Abstract: A vehicle request management system having a server (10) arranged to communicate with a plurality of vehicle requesting devices (12) and a plurality of vehicles (14), each being equipped with a device (200) having route planning and navigation functionality. Upon receipt of a vehicle request, the server allocates the request to an existing cluster of vehicle requests if it is related to the requests. If it is not related to the requests, the request is used to generate a new cluster. The relationship between new vehicle requests and those of existing clusters is assessed based on a proximity of a pick-up location associated with the new request to a pick-up location of an existing request. The relationship is assessed using a parameter that is selected based on a geographical and temporal density of vehicle requests in a region associated with the cluster.

Abstract: A vehicle request management system having a server (10) arranged to communicate with a plurality of vehicle requesting devices (12) and a plurality of vehicles (14), each being equipped with a device (200) having route planning and navigation functionality. Upon receipt of a vehicle request, the server allocates the request to an existing cluster of vehicle requests if it is related to the requests. If it is not related to the requests, the request is used to generate a new cluster. The relationship between new vehicle requests and those of existing clusters is assessed based on a proximity of a pick-up location associated with the new request to a pick-up location of an existing request. The relationship is assessed using a parameter that is selected based on a geographical and temporal density of vehicle requests in a region associated with the cluster.

Abstract: A system and method of operating a portable navigation device or navigation system having a digital camera associated therewith and controlled is described. The method includes capturing digital image data as well as performing a pattern recognition technique on the captured digital image data to determine whether the image includes one or more recognizable pre-defined features. In addition, some information is stored into memory, including an indication of a feature identified for which the pattern recognition technique was successful together with geospatial location data identifying the approximate position of at least one of: the location of the device or system when the digital image was captured, a calculated predicted location of the device and a calculated approximation of the location of the feature identified in the captured digital image.