U.S. patent application number 14/179575 was filed with the patent office on 2014-06-12 for emphasizing revisited featured locations.
The applicant listed for this patent is Mordechai Teicher. Invention is credited to Mordechai Teicher.
Application Number | 20140163880 14/179575 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50441534 |
Filed Date | 2014-06-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140163880 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Teicher; Mordechai |
June 12, 2014 |
Emphasizing Revisited Featured Locations
Abstract
A method and apparatus for presenting to a user audio and/or
multimedia descriptions of previously-visited featured locations,
so that the same descriptions are not presented in repeated visits
to the same locations. Description may be selected to fit between
consecutive turn-by-turn navigation instructions.
Inventors: |
Teicher; Mordechai; (Hod
Hasharon, IL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Teicher; Mordechai |
Hod Hasharon |
|
IL |
|
|
Family ID: |
50441534 |
Appl. No.: |
14/179575 |
Filed: |
February 13, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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13734925 |
Jan 5, 2013 |
8700320 |
|
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14179575 |
|
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61725486 |
Nov 13, 2012 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
701/537 ;
701/540 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01C 21/343 20130101;
G01C 21/00 20130101; G01C 21/3484 20130101; G01C 21/36 20130101;
G01C 21/3476 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
701/537 ;
701/540 |
International
Class: |
G01C 21/00 20060101
G01C021/00 |
Claims
1. A computerized method for enhancing the travel experience of a
user in vicinity of previously-visited featured locations, the
method comprising: planning, by a processor, a route according to
an origin point and a destination point; accessing, by a processor,
a featured location database, the database including a plurality of
featured locations and at least one description for each featured
location; accessing, by a processor, a travel history log of the
user; seeking, by a processor, from the plurality of featured
locations, a previously-visited featured location along the route
and a selected description of the previously-visited featured
location, according to selection criteria that include, at least:
that, according to the travel history log of the user, the
previously-visited featured location has been presented to the user
in a previous visit, and that, according to the travel history log
of the user, the selected description has not yet been presented to
the user; providing the selected description for presentation to
the user; and recording the selected description in the travel
history log of the user.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing, by a
processor, turn-by-turn navigation instructions for traveling along
the planned route; wherein the selection criteria further include:
that a time duration of the selected description is less than a
predicted time interval between two consecutive turn-by-turn
navigation instructions in the vicinity of the previously-visited
featured location.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection criteria further
include: that the selected description complies with a preference
of the user.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing the selected
description for presentation to the user is made when the user is
in the vicinity of the previously-visited featured location.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected description is an
ephemeral description.
6. A server operative to enhance the travel experience of a user in
vicinity of previously-visited featured locations, the server
comprising: a featured location database that includes a plurality
of featured locations and at least one description for each
featured location; a user database that includes a travel history
log of the user; and a processor programmed to: plan a route
according to an origin point and a destination point; seek, in the
featured location database, a previously-visited featured location
along the route and a selected description of the
previously-visited featured location, according to selection
criteria that include, at least: that, according to the travel
history log of the user, the previously-visited featured location
has been presented to the user in a previous visit, and that,
according to the travel history log of the user, the selected
description has not yet been presented to the user; send the
selected description to a navigation device of the user for
presentation to the user; and record the selected description in
the travel history log of the user.
7. The server of claim 6, wherein the processor is further
programmed to send to the navigation device of the user
turn-by-turn navigation instructions for traveling along the
planned route, and wherein the selection criteria further include:
that a time duration of the selected description is less than a
predicted time interval between two consecutive turn-by-turn
navigation instructions in the vicinity of the previously-visited
featured location.
8. The server of claim 6, wherein the selection criteria further
include: that the selected description complies with a preference
of the user.
9. The server of claim 6, wherein the processor is further
programmed to provide the selected description for presentation to
the user, when the user is in the vicinity of the
previously-visited featured location.
10. The server of claim 6, wherein the selected description is an
ephemeral description.
11. A navigation apparatus operative to enhance the travel
experience of a user in vicinity of previously-visited featured
locations, the navigation apparatus comprising: a featured location
database that includes a plurality of featured locations and at
least one description for each featured location; a travel history
log of the user; and a processor programmed to: plan a route
according to an origin point and a destination point; seek, in the
featured location database, a previously-visited featured location
along the route and a selected description of the
previously-visited featured location, according to selection
criteria that include, at least: that, according to the travel
history log of the user, the previously-visited featured location
has been presented to the user in a previous visit, and that,
according to the travel history log of the user, the selected
description has not yet been presented to the user; present the
selected description to the user; and record the selected
description in the travel history log of the user.
12. The navigation apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is
further programmed to present to the user turn-by-turn navigation
instructions for traveling along the planned route, and wherein the
selection criteria further include: that a time duration of the
selected description is less than a predicted time interval between
two consecutive turn-by-turn navigation instructions in the
vicinity of the previously-visited featured location.
13. The navigation apparatus of claim 11, wherein the selection
criteria further include: that the selected description complies
with a preference of the user.
14. The navigation apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is
further programmed to present the selected description to the user,
when the user is in the vicinity of the previously-visited featured
location.
15. The navigation apparatus of claim 11, wherein the selected
description is an ephemeral description.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of patent application
Ser. No. 13/734,925 filed on 5 Jan. 2013, which claims the benefits
of U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/725,486 filed on Nov.
13, 2012. The contents of both applications are incorporated by
reference in their entirety as if set forth herein.
FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates to navigation apparatus and
methods, and in particular to navigation apparatus and methods
providing audio narratives.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
[0003] Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation devices are
commonplace. A basic GPS navigation device receives signals from
satellites and processes them to determine the geographic
coordinates of the device's instant location. Many navigation
devices and systems include digital maps and navigation logic for
planning driving routes and providing visual and vocal navigation
directions. There are standalone navigation devices that do not
communicate during navigation; other navigation devices are capable
of receiving online traffic updates via Radio Data Systems (RDS),
while in still other navigation devices, such as when GPS and
navigation functionalities are integrated into a smart phone, some
or all of the navigation maps and logic may be hosted by a
navigation server that communicates with the navigation device via
data networks.
[0004] Many users employ a GPS navigation device while walking,
driving or cycling. Often, GPS navigation is used to direct a
driver toward a new destination, but even when traveling in known
and routine areas, a GPS navigation device may still be useful in
providing information on traffic conditions, estimated arrival
time, or updated driving instruction via alternate routes that take
into account current road and traffic conditions.
[0005] Many users repeatedly use the same or similar route when
traveling, such as when commuting, seeing friends or relatives, or
going to frequently-visited places. Routine trips of this sort are
typically tiresome and boring, and it would be highly beneficial to
make such trips more interesting, entertaining and enriching. This
goal is met by embodiments of the present invention.
SUMMARY
Definitions
[0006] The following terms are used consistently within the present
disclosure and claims. In some instances, the terms defined herein
may have a more specific, narrower meaning than in common use or
dictionary definitions, in which case the present definitions
govern.
[0007] The term "user" herein denotes an individual who is
employing a navigation device or system to obtain directional
instructions during travel. According to various embodiments of the
invention, non-limiting examples of a user include: a driver of a
vehicle, including, but not limited to a motor vehicle and a
bicycle; and a pedestrian.
[0008] The term "navigation session" herein denotes a period of
time during which the user is navigating according to directional
instructions of the navigation device or system.
[0009] The term "navigation apparatus" collectively encompasses the
terms "navigation device", "navigation system", "navigation device
or system" and "navigation server", which herein denote devices
and/or systems capable of giving directional instructions to a user
journeying from a geographic departure position to a geographic
destination position. Navigation apparatus includes, but is not
limited to: GPS receivers; smart devices (such as smart phones)
with GPS capabilities; and navigation servers on networks (such as
cellular networks and the Internet) which provide navigation
functionalities including, but not limited to: navigation
databases, such as maps, geographic imaging, location finding; and
supporting navigation services and applications, such as route
planning and generating and providing turn-by-turn navigation
instructions.
[0010] A "navigation device" is a portable device, carried by hand
or placed or installed in a vehicle. A navigation device may be
part of a navigation system, may be implemented as a dedicated
device, or be a general-purpose portable computing device, such as
a smart phone, programmed to execute navigation functionalities. A
navigation device includes means (a "location sensor") for
identifying its current position, such as a global positioning
system (GPS) receiver or other technology used to determine current
location. A navigation device may be a standalone device,
containing all the necessary components, maps and logic for
navigating in a certain geographic area, and/or may communicate
online with a remote "navigation server" that includes maps and
logic for determining a route and producing navigation directions
that are provided online to the navigation device for presentation
to the user.
[0011] The terms "turn-by-turn instructional navigation",
"turn-by-turn navigation instructions" and "turn-by-turn
directions" herein denote navigation and directional instructions
given to a user for following a route, and may be via audio,
graphics, text, pictures, video or any combination thereof.
Turn-by-turn navigation instructions include, but are not limited
to: directional instructions (e.g., "turn left", "keep to the
right", "proceed straight", "go north", "assume a heading of 082
degrees", etc.); speed or velocity (e.g., "proceed at 55 miles per
hour", "start driving", "stop", etc.); and navigation advisories
(e.g., "hazardous road conditions ahead", "heavy traffic ahead",
"you have reached your destination", etc.).
[0012] According to various embodiments of the invention, the term
"location" herein denotes a pre-defined point, site, region,
bounded area, structure, geological feature, etc., on the surface
of the earth. Non limiting examples of locations include a street
address, a street, a crossroad, a city, a state, a mountain, a
lake, a historic landmark, a monument, a shopping mall, a
restaurant, a national park, a zoo within a national park, all of
the above being specified so that they can be recognized on
national or site maps. Some locations may be nicknamed (or
"aliased") by users, for example, home, work, my gym, my current
location, while still having an equivalent definition recognizable
by the public (e.g., a street address).
[0013] The term "vicinity" with reference to a location herein
denotes either being within the boundaries of a location (e.g.: on
a street, in a city, at a national park or a zoo, etc.), being
sufficiently proximate to observe the location (e.g., next to a
monument, mountain, or lake), or being sufficiently proximate to
relate to the location from a reasonable distance (e.g. when being
two blocks from the Empire State Building, even if the building is
obscured).
[0014] The term "route" herein denotes a path traced on the earth
surface between an "origin point" ("origin") and a "destination
point" ("destination") by a user moving between the two points,
regardless of the means of travel. Often, multiple routes may be
used to travel between the origin and destination, and the
selection of route may depend on factors including, but not limited
to: traffic conditions, road conditions and restrictions (e.g.,
one-way streets); and user personal preferences. The term "along" a
particular route with reference to a specific subject (location,
site, structure, region, geographical feature, etc.), herein
denotes that the subject location lies directly on the route or in
the vicinity of a point on the route.
[0015] The term "travel choice" herein denotes a choice made by a
user during travel which affects the route. In a non-limiting
example, a user approaches an intersection and has the ability to
turn left, go straight, or turn right. In this example, the user's
travel choice determines the next segment of the route of travel.
If the user is following a predetermined planned route and is
receiving turn-by-turn navigation instructions for following the
planned route, a travel choice can modify the route if the user
proceeds contrary to the received turn-by-turn navigation
instructions, in which case the user's travel choice modifies the
route.
[0016] The term "database" herein denotes a machine-readable
collection of data in any format, including collections of text and
collections of images, independent of and regardless of whether or
not the collections are sorted, indexed, or keyed.
[0017] The term "featured location" herein denotes a geographic
location or site which has been selected for presentation or
prospective presentation to a user during travel. In various
embodiments of the present invention, there are multiple featured
locations encompassed by the geographic region in which the user is
traveling. According to various embodiments of the invention, a
featured location is emphasized to the user via an audio narrative
description when the user arrives at, enters, or passes nearby, the
featured location during travel in the geographic region. In
related embodiments, the audio narrative description is presented
to the user by the navigation apparatus which presents directional
instructions to the user. In other embodiments, a multimedia
description emphasizing the featured location includes presentation
elements selected from: audio; video; static graphics; and
interactive graphics.
[0018] Featured locations according to embodiments of the present
invention, may include locations or sites in which the user does
not necessarily have a pre-established interest. In this context,
some embodiments of the invention emphasize a "featured location"
in order to generate a new prospective interest in the user.
[0019] A featured location may be commercial or non-commercial, and
may be permanent (e.g. a mountain or large body of water) or
short-lived (e.g. an exhibition or street fair). Featured locations
are associated with information of prospective interest to users of
navigation apparatus, non-limiting examples of which include:
geographic and historical data, facts and lore associated with the
featured location; details about a person or landmark associated
with a street or city name; highlights of a current sale in a
shopping mall; or highlights of a certain exhibition in an art
gallery or museum. According to certain embodiments of the
invention, a featured location is associated with a description
stored in a featured location database. In related embodiments, the
description is an audio narrative; in other embodiments, the
description may include a multimedia presentation.
[0020] A description associated with a featured location provides
information that is specific to the featured location. The term
"ephemeral description" herein denotes a short-lived description
that is expected to be dropped or replaced by a different
description within a short time or upon changing circumstances.
Non-limiting examples of ephemeral descriptions include: fresh
stories and news; new commercial offerings; or seasonal aspects of
a featured location. According to an embodiment of the invention,
an ephemeral description is associated with an expiration
time/date, which may be either explicit (e.g., " . . . offer
expires December 31 . . . ") or implicit (e.g., " . . . today's
special is . . . ").
[0021] The term "multimedia presentation", herein denotes a
user-comprehensible presentation of information in forms including,
but not limited to: text, audio, still images, drawing, graphics,
and video.
[0022] Furthermore, in certain embodiments of the invention,
featured locations also encompass geographic locations which are
termed as "incidentally associated with" something of prospective
interest to the user, thereby connoting lack of a substantive
association of the featured location with that subject. In a
non-limiting example of being incidentally associated with a
location, "Wilson Avenue" in New York City can be a "featured
location" that triggers a description related to Woodrow Wilson,
although the Avenue is only incidentally associated with Woodrow
Wilson and otherwise has nothing substantial to do with Wilson
himself.
[0023] Moreover, in other embodiments of the invention, the term
"featured location" also encompasses large geographic regions. In a
non-limiting example, the entire State of Texas could be a
"featured location"--users entering Texas could be presented with
an audio narrative detailing interesting facts about Texas, such as
its geography, history, demographics, etc.
[0024] The following expressions, as well as expressions similar
thereto, are understood to be interchangeable, and denote that a
route includes a point or segment in the vicinity of a certain
featured location (as defined above):
[0025] "A route passes in the vicinity of a certain featured
location",
[0026] "a route is in the vicinity of a certain featured
location",
[0027] "a certain featured location is in the vicinity of a
route",
[0028] "a route includes a certain featured location",
[0029] "a certain featured location is along a route", and
[0030] "a route passes through a certain featured location".
[0031] Similarly, the following expressions, as well as expressions
similar thereto, are understood to be interchangeable, and denote
that a user's route passes in the vicinity of a featured location
and the user is presented with a description associated with the
featured location, without necessarily stopping at the featured
location:
[0032] A "featured location is visited by a user",
[0033] "a user is visiting a featured location", and
[0034] "there is a visit to a featured location".
[0035] The term "journey" herein denotes a process of a user moving
over a route between an origin and a destination, regardless of the
means employed. According to certain embodiments of the invention,
a journey is made by selecting one of several alternate routes. In
a related embodiment, the selection is made by the user. In another
related embodiment, the selection is made by the navigation device
or system. The phrases "a journey includes a particular featured
location", or "a particular featured location is included in a
journey", interchangeably denote that the journey's route includes
the particular featured location.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0036] FIG. 1 conceptually illustrates the respective domains of
turn-by-turn instructional navigation 10 and non-instructional
location information 14, according to certain embodiments of the
present invention. These domains are both associated with travel
and navigation, but they provide different types of information to
the user. Turn-by-turn instructional navigation 10 as currently
known in the background art provides directions to the user for
following a route, as described previously. Non-instructional
location information 14 according to embodiments of the present
invention provides facts, stories and/or timely news pertaining to
featured locations in the vicinity of the user's travel, to enhance
and enrich the user's travel experiences. Coordination 12, as
provided by embodiments of the present invention, ensures that
non-instructional location-based information 14 is presented to the
user in a manner that complements turn-by-turn instructional
navigation 10 without interfering.
[0037] Embodiments of the present invention provide apparatus and
methods for enhancing the user experience during travel,
particularly for repeated journeys within a specific geographic
area. According to various embodiments of the invention, users are
presented with audio narrative descriptions and/or other multimedia
descriptions of featured locations when they enter or pass such
locations. In some embodiments of the invention, the user is
encouraged to alter the traveled route in order to pass by one or
more featured locations in alternative routes for which appropriate
narrative descriptions are available. Certain embodiments of the
invention provide variety by avoiding repetition of
previously-presented narrative descriptions. Other embodiments of
the invention adapt the selection of featured locations and their
narrative descriptions to personal preferences of the users.
[0038] Certain embodiments of the present invention relate to the
use of navigation apparatus for following a pre-planned route, in
which the navigation apparatus provides continuous turn-by-turn
navigation instructions to the user during travel along the route.
In related embodiments, audio descriptions of featured locations
are interspersed between and among turn-by-turn navigation
instructions.
[0039] Other embodiments of the present invention relate to the
case when the user is familiar with the route and does not require
turn-by-turn navigation instructions, and is using the method
described hereinbelow principally for the audio descriptions of
featured locations.
[0040] Still other embodiments of the present invention relate to
the use of navigation apparatus when the user is exploring an
unfamiliar area without having any destination in particular, and
is using the method described below principally for the audio
descriptions of featured locations and/or for location information
when desired, and/or to be available when the user decides to
proceed to a specific destination. There is not necessarily a
planned route in these embodiments, but there is still a route
associated with the travel--the route determined by the user's
travel choices while traveling.
[0041] According to an embodiment of the present invention, there
is provided a computerized navigation method, implemented by one or
more processors (such as a processor of navigation device and/or a
processor of a navigation server), for providing directional
instructions to a specific user during a journey that includes at
least one featured location, each of which is associated with at
least one description stored in a featured location database.
[0042] The term "specific user" herein denotes a particular user
who is distinguished from users in general. In an embodiment of the
present invention, each user is provided with a unique user ID in
order to identify specific users.
[0043] The term "audio clip" herein denotes a short audio recording
in a machine-readable format for playback on a user device. In a
non-limiting example, a short audio clip ranges in duration up to
15 seconds. In another non-limiting example, a medium audio clip
ranges in duration from 16 seconds to 30 seconds. In a further
non-limiting example, a long audio clip lasts more than 31
seconds.
[0044] The method of the aforementioned embodiment starts with
receiving an origin point and a destination point of a journey. In
a non-limiting example, the origin point can be the current
geographic position of a user's navigation device, such as computed
via the GPS. In certain embodiments, the destination point is
received by a navigation device from a user through the navigation
device's user interface. In other embodiments, the destination
point is received by a navigation server from a navigation
device.
[0045] The method of the aforementioned embodiment continues with
developing a planned route between the origin point and the
destination point. The term "planned route" herein denotes that a
particular developed route is distinguished from routes in general.
Then the method continues with constructing a featured location set
containing at least one selected featured location, where the term
"selected featured location" herein denotes that a particular
featured location is distinguished from featured locations in
general.
[0046] According to this embodiment, each selected featured
location of the set is included in the planned route and is
associated with a featured location description retrieved from a
featured location database. A featured location description is
preferably selected from the featured location database such that
the selected description has not previously been presented to the
specific user, or has been presented a long time ago. In an
embodiment of the present invention, each featured location
description is identified by a unique featured location description
ID, and descriptions presented to the specific user are recorded in
a travel history log of that specific user.
[0047] By checking the travel history log, it is possible to
discover if a particular featured location description has already
been presented to the specific user, enabling the system to present
a featured location description to the specific user which has not
previously been presented, thus avoiding repetition of presented
descriptions. With respect to certain embodiments of the invention,
the term "recorded" in the context of a travel history log herein
denotes that a reference to a specific presentation of a
description to a user appears as a data item in the travel history
log. In a related embodiment, the reference recorded in the travel
history log is the description's unique "featured location
description ID". In another related embodiment, where a featured
location has only one description in the featured location
database, the reference recorded in the travel history log can be
just the "featured location ID", which for example may be the
featured location's geographic coordinates.
[0048] In some embodiments, the record of a presentation of a
description in the travel history log is time-stamped. In a related
embodiment, a description that has already been presented to the
user may be presented again to the same user after a predetermined
amount of time has elapsed (e.g., six months, one year, etc.), as
determined from the time-stamp.
[0049] The method continues for each featured location in the
featured location set:
[0050] retrieving from the featured location database a description
associated with the featured location which has not been recorded
in the user's travel history log (to avoid repetition, as disclosed
above);
[0051] providing the retrieved description for presentation to the
user, (such as by providing the retrieved description from a server
to a navigating device, or providing the retrieved description from
a processor of a navigation device to the audio transducer of the
navigation device for presentation); and
[0052] recording the unique featured location description ID in the
user's travel history log, to avoid repeating the same description
to the user in the future, at least within a predefined period of
time.
[0053] As previously noted, the travel history log is specific to
the particular user. In some embodiments of the invention, the
travel history log is stored with the user's profile in a
navigation server. In other embodiments the travel history log is
stored in the user's navigation device.
[0054] The method disclosed above does not preclude providing
additional information for presentation to the user during travel,
such as turn-by-turn navigation instructions, navigation advisories
related to the route, and/or points of interest, traffic news,
general news, etc.
[0055] In an embodiment of the invention, a particular featured
location may be associated with only a single description in the
featured location database, and therefore so long as there is only
that single description in the database, this particular featured
location is preferably presented only once to the user. According
to this embodiment, however, in the event that one or more
additional descriptions of the particular featured location are
added to the featured location database, those additional
descriptions are eligible for additional presentation, in keeping
with the goal of continually providing the user with new interest
during journeys. In addition, certain featured locations may be
associated with ephemeral descriptions that are updated from time
to time, further providing additional presentations.
[0056] In certain embodiments, the user enters preferences
regarding the presentation of information associated with featured
locations, including, but not limited to:
[0057] specific featured locations;
[0058] categories of featured locations (e.g., commercial featured
locations, historical featured locations, etc.);
[0059] minimum/maximum number and frequency of presentations (per
time and/or per distance) during a journey.
[0060] According to certain embodiments of the invention, the term
"presentable description" denotes a featured location description
for which there is no recorded reference in the user's travel
history log(i.e., has not previously been presented to the user),
or the featured location has not been presented to the user at all
in the past, or the description has been presented a long time ago.
According to other embodiments, a presentable description also
complies with at least one predetermined preference of the user.
According to certain embodiments of the invention, a navigation
device and/or navigation system selects featured locations such
that each selected featured location has at least one presentable
description. The term "presentable featured location" herein
denotes a featured location having at least one presentable
description.
[0061] It may happen that a route selected according to map and
traffic conditions does not include a sufficient number of
presentable featured locations to match the user's preferences for
a minimum number of presented featured locations. In such a case, a
related embodiment of the invention allows for the user to specify
a predetermined "route extension tolerance" (for example, "up to
ten extra miles but not more than fifteen extra minutes"), for
creating an alternate route that offers a sufficient number of
presentable featured locations, such that the alternate route does
not cause the route extension tolerance to be exceeded. This
embodiment offers the user not only interesting information about
his or her route, but also encourages exploring and getting to know
new routes and featured locations that could otherwise remain
unknown to the user.
[0062] Certain embodiments of the present invention handle cases
where the user desires only a single visit to a featured location,
regardless of the number of descriptions associated with the
featured location (or the update/replacement of an ephemeral
description). This situation may arise, for example, when the user
prefers to visit each presented featured location only once in the
interests of visiting the greatest variety of featured locations in
a limited amount of time (e.g., the user is a tourist on holiday
vacation). A similar condition occurs, for example, when the
featured location database includes only a single description for a
featured location and the description is permanent. These
embodiments of the invention therefore provide only a single visit
to a featured location, regardless of the number of descriptions
available in the featured location database for the featured
location. In related embodiments, the travel history log records
identifiers of featured locations in addition to, or instead of,
descriptions identifiers.
[0063] Embodiments of the present invention also provide navigation
apparatus for executing the methods disclosed above. Related
embodiments provide a navigation server that executes the methods
disclosed above. Further related embodiments provide a navigation
device that executes the methods above. Still further embodiments
provide a navigation system including both a navigation server and
a navigation device for cooperatively executing the methods
disclosed above.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0064] The present invention will be more fully understood from the
following detailed description of the embodiments thereof, taken
together with the drawings in which:
[0065] FIG. 1 conceptually illustrates the respective domains of
turn-by-turn instructional navigation and non-instructional
location-based information, according to certain embodiments of the
present invention.
[0066] FIG. 2 conceptually illustrates a featured location
navigation system according to an embodiment of the present
invention.
[0067] FIG. 3 conceptually illustrates a featured location
navigation device according to an embodiment of the present
invention.
[0068] FIG. 4 conceptually illustrates a featured location database
and records thereof according to an embodiment of the present
invention.
[0069] FIG. 5 conceptually illustrates a user personal preferences
data structure according to an embodiment of the present
invention.
[0070] FIG. 6 illustrates a method according to an embodiment of
the present invention for presenting a featured location
description.
[0071] FIG. 7 illustrates an extension of the method shown in FIG.
6 according to another embodiment of the present invention.
[0072] FIG. 8 illustrates a further extension of the method shown
in FIG. 6 according to yet another embodiment of the present
invention.
[0073] FIG. 9 illustrates another further extension of the method
shown in FIG. 6 according to yet another embodiment of the present
invention.
[0074] FIG. 10 conceptually illustrates a featured location
announcement database and records thereof according to an
embodiment of the present invention.
[0075] FIG. 11 illustrates a method for presenting a featured
location description, according to an embodiment of the present
invention.
[0076] FIG. 12 illustrates user options for featured location
descriptions according to an embodiment of the present
invention.
[0077] FIG. 13 conceptually illustrates a user travel history log
according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0078] FIG. 14 illustrates a method according to an embodiment of
the present invention for presenting a featured location
description, independently of navigation functionality.
[0079] FIG. 15 illustrates a method according to an embodiment of
the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0080] The principles and operation of navigation emphasizing
featured locations according to embodiments of the present
invention may be understood with reference to the drawings and the
accompanying description.
[0081] Certain embodiments of the present invention, as illustrated
in FIG. 2 and described below, implement a system based on a server
which connects via a network to a portable navigation device of the
user. Other embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in FIG. 3
and described below, are based on a stand-alone portable navigation
device of the user, which can optionally connect via a network to
server-provided resources.
Server-Centric System
[0082] FIG. 2 conceptually illustrates a server-centric navigation
system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, in
which components related to presentation of featured locations are
implemented via a navigation server 104, while a user navigation
device 174 serves principally to determine the user's geographical
location and to provide a user interface.
[0083] Navigation server 104 includes, in a nonvolatile storage
device, a user database 108 where each user has a personal record
112. Personal record 112 includes a user ID ("UID") 114 that
uniquely identifies the respective user of personal record 112,
personal preferences 116 (discussed with reference to FIG. 5 below)
and a travel history log 120 (which can be implemented via a
database or a text file), which chronologically records visits to
featured locations and the presented descriptions stored in a
featured location ("F-L") database 162. According to certain
embodiments of the invention, a visit is logged (recorded) in
travel history log 120 in the form of a unique identifier of the
presented description (from featured location database 162) that is
provided by system 100 at the visited featured location, and, in
related embodiments, also includes an identifier of the featured
location itself, and, optionally, also a timestamp of the
respective presentation. Featured location navigation program 124
includes, in a nonvolatile storage device, executable code to be
run on a processor 150 for performing methods according to
embodiments of the invention as disclosed herein. Featured location
navigation program 124 includes navigation logic 128 that is
similar to the navigation logic of conventional navigation servers,
as well as featured location logic 140 that identifies the featured
locations to be visited by the user, along with descriptions
associated with the featured locations to be presented to the user
when visiting the respective featured locations. According to
certain embodiments of the invention, featured location logic 140
includes modules such as a featured location qualifier 140Q, a
route planner 140P, a featured location selector 140S, and a
presentation chooser 140C. Featured location navigator program 124
also includes coordination logic 136 that determines how navigation
logic 128 and featured location logic 140 work together and
coordinate with one another. In a non-limiting example, the
presentation of a featured location to the user by featured
location logic 140 does not interfere with directional instructions
generated by navigation logic 128; in another non-limiting example,
a desired presentation of a certain featured location by featured
location logic 140 directs navigation logic 128 to issue
directional instructions to the user in order to pass in the
vicinity of that featured location. A map database 154 and a
traffic database 158 are similar to their counterparts in other
server-based navigation systems and provide data used by navigation
logic 128 for calculating routes and generating directional
instructions to the user, while featured location database 162
includes coordinates of featured locations and descriptions thereof
to users. Processor 150 includes one or more processors and all
components and circuits needed to carry out the storage, processing
and communication functionalities of navigation server 104
according to embodiments of the invention. Navigation server 104
may physically extend over several physical servers, each storing
part of the data and/or executing part of the processes.
[0084] A network 170 connects multiple navigation devices (such as
device 174) with navigation server 104. Since navigation device 174
is mobile, network 170 may include one or more cellular data
networks, the Internet, Radio Data System (RDS), and/or other wired
or wireless networks. Network 170 also serves communication between
traffic reporters 188 and navigation server 104, as well as between
a featured location content provider 192 and navigation server
104.
[0085] Navigation device 174 is a personal mobile unit of a user,
carried by hand or placed in, installed or attached to a vehicle
such as a car, bicycle or boat. According to various embodiments of
the invention navigation device 174 has a unique user ID 114 that
associates navigation device 174 with personal record 112 in user
database 108 of navigation server 104. A user interface 182
includes input and output means that allow the user to enter
destination data, preferences and other data and receive
directional instructions and featured location descriptions.
Associated with user interface 182 is an audio transducer 183 for
providing audible descriptions to the user. In an embodiment of the
invention, audio transducer 183 is a speaker; in another embodiment
audio transducer 183 is a headphone/earphone. A location sensor 178
determines the current geographic location of navigation device 174
via an appropriate means, including, but not limited to: the Global
Positioning System (GPS); cellular tower data; and electronically
reading and interpreting road signs or other signs. Processor 180
executes a navigation program 184 for sending current location data
and user commands and preferences to navigation server 104, and for
receiving directional instructions and featured location
descriptions from navigation server 104, and to present such
directional instructions and description to user via user interface
182.
[0086] Traffic reporter 188 is a device or server that provides
real-time traffic information data to traffic database 158.
Real-time traffic information may be provided by commercial and
non-commercial agencies, and may also be derived by navigation
server 104 from dynamic location information of numerous active
units of navigation device 174 or other active navigation devices.
Featured location content provider 192 may be an individual, a
public entity, or a non-profit or commercial agency, that provides
information related to at least one featured location, to be stored
in featured location content database 162. For example, a
knowledgeable person may provide information that relates to
historical landmark, a city may provide information about city
attractions, and a commercial entity may provide information about
a shopping mall, stores, or special offers.
[0087] It will be noted that navigation device 174 may be a
dedicated navigation device, or form part of another, multi-purpose
mobile device, such as a smart phone, which may include also many
other functionalities that are not shown in FIG. 2.
Navigation Device-Centric System
[0088] FIG. 3 describes a navigation device-centric system 200
according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which
components related to presentation of featured locations are
implemented via a navigation device 204.
[0089] Navigation device 204 is a personal mobile unit of a user,
carried by hand or placed in, installed or attached to a vehicle
such as a car, bicycle or boat. It is identifiable by user ID
("UID") 214 to identify associate navigation device 204 to other
devices on network 170. User interface 182 includes input and
output means that allow the user to enter destination data,
preferences and other data and receive navigation directions and
featured location descriptions. Location sensor 178 determines the
current location of navigation device 204 as previously described.
A processor 250 executes a featured location navigation program 224
in a manner similar to that disclosed previously for server-centric
navigation system 100 as shown in FIG. 2.
[0090] A traffic reporter 288 provides real-time traffic
information data to processor 250. Real-time traffic information
may be provided by commercial and non-commercial agencies, and may
also be derived by a navigation server 204 of FIG. 2. A featured
location content provider 292 may be an individual, a public
entity, or a non-profit or commercial agency, that provides
information related to at least one featured location, to be stored
in featured location database 162. In non-limiting examples, a
knowledgeable person may provide information that relates to
historical landmark, a city may provide information about city
attractions, and a commercial entity may provide information about
a shopping mall, stores, or special offers.
[0091] Navigation device 204 may be a dedicated navigation device,
or form part of another, multi-purpose mobile device, such as a
smart phone, which may include also many other functionalities not
shown in FIG. 3.
[0092] Similar to the server-centric navigation system as
previously disclosed, featured location navigation program 224
includes navigation logic 228 that is similar to the navigation
logic of conventional navigation devices, as well as featured
location logic 240 that determines the featured locations to be
visited by the user, along with descriptions associated with the
featured locations to be presented to the user when visiting the
respective featured locations. According to certain embodiments of
the invention, featured location logic 240 includes modules such as
a featured location qualifier 240Q, a route planner 240P, a
featured location selector 240S, and a presentation chooser 240C.
Featured location navigator program 224 also includes coordination
logic 236 that determines how navigation logic 228 and featured
location logic 240 work together and coordinate with one another.
Also included in navigation device 204 are a travel history log
220, a map database 254, and featured location database 162.
[0093] Navigation device 204 is optionally connected to network
170, which connects navigation device 204 to a traffic reporter
288, a map provider 274, and a featured location content provider
292.
[0094] FIG. 4 conceptually illustrates a featured location database
162 and a featured location ("F-L") record 300 thereof according to
an embodiment of the present invention. Included are a unique
featured location ID 302, a featured location category 304,
featured location geographic coordinates 308, and a featured
location announcement set 312 (See FIG. 10 below).
[0095] Featured location descriptions 314 include, but are not
limited to: facts and figures 316, history and geography 320, news
and stories 324, and commercial information 328. In some
embodiments of the present invention, featured location
descriptions 314 are audio narrative descriptions. In a related
embodiment, a given description can have several versions depending
on the time duration (e.g., in seconds) of the audio narrative: a
short description 417, a medium description 418, and a long
description 419. In an embodiment, similar descriptions for a
particular featured location may be prepared for several lengths to
accommodate different time intervals between predicted navigation
instructions, as discussed below in the section "Coordinating with
Navigation".
[0096] FIG. 5 conceptually illustrates a user personal preferences
data structure 126 according to an embodiment of the present
invention. Navigation preferences 126N are used in coordination
with turn-by-turn instructional navigation (12 in FIG. 1, 136 in
FIGS. 2, and 236 in FIG. 3), and include, but are not limited to: a
preference 340 for fastest route vs. shortest route; a preference
344 for toll vs. non-toll roads; a preference 348 for routes and
areas to avoid; and a route extension tolerance 352 as herein
described for preparing alternative routes that will enrich the
driving experience. Featured location preferences 126G include, but
are not limited to: a preference 360 for fields of interest; a
default audio clip length preference 364, for specifying the
preferred length of description audio clips, e.g., short
description 417, medium description 418, or long description 419
(FIG. 4); a preference 368 for the frequency of featured location
descriptions while traveling; and a preference 372 for the min/max
number of featured locations per trip.
[0097] FIG. 6 illustrates a method according to an embodiment of
the present invention for presenting a featured location
description. The method starts at a step 401 in which a route
between an origin location (usually, the current location) and a
target location is planned according to user route selection
preferences and traffic conditions. Next, in a step 403 a desired
number of featured locations is determined for presentation along
the route according to user preferences, and in a step 405 a search
is conducted on the route to find featured locations which match
the user's fields of interest. If the desired number is not found,
then a decision point 409 continues to a decision point 429 for
alternative routing, as described below. If, however, the desired
number is found, then decision point 409 proceeds with a step 413,
which searches for previously unvisited featured locations among
the already-found featured locations. If the desired number of
previously unvisited featured locations is found, then a decision
point 417 concludes the method with a step 451 for presenting the
featured location descriptions (FIG. 7, detailed below). If the
desired number of previously unvisited featured locations is not
found, however, then decision point 417 proceeds to a step 421
which finds previously-visited featured locations which have
descriptions that were not previously presented to the specific
user. If the desired number of featured locations is found, a
decision point 425 concludes with step 451. Otherwise, if the
desired number of featured locations is not found, a decision point
429 checks to see if the route is extendible, in which case an
alternate route procedure 551 is executed (FIG. 9, detailed below).
If the route is not extendible, an exhaustion procedure 501 is
executed (FIG. 8, detailed below).
[0098] FIG. 7 illustrates an extension of the method shown in FIG.
6 and described above, according to an embodiment of the present
invention, following step 451 (FIG. 6). In a step 453, turn-by-turn
navigation directions are provided for moving along the planned
route. In a step 455, a set of featured locations is selected, and
for each of the featured locations in the set a description is
chosen such that each description has not been presented previously
to the user, and each description complies with user preferences.
At a decision point 459, if the route has been changed by user
request or in response to road or traffic conditions, a step 463
returns to step 401 of the main method (FIG. 6). If the route has
not been changed, however, a step 467 detects when the user is
approaching the next featured location in the set. Then, in a step
471, the chosen description of the approached featured location is
presented to the user according to the user's preferences and
turn-by-turn navigation conditions. In a step 473, an identifier of
the description is recorded in the user's travel history log.
[0099] In another embodiment of the present invention, there is
only a single description for the featured location, and an
identifier of the featured location is recorded in the user's
travel history log. In still another embodiment, both the
identifier of the description and the identifier of the featured
location are recorded in the user's travel history log. Finally, at
a decision point 475, if there are additional featured locations,
the method returns to decision point 459. If there are no
additional featured locations for the route, the method
concludes.
[0100] FIG. 8 illustrates a further extension of the method shown
in FIG. 6 according to an embodiment of the present invention,
following step 501 (FIG. 6), in the case that the list of featured
locations is exhausted (i.e., less than the desired minimum). In a
step 505 the user is given the following choices: (1) repeat older
descriptions; (2) expand fields of interest; (3) increase route
extension tolerance; or (4) exit without taking action. The user's
choice is evaluated at a decision point 509, and: in the case of
choice (1), a step 513 deletes older entries from the user's travel
history log, effectively allowing reselection of the respective
description for presentation (or just flagging older descriptions
as available for fresh presentation); in the case of choice (2), in
a step 517 the user expands the fields of interest; and in the case
of choice (3), a step 521 increases the route extension tolerance.
For cases (1), (2), and (3), a step 525 reverts to step 401 (FIG.
6). In the case of choice (4) or a timeout, a step 529 continues to
step 453 (FIG. 7) if there are any unused descriptions
available.
[0101] FIG. 9 illustrates another further extension of the method
shown in FIG. 6 according to another embodiment of the present
invention, following step 551. In a step 555 alternate routes
within the user's specified route extension tolerance are
identified. Of the identified alternate routes, an alternate route
requiring the minimum route extension is found in a step 563. If
such a route is found, a decision point 567 continues with a step
571, which sets the planned route to the found route, and then
proceeds with a step 575 which goes to step 453 (FIG. 7). If such a
route is not found, decision point 567 proceeds with a step 579
which goes to step 505 (FIG. 8).
[0102] FIG. 10 conceptually illustrates a featured location
announcement set 312 of FIG. 4. It will be noted that often a
certain featured location can be approached via different routes
and different directions. In order to call the user's attention so
that he can view the featured location, or at least know where the
featured location is in case that the featured location is not
viewable from the route, announcements such as "two-hundred yards
ahead of us on the left" or "the red building behind the white
building in front of us" become very helpful. However, such
announcements are dependent on the current particular route and
direction of travel. Featured location announcement set 312 of FIG.
10 provides, for a certain featured location (see FIG. 4) one or
more pre-approach records 600, each relating to a specific route
and direction that can be used for passing next to the featured
location. Pre-approach record 600 contains geographic coordinates
604 for the announcement and an announcement 608, such as an audio
clip, which provides information as to where the featured location
is or how it can be viewed, relative to the route and direction of
current travel; thus, a certain featured location may have several
different announcements for each route that passes through the
featured location as well as the direction of travel.
[0103] A method according to a related embodiment is illustrated in
FIG. 11, starting with a step 621, in which the next featured
location being approached is identified, as well as the current
route and direction of approaching the featured location, which
also identify the particular pre-approach record 600 that relate to
both the approached featured location and to the current route and
direction used for approaching it. In a step 625 reaching
geographic coordinates 604 is detected, in a step 631, announcement
608 is presented, and in a step 635 the method waits for a
subsequent time segment without turn-by-turn navigation commands.
Finally, in a step 639, the featured location description is
presented to the user.
[0104] FIG. 12 illustrates user options for accessing data about
recently-visited featured location descriptions according to an
embodiment of the present invention, in a user interface window
1201, for example when a user reaches his or her destination and is
interested to hear again, or get further information, on a featured
location he has just or recently visited. User interface window
1201 can be on any computer accessible to the user, such as a
navigation device, smart phone, or any home, office or portable
computer that can access featured location database 162 and travel
history log 120 via network 170 (see FIG. 2). A pane 1203 displays
a list of recently-visited featured locations, from which the user
may select a featured location for details. In a non-limiting
example, the selected featured location is shown in underlined bold
in pane 1203 for purposes of illustration. In a related embodiment,
a visual 1205 of the selected featured location is shown. In other
related embodiments: a button 1207 replays the audio
description--in effect, recreating the presentation; a button or
link 1209 connects the user with a website relevant to the featured
location; a button or link 1211 displays a text version of the
description; a button or link 1213 displays a complete article or
video related to the featured location; and a button or link 1215
presents the user with extra information and/or commercial offers
connected with the featured location.
[0105] FIG. 13 conceptually illustrates user travel history log 120
according to an embodiment of the present invention. Travel history
log 120 includes a set of entries 123, each of which contains a
presentation event 121 and a timestamp 122. In a related
embodiment, timestamp 122 is omitted. Timestamp 122 is particularly
useful in embodiments that allow replaying older descriptions, for
example when newer descriptions are exhausted. In certain
embodiments, presentation event 121 is a link, pointer, or
identifier of a description 1301 and/or the respective featured
location 1303. Description 1301 is typically an audio clip but may
also contain general multimedia content, while featured location
1303 can be represented by an identifier or coordinates, that are
recognizable in featured location database 162. In cases where
featured location 1303 has only a single description 314 in the
corresponding featured location record of database 162, the
presentation event 122 may reference merely the featured location
1303.
Coordinating with Navigation
[0106] According to certain embodiments of the invention, the
presentation of featured location descriptions is coordinated with
turn-by-turn navigation to prevent interference with navigation
instructions. In these embodiments, the presentation of a featured
location description is deferred until a predicted time interval
between two consecutive navigation instructions is sufficient to
present the description. In a non-limiting example, a featured
location description audio clip that has duration of fifteen
seconds is presented between two consecutive navigation
instructions that have a predicted time interval between them of
thirty seconds. That is, there is a thirty-second window during
which time no navigation instructions are predicted to be given to
the user, so the fifteen-second featured location description audio
clip can be presented to the user during this interval without
affecting the delivery of navigation instructions.
[0107] In some embodiments of the invention, the user specifies
preference 364 (FIG. 5) for the length of a description audio clip
(FIG. 4, short 417, medium 418, and long 419), which is used as a
default. If, however, the predicted time interval between
navigation instructions is insufficient for the user's preference,
a shorter description may be used instead.
Descriptions without Navigation Instructions
[0108] Most of the above disclosure related to the integration of
presentation of featured locations with a navigation functionality
that includes computerized route planning and turn-by-turn driving
directions. It will be appreciated, however, that the presentation
of featured location can work independently of navigation.
[0109] In a first example, the user is using a navigation device
174 that cooperates with navigation server 104 (FIG. 2), or,
alternatively, navigation device 204 (FIG. 3), but finds
turn-by-turn direction unnecessary and annoying, as long as he
drives on his daily route to work. The turn-by-turn instructions,
according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, can
be muted, unless there is a change in the route as a result of
changing traffic conditions, while the featured locations are
presented as described hereinabove (for example, see FIG. 7 with
step 453 omitted).
[0110] In a second example, presentation of featured locations can
work irrespective of navigation functionality, or even if
navigation functionality is absent. System 100 of FIG. 2 will be
used for illustrating the second example, with the navigation
functionalities that are used to plan routes and produce
turn-by-turn directions are eliminated, disabled, or just ignored
for the purpose of the present discussion. As schematically
described in FIG. 14, in a step 1401, the current location is read
by location sensor 178. In a step 1405, featured location database
162 is searched, attempting to find a featured location that
matches the user's preferences, is in the vicinity of the current
location, and, according to the user's travel history log 120, has
not been visited by the user before. If such featured location is
found in step 1409, a description of the featured location is
provided for presentation. If a description is not found in step
1409, then step 1421 attempts to find in location database 162 a
previously-visited featured location that matches the user's
preferences, is in the vicinity of the current location, and has at
least one description that has not been presented before. If in
step 1421 such description is found, then in step 1429 the
description is provided for presentation to the user. If both step
1409 and step 1425 have found no description to present, then the
process of FIG. 14 reverts to step 1401, where the current
location, which changes as the user moves along his route, is read
and steps 1405 and 1421 will seek again a featured location
eligible for presentation in the vicinity of the current location.
If a presentation has been made in either step 1413 or step 1429,
then, preferably, in step 1433, a predefined delay (e.g. 5 minutes
or 5 miles), according to the user's preferences, will be
maintained for avoiding excessive number or frequency of
presentations, and, after this delay has elapsed, the procedure
will revert to step 1401, for seeking the next presentation
opportunity.
[0111] It will be appreciated that the process of FIG. 14 can be
implemented for a user driving, walking or cycling in known or
unknown routes, in connection with, independently of or in the
absence of navigation functionality on the same or separate device.
A particular example of interest is where a user uses a
conventional navigation device that is built into his car, while
the procedure of FIG. 14 provides the presentation of featured
location functionalities according to the present disclosure, as an
application installed in his smart phone.
[0112] FIG. 15 provides a concise summary of a method according to
a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In step 1501, a
processor accesses a featured location database that includes a
plurality of featured locations and at least one description for
each featured location. In step 1503, a travel history log of the
user is accessed, the travel history log storing information (e.g.
identifying featured location, description, timestamp) about past
presentations of descriptions of featured location provided to the
user. In step 1505, a processor selects, from the featured location
database, a selected featured location and a selected description
of the selected featured location, according to selection criteria
that include, at least: (a) that the selected featured location is
along the route, and (b) that, according to presentation criteria
that are responsive to the travel history log of the user, the
selected description of the selected featured location is
presentable. A selected description of a selected featured location
is considered presentable, for example, when any of the following
is true: (i) the selected featured location is not recorded in the
travel history log of the user; (ii) the latest record, in the
travel history log of the user, that includes the selected featured
location, has expired, i.e. is older than, for example, a year;
(iii) the selected description is not recorded in the travel
history log of the user; or (iv) the latest record, in the travel
history log of the user, that includes the selected description,
has expired.
[0113] In step 1513, the description is provided for presentation
to the user. This can be implemented, for example, by a server
sending the description, as a sound file or streaming sound, to a
device of the user, or by a processor of a mobile device providing
the description to its audio transducer. Preferably, the
description is provided to the user when the user is in the
vicinity of the featured location.
[0114] In step 1517, the presentation event is recorded in the
travel history log of the user, for example, by recording the
featured location identification or coordinates, the description
identification, and the timestamp. This recording will serve
subsequent executions of the method of FIG. 15 in avoiding
repetitions of recently-presented descriptions upon the execution
of step 1505.
[0115] Various embodiments enhance the method of FIG. 15, by the
following features: (a) the selection criteria further include that
the selected description complies with a preference of the user,
for example preferring historical landmarks or commercial sites;
(b) the description can be an ephemeral description, that will soon
be removed from the database; (c) the method enhanced by providing
navigation functionality, i.e. planning the route according to an
origin point and a destination point and providing turn-by-turn
navigation instructions for traveling along the route. In this
case, the selection criteria of step 1505 may further include: that
a time duration of the selected description is less than a
predicted time interval between two consecutive turn-by-turn
navigation instructions in the vicinity of the selected featured
location; and/or, that a time interval between two consecutive
presentations along the route is not less than a predetermined
minimum time interval. The method of FIG. 15 can then be further
enhanced by counting a number of featured locations along the route
that comply with the selection criteria, and, if the counted number
is below a user-defined minimum, replacing the route with an
alternate route, such that: (i) the alternate route is within a
predetermined user-defined journey extension tolerance, and (ii)
the number of featured locations along the alternate route that
comply with the selection criteria is greater than the counted
number.
Reusing Descriptions
[0116] In various embodiments of the present invention, a
description of a featured location includes a timestamp indicating
when the description was presented to the user. In a related
embodiment, a user can set a preference regarding reuse of a
description. In this embodiment, the user specifies a preference
for a "reusability age" of a description. Descriptions presented in
the past that have a presentation age equal to or greater than the
reusability age are eligible for reuse. In a non-limiting example,
a user specifies a six-month reusability age for descriptions, in
which case a description presented on a particular date (as tracked
in travel history log 120) would become eligible for reuse six
months after that date. In another embodiment of the invention, a
reusability age is predetermined and cannot be modified by the
user. In still another embodiment, a user can specify that no
descriptions are eligible for reuse, regardless of their age. In a
related embodiment, this is indicated within the system by setting
the reusability age to infinity (.infin.).
[0117] While the invention has been described with respect to a
limited number of embodiments, it will be appreciated by persons
skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited by
what has been particularly shown and described herein. Rather the
scope of the present invention includes both combinations and
sub-combinations of the various features described herein, as well
as variations and modifications which would occur to persons
skilled in the art upon reading the specification and which are not
in the prior art.
* * * * *