Navigation indication of vehicle

Abstract

To provide a navigation indication of a vehicle and navigate the vehicle.SOLUTION: A battery-operated vehicle (BOV) comprises a battery configured to provide source power of the BOV, and at least one processor included in a processing and memory circuit (PMC) operatively connected to the battery. The at least one processor is configured to perform: acquiring data indicating first and second locations; determining data indicating battery power consumption that is required to navigate the BOV from the first location to the second location; acquiring data indicating a current power level of the battery; comparing the data indicating the required battery power consumption to the data indicating the current power level of the battery for determining remaining battery power status for navigating the BOV from the first location to the second location; and providing an indication on the basis of the determination.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Technical Field The subject matter disclosed herein relates to providing a navigation display for a vehicle and navigating a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] background Among existing operating devices are battery-powered devices, which are devices powered by a battery. The battery allows for the initial operation of the device and its continued operation. The battery can be the exclusive power source for the device or can be one of several power sources for the device, for example, along with a gas-powered source.

[0003] The battery power level of a battery indicates how much battery power is remaining for a particular activity of the device. Consider a battery-powered vehicle traveling toward a desired destination, and the battery power level of the battery-powered vehicle at any point in time indicates whether the vehicle will be able to reach the desired destination.

[0004] Therefore, it is desirable to monitor the current power level of a battery-powered vehicle.

[0005] When considering navigating a vehicle from a particular location to a destination, the most common navigation tools are GPS-based. However, in some cases, the GPS tools may be unavailable or insufficient to navigate the vehicle, for example, due to weak GPS signal reception, and it may be desirable to continue navigating the vehicle. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] overview When considering a battery-powered vehicle, the current battery power level of the battery can indicate how much battery power is remaining for a particular activity of the vehicle. More specifically, when considering a planned route that the vehicle will travel to reach its destination, it is important to verify in advance whether the current battery power level of the vehicle's battery is sufficient to enable the vehicle to operate until the destination is reached before starting to travel toward the destination. Therefore, it is important to determine how much battery power consumption the vehicle will need to reach its destination and verify that the vehicle's current battery power level is indeed sufficient.

[0007] Verifying in advance that a battery-powered vehicle (BOV) has a sufficient power level to complete a particular operation can be essential for some actions. For example, if a BOV runs out of battery power while in operation and traveling toward a destination, the BOV will stop before reaching the destination. If this occurs, the user of the BOV will be stranded midway through the route, unable to recharge or continue to their destination (assuming they have no portable charger or access to an external charging device). Considering the specific example of a disabled user being guided by a BOV toward a destination, it is important to verify in advance that the battery power level is sufficient to reach the destination. Therefore, it is important to verify in advance that the BOV's current battery power level is sufficient to enable the BOV to reach the requested destination and to provide an appropriate indication of the remaining battery power status in light of the battery power consumption required to reach the destination. Furthermore, it is also important to continue monitoring the vehicle's battery's current power level during operation and to verify, by providing an indication, that the battery power level is still sufficient to reach the desired destination.

[0008] In some cases, determining in advance, before the vehicle begins its journey, whether the BOV has sufficient battery power remaining to reach its destination includes comparing the battery's current power level with the battery power consumption required to navigate the BOV from its current location to the destination and verifying that the current power level is indeed higher. In some cases, determining the battery power consumption required to navigate the BOV from its current location to the destination includes obtaining geographic location-related information of the current location and the destination, such as GPS coordinates, and determining a navigation route to the destination based on the geographic location-related information. Once the navigation route is determined, it is possible to determine how much battery power consumption is required to complete the navigation route and determine whether the battery's current power level is sufficient to complete the navigation route. In some cases, an appropriate navigation display is provided based on the battery's current power level compared to the required battery power consumption.

[0009] For example, consider an operator of a BOV who wishes to travel from home to a library. Determining that their BOV has sufficient battery power to reach the library requires determining a route to the library and then determining the battery power required to reach the library. Once the required battery power is determined, this is compared to the BOV's current battery power to determine whether the current battery power is sufficient to reach the library.

[0010] Considering the process of navigation itself, to navigate a vehicle from its current location to a destination, geographical location-related information, such as GPS coordinates, is obtained for the current location and the destination. Currently, the most common navigation tools are GPS-based, in which a vehicle receives information from GPS satellites to calculate the vehicle's geographical location. Using appropriate software, a vehicle can display the vehicle's geographical location on a map as a GPS waypoint and provide directions from the current geographical location to the destination. Receiving information from GPS satellites to calculate the vehicle's geographical location requires GPS reception, i.e., an unobstructed line of sight to several GPS satellites in a network of satellites in orbit. In certain situations, such as urban environments, routes through tunnels, severe weather conditions, near tall buildings, or very densely populated streets, GPS reception is subject to weak satellite signal conditions to the extent that navigation based on GPS reception is not possible. Furthermore, in certain situations, such as in the case of a vehicle navigating on sidewalks rather than roads, GPS coordinates do not provide sufficient information to navigate the vehicle in an accurate manner. Therefore, in accordance with certain embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein, it may be desirable to use other types of geographic location-related information, such as information about the surrounding area, including visual cues in that area, to provide navigational displays and assist in such navigation even when GPS signals are insufficient. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] According to one aspect of the subject matter disclosed herein, there is provided a method for providing a navigation display for a battery-powered vehicle (BOV) from a first location to a second location, the method comprising: a. obtaining data indicative of first and second locations; b. determining data indicative of battery power consumption required to navigate the BOV from a first position to a second position; c. obtaining data indicative of the current power level of the battery; d. comparing the data indicative of the required battery power draw with the data indicative of the current power level of the battery to determine a remaining battery power status for navigating the BOV from the first location to the second location; e. Providing indications based on this determination; A method is provided which includes:

[0012] In addition to the features described above, methods according to this aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter may optionally include one or more of the following listed features (i) through (xxi) in any technically feasible combination or permutation: (i) determining an insufficient remaining battery charge condition in response to comparing the data, and providing an indication of insufficient remaining battery charge based on this determination; (ii) The method further includes generating a signal to disable operation of the battery-powered BOV. (iii) determining a sufficient remaining battery power condition in response to the comparison of the data, and based on this determination, providing an indication that the remaining battery power condition is sufficient to facilitate navigation of the BOV to the second location. (iv) The method further includes generating a signal to enable navigation of the BOV to the second location, and navigating the BOV from the first location to the second location. (v) Comparing the data includes comparing the data indicative of the battery's current power level with a given threshold corresponding to the data indicative of required battery power consumption, and determining a sufficient remaining battery power condition in response to the battery's current power level exceeding the given threshold. (vi) determining a sufficient remaining battery power condition in response to the battery being fully charged; (vii) The method further includes repeating steps (a)-(e) above, where the first location is the current location of the BOV being navigated, and comparing the data indicative of the required battery power consumption with data indicative of the current power level of the battery to determine a remaining battery power situation for navigating the BOV from the current location to the second location. (viii) determining an insufficient remaining battery power condition in response to comparing the data, and providing an indication of insufficiency based on this determination; (ix) obtaining data indicative of the first and second locations includes obtaining geographic location related information associated with the first and second locations, the method further comprising: determining data indicative of a navigation path from the first location to the second location based on the received information; determining data indicative of required battery power consumption based on the data indicative of the navigation route; Further includes: (x) Obtaining geographic location-related information includes obtaining GPS coordinates associated with the first location and / or the second location. (xi) Obtaining the geographic location-related information includes obtaining one or more visual cues associated with the first location and / or the second location. (xii) Determining data indicative of the navigation route further includes obtaining route information including at least one of the following parameters: route terrain data, route data dependent on one or more operator parameters, and one or more route ambient conditions. (xiii) This method determining a sufficient remaining battery power condition and, based on the determination, providing an indication that the remaining battery power is sufficient to facilitate navigation of the BOV to the second location; generating a signal to enable navigation of the BOV to a second location; obtaining data indicative of at least one waypoint on a navigation path between a first location and a second location, the waypoint being associated with geographic location-related information; navigating the BOV from a first location to a second location through at least one intermediate point; Further includes: (xiv) obtaining data indicative of the at least one waypoint includes obtaining GPS coordinates associated with the at least one waypoint, and before navigating the BOV from the first location to the second location through the at least one waypoint, the method further comprises: selectively removing at least some of the acquired GPS coordinates associated with the waypoint upon determining that at least some of the acquired GPS coordinates are in a prohibited area; Navigating the BOV from the first location to the second location without this GPS coordinate removed Further includes: (xv) Selectively removing includes locating the acquired GPS coordinates in a map coordinate system and, upon determining that at least a portion of the GPS coordinates are located in a predetermined prohibited portion of the map coordinate system, discarding at least a portion of the GPS coordinates. (xvi) the data indicative of the navigation path includes data indicative of a series of at least two waypoints, each of the at least two waypoints being associated with corresponding geographic location-related information, each two consecutive waypoints being associated with a corresponding section of the navigation path, and while navigating the BOV from the first location to the second location, the method further comprises: a) determining data indicative of intervals associated with first and second midpoints of the at least two midpoints; b) determining data indicating a direction of a section from a first waypoint to a second waypoint based on corresponding geographical location related information of the at least two waypoints; c) obtaining data indicating regional information associated with the determined section; and d) obtaining local information about the surrounding area; e) selectively modifying data indicative of the navigation route based on the acquired associated area information, the acquired area information of the surrounding area, and the direction of the section; f) navigating the BOV based on the modified navigation path; Further includes: (xvii) the first midpoint or the second midpoint is the same as the first or second location, respectively; (xviii) The method further includes repeating steps (a)-(f) with at least one different section until a second location is reached, the at least one different section being associated with at least one intermediate point different from the first and second intermediate points. (xix) The method further includes configuring a BOV. (xx) Configuring the BOV includes adjusting a handle connected to the BOV. (xxi) Adjusting the BOV includes configuring the speed of the BOV.

[0013] According to another aspect of the subject matter disclosed herein, there is provided a method for providing a navigation display for a vehicle navigating from a first location to a second location, the method comprising: (a) obtaining data indicative of geographic location related information associated with a first and a second location; (b) determining, based on the obtained geographical location-related information, data indicative of a navigation route from the first location to the second location, the data indicative of the navigation route including data indicative of a series of at least two waypoints, each of the at least two waypoints being associated with corresponding geographical location-related information, and each two consecutive waypoints being associated with a corresponding section of the navigation route; (c) determining data indicative of intervals associated with first and second midpoints of the at least two midpoints; (d) determining data indicating a direction of a section from the first waypoint to the second waypoint based on the corresponding geographic location related information; (e) obtaining data indicating regional information based on the determined direction; (f) obtaining local information about the surrounding area; (g) selectively modifying data indicative of the navigation route based on the obtained data indicative of the regional information; (h) navigating the vehicle based on the revised navigation route; A method is provided which includes:

[0014] According to another aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter, there is provided a battery powered vehicle (BOV), comprising: a battery configured to provide power source for the BOV; at least one processor included in a processing and memory circuit (PMC) operably connected to the battery, a. obtaining data indicative of first and second locations; b. determining data indicative of battery power consumption required to navigate the BOV from a first position to a second position; c. obtaining data indicative of the current power level of the battery; d. comparing the data indicative of the required battery power draw with the data indicative of the current power level of the battery to determine a remaining battery power status for navigating the BOV from the first location to the second location; e. Providing indications based on this determination; at least one processor configured to A battery-powered vehicle (BOV) is provided.

[0015] According to another aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter, there is provided a vehicle, comprising: at least one camera configured to capture one or more images of the surrounding area; a GPS unit configured to obtain GPS coordinates of the location of the vehicle; at least one processor included in a processing and memory circuit (PMC) operatively connected to the at least one camera and the GPS unit, the processor configured to provide a navigation display to a vehicle navigating from a first location to a second location; a) obtaining data indicative of geographic location related information associated with a first location using GPS readings of a GPS unit; b) obtaining data indicative of geographic location related information associated with the second location; c) determining, based on the obtained geographical location-related information, data indicative of a navigation route from the first location to the second location, the data indicative of the navigation route including data indicative of a series of at least two waypoints, each of the at least two waypoints being associated with corresponding geographical location-related information, and each two consecutive waypoints being associated with a corresponding section of the navigation route; d) determining data indicative of intervals associated with first and second of the at least two midpoints; e) determining data indicating a direction of a section from the first waypoint to the second waypoint based on the corresponding geographical location related information; f) obtaining data indicative of regional information based on the determined direction; g) obtaining regional information of the surrounding area based on one or more images captured by at least one camera; h) selectively modifying data indicative of the navigation route based on the obtained data indicative of the regional information; i) navigating the vehicle based on the modified navigation path; at least one processor configured to A vehicle including:

[0016] According to another aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter, there is provided a computer program product including a computer-readable storage medium bearing program instructions that, when read by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method of providing a navigation display for a battery-powered vehicle (BOV) from a first location to a second location, the method comprising: a. obtaining data indicative of first and second locations; b. determining data indicative of battery power consumption required to navigate the BOV from a first position to a second position; c. obtaining data indicative of the current power level of the battery; d. comparing the data indicative of the required battery power draw with the data indicative of the current power level of the battery to determine a remaining battery power status for navigating the BOV from the first location to the second location; e. Providing indications based on this determination; A computer program product is provided, comprising:

[0017] According to another aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter, there is provided a computer program product including a computer-readable storage medium bearing program instructions that, when read by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method of providing a navigation display of a vehicle navigating from a first location to a second location, the method comprising: (a) obtaining data indicative of geographic location related information associated with a first and a second location; (b) determining, based on the obtained geographical location-related information, data indicative of a navigation route from the first location to the second location, the data indicative of the navigation route including data indicative of a series of at least two waypoints, each of the at least two waypoints being associated with corresponding geographical location-related information, and each two consecutive waypoints being associated with a corresponding section of the navigation route; (c) determining data indicative of intervals associated with first and second midpoints of the at least two midpoints; (d) determining data indicating a direction of a section from the first waypoint to the second waypoint based on the corresponding geographic location related information; (e) obtaining data indicating regional information based on the determined direction; (f) obtaining local information about the surrounding area; (g) selectively modifying data indicative of the navigation route based on the obtained data indicative of the regional information; (h) navigating the vehicle based on the revised navigation route; A computer program product is provided, comprising:

[0018] Moreover, the BOVs, vehicles, and computer program products of the subject matter disclosed herein may optionally include one or more of features (i) through (xxi) above, mutatis mutandis, in any technically feasible combination or permutation.

[0019] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Non-limiting examples of the presently disclosed subject matter, as described below with reference to the figures attached hereto, are listed after this paragraph. Identical structures, elements, or parts that appear in more than one figure may be labeled with the same number in each figure in which they appear. The drawings and description are intended to elucidate and clarify the embodiments disclosed herein and should not be considered limiting in any way. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a high-level illustration of a battery-powered vehicle (BOV) including a navigation device in an urban area, according to an example of the subject matter disclosed herein. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is an illustrative diagram of a BOV according to one example of the presently disclosed subject matter. [Figure 3] 1 is a block diagram of a BOV including a processor and memory circuit (PMC) according to an example of the subject matter disclosed herein. [Figure 4] 1 is a flowchart of operations performed by a PMC according to an example of the subject matter disclosed herein. [Figure 5] 1 is a flowchart of operations performed in determining required battery power consumption according to an example of the presently disclosed subject matter. [Figure 6a]1 is a flowchart of operations performed when navigating a BOV according to an example of the subject matter disclosed herein. [Figure 6b] This is an example of a database of visual cues. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is an illustration of a modified navigation path according to an example of the subject matter disclosed herein. [Figure 8] 1 is an example of some of the operations performed in constructing a BOV, according to an example of the subject matter disclosed herein. [Figure 9] 1 is a flowchart of operations performed in providing a navigation display for a vehicle from a first location to a second location according to an example of the subject matter disclosed herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Detailed Description of the Embodiments In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the subject matter disclosed herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the subject matter disclosed herein.

[0022] Unless otherwise specifically stated, as will be apparent from the discussion that follows, discussions throughout this specification utilizing terms such as "obtaining," "determining," "comparing," "providing," "generating," "navigating," "repeating," "compare," "filtering," "locating," "discarding," "modifying," "composing," "adjusting," and the like refer to computer actions and / or processes that manipulate data and / or transform that data into other data, said data being physically represented, such as electronically, quantitatively, and / or representing physical objects. The term "computer" should be broadly interpreted to include any kind of hardware-based electronic device having data processing capabilities, including, by way of non-limiting example, the processor and memory circuitry 110 disclosed herein.

[0023] As used herein, the terms "non-transitory memory" and "non-transitory storage medium" should be broadly interpreted to include any volatile or non-volatile computer memory suitable for the subject matter disclosed herein.

[0024] It should be understood that the term "signal" as used herein excludes transitory, propagating signals, but includes any other signal suitable for the subject matter disclosed herein.

[0025] Operations according to the teachings herein may be performed by a computer specially configured for that purpose or by a general-purpose computer specially configured for that purpose by a computer program stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

[0026] With this in mind, attention is directed to Figure 1, which shows a high-level illustration of a battery-powered vehicle (BOV) in an urban area. While the description herein primarily relates to a BOV, it should be noted that this is done solely as a non-limiting example and that the principles disclosed for a BOV can be implemented in other types of battery-powered devices, such as handheld devices, smart glasses, wristbands, wheel-based canes, care systems or any other route navigation or obstacle avoidance device, electric scooters, electric bicycles, robotic guides, and any other battery-powered device with navigation capabilities as described throughout this description.

[0027] For example, assume that a BOV is planned to be navigated from its current location to a destination. Before initiating navigation toward the destination, it is desirable for the BOV to determine that the BOV has sufficient battery power to complete the route and arrive at the destination. Otherwise, the BOV will become stranded on the road. In the specific case where a user, referred to herein as the operator, is operating the BOV, it is desirable to determine that the BOV has sufficient battery power to complete the route before initiating navigation itself and guiding the operator. This need is even more evident when the user is a person with a physical disability, such as a blind or visually impaired user. Therefore, before initiating navigation toward the destination, it is advantageous to provide a navigation indication of the BOV's battery and determine whether the BOV has sufficient battery power to complete the route. In some cases, this indication is based on calculating the battery power consumption required to navigate the BOV from the current location to the destination location and comparing it to the BOV's current battery power level. If the battery's current battery power level is higher than the required battery power, it is determined that there is sufficient battery power to navigate to the destination, and an appropriate navigation indication can be provided. On the other hand, if the current battery power level of the battery is lower than the required battery power, it is determined that there is insufficient battery power to navigate to the destination.

[0028] With the above in mind, attention is now directed to FIG. 1 , which illustrates a schematic diagram of a battery-powered vehicle (BOV) 100 that includes a processor and memory circuit (PMC) 110. As further illustrated below in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the PMC 110 is operably connected to several elements of the BOV 100 and is configured to provide a navigation display for the BOV 100 from a first location to a second location. In some cases, as further described below, the navigation display is related to a battery power level. In some examples, the PMC 110 is further configured to control movement of the BOV 100 and navigate the BOV 100 to a destination.

[0029] FIG. 1 also illustrates an urban area 120 in which the BOV 100 operates and navigates to a destination. The urban area 120 may include streets, buildings, roads, sidewalks, and pedestrians (some of which are not shown). As further illustrated in FIG. 1, the BOV 100 is operated by an operating user 130, e.g., an operator with impaired visual abilities, such as a visually impaired user. However, this example is non-limiting, and thus the BOV 100 may be operated by an operator with visual abilities, such as, for example, a tourist using the BOV 100 as transportation at a tourist destination. In another example, the BOV 100 travels toward a destination without an operating user, such as a BOV transporting cargo to a destination.

[0030] In some examples, the BOV 100 may be configured to travel from a first location, e.g., the BOV's current location, to a second location, e.g., a destination within the urban area 120. The BOV 100 is operably connected to the PMC 110 and includes a battery (not shown) that powers the BOV 100 and enables it to operate. The PMC 110 is configured to provide a navigation display for the BOV 100 from the current location to the destination. In some cases, the PMC 110 is configured to compare the current battery power of the BOV's battery with the battery power consumption required to navigate the BOV 100 from the current location to the destination location to determine whether the remaining battery power is sufficient to navigate the BOV 100 to the destination, and to provide an appropriate navigation display.

