US 9,423,266 B2 · Navigational lane guidance

Abstract

Navigational lane guidance enhances a maneuver display by incorporating full display of available lanes in a freeway, when available in the map data. An otherwise regular turn icon display is replaced with a variable width image that grows to show all available lanes, highlighting lanes usable to complete a navigated maneuver. A new lane TrueType font displays the lane guidance image, with individual characters representing each possible line situation. Since TrueType fonts are vector-based, they can be used to generate the lane images at any size, in a platform-independent fashion. The lane font has direction arrows, which can be combined to form composite arrows; and additional direction arrows as needed to allow replacement of the routing icons currently in use. Lane dividers may also be implemented.

Claims5

Dependent claims

A method of providing navigational lane guidance, comprising:

counting a number of lanes available to a user device;
determining if a navigated lane is on either side or in a middle of other available lanes;
and
building a variable width image with TrueType font, said variable width image growing in width based on TrueType font lane characters printed together therein to show all available lanes to provide navigational lane guidance regarding multiple possible lanes to be taken.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

13/751,650Filed 28 Jan 2013 · us provisional application

Priority

26 Jan 2012

Published

US 2013/0194109 A11 Aug 2013

Granted

23 Aug 2016

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

G01C 21/3629
Details of the output of route guidance instructions: guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech
G01C 21/26
Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C19/00: specially adapted for navigation in a road network
G01C 21/3632
Details of the output of route guidance instructions: guidance using simplified or iconic instructions, e.g. using arrows
G01C 21/3644
Details of the output of route guidance instructions: landmark guidance, e.g. using POIs or conspicuous other objects

Family

Application61/591,151Us provisional application · filed 26 Jan 2012

Application61/591,148Us provisional application · filed 26 Jan 2012

Application61/711,546Us provisional application · filed 9 Oct 2012

US 2013/0194109 A1Pre-grant publication · published 1 Aug 2013

US 9,423,266 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Navigational lane guidance

Life of this patent

Navigational lane guidance

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims5