Patents Assigned to Navigation Technologies Corporation
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Patent number: 6289276Abstract: A system and method for distributing information for storage media, and in particular, for distributing updated navigation data, such as geographical data and navigation application programs, contained on storage media and used in in-vehicle navigation systems. A plurality of local repositories are located in a geographical area. Each of the local repositories includes updated versions of navigation data for the navigation systems. Owners of vehicles having navigation systems may visit any of the repositories from time to time where they can obtain updated versions of the navigation data for their navigation systems. Subscriptions for obtaining updated navigation data would be available to the owners of navigation systems that would entitle them to obtain updated navigation data from the repositories. Procedures for updating the local repositories are also provided. The system and method can be used for updating other types of software.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2000Date of Patent: September 11, 2001Assignee: Navigation Technologies CorporationInventors: John Ahrens, John Jasper, Joseph Kohler, T. Russell Shields
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Patent number: 6212474Abstract: A route guidance program and method are disclosed. Maneuver data structures are formed that include data from a geographic database for each location along a route at which a maneuvering instruction is to be provided. These maneuver data structures are used to form a list of tokens. A token can be either a character string or a symbol that refers to another item of data, which can be either a character string, audio data, or graphics data. Maneuvering instructions are provided by explicating the tokens in the list of tokens. Explicating the tokens is done by providing all the data contained in or referred to by the tokens in the order specified in the list of tokens. If the token is a character string, explication includes providing the character string data contained in the token. If the token is a symbol, explication includes providing the data referred to by the symbol, which can be either a character string, audio data, or graphics data. The list of tokens is built by combining sequences of tokens.Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 1998Date of Patent: April 3, 2001Assignee: Navigation Technologies CorporationInventors: Andrew Fowler, Ankur Mittal
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Patent number: 6188957Abstract: A navigation system feature that provides information about bicycle traffic and/or travel by bicycle. According to one aspect of the disclosed subject matter, a navigation system uses a geographic database to provide navigation-related features, such as route calculation and route guidance, for both motorized vehicles and bicycles. When providing navigation-related features for travel by bicycle, the navigation system evaluates the road segments for suitability for travel by bicycle. According to another aspect of the disclosed subject matter, a navigation system in a motorized vehicle provides warnings about bicycle traffic around the motorized vehicle as the motorized vehicle is being driven. Using a geographic database that includes data about the locations of bicycle lanes and paths, the navigation system provides warnings as the motorized vehicle approaches a bicycle lane or path or otherwise is in proximity to a bicycle lane or path.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 1999Date of Patent: February 13, 2001Assignee: Navigation Technologies CorporationInventors: Stephan V. Bechtolsheim, Lawrence M. Kaplan, Frank J. Kozak
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Patent number: 6182006Abstract: An improved remote control unit for an in-vehicle navigation system and methods for use thereof. The improved remote control unit includes a re-writable data storage memory and a data reception interface through which data from an external computing device can be transmitted to the remote control unit and stored in the re-writable data storage memory. The remote control unit also includes appropriate programming that provides for receiving data from an external computing device, storing the data in the re-writable data storage memory, and then transmitting the stored data from the re-writable data storage memory to the in-vehicle navigation system from a data transmission interface of the improved remote control unit. The improved remote control unit can also be used to transfer data from the in-vehicle navigation system to an external computing device.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 1999Date of Patent: January 30, 2001Assignee: Navigation Technologies CorporationInventor: James A. Meek
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Patent number: 6173277Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 1999Date of Patent: January 9, 2001Assignee: Navigation Technologies CorporationInventors: Richard A. Ashby, Paul M. Bouzide, Vijaya S. Israni, David S. Lampert, Senthil K. Natesan, Grant S. Killey, John C. Jasper, Robert P. Fernekes, Jerry S. Feigen
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Patent number: 6161071Abstract: A computing architecture for a motorized land-based vehicle is disclosed. The computing architecture includes a data network comprised of a plurality of interconnected processors, a first group of sensors responsive to environmental conditions around the vehicle, a second group of sensors responsive to the vehicle's hardware systems, and a map database containing data that represent geographic features in the geographic area around the vehicle. A vehicle-environment modeling program, executed on the data network, uses the outputs from the first and second groups of sensors and the map database to provide and continuously update a data model that represents the vehicle and the environmental around the vehicle, including geographic features, conditions, structures, objects and obstacles around the vehicle. Vehicle operations programming applications, executed on the data network, use the data model to determine desired vehicle operation in the context of the vehicle's environment.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 1999Date of Patent: December 12, 2000Assignee: Navigation Technologies CorporationInventors: Valerie Shuman, Cynthia Paulauskas, T. Russell Shields, Richard J. Weiland, John C. Jasper