[0031] The subject matter disclosed herein is not bound to the specific scenario described with reference to FIG. 1, which is presented for illustrative purposes only.

[0032] Attention is now directed to Fig. 2, which shows a specific illustration of a BOV 100, according to one example of the presently disclosed subject matter. As shown in Fig. 2, the BOV 100 is a mobile device that is operated by an operator 130, for example, by a handle 230. The BOV 100 includes a body terminated with a wheeled mobile platform 250, for example, a platform having six wheels. The wheeled platform 250 may include any number of wheels and is configured to enable the BOV 100 to traverse flexible terrain conditions, including, for example, traveling over uneven ground, climbing stairs, and traversing sloped ground, gravel pavement, sandy areas, etc.

[0033] The BOV 100 includes a processor and memory circuit (PMC) 110 operably connected to a battery 220 that powers the BOV 100. The PMC 110 is configured to provide all processing necessary to operate the BOV 100, as described in more detail below, and includes a processor (not shown separately) and memory (not shown separately). The processor of the PMC 110 can be configured to execute several functional modules in accordance with computer-readable instructions embodied on non-transitory computer-readable memory included in the PMC 110.

[0034] The BOV 100 may also include several sensors, such as a vibration motor 232, a touch / pressure sensor 234, a fingerprint reader 236, a temperature and light sensor 270, a lidar and RF radar 272, at least one camera 280, and a proximity sensor 290. Although several sensors are shown in FIG. 2 as being connected to or located on the handle 230, the sensors may instead be operably connected to the handle 230. The BOV may include additional sensors (not shown in FIG. 2), such as a humidity sensor and an accelerometer sensor as described in FIG. 7. Further details of the sensors are described below with respect to FIG. 3. Additionally, the camera 280 should not be considered limited to one camera, but may include one or more cameras that capture one or more images, as described in further detail below.

[0035] The BOV 100 may also include a communication interface 216 to enable communication between the BOV 100 and external sources, for example, by sending and receiving Wi-Fi or Bluetooth or cellular signals, or any other communication known to one skilled in the art. The communication interface 216 also enables communication between the PMC 110 and elements of the BOV 100 operatively connected to the PMC 110.

[0036] The BOV 100 may also include input / output elements such as a GPS (Global Positioning System) 210 for determining positioning coordinates of the BOV 100, body LED lights and headlights 260, a speaker, a microphone, a horn, etc., all of which are shown at 240 in FIG. 2. Some input / output elements 240, such as a microphone, are configured to receive input from the operator 130, while other input / output elements 240, such as a horn or microphone, as well as a vibration motor 232, are configured to transmit information or some type of warning to the operator 130 or the surrounding area (such as other pedestrians in the urban area 120 of FIG. 1) in case of a hazard. Further details regarding these elements are provided below with respect to FIG. 3.

[0037] The shape of the BOV 100 as shown in Figure 2 should not be considered limiting, and any other shape of the BOV 100 that enables it to provide a navigation display for a battery-powered vehicle can be used. Additionally, although elements are shown in Figure 2 as being included in or connected to the BOV 100, this illustration is exemplary and should not be considered limiting. Some elements, such as the PMC 110, GPS 210, sensors, and other elements, can be operably connected to the BOV 100 and communicate with the BOV 100 using, for example, the communication interface 216.

[0038] It will also be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that data repositories may be consolidated or divided in other ways, and databases may be shared with other systems or provided by other systems, including remote third-party devices.

[0039] Attention is now directed to Figure 3, which illustrates a block diagram of the BOV 100, showing some of the elements of the BOV 100 shown in Figure 2. The reference numbers for the elements of the BOV 100 shown in Figure 2 are also applicable to Figure 3.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 2 , in some examples, the BOV 100 is operably connected to the PMC 110 and includes a battery 220. The PMC 110 includes a processor (not shown separately) and a memory (not shown separately). As described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 2-3 , the processor in the PMC 110 can be configured to execute several functional modules in accordance with computer-readable instructions embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. Hereinafter, such functional modules are referred to as being included in the processor. In accordance with this example of the presently disclosed subject matter, the processor includes a configuration module 331, a user identification module 332, a position determination module 333, a battery module 334, a computed path module 335, and an adjustment handle module 336 configured to operate the schemes described below. The PMC 110 is included in or operably connected to the communication interface 216.

[0041] In some examples, the BOV 100 can be configured once it is turned on, for example, using the configuration module 331. Configuring the BOV 100 can be performed before the BOV 100 begins traveling to its destination, or can be performed while the BOV 100 is traveling as it navigates. In some examples, configuring the BOV 100 includes configuring any elements connected to the BOV 100, such as configuring the height, length, and angle of the body of the BOV 100, the handle 230, turning the light 260 on or off, setting the volume of the speaker 240, affecting the speed of the BOV 100, and configuring the difference sensor of the BOV 100, for example, using the adjustment handle module 336 included in the configuration module 331. Alternatively or additionally, configuring the BOV 100 includes configuring the settings of the characteristics of the BOV 100, such as setting a destination for the BOV 100 or setting the starting or average speed of the BOV 100. Optionally (as discussed further below), the configuration module 331 configures the BOV 100 based on parameters of the operator 130 identified by the BOV 100. Configuring the BOV 100 is further described below with respect to FIG.

[0042] 2, the BOV 100 is operably connected to the PMC 110 and includes a battery 220. The battery 220 is the power source for the BOV 100 and enables it to operate. In some cases, the battery is rechargeable and can be replaced / swapped instead of being charged with another fully charged battery.

[0043] In some examples, the PMC 110 is configured to provide a navigation indication for the BOV 100 from a first location to a second location, e.g., from the current location of the BOV 100 to a destination, e.g., using the battery module 334. Providing the navigation indication is based on comparing the current battery power level of the battery 220 with the battery power consumption required to navigate the BOV 100 from its current location to the destination. In some examples, if the battery module 334 determines that the current battery power level of the battery 220 is higher than the required battery power consumption, the battery module 334 is configured to determine a sufficient remaining battery power condition and, in response, provide an indication that the remaining battery power is sufficient to facilitate navigation of the BOV 100 to the destination. In some examples, after determining the sufficient remaining battery power condition, the PMC 110 generates a signal to enable navigation operation of the BOV to the destination and navigates the BOV 100 to the destination.

[0044] However, if the battery module 334 determines that the current battery power level of the battery 220 is at or below the required battery power consumption, the battery module 334 is configured to determine an insufficient remaining battery power condition and in response, respectively indicate the insufficiency, and optionally, the PMC 110 generates a signal to disable operation of the battery-powered BOV.

[0045] In some examples, to determine the battery power consumption required to navigate the BOV 100 from a current location to a destination, it is desired to determine a navigation route from the first location to the second location based on acquired geographical location-related information, such as GPS coordinates, associated with the first and second locations. In such cases, the calculated route module 335 is configured to acquire the geographical location-related information associated with the first and second locations, for example, using the position determination module 333 included in the calculated route module 335, and determine data indicative of a navigation route from the first location to the second location based on the acquired geographical location-related information. Once the route is determined, the battery module 334 is configured to determine the required battery power consumption based on the determined navigation route. Further details of determining the navigation route, determining the battery power consumption required to navigate the BOV 100 from the first location to the second location, and providing a navigation display are provided below with reference to FIGS. 4-6.

[0046] The following are details related to the handle 230, according to certain examples of the subject matter disclosed herein. As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the operator 130 may operate the BOV 100, for example, using the handle 230. The handle 230 is operatively connected to the BOV 100 using an articulating function, allowing the operator 130 to hold the BOV 100 as it navigates to a destination and, optionally, control movement of the BOV, for example, by moving the handle 230. Some examples of the handle 230 are a steering wheel, a handlebar, and a joystick.

[0047] In some cases, the PMC 110 is configured to alert the operator 130 of any hazards that the operator should be notified of, for example, using a vibration motor 232 located on the steering wheel 230. For example, the PMC 110 may identify an obstacle on the path that the BOV 100 cannot navigate around, or may alert the user that the BOV 100 has reached its destination, a pedestrian crossing, or any other information important to the operator based on the current route. The steering wheel 230 also includes a touch / pressure sensor 234. The touch / pressure sensor 234 is configured to detect data from the operator 130 and configure the BOV 100 and the steering wheel 230. For example, the touch / pressure sensor 234 is configured to detect the operator's 130 tactile gripping force on the steering wheel 230, for example, when the operator 130 holds the steering wheel 230 with one or both hands, to detect the operator's 130 gripping pressure. In some examples, the speed of the BOV 100 can be adjusted based on the detected pressure level of the operator 130 on the handle 230, for example, by sending a signal to the PMC 110 to adjust the speed. Additionally, the operator 130 can be identified by the BOV 100, for example, using a fingerprint reader 236 located on the handle 230. Optionally, once identified, the BOV 100 can be configured based on stored parameters of the operator 130. Further details of configuring the BOV 100 and handle 230 are described below in FIG. 8.

[0048] 2 and 3 are illustrated as being included in BOV 100, such as PMC 110, touch sensor 234, and GPS 210, it should be noted that this disclosure should not be considered limiting, and such elements may be operatively connected to BOV 100 and may communicate with BOV 100, for example, via communication interface 216. Additionally, some elements are illustrated as being located on a portion of other elements, such as touch sensor 234 and fingerprint reader 236, which are illustrated as being part of handle 230, but may also be located on the body of BOV 100, for example.

[0049] It should also be noted that the teachings of the subject matter disclosed herein are not bound by the BOV 100 described with reference to Figures 1-3. Equivalent and / or modified functions may be integrated or divided in other manners, implemented in any suitable combination of software, firmware, and / or hardware, and executed in any suitable device.

[0050] Referring to FIG. 4 , a flowchart of operations performed by the PMC 110 is shown, according to certain embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein. In some examples, the PMC 110 is configured to provide a navigation display for the BOV 100 from a first location to a second location, e.g., from the current location of the BOV 100 to a destination. Hereinafter, the first location will also be referred to as the current location, and the second location will also be referred to as the destination; however, this should not be considered limiting, and those skilled in the art will recognize that this description is applicable to any two locations obtained by the BOV 100. A route can also be defined as a round-trip route, in which the operator needs to travel from the first location to the destination and back. In such cases, the entire route can be defined as comprising two routes: a first route from the first location to the destination, and a second route from the destination to the first location. A navigation display for the route to the destination is then provided, and a second navigation display for returning from the destination is provided. For example, it may be advantageous to provide separate navigation displays for each route because the route to the destination may require a different battery consumption than the route back from the destination, where the altitude may be different for each navigation: an uphill direction on the route to the destination may require a certain battery consumption, and a downhill direction on the route back may require a different battery consumption.

[0051] In some cases, a navigation display from the current location to the destination is provided based on the current power level of the battery 220 and the battery power consumption required to navigate the BOV 100 from the current location to the destination. Thus, according to certain embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein, the PMC 110 obtains data indicative of a first and second location (block 410), for example, using the location determination module 333 shown in FIG. 3 . In some examples, this first location is obtained by receiving the current location of the BOV 100 using the GPS 210, which communicates the GPS coordinates of the current location of the BOV 100 to the location determination module 333. In other examples, this first location can be obtained by other means, for example, identifying the current location based on visual cues obtained from images of the surrounding area captured by the camera 280 and determining the location based on the visual cues. This determination can be performed by the location determination module 333. The process of determining a location based on visual cues is further described below with reference to FIG. 6a.

[0052] In some examples, the second location, i.e., destination, is received from the operator 130 operating the BOV 100 in any manner known in the art, including, for example, receiving a voice command and converting the voice command into GPS coordinates representing the destination, receiving a typed destination, receiving the destination via a mobile application of the operator 130, etc. In the case of a visually impaired user, the destination can be received from an external source, for example, by receiving data indicative of the destination from a remote server in communication with the BOV 100 and outputting sound data indicative of the destination, which is audio-confirmed (or rejected) by the impaired user. If the BOV 110 identifies the operator 130 (e.g., by using per se known facial recognition techniques, a fingerprint scanner, voice recognition, etc.) and the BOV 110 stores configurations / parameters associated with the operator 130, for example, in a memory associated with the PMC 110, the destination can be obtained by searching stored data associated with the operator 130, for example, stored preferred destinations. Obtaining the destination can be performed, for example, by the location determination module 333 shown in FIG. 3 .

[0053] Upon obtaining data indicative of the first and second locations, the PMC 110 determines data indicative of the battery power draw required to navigate the BOV 100 from the first location to the second location (block 420). Further details regarding determining the required battery power draw are described below in FIGS. 5-6.

[0054] The PMC 110 also obtains data indicative of the current power level of the battery 220 (block 420), for example, using the battery module 334 shown in FIG.

[0055] Once the required battery power draw has been determined and the current power level of the battery 220 has been obtained, the PMC 110 compares the determined required battery power draw with the obtained current power level of the battery 220 to determine the remaining battery power situation for navigating the BOV 100 from the first location to the second location (block 440). The PMC 110 then provides an indication based on this determination (block 450).

[0056] In some examples, the determined battery power consumption required to navigate the BOV 100 to the destination is presented as a corresponding given threshold. Determining the sufficient remaining battery power condition includes comparing data indicating the current power level of the battery with the given threshold. The sufficient remaining battery power condition is determined in response to the current power level of the battery exceeding the given threshold. In some cases, the sufficient remaining battery power condition is determined in response to the battery being fully charged.

[0057] Optionally, if the required battery power consumption is higher than the current power level of the battery 220, the PMC 110 determines an insufficient remaining battery power condition (block 452) and, based on this determination, provides an indication of insufficient battery power. Optionally, the PMC 110 further generates a signal to disable operation of the BOV 100 (block 454). Optionally, if the required battery power consumption is less than the current power level of the battery 220, the PMC 110 determines a sufficient remaining battery power condition (block 456) and, based on this determination, provides an indication of sufficiency to facilitate navigation of the BOV 100 to the second location. Optionally, the PMC 110 further generates a signal to enable operation of the BOV 100 (block 458).

[0058] Optionally, once a sufficient remaining battery power condition is determined, the PMC 110 navigates the BOV 100 from the first location to a second location, e.g., a selected destination, by providing navigation instructions along the route in a manner known in the art, such as by providing voice navigation instructions (block 460). In some examples, during navigation, the PMC 110 continues to provide a navigation display of the remaining battery 220 by repeatedly performing each of the steps described above in blocks 410-450 (block 462). In such examples, the PMC 110 continues to obtain data indicating the current location of the BOV 100, which is then updated with the actual location and destination of the BOV 100, determines the battery power consumption required to navigate the BOV 100 from the current location to the destination, obtains the current power level of the battery 220, which is also updated since the start of navigation, compares this current power level to the required battery power consumption, determines the remaining battery power condition for navigating the BOV 100 from the current location to the destination, and provides an appropriate display. In some cases, during navigation, in response to comparing the required battery consumption with the current power level of the battery 220, the PMC 110 determines an insufficient remaining battery power situation, i.e., the current battery power level is not sufficient to navigate the BOV 100 from the current location to the destination, and based on this determination, provides a display reflecting such situation. In some examples, different actions can be taken in such cases. For example, a closer alternative destination can be obtained for navigating the BOV 100, or a warning can be presented to the operator 130, using, for example, the speaker 240, that the battery 230 is not sufficient to reach the destination, or that the battery 230 is sufficient to reach the destination but not sufficient to navigate around the destination if necessary, and a charging spot can be suggested along the route to the destination. In some examples, the BOV 100 provides an indication of the time needed to charge the battery 230 to obtain the required battery consumption level to reach the destination.

[0059] As described in more detail below, determining the battery power consumption required to navigate the BOV 100 to the destination may be based on one or more parameters related to the route and the operator 130, such as the route's terrain or the operator's average speed. In addition to these parameters, it may be advantageous to take into account unexpected parameters along the route that may require battery consumption, and to add a tolerance that depends on this unexpected parameter to a threshold representing the battery power consumption required to navigate the BOV 100 to the destination, which is then compared to the current power level of the battery 220 to determine the remaining battery power situation for navigating the BOV 100 to the destination. Thus, in some examples, the threshold includes a tolerance in addition to the determined required battery power consumption. In some examples, the unexpected parameter is related to the route itself. For example, if the BOV 100 needs to move around a bit at a destination such as a shopping mall, supermarket, or park, a 15% tolerance may be added, as opposed to a 5% tolerance if the destination does not require additional movement around, such as a movie theater, theater, cafe, restaurant, hospital, or hotel. Additionally or alternatively, since the error rate is expected to increase when navigating long routes, a certain percentage of tolerance can be added per km as the route length increases. Note that the above are illustrative examples, and one skilled in the art would take into account other examples of unexpected parameters when adding tolerance factors to the thresholds.

[0060] 5, further details of the process of determining the battery power consumption required to navigate the BOV 100 from a first location to a destination location (block 420 of FIG. 4) will be described in accordance with an example of the subject matter disclosed herein. Note that this process is not limited to determining the remaining battery power consumption before navigating, but may occur while the BOV 100 navigates itself from its current location to a destination.

[0061] In some cases, obtaining data indicative of the first or second location by PMC 110 (block 410 of FIG. 4) includes obtaining geographic location-related information associated with the first or second location (block 510 of FIG. 5). In some examples, the geographic location-related information for the first or second location includes GPS coordinates, and PMC 110 obtains the GPS coordinates using, for example, GPS 210 shown in FIG. 2.

[0062] In some examples, once the geographical location-related information is obtained, the PMC 110 determines data indicative of a navigation route from the first location to the second location based on the received geographical location-related information to determine the battery power consumption required to navigate the BOV 100 from the first location to the second location (block 520). If the geographical location-related information is a GPS coordinate, the PMC 110 determines a navigation route between the GPS coordinate associated with the first location and the GPS coordinate associated with the second location.

[0063] In some examples, determining data indicative of a navigation route from a first location to a second location also includes obtaining route information. The PMC 110 obtains the route information (blocks 530 and 540), for example, to determine the battery power consumption required to navigate the route in a more accurate manner. This route information relates to various parameters of the navigation route, for example, the average speed of the BOV 100 within the route, based on the assumption that each parameter affects the navigation of the BOV 100 and, consequently, the battery power consumption required to navigate the BOV 100 along the route. The route information includes at least one of the following parameters: route terrain data, route data dependent on one or more operator parameters, and one or more route ambient conditions. Specific types of parameters are described in further detail below. In some examples, the parameters of the navigation route can be obtained using a known public database, such as a public topographical map. Alternatively, or additionally, the parameters can be obtained using a designated database that stores parameters associated with segments of the route. After being obtained during navigation, this designated database can be continually updated with new parameters associated with existing or new segments of the route. For example, during navigation, a sensor operatively connected to the BOV 100, such as an altimeter sensor, senses the elevation of the ground at a particular section of the route being navigated over a certain length of the route. This sensed data can be stored as an elevation parameter for the particular section and used for future navigation where a navigation display is required for the route including that particular section.

[0064] As previously mentioned, in addition to determining the required battery consumption based on parameters expressed as thresholds, tolerances can be added to the thresholds.

[0065] A first type of parameter included in the route information that affects the navigation of the BOV 100 relates to route terrain data, such as elevation in the navigation route's terrain that reduces the BOV 100's speed; current traffic volume and congestion, both for vehicles and pedestrians on the roads at a particular navigation time; an estimated average speed of the BOV 100 taking that traffic volume into account; and a planning of the navigation route, e.g., how many turns or crosswalks the navigation route will include (assuming the BOV 100's speed at turns and crosswalks is lower than the average speed). In some examples, the amount of battery power required to move around before arriving at a destination is also taken into account when determining the required battery power. For example, arriving at a destination such as a shopping mall and moving around before stopping at a destination within the mall requires more power than entering a theater. As previously mentioned, by way of non-limiting example, a 15% tolerance can be determined for destinations that require more battery power to move around, such as shopping malls, supermarkets, and parks, while a 5% tolerance can be determined for destinations that do not require additional movement, such as movie theaters, theaters, cafes, restaurants, and hotels.

[0066] A second type of parameter affecting the navigation of the BOV 100 relates to the operator 130. When the BOV 100 identifies the operator 130, parameters related to the identified operator 130 can be retrieved from a designated database. The designated database can be stored, for example, in a memory associated with the PMC 110. Such parameters can include, for example, the weight of the operator 130, the average speed of the identified operator 130, the average speed of the operator 130 over the terrain of the navigation route (e.g., elevations), and the average speed of the operator 130 at a particular time of day. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other parameters related to the operator 130 can be stored and retrieved as needed. Each of the parameters can affect the required battery consumption. For example, an older operator may be slower than a younger operator, and thus, a relatively higher battery consumption will be required if the operator 130 is over a certain age.

[0067] A third type of parameter that affects the required battery consumption includes any ambient conditions. This may include, for example, the time of day while the BOV 100 is being navigated. If the BOV 100 must navigate in the dark and the lights must be turned on, the battery consumption to navigate to the destination will be higher than if the same destination is navigated during daylight hours. Other ambient conditions include, for example, adverse weather conditions, such as rain or a storm; mechanical parameters related to the BOV 100 and specifically the battery 220, such as the current life cycle of the battery 220; weather, temperature, the workload and operating mode of the powered components contained within the BOV 100; special events, such as hazards, road construction, or other related obstacles; and the random number of stops that may be made along the route, such as short breaks on a very hot day. Another example of an ambient condition relates to the homologation regulations of a particular country related to the current route, such as homologation regulations specifying which side of road traffic to drive on. In some cases, when the BOV 100 is operated by the operator 130, the BOV 100 is navigated on a sidewalk suitable for pedestrians. However, if the determined route includes a road without a sidewalk, the BOV 100 is navigated on the appropriate side of the road, e.g., opposite the direction of traffic on that road. Determining which side of the road to include in the route takes into account the official regulations of a particular country.

[0068] Optionally, to determine the required battery consumption of the BOV 100 while traveling along the selected route, one or more power consumption features of the motorized components included in the BOV 100, such as the manufacturer's percentage capacity (PMC) of the battery 230, the wheel motors included in the wheeled mobile platform 250, the sensors 270, and the lights 260, are estimated based on one or more of the above parameters. To determine the estimated battery power consumption required by the BOV 100 to complete the route from the BOV 100's current location to the destination, the battery consumption calculation in the PMC sums the power consumption of each of the BOV 100's power consumption features, taking into account the relevant parameters displayed in the route information for each of the power consumption features. Optionally, the power consumption of the BOV 100's major functions, such as the wheel motors and the PMC, is continuously monitored and saved in a log file. This power consumption log file can be analyzed to more accurately estimate the required battery power consumption of each of the major functions.

[0069] To illustrate the above, consider the example of an operator 130 who wishes to travel from home to the library. The route from home to the library is 2000 meters. The parameters for the section of the route from home to the library, retrieved from a specified database, indicate that 1500 meters is flat ground and 500 meters is uphill. Furthermore, the time of day is evening, which will affect the required battery consumption, for example, as lights will need to be turned on. In addition to the above, the parameters of the operator 130 are taken into account, for example, that the operator 130 is an uphill walker and that it is evening time.

[0070] To calculate the battery consumption required to get from home to the library, the following exemplary calculations are performed based on the following exemplary route or operator parameters:

[0071] [Table 1]

[0072] From the derived path and operator parameters, uphill travel, level travel and idle duration are determined.

[0073] From the derived path and operator parameters, the uphill travel, flat travel and idle duration are as follows:

number

[0074] The duration of the idle state (when the BOV is not moving) is calculated from the total duration on the active route and is considered to be 15% of the total duration on the route. Idle duration = 0.15 * (uphill movement duration + flat movement duration) = 0.15 * (1232 + 523) = 263 seconds

[0075] The total power consumption required to achieve a desired path is the sum of the power consumption of the BOV 100 in each of the operating states multiplied by the duration of this state.

number

[0076] To estimate the total power consumption of the BOV 100, it is necessary to calculate the power consumption of the BOV 100 in each of the states.

[0077] The required power consumption of the BOV 100 is the sum of the power consumption of the required subsystems of the BOV 100. The calculation of the required power consumption for each of the subsystems is provided below. Those skilled in the art will understand that the following BOV 100 subsystems are exemplary only, and that other BOV 100 subsystems exist and can be taken into account when calculating the required power consumption of the BOV 100. 1. Mobility Subsystem - The primary power consumers in the mobility subsystem are the wheel motor drivers and wheel motors. Wheel Motors - Wheel motors have a power consumption curve of power consumption versus engine load.

[0078] The wheeled mobile platform 250 includes six wheels and corresponding six electric motors operating at a 12V operating voltage. The actual power consumption of each motor can be seen in the table below:

[0079] [Table 2]

[0080] Motor Driver - The motor driver is responsible for providing enough current from the power supply to the motor. Motor drivers have an efficiency parameter that determines how much power the motor driver will consume. A typical efficiency parameter for power consumption is 97%. To calculate how much power the motor driver will consume, the following formula can be used:

number

[0081] The following table provides an overview of the mobility subsystem power consumption for each state of the BOV 100.

[0082] [Table 3]

[0083] 2. Computing Subsystem - An exemplary processor for the PMC 110 consists of two processors: The main processor is responsible for all BOV 100 control, algorithms, sensor data collection, user interface, communications, etc. The safety processor is a smaller processor than the main processor that is responsible for safety related functions and for testing the behavior of the main processor. The platform controller is responsible for the physical control of the BOV 100, including motors, lights, etc.

[0084] Main Processor - During active movement (flat and uphill), the main processor operates at near-maximum computing load and near-maximum power consumption. During idle states when the BOV100 is not moving, some of the heavy computations associated with movement are not running, resulting in reduced computing load and power consumption.

[0085] [Table 4]

[0086] Safety Processor - The safety processor constantly performs critical safety functions. The power consumption of the safety processor is typically constant regardless of the operating state of the BOV100. The safety processor consumes approximately 10W whenever the BOV100 is operating in all BOV100 states.

[0087] The table below provides an overview of the power consumption of the computing subsystem across various system states.

[0088] [Table 5]

[0089] 3. Sensor Subsystem - The sensor subsystem consumes power constantly because the sensors are always on when the BOV 100 is on. The power consumption of the sensor subsystem is constant across various device states. Exemplary power consumption of the sensor subsystem is shown in the table below (only a few exemplary sensors are shown):

[0090] [Table 6]

[0091] 4. Headlight Subsystem - The headlight 260 operates at night or in low light conditions. The power consumption of the headlight is constant across all states of the BOV 100, consuming approximately 12W.

[0092] Power Consumption Summary: The total power consumption of the BOV100 in each of its states is summarized in the table below.

[0093] [Table 7]

[0094] As previously mentioned, to estimate the battery power required to successfully complete a selected route, the continuous power consumption of the BOV 100 per state is multiplied by the state duration.

[0095] [Table 8]

[0096] It should be noted that the above description is a non-limiting specific example, and that the power consumption of other elements such as motors or sensors or other elements or factors can be taken into account when estimating the required battery consumption. For example, a 5% tolerance can be determined for parameters that depend on the operator 130, and another general tolerance of 10% for the entire path can be added to the estimation.

[0097] In some examples, the above estimates are stored in a designated database, such as in a memory associated with PMC 110, using data related to the route for which the estimate was estimated, and can be used for future estimates of similar or identical routes or sections of routes to provide greater precision in calculating the power consumption of each element.

[0098] Referring back to FIG. 5, once the required battery power consumption is determined (block 540), the process continues by obtaining the current power level of the battery 220 (block 430), comparing the required battery power consumption to the current power level of the battery 220 (block 440), and providing an indication based on the determination (block 450), as described above with respect to FIG. 4.

[0099] The above description relates to providing a navigation display from a first location to a second location, with reference to the required battery consumption compared to the current power level of the BOV 100's battery, before the navigation itself begins. As shown in the figures, in some cases, providing the navigation display is based on GPS coordinates. In contrast to providing a navigation display before the navigation begins, where GPS coordinates are sufficient to determine a navigation route, it may be advantageous to take other types of geographic location-related information into account, as described below, to navigate to a destination while the navigation itself is being performed. The following relates to the processes that occur while the BOV 100 is navigating itself from a first location to a second location.

[0100] As is known in the field of navigation, navigation involves following a route constructed between two locations based on GPS coordinates. A route is defined as a series of two or more waypoints (sometimes called waypoints). Following such a route requires navigating to the nearest waypoint and then to the next waypoint until the destination is reached. As mentioned above, in some cases, in addition to or instead of reading and following GPS coordinates, it may be advantageous to take other types of geographic location-related information into account to navigate to the destination. For example, this may apply if the GPS signal is lost. Another reason for using other types of geographic location-related information to navigate the BOV 100 is that the current navigation database from which the navigation route is constructed includes routes based on GPS points collected from the center of the road or from passing buildings and is intended for vehicle navigation rather than sidewalk device navigation, such as the BOV 100. Because the navigation route is directional and the operator has sufficient vision and information to navigate on the road, such an inaccurate navigation route may be sufficient when navigating the vehicle on a road. However, such navigation routes are only suitable for pedestrians and are insufficient for navigating pedestrians on sidewalks or paths guided by the BOV 100. The need for pedestrian routes becomes even more pronounced when the BOV 100 is to guide a visually impaired operator along a determined navigation route or when the BOV 100 is navigated without an operator.

[0101] Furthermore, navigation based on GPS coordinates to a desired destination may end with navigation to the destination's surrounding area, rather than navigation to the specific destination required. For example, consider the example above where, based on GPS coordinates, an operator arrives at a library and is navigated, possibly ending up in front of the library building on the other side of the street, but the operator must know exactly where the building is and where the pedestrian-friendly entrance is. In such a case, navigation based on two or more types of geographic location-related information, such as visual cues, may allow the operator to arrive at the library's main entrance. This advantage is again enhanced by visually impaired users who require direct assistance in arriving at the entrance, not just the front of the library building. Another example involves navigating to a complex location, such as a theater. Consider the case where an operator wants to meet a friend next to a fountain at the theater's entrance. Known GPS navigation services would not consider the fountain a separate destination from the theater. Therefore, using navigation based on GPS coordinates would bring the operator to the theater area, but would not navigate the operator to the fountain's exact location. On the other hand, navigation based on other types of geographic location-related information cues may bring the operator to the fountain itself, and therefore it may be advantageous to take other types of geographic location-related information into account in order to navigate to a destination.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 4, optionally, upon determining a sufficient remaining battery power condition, a signal is generated to enable operation of the BOV 100, and the BOV 100 is navigated to a second location (blocks 456, 458, and 460).

[0103] Attention is now directed to FIG. 6a, which illustrates a flowchart of the operations performed while navigating the BOV 100 from a first location to a second location (block 460 of FIG. 4).

[0104] In some cases, obtaining data indicative of the first or second location by PMC 110 (block 410 of FIG. 4) includes obtaining geographic location-related information associated with the first or second location (as shown in block 510 of FIG. 5). As described, in some examples, the geographic location-related information for the first or second location includes GPS coordinates, and PMC 110 obtains the GPS coordinates using, for example, GPS 210 shown in FIG. 2. Additionally, in some cases, the geographic location-related information includes one or more visual cues associated with the first or second location. The visual cues (also referred to as "area information") can be any distinctive element in an urban environment that is visually identifiable, such as buildings, sidewalks, traffic signs, benches, trees, road signs, billboards, house numbers, statues, or other distinctive geometric shapes, chairs, fountains, street graphics, special signs painted on sidewalks, special sidewalk elements, lamps, streetlights, family names on driveways, mailboxes, doors, special structures on or on buildings, building colors, special sign colors, hazard signs, police tape, monuments, bridges, or combinations thereof. In some examples, the PMC 110 acquires one or more visual cues, for example, using the camera 280. The camera 280 is configured to capture one or more images of the surrounding environment. Alternatively or additionally, one or more images of the current location can be received by the PMC 110, for example, from the operator 130, using the communication interface 216. Known image processing methods can be used to extract the visual cues from the captured / received images. For example, road signs may be extracted from the image. Once one or more visual cues are extracted, a search is performed in a designated visual cue database (described below with respect to FIG. 6b) to find a match or combination of cues with stored visual cues. Optionally, a search in the designated database is performed based on corresponding GPS coordinates of the location of the captured image. For example, GPS coordinates are obtained for the current location of the BOV 100. Further, an image is captured, and road sign visual cues are extracted from the captured image.Based on the acquired GPS coordinates, a search is performed in a designated database for any visual cues with corresponding GPS coordinates that are present in the surrounding area of ​​the acquired GPS coordinates of the current location of the BOV 100. A match with a road sign is searched for among the visual cues with corresponding GPS coordinates. Further details of how a match is found are described in detail below with respect to block 660. If a match is found between a visual cue or combination of cues from the captured image and a stored visual cue, information about the visual cue can be extracted from the designated visual cue database. This information can indicate the precise location of the BOV 100. For example, if a match with a road sign is found in the designated database, information about the road sign can be searched for. For example, the side of the road on which the road sign is located can be searched for (e.g., that the road sign is located on the even-numbered side of the street). The street side of the road sign can indicate the precise location of the BOV 100 on the street, i.e., that the BOV 100 is located on the even-numbered side of the street.

[0105] It should be noted that the acquired GPS coordinates of the current location of the BOV 100 may indicate the global location of the BOV 100 in the surrounding area of ​​a street. However, information acquired based on visual cues may indicate a more precise location of the BOV 100 in the surrounding area, such as which side of the street the BOV 100 is located on or whether the BOV 100 is located on a sidewalk (if the sidewalk is also an identified visual cue). The precise location of the BOV 100 may assist the BOV 100 in navigating, e.g., navigating only on the sidewalk. For example, acquiring information based on captured or received images may be performed by the location determination module 333 shown in FIG. 3 .

[0106] Referring now to FIG. 6b, an exemplary visual cue database 6100 is shown, for example, in memory 6000 associated with PMC 110 of FIG. 1 . Visual cue database 6100 includes one or more records, each associated with one visual cue or a combination of visual cues (VC1, VC2, . . .). As previously mentioned, a visual cue can be any distinctive element in a surrounding area. Visual cue records are identified by a VC ID and may include additional visual cue data, such as the GPS location of each visual cue, an image of the visual cue, the date and time the visual cue was stored in the visual cue database, the dimensions of the visual cue, details of the division within the visual cue image, the visual cue name, color and texture, which side of the sidewalk the visual cue is on, and whether the visual cue is visible during day / night / specific periods of the year. As previously mentioned, the additional visual cue data can provide a more precise location for BOV 100, such as the side of the street on which the visual cue is located. Furthermore, in some examples, additional data for a visual cue may be useful in determining the reliability and relevance of a stored visual cue. For example, if a visual cue record includes an image associated with this visual cue, the date this image was captured may actually indicate the appearance of the visual cue. If this image was captured only a short time ago, it is likely that the visual cue is present and should in fact be visually displayed in a manner similar to an image cue.

[0107] As described above, visual cues can be extracted from the captured images to obtain the first and / or second locations. The extracted visual cues can be searched for matches in the visual cue database 6100. In some examples, the search in the visual cue database 6100 is based on the corresponding GPS coordinates of the first and / or second locations, respectively, meaning that a search in the visual cue database 6100 is performed for any visual cues with corresponding GPS coordinates that are present in an area surrounding the captured GPS coordinates of the first and / or second locations. Among the visual cues with corresponding GPS coordinates, a match with the extracted visual cue is searched. In some cases, the visual cue database 6100 can be selectively updated with new visual cues added or additional information added to existing visual cues based on data collected over time, for example, as the BOV 100 navigates an area and captures images.

[0108] 6a, various types of geographic location-related information can be used to navigate the BOV 100 along the route to a second location. For example, GPS coordinates associated with a first location, a second location, and a waypoint between the first and second locations can be obtained. Additionally, local information, such as visual cues, can be obtained and used to navigate from one waypoint to the next.

[0109] Thus, in some cases, after the PMC 110 obtains geographic location-related information for the first and second locations, such as GPS coordinates associated with the first and second locations (blocks 410 and 510 of FIGS. 4 and 5 ), the PMC 110 obtains data indicative of at least one waypoint on a navigational route between the first and second locations (block 610). In some examples, the data indicative of the waypoint includes geographic location-related information, such as GPS coordinates, associated with the waypoint. In some examples, the navigational route includes two or more waypoints. In such examples, the data indicative of the navigational route includes data indicative of a series of at least two waypoints, each of which is associated with corresponding geographic location-related information, such as GPS coordinates, and each two consecutive waypoints is associated with a corresponding section of the navigational route. In some examples, each of the first and second locations is considered a waypoint for determining a section, and thus a section can be determined between the first location and the intermediate location or between the intermediate location and the second location.

[0110] In some examples, the PMC 110 continuously acquires geographic location-related information. For example, the PMC 110 continuously reads GPS points consisting of GPS coordinates from a GPS system, e.g., using the GPS 210 of FIG. 2 . The constant readings can be performed while the BOV 100 is not moving and / or as the BOV 100 moves while it is being navigated to its destination. The constant GPS readings are performed to determine the current location of the BOV 100 along the determined route. Each GPS reading has a certain level of accuracy that depends, among other things, on the number of satellites available with good reception at that particular moment. Some of the acquired GPS points have low accuracy, reaching tens of meters. In some examples, the GPS points read by the PMC 110 are located in areas where the BOV 100 is not expected to navigate. Such areas include, for example, certain buildings and roads and are referred to as prohibited areas.

[0111] To avoid GPS points entering prohibited areas, a static map may be constructed that pre-maps and marks prohibited areas therein, for example, in addition to intersections, all roads are marked as prohibited areas, roads where the curb side of the pavement is not available, buildings below the target area such as tunnels, and other places where the BOV 100 is highly unlikely to be located are marked as prohibited areas.

[0112] Once data indicative of at least one waypoint, such as GPS coordinates associated with the waypoint, is obtained (block 610), the PMC 110 selectively removes at least a portion of the obtained GPS coordinates associated with the waypoint and navigates the BOV 100 from the first location to the second location, i.e., from the current location to the second location, without the removed GPS coordinates.

[0113] For example, the removal can be performed by locating the acquired GPS coordinates in a map coordinate system, such as the static map, and discarding at least a portion of the GPS coordinates upon determining that at least a portion of the GPS coordinates are located in a predetermined prohibited portion of the map coordinate system. In some examples, the definition of prohibited portions of a map can be performed manually by marking prohibited areas on the map.

[0114] In some examples, after filtering one or more GPS coordinates, the PMC 110 may operate in one of the following options: wait for the next reading of the GPS coordinate until it determines that the acquired GPS coordinate is within a non-prohibited area, as described in more detail below, and then continue navigating the BOV 100 based on the next reading of the GPS coordinate, and search for and use other types of geographic location-related information, such as visual cues, to navigate.

[0115] 6a, once data indicating at least one waypoint is obtained, the PMC 110 determines data indicating a section associated with a first and a second of the at least two waypoints based on the corresponding geographical location-related information of the at least two waypoints (block 620). The section indicates a route from the first waypoint to the second waypoint. For example, the section may be determined based on two GPS coordinates associated with the waypoints. Once the section is determined, the PMC 110 determines data indicating a direction of the section based on the corresponding geographical location-related information of the at least two waypoints (block 630). For example, the direction between the two GPS coordinates associated with the two waypoints may be indicated by a cardinal direction / way direction.

[0116] Optionally, based on the determined section, PMC 110 obtains area information associated with the determined section (block 640). For example, PMC 110 retrieves data indicating visual cues associated with the determined section from visual cue database 6100, for example, by searching for one or more visual cues with corresponding GPS coordinates that are within a surrounding area of ​​the obtained GPS coordinates of the section. The GPS coordinates of the section may be referred to as GPS coordinates that are along the section between waypoints associated with the section. Alternatively or additionally, visual cues stored in the visual cue database are prefetched for a predetermined section. In such a case, once the section is determined, the prefetched visual cues for the section are retrieved.

