US 7,031,983 B2 · Method and system for using real-time traffic broadcasts with navigation systems

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed that allow a navigation system that uses a geographic database to also use the data in traffic messages broadcast by a traffic broadcast system. One aspect of a present system and method includes the formation, storage, and use of location reference data records in a geographic database used by a navigation system. These location reference data records identify certain other kinds of data records that represent physical geographic features, such as data records that represent segments of roads, as being associated with certain location reference numbers. These location reference records may be included in a geographic database installed in the vehicle or may be provided to vehicles via a wireless communication link. Another aspect of a present system and method includes the formation, storage, and use of one or more indices that relate location reference numbers used by a traffic broadcast system to location reference records in a geographic database used by the navigation system. Another aspect of a present system and method is the formation, storage, and use of data that identify, for each location reference number, the immediately previous and the immediately next location reference number. Still another aspect of a present system and method includes the programming, and methods of use thereof, that query the geographic database and return the data entities associated with certain identified location reference numbers.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of forming a geographic database stored on a computer-readable medium wherein the geographic database includes data that represent individual segments of roads and that can be used in a navigation system that also uses traffic messages broadcast by a traffic broadcast system that identify locations along roadways with location reference numbers wherein each of said traffic messages includes

a location reference number that indicates a starting location of a reported traffic condition, wherein said location reference number identifies a designated location selected from an ordered sequence of designated locations along a road to which location reference numbers have been assigned, and
data that indicates a physical distance that the reported traffic condition extends as an extent of the reported traffic condition, wherein said extent is expressed as a number of adjacent locations in said ordered sequence of designated locations extending from the starting location, the method comprising the steps of:
storing in the geographic database on the computer-readable medium data that represent each individual road segment located in a region;
and
storing in the geographic database data that represent each location reference number, wherein the data that represent each location reference number identify
the road segment upon which the designated location identified by said location reference number is located,
the road segments leading to the road segment upon which the designated location identified by the location reference number is located,
the immediately previous location reference number in said ordered sequence, and
the immediately next location reference number in said ordered sequence, whereby the navigation system accesses the data in the geographic database stored on the computer-readable medium to relate the data contained in the traffic messages to road segments represented in the geographic database in order to use said traffic messages in said navigation system.

6 more elements

A method of operating a navigation application program that uses a geographic database that includes

data entities that represent geographic features in a geographic area and further that includes
traffic message location reference data of a first type that can be used with a respective first type of traffic message broadcast system and traffic message location reference data of a second type that can be used with a respective second type of traffic message broadcast system,
wherein each of said traffic messages received from the first type of traffic message broadcast system includes
data that indicates a starting location of a reported traffic condition, wherein said starting location is a location selected from an ordered sequence of designated locations along a road to which location reference numbers have been assigned, and
data that indicates an extent of the reported traffic condition, wherein said extent is expressed as a number of adjacent locations in said ordered sequence of designated locations extending from the starting location, the method comprising the steps of:
selecting one of said first type of traffic broadcast system and said second type of said traffic message broadcast system;
receiving traffic messages broadcast by the traffic message broadcast system of said selected type;
and
using said location reference data in said geographic database that corresponds to said selected type to associate data in said traffic messages received from said traffic message broadcast system to said data entities that represent geographic features in a geographic area in said geographic database.

6 more elements

A geographic database used by a navigation system for route calculation in conjunction with traffic messages broadcast by either of two traffic condition broadcast systems, wherein each of said traffic messages from at least one of said traffic condition broadcast systems includes

a location reference number that indicates a starting location of a reported traffic condition, wherein said location reference number identifies a designated location selected from an ordered sequence of designated locations along a road to which location reference numbers have been assigned, and
data that indicates an extent of the reported traffic condition, wherein said extent is expressed as a number of adjacent locations in said ordered sequence of designated locations extending from the starting location, said geographic database comprising:
data entities of a first type that represent geographic features in a geographic region, including portions of a road network;
data entities of a second type each of which associates a location reference number assigned by one of the two traffic condition broadcast systems to a road segment upon which the designated location assigned to the location reference number has been assigned;
and
data entities of a third type each of which associates a location reference number assigned by the other of the two traffic condition broadcast systems to a road segment upon which a designated location assigned to the location reference number has been assigned,
whereby the navigation system using said geographic database in conjunction with traffic messages broadcast by either of the two traffic condition broadcast systems can incorporate information from said traffic messages when using said geographic database for route calculation purposes.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and system for using real-time traffic broadcasts with navigation systems

Life of this patent

Method and system for using real-time traffic broadcasts with navigation systems

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20