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Patent number: 6122593Abstract: A navigation system uses a geographic database to determine a solution route to a destination and provides detailed maneuvering guidance for following the solution route. In addition, the navigation system includes a preview function that provides a summary of the solution route prior to providing the detailed maneuvering guidance for following the solution route. The preview function is included in the programming of the navigation system. The preview function uses a feature incorporated in the geographic database wherein the portion of the geographic database used by the navigation system when determining a solution route includes references to another portion of the database that includes the actual text of the names of the roads represented thereby.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 1999Date of Patent: September 19, 2000Assignee: Navigation Technologies CorporationInventors: Matthew Friederich, William McDonough, Richard Ashby
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Patent number: 6121924Abstract: A system and method for providing updated geographic data for use by a navigation application program. The navigation application program is at a first version level and uses geographic data in a geographic database. An updated geographic database is provided to the navigation application program. The updated geographic database is at a second version level which is later than the first version level. Also provided to the navigation application program are one or more replacement routines. These replacement routines may be stored with the updated geographic database on a computer-readable medium or may be provided separately. The one or more replacement routines are used by the navigation application program either at initialization or during runtime. The one or more replacement routines are called to access or use the data in the updated geographic database. The one or more replacement routines are preferably in an interpretive language and executed by a virtual processor.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 1997Date of Patent: September 19, 2000Assignee: Navigation Technologies CorporationInventors: James A. Meek, Paul Crowley, Paul M. Bouzide
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Patent number: 6118404Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 1998Date of Patent: September 12, 2000Assignee: Navigation Technologies CorporationInventors: Robert P. Fernekes, Vijaya Israni, Gregory M. Nyczak, Robert Yates
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Patent number: 6112200Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 1998Date of Patent: August 29, 2000Assignee: Navigation Technologies CorporationInventors: Michael Livshutz, Vijaya S. Israni, Richard A. Ashby
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Patent number: 6107944Abstract: The invention provides a method and system for providing route guidance and other information from a base unit to a remote unit in response to a request from the remote unit. A query is formatted at the remote unit, the query including the request, and is transmitted from the remote unit to the base unit. Requested route guidance information is calculated at the base unit in response to the query, using a large up-to-date database located at the base unit. A response to the query is formatted at the base unit, the response including route guidance information. The response is then transmitted from the base unit to the remote unit for display. The transmission is made in a compact form through the use of maneuver arms and combined maneuver arms and through the use of tokenized forms. A maneuver arm represents a road at an intersection, for depiction on a display, by one or two endpoint coordinates.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 1998Date of Patent: August 22, 2000Assignee: Navigation Technologies CorporationInventors: David A. Behr, Ramesh Ramakrishnan
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Patent number: 6104316Abstract: The invention provides a method and system for providing route guidance information from a base unit to a remote unit in response to a request from the remote unit. The remote unit may be a mobile unit or a fixed unit. A query is formatted at the remote unit, the query including the request, and communicated from the remote unit to the base unit. The requested route guidance information is calculated at the base unit in response to the query, using a database located at the base unit. A response to the query is formatted at the base unit, the response including the route guidance information. The response is communicated from the base unit to the remote unit for display.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 1998Date of Patent: August 15, 2000Assignee: Navigation Technologies CorporationInventors: David A. Behr, Randall B. Jones
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Patent number: 6092076Abstract: A program and method for a map display tool for use with a navigation system and used with a map database. The map display tool is adapted to render a map on a display or in a graphics buffer for a predetermined geographic region. The map display tool includes a map processing layer for performing the essential data manipulation, a graphics interface layer that maintains a series of look up tables with graphics commands, and a primitive layer customized to interact with an underlying graphics platform and the graphics interface layer. The map display tool renders a map by retrieving data items from the map database and processing each data item. Shape information is rendered on a screen or in a graphics buffer, name information is buffered and sorted to optimize filtering, prioritization, spatial conflicts resolution and other tasks prior to rendering.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 1998Date of Patent: July 18, 2000Assignee: Navigation Technologies CorporationInventors: William McDonough, Srinivasa Rao, Ashutosh Srivastava
