System and method for assigning a level of urgency to navigation cues

1. A system for guiding a driver of a vehicle from a starting point to a destination point, the system comprising:

a navigation unit that is capable of selecting a route between the starting point and the destination point, the navigation unit further capable of generating a plurality of navigation cues to guide the driver along the selected route wherein each of the plurality of navigation cues include a data packet that comprises a location of a maneuver and an instruction for the maneuver;

a positioning unit that is capable of determining a position of the vehicle;

a controller connected to the navigation unit for receiving the navigation cues and connected to the positioning unit for receiving the position of the vehicle, the controller having an urgency calculator that is capable of assigning a level of urgency to the navigation cues received from the navigation unit based on the position of the vehicle from the positioning unit and the location of the maneuver in the data packet; and

a user interface that presents the navigation cues to the driver based on the level of urgency of the navigation cue.

2. The system in claim 1 , wherein the navigation unit is embedded in the vehicle.

3. The system in claim 1 , wherein the navigation unit is located in a remote service center, the controller connected to the navigation unit through a wireless communication link.

4. A method for guiding a driver of a vehicle from a starting point to a destination point, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a navigation cue associated with a selected route between the starting point and the destination point wherein the navigation cue includes a data packet that comprises a location of a maneuver along the selected route and an instruction for the maneuver;

receiving a position of the vehicle;

assigning a level of urgency to the navigation cue based on the position of the vehicle and the location of the maneuver in the data packet;

updating the level of urgency based on an activity state of driver or vehicle;

presenting the navigation cue to the driver based on the level of urgency of the navigation cue.

5. The method in claim 4 , wherein the navigation cue is generated from a navigation unit that is embedded in the vehicle.

6. The system in claim 1 , wherein the controller further comprises a driver familiarity manager that is capable of determining a zone of familiarity associated with the driver of the vehicle, and the user interface further presents the navigation cues to the driver based on whether the driver is within the zone of familiarity.

7. The system in claim 6 , wherein the driver of the vehicle may update the zone of familiarity manually.

8. The system in claim 6 , wherein the zone of familiarity associated with the driver of the vehicle is based on stored driving habits of the driver.

9. The system in claim 1 , wherein the controller further comprises a workload manager that is capable of classifying an activity state of the driver, and the user interface further presents the navigation cues to the driver based on the activity state of the driver.

10. The system in claim 9 , wherein the workload manager classifies the driver into at least one activity state based upon sensor data relating to at least one vehicle operating condition.

11. The system in claim 9 , wherein the workload manager classifies the driver into at least one activity state based upon sensor data relating to at least one condition of the driver.

12. The system in claim 1 , wherein the presentation of the navigation cue by the user interface is altered into at least a voice only state.

13. A method for guiding a driver of a vehicle from a starting point to a destination point, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a navigation cue associated with a selected route between the starting point and the destination point wherein the navigation cue includes a data packet that comprises a location of a maneuver along the selected route and an instruction for the maneuver;

receiving a position of the vehicle;

assigning a level of urgency to the navigation cue based on the position of the vehicle and the location of the maneuver in the data packet;

presenting the navigation cue to the driver based on the level of urgency of the navigation cue.

14. The method in claim 13 , wherein the navigation cue is generated from a navigation unit that is embedded in the vehicle.

15. The method in claim 13 , wherein the navigation cue is generated from a navigation unit that is located in a remote service center, the receipt of the navigation cue being done through a wireless communication link.

16. The method in claim 4 , wherein the navigation cue is generated from a navigation unit that is located in a remote service center, the receipt of the navigation cue being done through a wireless communication link.

17. The method of claim 4 , wherein the step of presenting the navigation cue to the driver based on the level of urgency of the navigation cue includes altering the presentation of the navigation cue into at least a voice only state.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of:

determining a zone of familiarity associated with the driver of the vehicle;

wherein the step of presenting the navigation cue to the driver is further based on whether the driver is within the zone of familiarity.

19. The method in claim 18 , wherein the driver of the vehicle is capable of updating the zone of familiarity manually.

20. The method in claim 18 , wherein the zone of familiarity associated with the driver of the vehicle is based on stored driving habits of the driver.

21. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of:

classifying an activity state of the driver;

wherein the step of presenting the navigation cue to the driver is further based on the activity state of the driver.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the workload manager classifies the driver into at least one activity state based upon sensor data relating to at least one vehicle operating condition.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the workload manager classifies the driver into at least one activity state based upon sensor data relating to at least one condition of the driver.

24. The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of presenting the navigation cue to the driver based on the level of urgency of the navigation cue includes altering the presentation of the navigation cue into at least a voice only state.

25. A system for guiding a driver of a vehicle from a starting point to a destination point, the system comprising:

a navigation unit that is capable of selecting a route between the starting point and the destination point, the navigation unit further capable of generating a plurality of navigation cues to guide the driver along the selected wherein each of the plurality of navigation cues includes a data packet that comprises a location of a maneuver and an instruction for the maneuver;

a positioning unit that is capable of determining a position of the vehicle;

a controller connected to the navigation unit for receiving the navigation cues, the controller having an urgency calculator that is capable of assigning a level of urgency to the navigation cues received from the navigation unit based on the position of the vehicle from a positioning unit and the location of the maneuver in the data packet and a workload manager that is capable of updating the level of urgency based on an activity state of driver or vehicle; and

a user interface that presents the navigation cues to the driver based on the level of urgency of the navigation cue.

26. The system in claim 25 , wherein the navigation unit is embedded in the vehicle.

27. The system in claim 25 , wherein the navigation unit is located in a remote service center, the controller connected to the navigation unit through a wireless communication link.

28. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of:

determining a zone of familiarity associated with the driver of the vehicle;

wherein the step of presenting the navigation cue to the driver is further based on whether the driver is within the zone of familiarity.

29. The method in claim 28 , wherein the driver of the vehicle is capable of updating the zone of familiarity manually.

30. The system in claim 25 , wherein the controller further comprises a driver familiarity manager that is capable of determining a zone of familiarity associated with the driver of the vehicle, and the user interface further presents the navigation cues to the driver based on whether the driver is within the zone of familiarity.

31. The system in claim 30 , wherein the driver of the vehicle may update the zone of familiarity manually.

32. The system in claim 30 , wherein the zone of familiarity associated with the driver of the vehicle is based on stored driving habits of the driver.

33. The system in claim 25 , wherein the presentation of the navigation cue by the user interface is altered into at least a voice only state.

34. The method in claim 28 , wherein the zone of familiarity associated with the driver of the vehicle is based on stored driving habits of the driver.