Navigation Patents (Class 701/400)
  • Patent number: 8473135
    Abstract: A vehicle-side storage unit of a vehicular device associates and stores an already-traveled route and power consumption when a self vehicle has traveled the already-traveled route, as traveling history data. A vehicle-side control unit of the vehicular device transmits the traveling history data to a center device. A center-side storage unit of the center device stores the traveling history data transmitted from multiple vehicles. A center-side control unit of the center device calculates a necessary electric power for traveling a first route in a guide route, based on the traveling history data of an other vehicle stored in the center-side storage unit, the first route being not overlapping with the already-traveled route of the self vehicle stored in the center-side storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Erika Sekijima, Satoru Noro, Kiyohiko Sawada, Teruhiko Fujita
  • Patent number: 8471729
    Abstract: A road-vehicle communication system enabling resumption of the transmission/reception from the rest of data between the vehicle and the road if the transmission/reception is interrupted. Specifically, the road-vehicle communication system includes a roadside apparatus for distributing a content and a vehicle-mounted device which can play a distributed content, the roadside apparatus is connected communicatively with the vehicle-mounted device, and a series of contents are distributed from the roadside apparatus to the vehicle-mounted device. The roadside apparatus includes a control unit for determining a content which the roadside apparatus starts transmitting to the vehicle-mounted device, which is a communication party, from among the series of contents and distributing the other contents succeeding the determined transmission start content. Thus, if the transmission/reception of data between the road and vehicle is interrupted, the transmission/reception can be resumed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kenwood
    Inventors: Kouji Kuga, Hideyuki Nagatomo
  • Publication number: 20130158854
    Abstract: A system and method for estimating journey destinations is disclosed. The system comprises a driving history module, a frequency module, a duration module, a direction module, a metric module and a quality module. The driving history module retrieves a set of learning parameters including driver history data describing one or more past journeys. The frequency module analyzes the learning parameters to determine a candidate set including data describing frequent start locations and frequent end locations for one or more potential journeys to one or more destinations. The duration module estimates journey duration data for the one or more potential journeys. The direction module estimates direction data describing one or more directions for the one or more potential journeys. The metric module determines one or more metrics for the one or more potential journeys. The quality module determines one or more quality scores for the one or more potential journeys.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicants: TOYOTA INFOTECHNOLOGY CENTER CO., LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: David Frank Russell Weir, Kentaro Oguchi, Roger Melen
  • Publication number: 20130158845
    Abstract: Planning a route for a convoy of automobiles, including: identifying a plurality of automobiles included in a convoy; planning, for the convoy by a route planning module, a route from an origin to a destination in dependence upon current automobile traffic between the origin and the destination, automobile characteristics of the convoy, and aggregate user preferences of convoy automobile users; and providing for display, by the route planning module to a route display module of each automobile in the convoy, the convoy's route.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2011
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michelle Davis, Angela Richards Jones, Ruthie D. Lyle
  • Publication number: 20130158873
    Abstract: A navigation method includes receiving additional information satisfying a condition based on a current position of the user terminal, and indicating a position corresponding to the additional information on a navigation map.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Samsung Electronic Co., Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20130158870
    Abstract: A computer implemented method includes receiving a vehicle route. The method further includes receiving data relating to a vehicle charge level. Also, the method includes estimating a power requirement required to travel the length of the vehicle route. The method additionally includes contingent on a vehicle charge state being insufficient to meet the power requirement, comparing the vehicle route to power outage data to establish the presence of power outage regions along the vehicle route. Further, the method includes sending a warning for at least one portion of the route containing a power outage region to a vehicle computing system for relay to a driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: John Robert Van Wiemeersch
  • Publication number: 20130158855
    Abstract: A system and method for estimating journey destinations is disclosed. The system comprises a conversion module, a frequency module, a metric module, a quality module and a summary module. The conversion module converts a set of driver history data to a set of learning parameters. The frequency module analyzes the set of learning parameters and current journey data to generate estimated journey data describing one or more potential journeys. The metric module analyzes the estimated journey data and the set of current status data to determine one or more metrics associated with the estimated journey data. The quality module determines one or more quality scores associated with the estimated journey data. The summary module determines one or more status summaries and one or more estimate summaries. The summary module associates the one or more status summaries and the one or more estimate summaries with the estimated journey data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicants: TOYOTA INFOTECHNOLOGY CENTER CO., LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: David Frank Russell Weir, Roger Melen, Kentaro Oguchi
  • Publication number: 20130158853
    Abstract: An approach is provided for determining parking information for a place of interest. A travel platform processes one or more trace results associated with a device, a user of the device, or a combination there to determine one or more travel paths, one or more places of interest, or a combination thereof. The travel platform processes the one or more travel paths to determine one or more parking areas associated with the one or more places of interest. The travel platform then presents the one or more parking areas associated with the one or more travel paths, the one or more places of interest, or a combination thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Dong Li, Dominic Letz
  • Patent number: 8467954
    Abstract: Tour guide contents stored in a tour guide apparatus carried by a user at a tour destination are provided with points of interest information and map data. This information includes latitude and longitude information for the site of each point of interest, and information on the providers of the information and the categories of information. The latitude and longitude information is provided for each site in relation to map data. By matching these pieces of latitude and longitude information to the map data, points of interest information can be laid out on the map and displayed. This makes it possible to select interesting site information to be displayed on the map based on the information provider, for example, points of interest information provided by provider A for restaurants and another set of information provided by provider B for hotels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Naoshi Kobuya, Toru Masano, Motoya Itako, Atsushi Noda, Hiroshi Nagasawa
  • Publication number: 20130151137
    Abstract: A method of operation of a navigation system includes: generating a destination index based on a search indicator for distinguishing a candidate destination from another; receiving an entry for a point of interest; generating an entry update based on segmenting the entry for comparing the entry update to the destination index; and identifying a target destination based on resolving the destination index with the search indicator for matching the entry update to the candidate destination for displaying on a device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Publication date: June 13, 2013
    Applicant: TELENAV, INC.
    Inventors: Kun Xiong, Jing Hu
  • Publication number: 20130151028
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and automotive vehicles are provided for providing routing for an automotive vehicle from a first location to a second location. The automotive vehicle is configured to operate using a primary energy source and a secondary energy source. An energy indicator is configured to provide a measure of available energy from the primary energy source onboard the automotive vehicle. A processor is coupled to the energy indicator, and is configured to ascertain characteristics of a plurality of segments connecting the first location and the second location, and to select an optimized route between the first location and the second location using the measure of available energy and the characteristics of the plurality of segments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Publication date: June 13, 2013
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: EDWARD D. TATE, JR.
  • Patent number: 8463539
    Abstract: A navigation apparatus acquires, through an antenna and a receiver, external information such as traffic information or the like, and a control unit in the navigation apparatus acquires validity time information from the external information. If the validity time information includes a standard time that represents a current time, the standard time together with a relative time or period information in the validity time information is used for determining whether a valid period has passed. If the validity time information does not include the standard time representing the current time, the lapse of the valid period is determined based on the standard time generated by a standard time generator and one of the relative time and the period information in the validity time information. Then, the external information is invalidated by deleting the information from an information storage if it is determined that the valid period has passed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoru Muramatsu, Taichi Satoh, Kazutomo Tsuchikawa
  • Publication number: 20130144524
    Abstract: Techniques using double-hub indexing are provided that can provide efficient solutions to location-based services that depend on two query points. Such services include point of interest (POI) prediction, best via point, and ride sharing. Double-hub indexing builds on the hub labels (HL) algorithm for computing shortest paths on road networks. It associates two labels (forward and backward) to each vertex v in the network. Each label comprises a set of hubs (other vertices), together with the distances between these hubs and v. The set of labels have a cover property that for any two vertices s and t, their labels intersect in at least one hub that is on the shortest s-t path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2013
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Microsoft Corporation
  • Publication number: 20130144526
    Abstract: A system and method for improved routing that combines real-time and likelihood information. In accordance with an embodiment, the system comprises a digital map / map information; a likelihood routing information; a route processor; wherein, when a request is received from a user/driver, or from another system, to receive a routing information, the system receives real-time information from a traffic-monitoring device or service providing real-time information; wherein the route processor adjusts the received real-time information based on the system's likelihood routing information; and wherein the routing information based on the combination of real-time and likelihood information can then be provided to the user/driver or other system in response to the original request.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Inventor: Gil Fuchs
  • Publication number: 20130144521
    Abstract: A method to display a registered driving path image upon a transparent windscreen head-up display in a source vehicle includes monitoring an operating environment of the source vehicle, monitoring a driver registration input, determining a registered driving path image based upon the operating environment of the source vehicle and the driver registration input, and displaying the registered driving path image upon the head-up display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Roy J. Mathieu, Joseph F. Szczerba, Thomas A. Seder, Dehua Cui
  • Patent number: 8457878
    Abstract: A method for automatically creating points of interest by identifying geographic information on a screen of a portable navigation device. A first geographic information is retrieved from an information page shown in the screen of the portable navigation device and recognized by comparing with the first geographic information with a geographic information of landmarks stored in a map database of the portable navigation device. It is determined whether the first geographic information is in the map database. If the geographic information is in the map database, a first GPS coordinate corresponding to the first geographic information is obtained and stored as a first POI.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: MiTAC International Corp.
