the points of interest database for matches along the route between the origin and destination which match the activities of interest inputted by the person planning the trip, the entire trip experience and enjoyment is greatly enhanced. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       A better understanding of the present invention will be had upon reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a view illustrating the overall system architecture of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a flowchart illustrating the trip planning process; 
         FIG. 3  is an exemplary screen display illustrating recommended points of interest along the route; 
         FIG. 4  is a diagrammatic view illustrating a preferred web server; 
         FIG. 5  is a table of the trip database; 
         FIG. 6  is a table illustrating the fields in a trace table; 
         FIG. 7  is a view illustrating the fields in a point of interest database; 
         FIG. 8  is a flowchart illustrating the method for updating the point of interest database to reflect visits by travelers; and 
         FIG. 9  is a flowchart illustrating the use of the point of interest database to display information to the user. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     With reference first to  FIG. 1 , the system and method for route planning of an automotive vehicle  20  having a navigation system  22  is illustrated. The navigation system  22  is contained within the passenger compartment of the automotive vehicle  20  and is positioned so that it is visible to one or more occupants of the vehicle  20 . The navigation system  22  also includes a display screen  24  for displaying the route and other information to the occupants of the vehicle  20 . 
     The system of the present invention includes a computer  26 , such as a home computer or home PC, and is separate from the processor contained within the navigation system  22 . The computer  26  is of conventional construction and includes one or more input devices, such as a keyboard, joystick, mouse, etc., which enables the user of the computer  26  to input information to the computer  26 . 
     The computer  26  communicates with a network  28 , such as the World Wide Web or Internet, through an Internet service provider  30 . Such service providers  30  typically use either dial-up or high-speed cable or DSL communications. 
     The network  28  communicates both with a web server  32 , discussed more fully below, as well as a communication carrier  34 . The communication carrier  34  is operatively connected with a wireless antenna  36 , such as a cellular telephone tower, for wireless transmission to the navigation system  22 . Consequently, the computer  26  communicates with the navigation system  22  through both the Internet  28 , communications carrier  34  and antenna  36  to supply data to the navigation system  22 . 
     In practice, the computer  26  is utilized by the person planning the route to input not only the origin and destination for the route and time of departure, but also activities that are of interest to the person traveling along the route. Such activities could include, for example, sporting events, nature parks, tourist attractions, restaurants and the like. With reference then to  FIG. 2 , a flowchart illustrating the route planning by the user is illustrated. At step  50 , the user inputs search criteria indicative of activities of interest to the person taking the planned trip. These activities of interest comprise, for example, restaurants, sporting events, tourist attractions, etc. After the activities of interest have been entered at step  50 , step  50  proceeds to step  52 . 
     At step  52 , the computer  26  searches a point of interest database to identify matches with the search criteria or activities of interest entered by the user at step  50 . The point of interest database may be contained or downloaded to the computer  26 , but more likely is accessible through the Internet  28  and web server  32 . After the point of interest database has been searched, step  52  proceeds to step  54 . 
     At step  54 , the user enters the origin and destination of the trip as well as a desired departure time and date. Step  54  then proceeds to step  56  where the computer  26 , utilizing either an internally contained algorithm or a web application, calculates the preferred route between the origin and destination of the planned trip. Typically, the preferred route calculated at step  52  comprises the quickest route between the origin and destination, although other preferred routes may optionally be calculated. Such optional routes may include, for example, a scenic route between the origin and destination even though the scenic route is not the quickest route between the origin and destination. After the route calculation at step  56 , step  56  proceeds to step  58 . 
     At step  58  the computer  26  searches the point of interest database identified at step  52 . The point of interest database includes not only the identification of the point of interest itself, but also any customer recommendations regarding that point of interest. Furthermore, the point of interest resulting from the search at step  58  may be limited to a predetermined distance, e.g. ten miles, deviation from the preferred route. Step  58  then proceeds to step  60 . 
     At step  60 , the computer  26  displays the preferred route as well as the points of interest along the preferred route to the user or trip planner. The user is then given the opportunity to change the criteria if desired and to recalculate both the route as well as the search criteria for the various points of interest along the preferred route. 
     For example, step  60  may branch back to step  50  which enables the user to enter additional or revise existing activities of interest. After this is done, step  50  proceeds in the previously described fashion. 
     Alternatively, step  60  may branch back to step  54  which enables the user to reset the destination and origin as well as the departure times. For example, it may be desirable to reset the departure time for a particular trip in order to attend a particular sporting activity along the route. After the destination, origin or departure time has been revised at step  54 , the planning proceeds in the previously described fashion. 
     Alternatively, the user may ignore certain recommendations made at step  60  after which step  60  branches back to step  56  to recalculate the route. 
     After the various revisions, if any, are made to the trip, and the recommendations made by the route planning software are acceptable to the user, step  60  branches to step  62  where the route, together with the recommended points of interest and any recommendations accompanying those points of interest, are transmitted through the communication carrier  34  ( FIG. 1 ) and antenna  36  to the navigation system  22 . 
     With reference now to  FIG. 3 , an exemplary display following the trip planning on the computer  26  is shown for an exemplary route between Detroit, Mich. and Manhattan, N.Y. which is displayed to the user on the navigation system screen  24 . Upon depression of a search button  72 , or other input means, the route may be displayed on the screen as shown at  74  together with recommended points of interest as shown at  76 . Other points of interest are optionally displayed as shown at  76  upon user request. Similarly, a route recalculation including recommended points of interest may also be displayed as shown at  78 . 