[0117] For example, when the area information is obtained by retrieving visual cues associated with a section from the visual cue database 6100, each section is associated with a list of one or more visual cues, and each visual cue is associated with a GPS coordinate. Optionally, additional data for the one or more retrieved visual cues also includes, optionally, conditions similar to those in which the BOV 100 is currently navigated with respect to lighting, date, and other parameters, and an image of each of the visual cues.

[0118] In block 650, the PMC 110 further obtains regional information for the surrounding area by capturing one or more images of the surrounding area, for example, by at least one camera 280 shown in FIG. 2. Using known image processing methods, the captured images are processed, for example, by the PMC 110, to continuously extract and classify objects appearing in the captured images. For example, some classes of objects include people, roads, trees, and visual cues. As described below, once the visual cues for the surrounding area are classified from the captured images, the visual cues, along with the associated regional information and leg directions obtained from the visual database 6100, can be used to selectively modify data indicative of the navigation route.

[0119] In block 660, the PMC 110 selectively modifies the data indicative of the navigation route based on the obtained associated area information, the obtained area information of the surrounding area, and the direction of the leg. To do so, the PMC 110 repeatedly performs the following process.

[0120] The PMC 110, for example, using the location determination module 333, compares visual cues extracted from one or more captured images with visual cues retrieved from the visual cues database 6100 to find a match. In some examples, the PMC 110 obtains a current GPS reading of the current location of the BOV 100. The GPS coordinates of the current reading are similar to the GPS coordinates of the captured image (because they were taken at the same location or very close to it). The PMC 110 then compares the visual cues extracted from the captured image with visual cues stored in the visual cues database 6100 that have GPS coordinates closest to the coordinates in the current GPS reading to find a match. Alternatively or additionally, the PMC 110 may compare visual cues extracted from the captured image with visual cues expected to be visible from its current location, for example because the visual cue's corresponding GPS coordinates indicate that it is located near the current location, and calculate the direction of the leg and the speed of the BOV 100 from the last match found. In some examples, a trained Siamese network deep learning network may be used to find matches between stored visual cues and visual cues extracted from the surrounding area.

[0121] When a match with a stored visual cue is found, the stored visual cue can be retrieved from the visual cue database 6100, and additional data associated with the matching visual cue can help to more accurately determine the location of the BOV100 and can provide a navigation display to the BOV100's destination.

[0122] In some examples, stored visual cues associated with a particular section can help obtain regional information about the surrounding area before searching for a match. In such examples, the stored visual cues associated with the section are run through an algorithm, such as a trained fully convolutional network (FCN) algorithm, which outputs a probability of each class in the stored visual cues. Alternatively, additional data associated with the stored visual cues includes an indication of the class of the visual cues. Furthermore, the captured image is run through an algorithm, such as a trained fully convolutional network (FCN) algorithm, which outputs a probability of each class in the captured image. If each class is similar to the class of visual cues retrieved from the visual cues database 6100, an object detection algorithm, such as the Faster R-CNN algorithm or YOLO, can be run to indicate the spatial location of each class. Then, an instance segmentation algorithm, such as the Mask R-CNN algorithm, is run to distinguish each class in the captured image. Then, a match is made between the section of the captured image representing the extracted visual cues and the visual cues retrieved from the visual cues database 6100.

[0123] Optionally, the visual clues database 6100 may be updated with data obtained from the captured images. For example, the visual clues database 6100 may be updated to include one or more visual clues extracted from the captured images along with additional data associated with the extracted visual clues, such as GPS coordinates, a class of visual clue, or the captured image. Alternatively, the visual clues database 6100 may be updated by updating the additional data associated with one or more visual clues based on data obtained from the captured images.

[0124] In some examples, when searching for a match between the visual cues extracted from the captured image and the retrieved visual cues associated with the interval, one or more retrieved visual cues can be ignored, such as visual cues that are only visible at certain times of day, such as neon signs that are only lit at night, screens that only display advertisements at night, house number signs that are only visible during the day but are not visible at night because they are not illuminated, bars that are only open at night and closed during the day and may appear different when the curtains are drawn / rolled down, or vice versa, businesses that are closed at night but open during the day, etc.

[0125] As described above for the visual cues associated with the intervals, the matching process between each visual cue can also be applied when obtaining the first / second positions of the BOV 100 (block 410) based on the geographic location related information of the type of visual cue.

[0126] If a match is found between the visual cues classified from the captured image and the retrieved visual cues in block 660, additional data associated with the retrieved visual cues can help more accurately determine the location of the BOV 100. Furthermore, data indicating the navigation path of the BOV 100 can be selectively modified based on the matching visual cues and the additional data associated with the direction of the segment. For example, if a match is found with a stored visual cue, the side of the road of the stored visual cue can indicate a previously unknown precise location of the BOV 100 based on a GPS coordinate reading of the BOV 100. Based on the side of the road, a path along which the BOV 100 must navigate to the destination can be determined. Optionally, once the side of the road is obtained, additional visual cues associated with the segment and located on the opposite side of the road can be discarded from further match searches, and visual cues located on the same side of the road as the visual cues associated with the segment and the matching visual cues are searched for.

[0127] In some cases, when a match is found between two or more visual cues extracted from the image of the surrounding area and two or more stored visual cues, the location function may use the visual cues (up to three visual cues) to triangulate and determine the precise current location of the BOV 100, for example, based on the distance from the matching visual cue. In some examples, such as when a match is found between four or more visual cues, some visual cues may be selected based on one or more parameters, such as the shortest distance to the visual cues (visual cues that are within range from the BOV 100 so that the BOV 100 sensors can accurately measure the distance to the visual cues) or the last time each visual cue was identified (based on additional data for the retrieved visual cues), since a visual cue that was identified very recently may be preferred.

[0128] Selectively modifying the navigation path (block 660) may be done, for example, by modifying at least one portion of the navigation path.

[0129] For example, if a navigation route based on GPS coordinates from a first location to a second location passes through the center of a road, the navigation route can be selectively modified to pass only on pedestrian-safe routes, such as sidewalks, and to be located on a particular side of the road, based on matching with visual cues stored in the visual cue database 6100. Another example of modifying at least one portion of the navigation route is a navigation route that ends in a destination area but does not include walking. For example, the operator 130 arrives at the front of a library based on GPS coordinates, but must navigate to the library's entrance door. To navigate the BOV 100 to the library's entrance, the navigation route can be modified based on a match between stored visual cues for the library area and visual cues captured by the BOV 100 in the library's surrounding area, similar to that described above, and can include a navigation route to the library's entrance door.

[0130] It should be noted that the route modification is also based on the leg direction, so the operator 130 will ultimately arrive at the desired destination based on the determined direction.

[0131] In block 670, the PMC 100 navigates the BOV based on the modified navigation path.

[0132] To illustrate the above, and by way of example only, reference is now made to FIG. 7, which illustrates a modified navigation route in accordance with one example of the presently disclosed subject matter. Consider the example of an operator wishing to travel from their home, labeled 710, to a library, labeled 720. The north direction is also shown in FIG. 7. As previously described and known in the art, the operator turns on the BOV 100 and sets the library 720 as their destination. The PMC 110 obtains data about the PMC 110's current location, i.e., the operator's home 710 and the library destination 720, for example, by obtaining GPS coordinates associated with the operator's home 710 and the library 720 (labeled 7130 and 7144, respectively). To determine the route, the PMC 110 obtains data indicating at least one waypoint between the home 710 (GPS coordinate 7130) and the library 720 (GPS coordinate 7144). Several waypoints are shown in FIG. 7 as 7130-7144. The navigation route, designated "A," passes through waypoints 7130-7144 and is marked with a dashed line with two dots. Route A represents a route determined based on GPS coordinates between home 710 and library 720. PMC 110 initiates navigation based on Route A. As described above, during navigation, PMC 110 continually acquires GPS points consisting of GPS coordinates to determine the current location of BOV 100 and navigates BOV 100 along the route. Because some GPS points, determined as described above, are located in prohibited areas where BOV 100 is not expected to navigate, e.g., in the middle of a road, PMC 110 may filter out at least some of the acquired prohibited GPS coordinates.

[0133] Intervals a, b, ..n are determined between two intermediate nodes 7130 and 7144, respectively, such that interval a is determined between intermediate nodes 7130 and 7131, and interval b is determined between intermediate nodes 7131 and 7132. The direction of each interval a, b, ..n is also determined, e.g., the direction of a is east.

[0134] As described above, in some examples, during navigation, it is advantageous to obtain additional geographic location-related information, such as visual cues, to selectively modify a determined navigation path by modifying at least a portion of the navigation path. Accordingly, the PMC 110 retrieves area information associated with each section a, b, . . . n from the visual cues database 6100 by searching for visual cues associated with each section a, b, . . . n. For example, the PMC 110 retrieves the visual cues associated with section "a" and searches for sidewalk "a" from the visual cues database 6100. Furthermore, the PMC 110 obtains area information for the surrounding area by receiving a captured image from the camera 280. The captured image includes the sidewalk. By comparing the retrieved visual cue, sidewalk "a," with the visual cue, sidewalk, extracted from the captured image, the PMC 110 determines a match and retrieves additional data associated with the stored sidewalk "a" from the visual cues database 6100.

[0135] Considering that the direction of section "a" is east, PMC 110 selectively modifies path A to provide a navigation display starting from walkway "a" and in the direction of section "a." Along the navigation, PMC 110 continues to acquire visual cues at each section and selectively modifies navigation path A accordingly. The modified path is shown in FIG. 7 as navigation path B.

[0136] Now, attention is focused on points of interest, grocery store 770, pizza place 780, and theater 790, illustrating another example of modifying navigation path A to B in Figure 7. All three points of interest are located in interval "k" between waypoints 7139 and 7140. While obtaining information about interval "k", PMC 110 obtains a list of visual cues that includes, among others, grocery store 770 and pizza place 780. Theater 790 is not present in database of visual cues 6100 and therefore is not included in the list of visual cues associated with interval "k".