    Inventor: Chien-Yang Chang
  • Patent number: 8457838
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include a computer-controlled method for safely operating a vehicle based electronic system. The method includes receiving a first signal from a first sensor, wherein the first sensor is for identifying the presence of a passenger located in a passenger seat of the vehicle. This may be the configuration of a seat belt associated with the passenger seat. The method further includes receiving a second signal from a second sensor, wherein the second sensor is for determining a weight of the passenger in the passenger seat. Provided the passenger is located in the passenger seat and the weight of the passenger in the passenger seat is above or equal to a threshold value, the method further includes allowing programming functionality of the electronic system while the vehicle is in motion. In one embodiment, the electronic system is a vehicle based navigation system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Nvidia Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew C. Fear, William Samuel Herz
  • Patent number: 8457923
    Abstract: Provided is a velocity calculating apparatus including: a horizontal-angular-velocity-detecting portion disposed to a main-body portion attached to a movable object moving along a movement plane to detect a horizontal-axis angular velocity around a horizontal axis perpendicular to a moving direction generated according to an inclination angle of the movement plane; a vertical-acceleration-detecting portion disposed to the main-body portion to detect a vertical acceleration generated according to a shape of the movement plane; a time-difference-calculating portion configured to calculate a time difference between characteristic components occurring in the horizontal-axis angular velocity and the vertical acceleration due to a position of the movement plane; and a velocity-calculating portion configured to calculate a time-differential velocity based on a ratio between an installation distance from a position to which the horizontal angular velocity is exerted in the overall movable object to an installation po
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Masashi Ohkubo
  • Patent number: 8457892
    Abstract: An own-vehicle-path determining method includes calculating a first evaluation value of each of plural predicted own-vehicle-path candidates, calculating a second evaluation value of each of the plural own-vehicle-path candidates, selecting own-vehicle-path candidates with high first evaluation values from the plural own-vehicle-path candidates, selecting own-vehicle-path candidates with high second evaluation values as appropriate own-vehicle-path candidates from the selected own-vehicle-path candidates, and selecting any one of the appropriate own-vehicle-path candidates as an own-vehicle path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuaki Aso, Toshiki Kindo
  • Publication number: 20130138343
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for displaying a point of interest (POI). According to the present invention, a screen for path guiding and a screen for POI guiding can be simultaneously and separately provided, thereby facilitating the recognition of a POI and increasing the accessibility to a POI while driving.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2011
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Applicant: THINKWARESYSTEMS CORP.