     With reference now to  FIG. 4 , the web server  32  ( FIG. 1 ) is shown in greater detail. The web server  32  includes a web application which controls the execution of the web server. The web application  80  has access both to a trip database  82 , including a map database, and also a point of interest database  84 . An analyzer application  86  searches the point of interest database for activities of interest inputted by the user and communicates the results of that search through the network  28  not only to other web servers  88 , but also the communication carrier  34  ( FIG. 1 ). 
     With reference now to  FIG. 5 , an exemplary planned trip table created by the computer  26  is shown. The table includes a trip ID as well as a user ID in fields  100  and  102 , respectively. The trip ID and user ID in fields  100  and  102  enable multiple trips to be planned during one session with the computer  26 . 
     For each trip, the table includes a departure date and time in field  104 . The table also includes a starting point, identified by latitude and longitude, in field  106  as well as a text entry containing the name of the starting or origin point in field  108 . 
     The table also includes a destination in field  110  specified by the latitude and longitude. The text name of the destination is also contained in the table in field  112 . 
     If desired, intermediate points, specified by latitude and longitude for the trip between the origin and the destination, may also be contained within the trip table. These points are specified by latitude and longitude in field  114 . 
     In many situations, it would be desirable to not only identify points of interest along the preferred route, but also to determine the level at which each point of interest is recommended by others. Furthermore, the number of visits to each point of interest in many cases is indicative of how highly recommended the particular point of interest, such as a restaurant, is viewed among other travelers. For example, a restaurant which enjoys many, many more visits by travelers would be likely to be more highly recommended than a restaurant that obtained a fewer number of customers. 
     With reference now to  FIG. 6 , most trips are unplanned trips, i.e. no particular destination has been entered by the operator of the automotive vehicle. For such unplanned trips a trace table illustrated in  FIG. 6  is created which contains not only the departure date in field  122  for each different trip and user ID in fields  124  and  126 , but also the starting point in latitude and longitude for each unplanned trip in field  128 . The destination or end of the unplanned trip is maintained in field  130  of the trace table  120 . 
     The trace table  120  also includes data in field  134  indicative of the route taken by the unplanned trip. This trace table is also indicative of where the automotive vehicle has traveled during each unplanned trip. Additionally, the trace table is uploaded to a server when the vehicle is in the vicinity of Internet or network conductivity, such as a wireless or cellular phone. When this occurs, the uploaded data will be stored within a master file of uploaded unplanned trip data database in the web server  32  containing the position of each vehicle for each unplanned trip. 
     With reference now to  FIG. 7 , the uploaded trace tables  120  can together form a recommended point of interest for various different types of points of interest. For example, one point of interest would be a restaurant point of interest table  140 . The recommended restaurant point of interest table  140  includes various information, such as the restaurant name in field  142 , category in field  144  and subcategory, i.e. the type of restaurant, in field  146 . The restaurant point of interest table  140  also includes the location of the restaurant in field  148  by latitude and longitude. 
     The point of interest restaurant table  140  also includes information as to how recommended each restaurant based upon the number of visitors to that particular point of interest. For example, the number of users who considered the particular restaurant or point of interest at all may be maintained in field  150 . This information may be further broken down by breakfast, lunch and dinner and that information stored in fields  152 ,  154  and  156  in the table  140 . 
     The restaurant point of interest table  140  also includes the number of visitors, at least within a particular timeframe, in field  158 . That information in turn may be subdivided into the number of visitors for breakfast, lunch and dinner in fields  160 ,  162  and  164 , respectively. 
     It will be understood, of course, that the restaurant point of interest table illustrated in  FIG. 7  is by way of example only and that other types of points of interest will likewise generate similar tables. For example, a different table format may be generated for a point of interest for hotels while still a different format may be utilized for a point of interest table for museums. In each case, however, the number of visitors within a selected timeframe (e.g. one year) is maintained within each table which pertains to the overall popularity of the particular point of interest. 
     With reference now to  FIG. 8 , a flowchart is there shown illustrating how the point of interest database for all of the different points of interest and types of points of interest is updated. The flowchart starts at step  200  and proceeds to step  202  where the trace table ( FIG. 6 ) is searched to determine the various locations at which the vehicle stopped. Step  202  then proceeds to step  204 . 
     At step  204 , the point of interest database is searched to determine if the stop location found at step  202  is near a point of interest within the table. Step  204  then proceeds to step  206 . 
     If the point of interest is not found at step  204 , step  206  branches to step  208  thus terminating the procedure. Otherwise, step  206  proceeds to step  210  which increments the number of visits that stop at a particular point of interest ( FIG. 7 ). 
     With reference now to  FIG. 9 , the information contained for the number of visitors at the various points of interest within the database may be utilized by the operator of the navigation system in his or her selection of which point of interest to visit. After the route is calculated at step  230 , step  230  then proceeds to step  232  where the navigation system estimates the location of the vehicle at a particular time, such as a mealtime. Step  232  then proceeds to step  234 . 
     At step  234 , the point of interest database is searched for points of interest meeting the search criteria at the estimated location of the vehicle at a particular time, such as a mealtime, determined at step  232 . Thus, the information obtained at step  234  includes the number of visitors for each point of interest identified at step  232 . Step  234  then proceeds to step  236 . 
     Step  236  then provides a recommended point of interest to the user, e.g. by displaying the various points of interest on the vehicle navigation screen. For example, not only the point of interest but also the number of visitors for each point of interest may be displayed on the vehicle navigation screen thus identifying the popularity of the various points of interest as a of the number of visitors to each point of interest. 
     From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention provides a novel system and method for route planning which utilizes a home computer for route planning together with points of interest to enhance the overall travel experience. The present invention also provides a novel means of creating a point of interest database based upon the popularity of the various points of interest within the database. 
     Having described our invention, however, many modifications thereto will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains without deviation from the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims.