Method of collecting information for a geographic database for use with a navigation system

1 . A method of collecting data for a geographic database for use with a navigation system comprising:

identifying a pedestrian segment associated with a path;

collecting a text description of said pedestrian segment, wherein said text description includes one of a predetermined number of phrases and a name of at least one feature visible from a location of said segment; and

storing data in said geographic database that represent said pedestrian segment.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein said one of a predetermined number of phrases is selected from the group consisting of above, through, by, right, left, between, up, down, across, after, along, past and synonyms thereof.

3 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether said name of said visible feature provides helpful orientation for a route that exits from said pedestrian segment.

4 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether said text description is dependent upon a direction of travel along said pedestrian segment.

5 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a pair of orientation nodes as endpoints of said pedestrian segment.

6 . The method of claim 5 further comprising:

collecting data indicating a respective position of said orientation nodes.

7 . The method of claim 5 further comprising:

collecting data indicating a name of one of said orientation nodes, wherein said name is a name of at least one feature visible from a location of said orientation node.

8 . The method of claim 7 further comprising:

determining whether said name of said orientation node provides helpful orientation for a route that passes from said orientation node onto said pedestrian segment.

9 . The method of claim 5 further comprising:

determining whether a maneuver is possible at one of said orientation nodes.

10 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

collecting data indicating how the pedestrian segment connects with a road network.

11 . A method of collecting data for a geographic database comprising:

collecting a name of a path in a geographic region, wherein said name is a name of at least one feature other than said path visible from a location of said path; and

storing data in said geographic database that represent said path.

12 . The method of claim 11 further comprising:

associating one of a predetermined number of phrases with said name of said path, wherein said phrase and said name provide an orientation description of said path.

13 . The method of claim 12 wherein said one of a predetermined number of phrases is selected from the group consisting of above, through, by, right, left, between, up, down, across, after, along, past and synonyms thereof.

14 . The method of claim 11 further comprising:

determining whether said name of said path is dependent upon a direction of travel along said path.

15 . The method of claim 11 further comprising:

identifying a pair of orientation nodes as endpoints of said path.

16 . A geographic database that represents features in a geographic region, said geographic database comprising:

data representing a path in said geographic region, wherein said data representing said path comprising:

data representing a name of at least one feature other than said path visible from a location on said path; and

data representing one of a predetermined number of phrases associated with said name of said visible feature.

17 . The database of claim 16 wherein said one of a predetermined number of phrases is selected from the group consisting of above, through, by, right, left, between, up, down, across, after, along, past and synonyms thereof.

18 . The database of claim 16 further comprising:

data indicating whether said name of said visible feature provides helpful orientation for a route that exits from said path.

19 . The database of claim 16 further comprising:

data indicating whether said name is dependent upon a direction of travel along said path.

20 . The database of claim 16 further comprising:

data representing a pair of orientation nodes as endpoints of said path.

21 . The database of claim 20 further comprising:

data indicating a name for one of said orientation nodes, wherein said name includes at least one feature visible from a location of said orientation node.

22 . The database of claim 20 further comprising:

data indicating a respective position of each of said orientation nodes.

23 . The database of claim 20 further comprising:

data indicating whether a maneuver is possible at one of said orientation nodes.