Abstract: A feature provided by a navigation system or a navigation services provider provides navigation-related services for plural users who have related needs. In one embodiment, a first user specifies a type of place at which to meet a second user who is at a location some distance away from the first user. The navigation feature identifies one or more places of the specified type that are convenient for both users to travel to. The navigation feature may also provide the users with instructions for traveling to a selected place.

Abstract: A feature for a motor vehicle that includes a navigation system and one or more safety systems that detect an area around the vehicle. The navigation system uses geographic data and the one or more safety systems also use geographic data. The feature advises the vehicle driver to travel along roads that are represented by data that enables operation of the one or more safety systems. According to one embodiment, when the navigation system is requested to calculate a route to a destination, the navigation system favors roads that are represented by geographic data that enables operation of the one or more of the safety systems. According to another embodiment, the feature is implemented interactively, while the vehicle is being driven, by indicating which paths ahead of the vehicle are favored as being represented by data that enables operation of the one or more safety systems.

Abstract: 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 actual and/or 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.

Abstract: A feature provided by a navigation system to provide guidance to a driver of a vehicle. The feature comprises multiple progress bars displayed on a display screen of the navigation system. The multiple progress bars feature is displayed when the vehicle is approaching a location at which a maneuver, such as a turn, onto a road is to be made and another road is close by and might be confused with the road onto which the maneuver should be made. One of the multiple progress bars represents the vehicle's approach toward the road onto which the maneuver should be made and the other of the multiple progress bars represents the vehicle's approach toward the road not to be taken. As the vehicle approaches both roads, the progress bars are updated indicating the vehicle's relative approach to both the road onto which the maneuver should be made and the road not to be taken.

Abstract: A method and system for use by driver assistance systems installed in a motor vehicle to continuously provide such systems with updated data about paths along roads onto which the motor vehicle can travel from a current position of the motor vehicle as the motor vehicle travels along said roads. The method includes accessing a database that contains data that represents segments of roads and intersections of a road network located in a geographic region in which the motor vehicle is traveling and determining one or more paths along roads onto which the motor vehicle can travel from a current position of the motor vehicle. Each path is extended out to a threshold. Data representing each of the paths is provided in an organized data structure for use by the driver assistance systems.

Abstract: A vehicle navigation system includes at least one game program that runs on the navigation system hardware and that uses the data in the geographic database to conduct a game session via a user interface of the navigation system.

Abstract: A data collection system is used by a researcher to collect data for a geographic database. The data collection system is transported by the researcher along roads in a geographic area. As the data collection system is being transported, the positions of the data collection system are determined. Programming in the data collection system recognizes a vocal command from the researcher. The data collection system stores data indicating a determined position with a type of data associated with the vocal command. The data obtained by the data collection system is displayed so that the researcher can add or modify data records in the geographic database. The data obtained by the data collection system is used to add data to or modify data in the geographic database.

Abstract: A navigation system includes a feature that allows a user to specify a type of point of interest at which the user wishes to make an intermediate stop while on route to a final destination. The feature identifies for the user one point of interest of the specified type at which an intermediate stop can be made while on route to the final destination, wherein a route to the final destination that includes an intermediate stop at the one point of interest takes less time than routes to the final destination that make an intermediate stop at other points of interest of the specified type.

Abstract: A data compression method and system that include the substitution of a substring of data characters located at a first position in a stream of data characters with a substitution code. The substitution code includes a reference to a previous position in the stream of data characters at which is located a substring of data characters that matches the substring of data characters which are being substituted located at the first position. The substitution code also includes an indication of the size of the substituted substring. The reference in the substitution code is a backwards offset to the previous position relative to the first position. According to a further aspect, Huffman encoding can be applied to the backward offsets, the substring lengths, the consecutive literal character lengths, and the literal characters themselves to reduce the data requirement size.

Abstract: A feature provided by a data collection system that can be used by a database researcher is disclosed. As the database researcher travels through a geographic area and observes geographic features (such as roads), the database researcher uses the data collection system to collect and store data that represent attributes of the geographic features. The data collection system includes a feature whereby the database researcher can define a profile of one or more attributes of one or more geographic features. The profile is stored in a memory of the data collection system. Then, as the database researcher travels through the geographic area and new geographic features are encountered, the data collection system automatically applies these attributes to each new geographic feature, thereby eliminating the need on the part of the database researcher to separately specify each attribute of a newly encountered geographic feature.

Abstract: A data collection system and method match the positions of one or more cellular phones, or other types of wireless phones, to data indicating the locations of roads in a geographic area to derive data about phones located in vehicles traveling along the roads. The data about phones located in vehicles traveling along the roads are used for updating or refining a geographic database, traffic monitoring and reporting, or for other purposes.

Abstract: A system and method for collecting address data for a geographic database are disclosed. Data are collected using a plurality of end users navigation systems. The data indicate a location at which a trip by a vehicle in which a navigation system is located ended and a desired destination entered into the navigation system by an end user prior thereto. These data are received in a data collection facility that statistically analyzes the data and uses the data to update a geographic database.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed that provide an end user of a navigation program with information about walking to a desired destination in combination with information about driving to or close to the desired destination. In addition to the calculation of a route for driving to the desired destination, the navigation program uses data in a geographic database to calculate one or more routes to reach the desired destination by walking from locations within a walking threshold around the desired destination. In calculating these one or more walking routes, the navigation program uses the data in the geographic database to assess the suitability of roads around the desired destination for pedestrian travel. In calculating these one or more walking routes, the navigation program can also include road segments in the walking routes without regard for travel restrictions that only apply to vehicular traffic.

Abstract: A process and system for collecting data about roads located in a geographic area and using the collected data to develop representations of the roads for a geographic database. Data representing positions along roads are acquired using equipment installed in a vehicle which is driven on the roads. The data acquired while driving may be smoothed and fused. The data acquired while driving are processed by a program that automatically determines new coordinates to adjust the represented positions to align with the centerlines of the represented roads. Data including the new coordinates are stored in the geographic database.

Abstract: A system and method for storing data to represent other-than-straight map features in a computer-readable geographic database for use in a navigation system. For geographic features that are other-than-straight, a curve generated by a computable function is fitted to an image of the other-than-straight map 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 other-than-straight 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 other-than-straight feature. These control points are stored in the geographic database and are used in displaying the other-than-straight geographic feature.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A data collection method for a geographic database that represents geographic features in a region, and a system and program for performing the method. The data collection method includes obtaining a first copy of data from the geographic database without locking the data in the geographic database and performing an updating process using the first copy. A second copy of data from the geographic database is obtained. A determination is made whether application of the updating process to the second copy of data conflicts with any changes made to the geographic database since the first copy of data was obtained. If application of the updating process does not conflict with any changes made to the geographic database, the updating process is applied to the second copy of data from the geographic database. Then, the updated second copy of data is restored back in the geographic database.

Abstract: A feature for a navigation system that provides an evaluation of alternate routes. According to this feature, the navigation system compares the actual time of travel along a route to the estimated time of travel along the route. If the actual time of travel exceeds the estimated time of travel, alternate routes to the destination are calculated and provided to the user. This feature enables driver-experienced traffic conditions to be taken into account.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A method and system for providing navigation services to portable communications devices, such as cellular phones. A cellular phone user uses a cellular phone to request navigation services. The cellular phone is located in a geographic area that has a cellular phone location determining system that determines the positions of cellular phones used throughout the area. The cellular phone location determining system is used to determine one or more locations of the cellular phone used to request the navigation services. A map matching program uses a map database that contains data indicating the locations of roads located throughout the geographic area to relate the position of the cellular phone to one or more roads. Optionally, a direction of travel of the cellular phone can be determined by the map matching program using data indicating multiple positions of the cellular phone over time.