Changing frequency of navigational notifications based on travel patterns

1. A method of providing navigational notifications, the method comprising:

identifying a current route;

determining whether the current route is a familiar path comprising:

storing a list of route segments over which a device has traveled;

storing a number of times the device has traveled each of the route segments;

storing dates when the route segments were traveled;

computing a route familiarity quotient based on the number of times a route segment was traveled and how long ago the route segment was traveled;

comparing the route familiarity quotient to a predetermined threshold to determine whether the route is to be classified as familiar; and

varying a frequency of the navigational notifications based on whether the current route is a familiar path and also based on one or more of weather data, road condition data and traffic data, wherein the one or more of the weather data, road condition data and traffic data are received wirelessly by a radiofrequency transceiver of the device.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein determining whether the current route is a familiar path further comprises determining whether the device is located in a familiar geographical area.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising adjusting the frequency of the navigational notifications based only on familiarity and the weather data.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising adjusting the frequency of the navigational notifications based only on familiarity and the road condition data.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising adjusting the frequency of the navigational notifications based only on familiarity and the traffic data.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a voice command;

adjusting the frequency of the navigational notifications based on the voice command.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising adjusting the frequency of navigational notifications based on whether a current time of day is daytime or night-time.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions in code which when loaded into memory and executed on a processor of a GPS-enabled navigation device is adapted to perform acts of:

identifying a current route;

determining whether the current route is a familiar path comprising:

storing a list of route segments over which the device has traveled;

storing a number of times the device has traveled each of the route segments;

storing dates when the route segments were traveled;

computing a route familiarity quotient based on the number of times a route segment was traveled and how long ago the route segment was traveled;

comparing the route familiarity quotient to a predetermined threshold to determine whether the route is to be classified as familiar; and

varying a frequency of the navigational notifications based on whether the current route is a familiar path and also based on one or more of weather data, road condition data and traffic data, wherein the one or more of the weather data, road condition data and traffic data are received wirelessly by a radiofrequency transceiver of the device.

9. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 8 wherein the code is configured to cause the device to adjust the frequency of the navigational notifications based only on familiarity and the weather data.

10. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 8 wherein the code is configured to cause the device to adjust the frequency of the navigational notifications based only on familiarity and the traffic data.

11. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 8 wherein the code is configured to cause the device to adjust the frequency of the navigational notifications based only on familiarity and the road condition data.

12. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 8 further comprising code to cause the device to further adjust the frequency of navigational notifications based on whether a current time of day is daytime or night-time.

13. A navigation-enabled device comprising:

a memory operatively coupled to a processor for executing a navigation application;

a speaker operatively coupled to the processor for providing navigational notifications;

a position-determining system for determining a current location to enable the processor to identify a current route on which the device is located; and

wherein the processor is configured to:

determine whether the current route is a familiar path by:

storing in the memory a list of route segments over which the device has traveled;

storing in the memory a number of times the device has traveled each of the route segments;

storing in the memory dates when the route segments were traveled;

computing a route familiarity quotient based on the number of times a route segment was traveled and how long ago the route segment was traveled; and

comparing the route familiarity quotient to a predetermined threshold to determine whether the route is to be classified as familiar; and

vary a frequency of the navigational notifications based on whether the current route is a familiar path and also based on one or more of weather data, road condition data and traffic data, wherein the one or more of the weather data, road condition data and traffic data are received wirelessly by a radiofrequency transceiver of the device.

14. The device as claimed in claim 13 wherein the radiofrequency transceiver only receives the weather data, and wherein the processor is configured to adjust the frequency of the navigational notifications based on the weather data and familiarity.

15. The device as claimed in claim 13 wherein the radiofrequency transceiver only receives the road condition data, and wherein the processor is configured to adjust the frequency of the navigational notifications based on the road condition data and familiarity.

16. The device as claimed in claim 13 wherein the radiofrequency transceiver only receives traffic data, and wherein the processor is configured to adjust the frequency of the navigational notifications based on the traffic data and familiarity.

17. The device as claimed in claim 13 wherein the processor further adjusts the frequency of navigational notifications based on whether a current time of day is daytime or night-time.