Computerized travel reservation information and planning system that generates "map ticket" output in various media, for guidance and transactions en route. Such print or electronic documents can include bar or alphanumeric codes for automated recognition and/or access. WHERE?, WHO/WHAT?, WHEN? and HOW? menus enable flexible user inquiries accessing selectable geographic, topical, temporal and transactional data records and relational processing. Sub-menus provide further capabilities: e.g. routing, topical searching; searches of events calendars, almanacs, appointment books, related itinerary scheduling; trip budgeting issues, plus travel arrangement availabilities or other goods/services offers. Online communications links access updated or supplemental information on places, times, topics and other provider goods/service offers. Online computer-aided routing system enables input of selectable travel origin, destination, and waypoints to compute travel routes, available transportation services, costs, options, and schedules. A point-of-interest database lets users pick types of attractions or accommodations within a user-selected region around routes of travel. Users engage in an iterative planning process, revising or editing travel plans, previewing travelogs of alternate routes, selecting point of interest parameters, comparing times and costs of transportation options, in order to achieve a satisfactory travel plan. The system provides printed or electronic output that may include any one or more of text itinerary, ordered set of travel maps, customized collection of information on points of interest information and a selected array of valid reservation confirmations, tickets and/or discount coupons coded with elements for automated recognition and processing. Mobile users, including GPS-linked users, can access the system via wireless communication units.

Travel reservation information and planning system

A vehicle information system which includes an in-vehicle system 105 and a centralized server system 120 . The in-vehicle system communicates with the server system using a wireless communication link 110 , such as over a cellular telephone system. A position system, such as a set of GPS satellites 140 , provides positioning signals that are used by the in-vehicle systems, and optionally by the centralized server system to increase the accuracy of position estimates. In one version of the system, an operator specifies a destination to an in-vehicle system which validates the destination. The in-vehicle system transmits specification of the destination to a server system 125 at the centralized server. The server system computes a route to the destination and transmits the computed route to the in-vehicle system. The in-vehicle system guides the operator along the route. If the in-vehicle system detects that the vehicle has deviated from the planned route, it replans a new route to the destination using an in-vehicle map database.

Vehicle information system

An information system for providing services including traffic and navigation services, as well as other information services to a driver. One versions of the system makes use of existing components of a wireless telephone system, for example, by using the input and output capabilities of a telephone handset. Another version is a portable system that includes multiple switches for initiating access to a remote server in one of a number of operating modes. For instance the system has switches for initiating traffic information, roadside assistance, personal information, or emergency modes. The system includes a positioning system for generating position data related to a geographic location of the system, and a wireless communication device. The system also includes an audio output device, such as a speaker for presenting the received information. The system can also include a storage for a unique identification of the information system. This identification is passed to the remote server through the wireless communication device. Another version of the system provides both autonomous and client-server based navigation services in which a removable database supports route planning in a limited area and a remote server supports route planning outside that area.

Driver information system

A program and method for route calculation for use with a navigation system and used with a map database that represents a road network in a geographic region. A route calculation program is adapted to find at least one solution route between a first location on a road network and a second location on the road network. The route calculation program includes a first search tree associated with the first location and a second search tree associated with the second location. Each search tree is adapted to hold gates. Each of the gates represents a physical position on the road network and a direction from the position to another location along a path on the road network. The route calculation program also includes at least one priority queue associated with one of the search trees. The priority queue assigns a priority to one of the gates in the associated search tree based upon an evaluation using a search algorithm. The gate identified as having a higher priority than any other gate in its respective search tree is expanded to determine one or more successor gates thereof. Each of these successor gates so formed is compared to the gates in the other search tree. The process of growing at least one of the search trees by expanding the gate in the search tree that has a higher priority than any other gate in the search tree is continued until a gate in one search tree corresponds to at least one gate in the other search tree.

Method and system for route calculation in a navigation application

Accident avoidance system using an infrastructure system to convey location information between vehicles includes at least two vehicles approaching or traveling on a roadway and each having onboard, a position determining system onboard that receives satellite positioning signals from a plurality of satellites and determines location information based on the satellite positioning signals, a transmitter that transmits the location information for the vehicle to an infrastructure system, a receiver that receives location information for another vehicle from the infrastructure system, and an accident risk warning system that alerts its operator of a risk of an accident based on the location information for any other vehicles and map data representing the roadway including edges or lane boundaries of the roadway.

Vehicular communication arrangement and method

A method and apparatus (10) for providing navigation guidance via a land vehicle by providing a navigation route planner (24) having a road network database (12) for planning a navigation route along the road network, determining a current estimated position of the land vehicle, communicating maneuver instructions to a driver of the land vehicle at a predetermined maneuver distance base value before the land vehicle reaches a required maneuver along the planned navigation route, and detecting and quantifying current environmental travel conditions for assisting a navigation device in guiding the land vehicle along the planned navigation route.

Method and apparatus for providing navigation guidance

A route planning method, and apparatus, for constructing a route connecting a given origin location and a given destination location from a hierarchical map database having more than one layer, where each layer represents a different level of detail. The method includes provision of a list of road segments extracted from an initial planning layer of the hierarchical map database, wherein each of the road segments in the list of road segments are connected to the given origin location. An alternative planning layer is selected dependent on exceeding a predetermined heading criteria measured between a heading associated with heading associated with one of the road segments in the list of road segments and a heading associated with the given destination location.

Route planning method for hierarchical map routing and apparatus therefor

An improved land vehicle navigation apparatus (10) and method for automatically planning a recovery route upon detection of a route departure. The land vehicle navigation apparatus (10) comprises a route planner (22) for planning an original route (88) for the land vehicle (2), via fixed road paths, wherein the original route includes multiple route segments, a start location, and at least one destination, including an original destination, and a position determiner (14) for determining an estimated current position of the land vehicle (2) and route storage for storing the original route segments into memory (24). The improvement comprises an automatic recovery route planner (56) for automatically planning a recovery route to the original route (88) upon detecting a route departure using recovery route planning criteria including designating at least some of the stored original route segments as a destination thereby eliminating the need for planning a completely new route and reducing recovery route planning time.

Joseph W. Seda

Papers

Method and apparatus for providing navigation guidance

Route planning method for hierarchical map routing and apparatus therefor

Land vehicle navigation apparatus and method for planning a recovery route