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Patent number: 6081803Abstract: A method and system for supporting alternative names of geographic locations with a navigation application program that uses a geographic database stored on a computer-readable medium. The alternative names of geographic locations include names in a plurality of different languages. Included are one or more language filters. Each of the one or more language filters associates the data records in the geographic database that are used as names for geographic locations with one or more of the plurality of different languages. A routine uses the one or more language filters so that the navigation application program can use names for geographic locations that are valid in an access language selected from among the plurality of different languages.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 1998Date of Patent: June 27, 2000Assignee: Navigation Technologies CorporationInventors: Richard A. Ashby, David S. Lampert
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Patent number: 6073076Abstract: A method and system for managing memory resources in a system used in conjunction with a navigation application program that accesses geographic data. The geographic data are comprised of a plurality of data records. The plurality of data records are organized into parcels, each of which contains a portion of the plurality of data records, such that the data records in each portion of the plurality of data records that forms each parcel are accessed together. One or more buffers each that forms a contiguous portion of the memory of the navigation system is provided as a cache to store a plurality of parcels. One or more data structures located outside the contiguous portion of memory identify the parcels of data stored in the cache and the locations in the cache at which the parcels are stored. The one or more data structures located outside the contiguous portion of memory in which the parcels are cached are used to manage the parcel cache to use it efficiently.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 1998Date of Patent: June 6, 2000Assignee: Navigation Technologies CorporationInventors: Paul Crowley, John Jaugilas, Alex Nash, Senthil Natesan, David S. Lampert
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Patent number: 6047234Abstract: A system for updating, enhancing and/or refining a geographic database. A geographic database includes data representing physical features in the geographic region, and, optionally, attributes of such features. The system includes a plurality of data collecting sensors. Each of the data collecting sensors is installed in a separate one of a plurality of vehicles each of which is capable of traveling on roads in a geographic region. Each of the data collecting sensors provides outputs indicative of one or more features in the geographic region as the vehicle in which it is installed travels on the roads in the geographic region. A computer program executes a feedback process on the geographic database using the outputs of the data collecting sensors. A first part of the feedback program compares the outputs of the data collecting sensors to the data identifying the physical features and provides results representative of the comparisons.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 1997Date of Patent: April 4, 2000Assignee: Navigation Technologies CorporationInventors: Kevin Cherveny, Aaron Crane, Lawrence M. Kaplan, John Jasper, Russell Shields
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Patent number: 6047280Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 1996Date of Patent: April 4, 2000Assignee: Navigation Technologies CorporationInventors: Richard A. Ashby, Paul M. Bouzide, Vijaya S. Israni, David S. Lampert, Senthil K. Natesan, Grant S. Killey, John C. Jasper, Robert P. Fernekes, Jerry S. Feigen
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Patent number: 6038568Abstract: A system and method of providing incremental updates for a geographical data set for use in navigation systems. The system and method include organizing updates of geographical data set into a series of transactions. Each of the transactions includes a transaction identifier that uniquely identifies the transaction, and n steps to be applied to the geographical data set to complete the transaction. All the steps of the transaction are required to be successfully applied in order for the transaction to be completed, otherwise, the entire transaction is not applied.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 1999Date of Patent: March 14, 2000Assignee: Navigation Technologies CorporationInventors: Timothy McGrath, John Jasper, James Herbst
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Segment aggregation in a geographic database and methods for use thereof in a navigation application
Patent number: 6038559Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 1998Date of Patent: March 14, 2000Assignee: Navigation Technologies CorporationInventors: Richard A. Ashby, Paul M. Bouzide, Srinivasa Doddapaneni, Robert P. Fernekes, Matthew Friederich, Vijaya S. Israni, John C. Jasper, Asta Kavakh, William McDonough, James A. Meek, Senthil K. Natesan, Nicholas E. Smith -
Patent number: 6029173Abstract: A system and method for storing data in a computer-readable database to represent curved geographic features. The database can be used in a navigation system. A computable function is used to define a curved line that represents the curved geographic feature. The computable function may be a polynomial equation whose shape is defined by its coefficients. In one embodiment, the polynomial equation is a type of spline curve, in particular a Bezier curve whose shape is defined by control points. The coefficients of the polynomial equation are associated with data representing the curved geographic feature. In the case in which the polynomial equation is a Bezier curve, the control points for generating the Bezier curve are associated with the data representing the curved geographic feature. These control points are stored in the database and are used in displaying the curved geographic feature.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 1997Date of Patent: February 22, 2000Assignee: Navigation Technologies CorporationInventors: James A. Meek, Richard A. Ashby, David S. Lampert