Patent ID: 8374781

Claim:
A method for operating an electronic navigation system to display to a vehicle operator a plurality of alternate vehicle travel routes between an identified starting point and an identified endpoint, wherein the electronic navigation system includes a computer readable medium storing navigation information including a plurality of route segments, distances of each of the plurality of route segments, speed limits of each of the plurality of route segments, grade changes of each of the plurality of route segments, altitudes of each of the plurality of route segments, and number and type of intersections and traffic signals encountered in each of the plurality of route segments, and wherein the vehicle includes an engine, a transmission, and a vehicle controller adapted to supply powertrain information to the navigation system, the method comprising: storing the powertrain information supplied by the vehicle controller as a function of vehicle speed, the powertrain information including a transmission selected gear, a state of any lockup torque converter of the vehicle, a state of a fuel-savings engine operating mode of the vehicle, an achieved fuel economy of the vehicle, and a fuel quality of fuel being used in the vehicle; identifying a plurality of alternate routes from the identified starting point and the identified ending point based on the navigation information, each alternate route of the plurality of alternate routes including at least one of the plurality of route segments; and estimating an amount of fuel required to travel along each alternate route of the plurality of alternate route based on the navigation information and on the powertrain information.