US5808566A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Electronic navigation system and method
Assignee: SHIELDS ENTERPRISES Inc D/B/A SEI INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
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Filing: 1995-06-23
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Granted: 1998-09-15
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Expires: 2015-06-23
Abstract
Abstract The invention provides a method and system for providing route guidance and other information from a base unit to a remote unit in response to a request from the remote unit. A query is formatted at the remote unit, the query including the request, and is transmitted from the remote unit to the base unit. Requested route guidance information is calculated at the base unit in response to the query, using a large up-to-date database located at the base unit. A response to the query is formatted at the base unit, the response including route guidance information. The response is then transmitted from the base unit to the remote unit for display. The transmission is made in a compact form through the use of maneuver arms and combined maneuver arms and through the use of tokenized forms. A maneuver arm represents a road at an intersection, for depiction on a display, by one or two endpoint coordinates. The tokenized forms are expanded at the remote unit into textual driving instructions for each of one or more languages. In addition, the amount of information available at a remote unit can be increased by providing the remote unit with information from the base unit which is not adequately covered by any databases on-board the remote unit.
Inventors
- 👤 David A. Behr
- 👤 Ramesh Ramakrishnan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 00:02
CPC Classifications
G; G08; G08G; G08G1/00; G08G1/09; G08G1/0962; G08G1/0968; G08G1/096805; G08G1/096811; G01; G01C; G01C21/00; G01C21/26; G01C21/34; G01C21/36; G01C21/3626; G01C21/3679; G01C21/38; G01C21/3885; G01C21/3896; G08G1/0967; G08G1/096708; G08G1/096716; G08G1/096733; G08G1/096741; G08G1/096766; G08G1/096775; G08G1/096816; G08G1/096822; G08G1/096833; G08G1/096838; G08G1/096844; G08G1/096855; G08G1/096861; G08G1/096872; G08G1/096877; G08G1/096883; G08G1/096894
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
242 words
A method of transmitting route directions in a compact form, comprising the steps of: (a) generating a first set of maneuver arms for providing a graphical representation of a calculated route to be taken by a vehicle through an intersection and geometric representations of a plurality of segments of roads to be traveled about an intersection along the route, wherein the intersection is an origin, and said representations of each of said plurality of segments of roads starts at the origin and radiates outward to an endpoint Xi, Yi to approximate the angles at which the roads approach the intersection, to depict a first intersection on a display, each maneuver arm of the first set of maneuver arms being represented by at least one endpoint; (b) generating a second set of maneuver arms to depict a second intersection on a display, each maneuver arm of the second set of maneuver arms being represented by at least one endpoint; (c) comparing the proximity of the first intersection and the second intersection and, if the first intersection and the second intersection are within a predetermined range of each other, combining the first set of maneuver arms with the second set of maneuver arms to produce a combined set of endpoints to depict the first set of maneuver arms and the second set of maneuver arms on a common display; and (d) transmitting the combined set of endpoints to a remote unit in electromagnetic form.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
242 words
A method of transmitting route directions in a compact form, comprising the steps of: (a) generating a first set of maneuver arms for providing a graphical representation of a calculated route to be taken by a vehicle through an intersection and geometric representations of a plurality of segments of roads to be traveled about an intersection along the route, wherein the intersection is an origin, and said representations of each of said plurality of segments of roads starts at the origin and radiates outward to an endpoint Xi, Yi to approximate the angles at which the roads approach the intersection, to depict a first intersection on a display, each maneuver arm of the first set of maneuver arms being represented by at least one endpoint; (b) generating a second set of maneuver arms to depict a second intersection on a display, each maneuver arm of the second set of maneuver arms being represented by at least one endpoint; (c) comparing the proximity of the first intersection and the second intersection and, if the first intersection and the second intersection are within a predetermined range of each other, combining the first set of maneuver arms with the second set of maneuver arms to produce a combined set of endpoints to depict the first set of maneuver arms and the second set of maneuver arms on a common display; and (d) transmitting the combined set of endpoints to a remote unit in electromagnetic form.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
151 words
A method of efficiently transmitting routing directions and driving actions, said method comprising the steps of: (a) generating a routing direction and a driving action for a user; (b) expressing the routing direction and the driving action in at least one of a plurality of tokenized forms, each of said plurality of tokenized forms representing a pre-defined routing direction and driving action in compact form; (c) electromagnetically transmitting said at least one of said plurality of tokenized forms to a remote unit; (d) receiving said at least one of said plurality of tokenized forms at said remote unit; and (e) at said remote unit, expanding said at least one of said plurality of tokenized forms received in step (d) into a textual driving instruction indicating what direction a vehicle should proceed at an intersection and what additional driving action should be taken, for display to a user at said remote unit.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
151 words
A method of efficiently transmitting routing directions and driving actions, said method comprising the steps of: (a) generating a routing direction and a driving action for a user; (b) expressing the routing direction and the driving action in at least one of a plurality of tokenized forms, each of said plurality of tokenized forms representing a pre-defined routing direction and driving action in compact form; (c) electromagnetically transmitting said at least one of said plurality of tokenized forms to a remote unit; (d) receiving said at least one of said plurality of tokenized forms at said remote unit; and (e) at said remote unit, expanding said at least one of said plurality of tokenized forms received in step (d) into a textual driving instruction indicating what direction a vehicle should proceed at an intersection and what additional driving action should be taken, for display to a user at said remote unit.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
69 words
A method as set forth in claim 2, further comprising the steps of: (f) receiving instructions from said user specifying that textual driving instructions be displayed in one or more languages; and (g) at said remote unit, expanding said at least one of said plurality of tokenized forms, received in step (d), into a textual driving instruction for each of said one or more languages specified in step (f).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
67 words
A method as set forth in claim 2, further comprising the steps of: (f) in step (c), transmitting a road name to said remote unit along with said one of said plurality of tokenized forms; and (g) in step (e), inserting the road name transmitted in step (f) into expanded text corresponding to said at least one of said plurality of tokenized forms received in step (d).
Claim 7
Independent Claim
251 words
A system for generating and transmitting route directions in a compact form, comprising: (a) a base unit which (i) generates a first set of maneuver arms for providing a gaphical representation of a calculated route to be taken by a vehicle through an intersection and geometric representations of a plurality of segments of roads to be traveled about an intersection along the route, wherein the intersection is an origin and said representations of each of said plurality of segments of roads starts at the origin and radiates outward to an endpoint Xi, Yi to approximate the angles at which the roads approach the intersections, to depict a first intersection on a display, each maneuver arm of the first set of maneuver arms being represented by at least one endpoint, (ii) generates a second set of maneuver arms to depict a second intersection on a display, each maneuver arm of the second set of maneuver arms being represented by at least one endpoint, and (iii) compares the proximity of the first intersection and the second intersection and, if the first intersection and the second intersection are within a predetermined range of each other, combines the first set of maneuver arms with the second set of maneuver arms to produce a combined set of endpoints to depict the first set of maneuver arms and the second set of maneuver arms on a common display; and (b) a communications link to transmit the combined set of endpoints to a remote unit in electromagnetic form.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
251 words
A system for generating and transmitting route directions in a compact form, comprising: (a) a base unit which (i) generates a first set of maneuver arms for providing a gaphical representation of a calculated route to be taken by a vehicle through an intersection and geometric representations of a plurality of segments of roads to be traveled about an intersection along the route, wherein the intersection is an origin and said representations of each of said plurality of segments of roads starts at the origin and radiates outward to an endpoint Xi, Yi to approximate the angles at which the roads approach the intersections, to depict a first intersection on a display, each maneuver arm of the first set of maneuver arms being represented by at least one endpoint, (ii) generates a second set of maneuver arms to depict a second intersection on a display, each maneuver arm of the second set of maneuver arms being represented by at least one endpoint, and (iii) compares the proximity of the first intersection and the second intersection and, if the first intersection and the second intersection are within a predetermined range of each other, combines the first set of maneuver arms with the second set of maneuver arms to produce a combined set of endpoints to depict the first set of maneuver arms and the second set of maneuver arms on a common display; and (b) a communications link to transmit the combined set of endpoints to a remote unit in electromagnetic form.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