    Inventor: Wonkyung Choi
  • Patent number: 8452529
    Abstract: An estimated travel time for a route generated by a navigation system can be modified using a route-specific, custom travel factor computed from data collected by the navigation system while the user is traveling the route. In one aspect, the data can be stored in a local or remote database accessible by the navigation system. The data can be used to classify routes so that custom travel factors computed for a route in a given class can be used to estimate travel times for other routes in the same class. In another aspect, the classified custom travel factors can be shared with other users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Brett Gregory Alten
  • Patent number: 8451108
    Abstract: In an on-vehicle information providing device including an input device 1 for inputting information corresponding to operation, on-vehicle information equipment 2 for executing processing corresponding to the information input, an active safety system 3 for monitoring surrounding conditions of the vehicle and generating caution information, a liquid crystal display device 4 for displaying a processing result of the on-vehicle information equipment, and a head-up display (HUD) 5 for displaying the information delivered from the on-vehicle information equipment or from active safety system, the on-vehicle information equipment sends, if any display interrupt request is made from the active safety system during execution of the display processing onto the HUD, a display switching control request to the HUD by suspending the display processing, and the HUD switches from a state of displaying the information from the on-vehicle information equipment to a state of displaying the information from the active safety s
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Kohno, Reiko Okada, Kiyoshi Matsutani
  • Patent number: 8452471
    Abstract: A process for operating a hybrid vehicle in an internal-combustion-engine-driven mode and/or in an electric-motor-driven mode, wherein, on a route section to be traveled and considered for driving in the electric-motor-driven mode, a change to the electric-motor-driven mode will take place only when a threshold value is exceeded which represents, or correlates with the efficiency advantage achievable on the route section by a change from the internal-combustion-engine-driven mode to the electric-motor-driven mode. Starting from the instantaneous position of the hybrid vehicle, the route is examined in an anticipatory manner with respect to such a route section, wherein the threshold value is adapted when such a route section was recognized and a driving through the route section in the electric driving mode would likely lead to a lowering of the state of charge of an electric energy accumulator into a critical state of charge range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Andreas Wilde, Torsten Herzog
  • Patent number: 8452526
    Abstract: Systems and methods for estimation of roadway travel information based on historical travel data are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system for estimating travel conditions may comprise, for example, a communication network; an automobile navigation system communicatively coupled to the communication network, the automobile navigation system for specifying a future travel information for travel along the desired route on the desired date; and a processor communicatively coupled to the communication network, the processor estimating travel conditions associated with the desired route on the desired date, and the processor performing said estimation by correlating the future travel information with historical travel information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Inventor: Gary Ignatin
  • Publication number: 20130128060
    Abstract: A smart phone senses audio, imagery, and/or other stimulus from a user's environment, and acts autonomously to fulfill inferred or anticipated user desires. In one aspect, the detailed technology concerns phone-based cognition of a scene viewed by the phone's camera. The image processing tasks applied to the scene can be selected from among various alternatives by reference to resource costs, resource constraints, other stimulus information (e.g., audio), task substitutability, etc. The phone can apply more or less resources to an image processing task depending on how successfully the task is proceeding, or based on the user's apparent interest in the task. In some arrangements, data may be referred to the cloud for analysis, or for gleaning. Cognition, and identification of appropriate device response(s), can be aided by collateral information, such as context. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: DIGIMARC CORPORATION
    Inventor: DIGIMARC CORPORATION
  • Patent number: 8447511
    Abstract: A method for controlling a hybrid vehicle having at least two propulsion engines. According to the specification of an operating controller, propulsion is provided via the first propulsion engine, in particular an internal combustion engine, and/or the second propulsion engine, in particular an electric motor. The percentage contribution of the propulsion of the second propulsion engine is controlled as a function of the data pertaining to the travel route communicated to the operating controller, taking into account a charge state of an energy accumulator. An optimized operating strategy is determined by specifying a geographic destination and/or a destination parameter of the operating strategy, the travel route being selected by taking into account the optimized operating strategy when alternate travel routes are available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Frese, Richard Aumayer
  • Patent number: 8447520
    Abstract: Device for aiding the navigation and guidance of an aircraft, and system comprising such a device. The device (1) comprises at least three independent channels and it comprises at least one computer (2) which contains means (4) for storing and means (6, 7) for calculating positions and deviations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Airbus Operations (SAS)
    Inventors: Josep Gine I Cortiella, Jean-Philippe Huynh
  • Patent number: 8447513
    Abstract: An electronic mobile device includes a display for displaying a graphical element. A tilt sensor is configured to sense first and second tilt angles of the mobile device. A processor is coupled to the display and the tilt sensor and configured to move the graphical element relative to the display in a first direction based on the first tilt angle, and to move the graphical element relative to the display in a second direction based on the second tilt angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Kevin Howard Orr, Alexander Kornilovsky, Alexei Skarine
  • Patent number: 8447512
    Abstract: A process for generating computer flight plans on the Internet with the elements of: a raw XY&Z database of chart data, a data base containing aircraft data, a software system to create VFR, IFR and Road charts, an Internet web site accessible by a Client computer, a software system which computes flight plans requested by the Client computer, a software system which allows for navigation data and aircraft editing by means of the Internet web site Client computer, and a software system which allows for outputting flight plans by means of the Internet web site Client computer. A alternate embodiment includes wherein said elements include a local area network consisting of a service and number of local Client computers or an Intranet network which is connected by means other than wires such as infrared or radio signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Inventors: Roger Maria Stenbock, Kyle Braden Everson
  • Publication number: 20130124080
    Abstract: A method of operation of a navigation system includes: extracting a feature from a sample field with a manual label associated with a point of interest, the feature for locating the sample field in a document; generating a rule based on the feature extracted to assign the manual label to a target field; extracting the target field from the document with the manual label assigned by applying the rule to the document; and inserting the target field associated with the point of interest to a location-based guide for displaying on a device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2011
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: TELENAV, INC.
    Inventors: Qian Diao, Daqing Li
  • Patent number: 8442764
    Abstract: A computer generated 3-dimensional map display includes a reference icon identifying an observation point in the geographic area defined by the map, the map being presented on a curved surface which extends from a first plane to a second plane which is substantially orthogonal to the first plane. The observation point is located in the first plane. The display is configured such that the height of landmarks and buildings in a defined foreground of the reference icon are presented normal to the first plane, the height of land marks and buildings at a defined far distance are presented normal to the second plane and the height of land marks and buildings in a defined middle ground are presented normal to the non-linear portion of the curved surface. The geographic area represented can be translated along the curved surface to provide a perception that the reference icon is roaming through the displayed geographic area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Schulze & Webb Ltd.
    Inventors: Jack Schulze, Matthew William Webb
  • Patent number: 8442759
    Abstract: A method for communicating navigational information to a telematics unit. The method comprises receiving route requirements; calculating a plurality of portions of a route, each portion calculated according to different sets of criteria, the criteria determined from the route requirements; and sending the plurality of portions to the telematics unit. The portions of the route can be provided to the telematics unit sequentially, with non-final portions including a trigger for indicating to the telematics unit when to request the next portion. The portions can also be provided to the telematics unit as a complete route comprising concatenated route portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: General Motors LLC
    Inventors: Steven C. Tengler, Richard A. Johnson
  • Patent number: 8437501
    Abstract: A system for pose generation consisting of a trajectory system, a pose generation system, an intersection extractor, an object identifier, a constraint generator, and a posegraph solver. The trajectory system identifies a number of trajectories based on input positional data of a bounded area. The pose generation system generates one or more poses based on the trajectories. The intersection extractor identifies one or more possible intersections in the one or more poses. The object identifier identifies an object pair for each possible intersection that represents two positional points at each possible intersection. The constraint generator computes and applies one or more intersection constraints to generate an energy value for each object pair based on their geometric relationship. The posegraph solver then minimizes a total energy value by modifying one or more poses and then generates an improved set of pose trajectories based on the modified one or more poses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Dragomir Anguelov, Christian Frueh, Sameer Agarwal
  • Patent number: 8437947
    Abstract: An apparatus is for guiding a vehicle traveling of a vehicle by using information technology infrastructures. The apparatus includes: a control terminal for controlling the vehicle traveling; sensing devices that collect circumstance information of guidance areas desirous of guiding the vehicle by using the information technology infrastructures provided on the guidance areas; and a server device that recognizes a circumstance of the guidance areas to create a guidance route based on the collected circumstance information by the sensing device so that the control terminal controls the vehicle to travel along the guidance route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Jaejun Yoo, Byung Tae Jang, Jeong Dan Choi, Do Hyun Kim, Jeong Ah Jang, Kyung Bok Sung, Jungsook Kim, Kyeong Tae Kim, Jae Han Lim, Jong-Hyun Park
  • Publication number: 20130110396
    Abstract: An aspect of the present invention facilitates identification of custom rendezvous points between users and vehicles plying on custom routes. In one embodiment, a system on board the vehicle receives notifications from users while the vehicle is plying/in transit on the custom route. The system determines the respective transit states (capturing the static and/or dynamic aspects) of the vehicle corresponding to the notifications. The system then inspects the transit states to identify the rendezvous points between the users and the vehicle plying on the custom route. The users by providing the notifications at different time instances (that is, when the vehicle is at different locations/points on the custom route) can cause different “custom” rendezvous points to be identified based on the preferences of the users using the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2012
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: TECHNOMEDIA SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS PRIVATE LIMITED
    Inventor: TechnoMedia Software Solutions Private Limited
  • Publication number: 20130110391
    Abstract: An apparatus for estimating a travel path of a vehicle is mounted on the vehicle; and includes: an object detection device that detects an object lying ahead of the vehicle; a stationary object detection device that determines whether a detected object is a stationary object; a device that calculates an approximate straight line indicating a path of the stationary object from the temporal positional data for the stationary object projected on two-dimensional coordinates using a vehicle position as a starting point; a device that calculates a orthogonal line which passes through a midpoint in the temporal positional data for the stationary object and goes straight with respect to the approximate straight line on the two-dimensional coordinates; and a device that calculates a vehicle turning radius from an intersection point where the orthogonal line intersects with a x axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2011
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masakazu Obi
  • Patent number: 8433336
    Abstract: Disclosed are a method for guiding a route by using augmented reality and a mobile terminal using the same. The method for guiding a route by a mobile terminal includes: receiving route source information from a first terminal; displaying a surrounding image of the first terminal including augmented reality (AR) information by a second terminal based on the received route source information; and providing, by the second terminal, a real time route guidance to the first terminal according to a user input with respect to the displayed surrounding image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Taesung Lee, Eunkyung Kim, Taehyun Lim, Jooil Lee, Hyesook Jeon
  • Patent number: 8433512
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for identifying points-of-interest. In one aspect, a method includes accessing, by a mobile device, two or more search results, each of the search results identifying a respective point-of-interest (POI), and determining a distance between the mobile device and each POI. The method may also include selecting a directional icon for each POI based on the distance to the respective POI, and displaying, by the mobile device, information identifying the POIs and, for each POI, the directional icon selected for the respective POI.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Andrei Lopatenko, Trystan Upstill, Soham Mazumdar, Kevin D. Lacker
  • Patent number: 8433483
    Abstract: A discriminator identifies windrow pixels associated with a windrow within a collected image. A definer defines a search space with respect to a vehicle. An evaluator determines respective spatial correlations between the defined search space and the windrow pixels for different angular displacements of the search space. An alignment detector or search engine determining a desired vehicular heading as a preferential angular displacement associated with a generally maximum spatial correlation between the defined search space and the windrow pixels. An offset calculator estimates an offset of the vehicle to a central point of the windrow or a depth axis to achieve the desired vehicle heading and desired position of the vehicle with respect to the windrow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Shufeng Han, Jiantao Wei, Francisco Rovira-Mas
  • Patent number: 8432295
    Abstract: A utterance type road traffic information providing system comprises a roadside apparatus (100) installed along a road where vehicles travel, in a parking lot, or near a parking lot and adapted for transmitting alarm information by wireless communication, a utterance type vehicle-mounted device (200) adapted for receiving the alarm information by wireless communication from the roadside apparatus (100) and outputting the alarm information and mounted in the vehicle, and a administration server (300) for communicating various information with the roadside apparatus (100). The utterance type vehicle-mounted device (200) has a predetermined operating unit and a control unit. The control unit provides again a utterance type output from the beginning by sound according to the alarm information supplied from the roadside apparatus (100) when a predetermined operation of the operating unit is made. By a simple method, the alarm information is again confirmed (re-outputted).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kenwood
    Inventors: Masahiro Ueno, Hideyuki Nagatomo
  • Patent number: 8432270
    Abstract: A mobile terminal and a method of controlling the operation of the same are provided. In the method, position information of a different bicycle user or bicycle riding course information is displayed. Riding information of the different bicycle user is displayed or the bicycle riding course information is changed according to weather or the like. The method provides a navigation screen for bicycle riding and supports prevention of bicycle theft and accident.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Li Na Lee, I Su Byun, Woo Jin Suh, Sang Hyuck Lee, Jee In Lee
  • Patent number: 8433507
    Abstract: A vehicle tracking system includes a wheel containing sensor circuitry capable of sensing various types of conditions, such as wheel rotation, wheel vibration caused by skidding, and specific electromagnetic and/or magnetic signals indicative of particular wheel locations. The sensor circuitry is coupled to an RF transceiver, which may but need not be included within the wheel. The wheel may also include a brake mechanism. In one embodiment, the wheels are placed on shopping carts and are used to collect and monitor shopping cart status and location data via a wireless network. The collected data may be used for various purposes, such as locking the wheel of an exiting cart if the customer has not paid, estimating numbers of queued carts, stopping wheel skid events that occur during mechanized cart retrieval, store planning, and providing location-based messaging to customers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Gatekeeper Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen E. Hannah, Scott J. Carter, Jesse M. James
  • Publication number: 20130103300
    Abstract: An approach is provided for providing driving assistant services to a user before, during, and after the user starts traveling. Specifically, a personal travel pattern associated with a device, the user of a device, or a combination thereof is processed to determine at least one prediction of a time that the device, the user, or a combination thereof will travel to at least one or more travel paths, one or more places of interest, or a combination thereof. The travel information associated with the at least one of the one or more travel paths, the one or more places of interest, or a combination thereof is presented to the user prior to the time predicted. The travel information is also processed to cause, at least in part, a generation of a recommendation of at least one alternate travel path, at least one alternate place of interest, or a combination thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2011
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Applicant: Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Thanawin Rakthanmanon, Dong Li, Dominic Letz
  • Patent number: 8428865
    Abstract: The present invention provides a navigation system and roadway search method capable of easily searching for a roadway even if a user does not accurately know the name of the roadway. The navigation system includes an icon display unit that displays roadway icons by road type on a screen, and a search key setting unit that specifies a road type corresponding to the icon selected from the icons displayed on the screen, and sets a roadway name corresponding to the icon selected from the icons displayed on the screen as a search key through a user operation. The navigation system displays icons on the screen that are constituted by marks that are similar to marks actually used for roadways in paper maps or road signs. Thus the user is able to search for a roadway without needing to know the complete name of the desired roadway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Kohei Otsuki
  • Patent number: 8428866
    Abstract: Aspects of the invention provide systems and methods for providing turn by turn directions based on imprecise destination information. In one embodiment, a user may request turn by turn directions based on a first location, such as an address, and a destination area, defined by the name of a geographic area, such as a city or state. A plurality of access locations may be identified based on the geographic area. These access locations may be displayed to the user so that the user may select a particular destination. The selected location may then be used, along with the first location, to provide a set of turn by turn directions to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Barry Hayes
  • Patent number: 8428873
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention enable displaying a plurality of driving direction steps that form a driving directions path between a start address and a destination address; receiving input selecting a driving direction step of said plurality of driving direction steps; and displaying a panoramic image of a geographic area where a driving action associated with said selected driving direction step would be performed by a driver. In other embodiments, the panoramic image is replaced and/or complemented with one or more of 3D models, full-motion video, full-motion video of 360 degrees images, and live feeds from video cameras to provide enhanced driving directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Chau, Stephane Lafon, Jie Shao, Andrew Timothy Szybalski, Luc Vincent
  • Publication number: 20130096815
    Abstract: Vehicle management systems and associated processes can incorporate calculations for categorizing locations on a map as within one or more territories based on proximity of the location to predetermined points with in the territories. The systems and processes can also incorporate techniques for estimating total distance required to traverse a route reaching all of a set of predetermined stops, without using a routing algorithm that would provide a usable route for a vehicle, but is less computationally demanding. The systems and processes can also include techniques for incorporating legs of a route that extend through a temporary exclusion zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2012
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Applicant: TELOGIS, INC.
    Inventor: TELOGIS, INC.
  • Publication number: 20130096821
    Abstract: A method of operation of a navigation system includes: receiving a destination; generating a route to the destination; and generating a non-native dynamic navigation based on the route for displaying on a device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2012
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Applicant: TeleNav, Inc.
    Inventor: TeleNav, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130096816
    Abstract: In order to provide parking assist even in a situation where an end portion of a vehicle is predicted to come into contact with an obstacle, an available parking space is set, and a target parking position is set within the available parking space. When it is determined that the end portion of the vehicle will come into contact with an end portion of the available parking space if the vehicle travels to be parked in the target parking position, an entering angle of the vehicle with respect to the available parking space is changed so that the vehicle may travel toward a target parking space with the end portion of the vehicle spaced away from a front end point P of the available parking space, and a parking path for the vehicle to travel to a non-final target parking position is calculated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Inventors: Teruhisa Takano, Daisuke Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8423281
    Abstract: An apparatus and method provide a travel route in a navigation system. The apparatus includes: a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver for receiving position data from a plurality of GPS satellites; a storage unit for storing map data and the travel route therein; a display unit for displaying the stored map data and travel route on a screen; a key input unit for receiving a variety of input key signals, and an origin and a destination therebetween; a velocity and direction detection unit for detecting a travel velocity and direction of travel of a moving object; a wireless communication unit for communicating to receive traffic information on an on-road; and a control unit for controlling each unit to store the travel route in the storage unit and to provide the stored travel route for a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Hwan Saeng Oh