The present invention relates to real-time navigation and more specifically to utilizing non-GPS information to update navigation information in real-time.
Navigation devices exist today that utilize GPS information to track the location of the navigation device and thus the device's user. Existing navigation devices typically store a cartographic map of data indicative of a roadway network for a geographic area and offer various applications and features to support the user's navigation through the geographic area. One exemplary application is to provide the user with audio instructions to direct the user between source and destination locations within the roadway network. Various routing parameters exist upon which the route through the roadway network may be based, such as time, distance and the like.
However, the data stored in the navigation device that is indicative of the roadway network is static in that the data is representative of the status of the roadway network only as of the last time that the navigation device was uploaded with a new cartographic map of the roadway network. The cartographic map reflects limited non-periodic or non-reoccurring information regarding the status of the roadway network. For example, while the cartographic map may store data identifying road segments that typically exhibit slow travel times (e.g. due to numerous traffic lights, rough road conditions and the like), the data is unable to identify for non-reoccurring, one time events that impact travel over the roadway network. Examples of non-reoccurring events are traffic accidents, icy road conditions, flooded roads, construction, weather conditions, temporary traffic back-ups and the like.
Heretofore, travelers generally obtained information regarding these non-reoccurring events through the automobile's FM/AM radio that played various types of content, such as entertainment-related content, traffic-related content and the like. To obtain travel-related content, drivers tuned to a weather channel or traffic channel to hear local travel conditions.
No system exists that is able to utilize real-time travel-related content to update navigation information and provide updated navigation information to the user.
A need remains for improved navigation devices, modular electronic devices and methods for use thereof that are better suited to inform users of real-time travel-related conditions and to utilize such real-time travel-related conditions to update navigation information.