146 words
A system for generating and transmitting routing directions comprising: (a) a base unit which (i) generates a routing direction and driving action for a user and (ii) expresses the routing direction and driving action in at least one of a plurality of tokenized forms, each of said plurality of tokenized forms representing a pre-defined routing direction and driving action in compact form; (b) a communications link to electromagnetically transmit said at least one of said plurality of tokenized forms; and (c) a remote unit which (i) receives said at least one of said plurality of tokenized forms from the communications link, and (ii) expands said at least one of said plurality of tokenized forms into a textual driving instruction indicating what direction a vehicle should proceed at an intersection and what additional driving action should be taken, for communication to a user at said remote unit.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
146 words
A system for generating and transmitting routing directions comprising: (a) a base unit which (i) generates a routing direction and driving action for a user and (ii) expresses the routing direction and driving action in at least one of a plurality of tokenized forms, each of said plurality of tokenized forms representing a pre-defined routing direction and driving action in compact form; (b) a communications link to electromagnetically transmit said at least one of said plurality of tokenized forms; and (c) a remote unit which (i) receives said at least one of said plurality of tokenized forms from the communications link, and (ii) expands said at least one of said plurality of tokenized forms into a textual driving instruction indicating what direction a vehicle should proceed at an intersection and what additional driving action should be taken, for communication to a user at said remote unit.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
61 words
A system as set forth in claim 6, wherein: the remote unit receives instructions from the user specifying that textual driving instructions be displayed in one or more languages; and the remote unit expands said at least one of said plurality of tokenized forms into a textual driving instruction for each of said one or more languages specified by the user.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
58 words
A system as set forth in claim 6, wherein: the communications link transmits a road name to said remote unit along with said one of said plurality of tokenized forms; and the remote unit inserts the road name transmitted by the communications link into expanded text corresponding to said at least one of said plurality of tokenized forms.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
A system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the remote unit includes a display for said communication to said user at said remote unit.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
A system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the remote unit includes an annunciator for said communication to said user at said remote unit.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
149 words
A method of efficiently transmitting routing directions and driving actions, said method comprising the steps of: (a) generating a routing direction and driving action for a user; (b) expressing the routing direction and driving action in at least one of a plurality of tokenized forms, each of said plurality of tokenized forms representing a pre-defined routing direction and driving action in compact form; (c) electromagnetically transmitting said at least one of said plurality of tokenized forms to a remote unit; (d) receiving said at least one of said plurality of tokenized forms at said remote unit; and (e) at said remote unit, expanding said at least one of said plurality of tokenized forms received in step (d) into a textual driving instruction indicating what direction a vehicle should proceed at an intersection and what additional driving action should be taken, for annunciation to a user at said remote unit.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
149 words
A method of efficiently transmitting routing directions and driving actions, said method comprising the steps of: (a) generating a routing direction and driving action for a user; (b) expressing the routing direction and driving action in at least one of a plurality of tokenized forms, each of said plurality of tokenized forms representing a pre-defined routing direction and driving action in compact form; (c) electromagnetically transmitting said at least one of said plurality of tokenized forms to a remote unit; (d) receiving said at least one of said plurality of tokenized forms at said remote unit; and (e) at said remote unit, expanding said at least one of said plurality of tokenized forms received in step (d) into a textual driving instruction indicating what direction a vehicle should proceed at an intersection and what additional driving action should be taken, for annunciation to a user at said remote unit.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-09-14 | 2002-03-16 | 2002-09-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-09-14 | 2006-03-16 | 2006-09-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-09-14 | 2010-03-16 | 2010-09-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |