Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Navigation
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-06
2003-09-30
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Navigation
C701S204000, C701S209000, C073S17800T, C340S994000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06629034
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a feature provided by a navigation system that reduces the amount of unnecessary travel by an end user thereby saving the end user time and expense.
Navigation systems are available that provide end users (such as drivers and passengers of the vehicles in which the in-vehicle navigation systems are installed) with various navigation-related features and functions. For example, some navigation systems are able to determine an optimum route to travel by roads between locations in a geographic region. Using input from the end user, and optionally from equipment that can determine the end user's physical location (such as a GPS system), a navigation system can examine various paths between two locations to determine an optimum (i.e., fastest) route to travel from a starting location to a destination location in the geographic region. After determining the optimum route to a destination, the navigation system may then provide the end user with information about the optimum route in the form of guidance that identifies the driving maneuvers required to be taken by the end user to travel from the starting location to the destination location. The guidance may take the form of visual and/or audio instructions that are provided along the way as the end user is traveling the route. Some navigation systems are able to show detailed maps on display screens outlining routes to destinations, the types of maneuvers to be taken at various locations along the routes, locations of certain types of features, and so on. With some navigation systems, traffic conditions are taken into account when determining optimum routes.
One of the benefits provided by navigation systems is that they save time for users. Navigation systems achieve this benefit in several ways. Navigation systems help users locate desired destinations quickly. Navigation systems also provide users with the fastest routes to desired destinations. Although navigation systems save time for people who use them, there continues to be room for improvements. For example, drivers still encounter traffic congestion and delays. Therefore, there continues to be a need to find ways to save time for users of navigation systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To address these and other objectives, the present invention comprises a driving profile program. The driving profile program collects information about an end user's driving activity. The information collected by the driving profile program relates to trips made by the end user. The information about trips includes the departure times, the stops along the way, the arrival times, and the purposes of the trips, as well as other types of information. After collecting this information over a period of time, such as one or more II months, the driving profile program analyzes the end user's driving activity. The driving profile program then provides the end user with a profile of his/her driving activity. In addition, based on the analysis of the end user's driving activity, the driving profile program identifies ways to reduce the amount of time and/or expense that the end user spends traveling in his/her vehicle. The driving profile program suggests modifications to the end user's driving activity that would save the end user time or expense.
In a further aspect, the driving profile program uses traffic information relating to routes along which the end user travels in order to suggest ways that the driver can reduce the amount of time spent traveling.
In another aspect, the driving profile program takes into account other end users' driving activities in order to suggest ways that a driver can reduce the amount of time or expense spent traveling.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4361202 (1982-11-01), Minovitch
patent: 5021953 (1991-06-01), Webber et al.
patent: 5031104 (1991-07-01), Ikeda et al.
patent: 5184303 (1993-02-01), Link
patent: 5290976 (1994-03-01), Bahjat et al.
patent: 5331546 (1994-07-01), Webber et al.
patent: 5450343 (1995-09-01), Yurimoto et al.
patent: 5648768 (1997-07-01), Bouve
patent: 5724316 (1998-03-01), Brunts
patent: 5808565 (1998-09-01), Matta et al.
patent: 5845227 (1998-12-01), Peterson
patent: 5948040 (1999-09-01), DeLorme et al.
patent: 6023655 (2000-02-01), Nomura
patent: 6073075 (2000-06-01), Kondou et al.
patent: 6076114 (2000-06-01), Wesley
patent: 6088636 (2000-07-01), Chigumira et al.
patent: 6119095 (2000-09-01), Morita
patent: 6144901 (2000-11-01), Nickles et al.
patent: 6144916 (2000-11-01), Wood, Jr. et al.
patent: 6209026 (2001-03-01), Ran et al.
patent: 6253150 (2001-06-01), Nakamura
patent: 6256577 (2001-07-01), Graunke
patent: 6263266 (2001-07-01), Hawthorne
patent: 6266612 (2001-07-01), Dussell et al.
patent: 6317668 (2001-11-01), Thibault
patent: 6317686 (2001-11-01), Ran
patent: 6317720 (2001-11-01), Murakami et al.
patent: 6333703 (2001-12-01), Alewine et al.
patent: 6351698 (2002-02-01), Kubota et al.
patent: 6356836 (2002-03-01), Adolph
patent: 6356838 (2002-03-01), Paul
patent: 6374176 (2002-04-01), Schmier et al.
patent: 6397143 (2002-05-01), Peschke
patent: 6401029 (2002-06-01), Kubota et al.
patent: 6405257 (2002-06-01), Gersht et al.
patent: 6408307 (2002-06-01), Semple et al.
patent: 6414635 (2002-07-01), Stewart et al.
patent: 6480783 (2002-11-01), Myr
patent: 2002/0095249 (2002-07-01), Lang
Barton Mark
Kozak Frank
Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
Hernandez Olga
Kaplan Lawrence M.
Kozak Frank J.
Navigation Technologies Corp.
LandOfFree
Driving profile method and system does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Driving profile method and system, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Driving profile method and system will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3046678