Photo: USPTO
Rivian has come up with a brilliant idea that would give drivers a reason to run the likes of Google Maps even without navigation enabled in the app.
A recent patent describes new technology called “map positioning via indication of turn intention,” and while the name isn’t necessarily self-explanatory, the described purpose is pretty innovative.
Rivian wants navigation software, including the sat-nav systems embedded into vehicles, to be able to provide detailed information to users even when turn-by-turn guidance isn’t enabled. To do this, the system would have to collect vehicle data, such as information on the steering wheel movements, the activated blinking lights, and so on.
This means the navigation app will be able to determine every turn you’re planning to make, all based on information provided by the vehicle itself.
As such, it would be able to switch screens and provide detailed guidance based on the processed data.
Case in point, an intersection where you are planning to turn left. If the route guidance is enabled, the navigation app should be able to provide additional information, such as lane assistance and data on how far the point where you’re supposed to make a turn is located.
If it’s not, such guidance isn’t obviously available, simply because the software has no idea what you want to do.
If Rivian’s idea makes its way to production, this would change completely. The onboard systems would provide the required data to vehicles in an attempt to help them guess what you want to do, and as such, you could end up seeing lane assistance screens and a detailed view of a possible turn without you even telling the software you want to use a specific route.
Running Google Maps, Apple Maps, or Waze without turn-by-turn guidance enabled doesn’t make much sense for most users. But the way some of them work actually encourages drivers to keep the app running while driving, even if they don’t need the navigation.
Waze, for instance, uses a crowdsourcing engine to figure out what’s happening on the road. If the app is running on a mobile device located in a car, the app can monitor data like the traveling speed, stops, and slowdowns, therefore trying to estimate where the traffic jams are located. Waze can eventually use the data to generate more accurate ETAs for the other drivers on the road, therefore improving the routing model even without navigation enabled on a phone.
Rivian’s system could give a new purpose to running the likes of Google Maps without navigation on the screen, but at the same time, it’s important to keep in mind that this concept is still in the patent stage. This means there is absolutely no guarantee that it would eventually make its way to cars, though, based on the described implementations, there’s no doubt it should.
Rivian wants navigation software, including the sat-nav systems embedded into vehicles, to be able to provide detailed information to users even when turn-by-turn guidance isn’t enabled. To do this, the system would have to collect vehicle data, such as information on the steering wheel movements, the activated blinking lights, and so on.
This means the navigation app will be able to determine every turn you’re planning to make, all based on information provided by the vehicle itself.
As such, it would be able to switch screens and provide detailed guidance based on the processed data.
Case in point, an intersection where you are planning to turn left. If the route guidance is enabled, the navigation app should be able to provide additional information, such as lane assistance and data on how far the point where you’re supposed to make a turn is located.
If it’s not, such guidance isn’t obviously available, simply because the software has no idea what you want to do.
If Rivian’s idea makes its way to production, this would change completely. The onboard systems would provide the required data to vehicles in an attempt to help them guess what you want to do, and as such, you could end up seeing lane assistance screens and a detailed view of a possible turn without you even telling the software you want to use a specific route.
Running Google Maps, Apple Maps, or Waze without turn-by-turn guidance enabled doesn’t make much sense for most users. But the way some of them work actually encourages drivers to keep the app running while driving, even if they don’t need the navigation.
Waze, for instance, uses a crowdsourcing engine to figure out what’s happening on the road. If the app is running on a mobile device located in a car, the app can monitor data like the traveling speed, stops, and slowdowns, therefore trying to estimate where the traffic jams are located. Waze can eventually use the data to generate more accurate ETAs for the other drivers on the road, therefore improving the routing model even without navigation enabled on a phone.
Rivian’s system could give a new purpose to running the likes of Google Maps without navigation on the screen, but at the same time, it’s important to keep in mind that this concept is still in the patent stage. This means there is absolutely no guarantee that it would eventually make its way to cars, though, based on the described implementations, there’s no doubt it should.
Google News