Abstract: A navigation system includes a feature that allows a user to specify a type of point of interest (or business chain) and then receive a reminder when the user is in proximity to a location of the point of interest of the specified type (or business chain) while traveling in a geographic region.

Abstract: A method for collecting data for a geographic database is disclosed. Engine load value and position data are collected using a vehicle traveling in a geographic region. A location of a road grade change point is identified corresponding to a change in the engine load value data. The geographic database is updated to indicate the road grade.

Abstract: A method of representing a road network in a geographic database that facilitates determining routes between locations along the road network. In the geographic database, the road network is represented using transition point pair data. Each transition point pair data record indicates an entry point, an arm (or road segment) leading away from the entry point, an exit point, routing attributes (such as a travel cost or time), and possibly other data. Except for certain exceptions, such as multi-segment restricted driving maneuvers, the entry point and the exit point of a transition point pair are adjacent decision point intersections. A decision point intersection is an intersection at which a driver is required to make a decision which one of two or more possible road segments to take leading away from the intersection. The transition point pair data are used when calculating a route between two locations.

Abstract: A feature provided by a navigation system or other device whereby additional information about roadside signs can be provided to a driver of a vehicle while traveling along a road. The additional information may be provided automatically or in response to a request from the driver. The additional information may include a translation of the sign text into a selected language, supplementary information about the subject matter of the sign, commercial information about the subject matter of the sign, or other kinds of information. In one embodiment, the additional information is contained in a database that includes data identifying locations of roadside signs and additional information about the roadside signs. Programming in the navigation system or other device determines the location of the vehicle, uses the database to identify one or more roadside signs close to the location of the vehicle, and provides the driver with the additional information about the one or more roadside signs via a user interface.

Abstract: A method whereby a computing platform that uses geographic data that are spatially organized into parcels of a given size can specify a parcel block size larger than the given size. Thereafter, during runtime, the geographic data are accessed by the computing platform in groups of one or more parcels not larger than the parcel block size. According to one embodiment, at or after initialization of the computing platform, groupings of parcels corresponding to parcel blocks are determined. Each parcel block has a size larger than the maximum parcel size but not larger than a maximum parcel block size. Data identifying the groupings and the parcels corresponding thereto are stored on the computing platform and the data identifying the groupings and the parcels corresponding thereto are used to access all the parcels corresponding to a parcel block whenever geographic data in any one of the parcels are needed.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for collecting data that relate addresses to map-referenced locations. A fleet of delivery trucks delivers items to locations throughout a geographic region. Each item to be delivered includes a tracking code. An electronic code reader device is used to record the tracking code of an item when the item is being delivered. A position determining device, such as a GPS unit, is used to determine a geographic position associated with the delivery of each item. Data indicating the tracking code of an item and the corresponding geographic position associated with the delivery are stored. Then, using data that indicate an address associated with each tracking code, each address is associated with a geographic position. This information is used to revise a geographic database, e.g., to relate addresses to map-referenced locations.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for collecting traffic information. One or more aircraft, such as helicopters, fly predetermined flight paths above a geographic area. The flight paths are determined so that portions of roads for which traffic information are to be collected are within the ranges of remote velocity sensors located on board the aircraft during the flights of these aircraft along their respective flight paths. Each aircraft includes positioning equipment that allows the precise position (i.e., altitude, latitude, and longitude) and attitude (i.e., roll, pitch, and yaw) of the aircraft during its flight to be determined. During a flight along the predetermined flight path, the remote velocity sensor in each aircraft is operated to perform scans of locations on roadways in the geographic area.

Abstract: A bounding route is calculated between two physical locations to determine a boundary value for which subsequent route calculations or portions thereof may be compared to. The bounding route may be calculated by selecting segments of roads that satisfy certain criteria. These criteria may be based on weighting factors or parameters such as the “least distance traveled” or the “least travel time.” The bounding route and the value may then provide any route calculation program with criteria used to determine whether a search at a particular location should continue. That is, if a search at a particular location has exceeded the criteria, or equivalently, the search has gone beyond the boundary, the search is stopped because it will most likely result in an un-optimal route. This process may then be an iterative one until an optimal search with a value less than the boundary value is found.

Abstract: A method of organizing map data on a physical storage medium is disclosed. The map data represents geographic features located in a geographic region. The method identifies at least one dense area in the geographic region. The map data representing the geographic features within the dense area have a data size exceeding a predetermined maximum size for a predetermined sized geographic area of the region. The method subdivides the map data representing the geographic features within the dense area into parcels so that the portion of map data contained in the parcel is close to a predetermined parcel size. The method subdivides the map data less the map data representing the dense area into parcels so that the portion of map data contained in the parcel is close to the predetermined parcel size. Additionally, the method locates the map data in each parcel together on the physical storage medium.

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 method for representing a route along a road network in a geographic region is disclosed. A database includes data representations of intersections of roads in the geographic region. Associated with the data representation for each intersection of roads are data indicating one or more nominal paths through the intersection. The nominal paths through an intersection identify, for each road segment by which the represented intersection can be entered, one and only one road segment from which the represented intersection is exited. The route is represented by indicating each intersection at which the route deviates from the nominal path into the intersection.