[0137] The PMC 110 also obtains visual cues from the captured image, including the grocery store, the pizza place, and the theater. After performing the above process of searching for a match, the PMC 110 determines a match with the grocery store 770 and the pizza place 780. The PMC 110 then obtains additional data associated with both the grocery store 770 and the pizza place 780, such as their precise locations and street sides. Based on the stored precise locations and street sides of the grocery store 770 and the pizza place 780 and based on the direction of section "k" (west), the PMC 110 ignores the visual clue for the pizza place 780 and modifies navigation path B to pass through the grocery store 770. For example, the visual clue database 6100 can be updated by updating the stored visual cues grocery store 770 and pizza place 780 to include updated images of the visual cues or by adding the theater 790 to the database. The above process continues until the library 720 is reached.

[0138] As mentioned above, navigation route A is selectively modified, which means that portions of navigation route A are modified into navigation route B as described above, but portions are not modified, and navigation route A remains as determined based on GPS coordinates. For example, the northern (end) portion of navigation route A is not modified, and navigation route A traverses the same path as navigation route B. These portions are actually identical (hence navigation route B is not created at all and is shown solely for clarity).

[0139] In some examples, while performing the navigation itself, the above-described process of providing a navigation display based on the battery 230 can be repeated from the current position of the traveling BOV 100 until the arrival at the library 720, and a navigation display can be determined and provided as described above. It may be advantageous to repeat each step and provide a constant display if, for example, the navigation path changes along the navigation to arrive at the destination in a more efficient manner, or if the current battery power level is found to be insufficient to navigate to the destination.

[0140] The following are details related to configuring the BOV 100, according to certain examples of the presently disclosed subject matter. As previously mentioned, according to some examples of the presently disclosed subject matter, the BOV 100 can be configured before the BOV 100 begins traveling to a destination, for example, using the configuration module 331, but this can also be performed during the journey and while the navigation itself is occurring. Configuring the BOV 100 can include configuring any elements connected to the BOV 100, such as configuring the height, length, and angle of the handle 230; configuring the angle of the BOV 100 body relative to the mobile platform 250 to adjust the center of mass position depending on the terrain over which the BOV is traveling; turning the lights 260 on or off; setting the volume of the speaker 240; affecting the speed of the BOV 100; configuring the BOV 100's differential sensors; etc. In some examples, configuring can include setting the BOV 100's characteristics, such as setting the destination of the BOV 100 or setting the starting or average speed of the BOV 100.

[0141] In some cases, configuration of the BOV 100 can be performed manually by the operator 130, for example, by touch sensor 234 or microphone 240, or by receiving configuration commands from the operator 130 via a mobile app using communication interface 260. Alternatively, or in addition, configuring the BOV 100 can be performed automatically based on sensed data. For example, camera 280 can capture dark images when PMC 110, using configuration module 331, decides to turn on headlights 260 and / or body LED lights 260. In some examples, for example, at high temperatures detected by temperature sensor 270, the speed of the BOV 100 can be configured by decreasing the average speed to prevent overheating of a motor included in wheeled mobile platform 250. Similarly, at low temperatures detected by temperature sensor 270 or if a humidity sensor (not shown in FIG. 2 ) included in the BOV 100 detects that it is raining, the speed of the BOV 100 can be configured by increasing the average speed to quickly reach the destination. In some examples, images captured by camera 280 can be processed. When a busy street is recognized, the speed of the BOV 100 can be configured by reducing the average speed to reduce start / stop motion due to obstacles, resulting in a smoother experience. Captured images can be processed to recognize obstacles such as pedestrians approaching the BOV 100 without looking straight ahead, but rather with their attention focused on their phone. In such cases, the BOV can stop moving and optionally flash its lights or honk its horn, or both, to attract the pedestrian's attention.

[0142] Further, alternatively, or in addition, configuring the BOV 100 may optionally be performed based on a user configuration. Optionally, one or more user configurations are stored, for example, in memory of the PMC 110. Alternatively, or in addition, user configurations may be stored in a remote memory and communicated to the BOV 100 via the communication interface 216. The operator 130 may be identified by the BOV 100, for example, using the user identification module 332, and configure the BOV 100 based on the configuration stored for the user associated with the identified operator 130. Identifying the operator 130 on the BOV 100 may be performed in several ways. For example, visual identification may be performed using an image captured by the camera 280 and using known visual identification methods; fingerprint identification may be performed, for example, via the fingerprint reader 236; and audio identification may be performed using the microphone 240. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other known identification methods may also be applied herein. Once the BOV 100 identifies the operator 130, configuration of the BOV 100 can be performed based on a configuration stored for the identified operator 130. The stored configuration associated with the identified operator 130 can be based on a configuration manually updated by the operator 130 at a user previously associated with the operator 130 in the PMC 110 or a configuration learned by the PMC 110 from previous operations of the identified operator 130, e.g., using machine learning techniques. For example, the operator 130 can manually set a starting speed for the BOV 100. Alternatively, the starting speed of the BOV 100 can be learned from previous operations of the BOV 100 by the operator 130. In such a case, the speed of the operator 130 during one or more operations can be monitored, e.g., by monitoring the speed of the BOV 100 during previous operations of the identified operator 130. An average speed can then be calculated based on this monitored speed, and once identified by the BOV 100, this average speed can be stored for use as the default starting speed of the BOV 100 on the operator's 130 next operation.

[0143] Yet another example of configuring the characteristics of the BOV 100 based on the configuration of the identified operator 130 includes suggesting preferred destinations based on the learned preferred destinations of the operator 130 in previous operations. Learning and suggesting preferred destinations to the operator 130 can be performed by the position determination module 333.

[0144] In some examples, the configuration module 331 can deviate from the stored configuration for the identified operator 130 by considering several parameters related to the current route. For example, configuring the default speed of the BOV 100 based on the default speed of the identified operator 130 can take into account other parameters, such as the terrain conditions along the current navigation route, in addition to the monitored speed of the identified operator 130 during the operator's 130's previous operations. For example, if the current route includes an uphill slope, the speed of the BOV 100 can be set lower than the average speed stored for the identified operator 130 because it can be determined that the operator 130 travels relatively slower on uphill slopes. Another example of a parameter that can affect speed is the current time of day. If the current operation falls at night, it can be determined that the operator 130 travels slower than during the day, and therefore the speed of the BOV 100 can be set lower.

[0145] In some examples, the speed of the BOV 100 may be calculated as a function that depends on one or more variables, in addition to or instead of manual adjustments made by the operator 130. The speed function may continuously store the current speed and any speed function variable values ​​as a set of data. An example of a speed function is as follows: Speed=F(Var1,Var2,Var3,Var4,...,Varx) Here, Var1, Var2, Var3, and Var4 include data collected from one or more sensors of the BOV 100, such as the angle of movement of the BOV 100 (uphill or downhill) sensed by the gyro and accelerometer, the ambient temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 270, an accelerometer sensor (not shown in FIG. 2 ) included in the BOV 100 to sense road conditions from the wheel sensors by combining the accelerometer, gyro, and wheel speed sensors, and visible data from the camera 280, such as current light conditions. Any of the above variables can be combined with data received from an external data source, such as the time of day obtained by the PMC 110.

[0146] In some examples, current speed and speed function variables such as those shown above may be collected over time. A speed model may be created and continually updated to calculate optimal speeds based on various variables.

[0147] It should be noted that the above should not be considered limiting and other configurations of the BOV 100 are applicable as known to those skilled in the art.

[0148] With the above in mind, referring now to FIG. 8 , an example of operations performed while automatically configuring the handle 230 of the BOV 100 is illustrated. As previously described, the handle 230 includes a touch / pressure sensor 234. The touch / pressure sensor 234 is configured to sense data at pressure points on the handle to configure the BOV 100 and the handle 230. In block 810, data is received from the touch / pressure sensor 234 disposed on the handle 230. For example, the tactile gripping force of the operator 130 on the handle 230 is sensed to determine the gripping pressure of the operator 130, for example, when the operator 130 holds the handle 230 with one or both hands. Pressure levels can be sensed at various rims of the handle 230. Based on the received data, the level and type of pressure is determined (block 820). For example, the level of pressure sensed at various rims of the handle 230 can be determined. For example, it may be determined that a high or low level of pressure is sensed on the inner or outer rim of the handle 230 , or that no pressure is sensed on the handle 230 .

[0149] Based on the level and type of pressure determined based on the sensed data, automatic action can be taken (block 830). For example, detecting no pressure on the handle 230 can indicate that the operator 130 has stopped moving, and therefore it would be prudent to also stop the movement of the BOV 100. Thus, upon determining that no pressure is present on the handle 230, the PMC 110 determines to stop the BOV 100 from moving, for example, by sending an appropriate signal to the wheeled movement platform 250 (block 832). Detecting a high pressure level within the inner rim of the handle 230 can indicate that the operator 130 is moving relatively slowly, and therefore it would be prudent to reduce the speed of the BOV 100. Thus, upon determining that a high pressure level is present on the inner rim of the handle 230, the PMC 110 determines that the speed of the BOV 100 should be reduced (block 834). Similarly, detecting a high pressure level at the outer rim of the handle 230 may indicate that the operator 130 is moving relatively quickly, and therefore it would be prudent to increase the speed of the BOV 100. Thus, upon determining that a high pressure level exists at the outer rim of the handle 230, the PMC 110 determines that the speed of the BOV 100 should be increased (block 836).

[0150] Optionally, in addition to or instead of adjusting the speed of the BOV 100 based on the detected pressure level on the handle 230, the handle 230 can also be adjusted, for example, by changing its height, length, and angle. For example, if it is determined that the operator 130 is slowing down, it can be determined that the operator 130 is walking with short strides due to a detected high pressure level on the inner rim of the handle 230, and therefore the operator 130's legs may be physically moving away from the BOV 100 in a manner that prevents the operator 130 from continuing to hold the handle 230. Therefore, it is advantageous to physically move into the BOV 100 toward the operator 130. This can be achieved, for example, by shortening the telescoping body of the handle 230, thereby physically moving the operator 130 and his / her legs into the BOV 100. Furthermore, the height and angle of the handle can be adjusted, for example, by raising the handle to accommodate the current standing position of the operator 130, now moving at a relatively slow speed. Thus, upon determining a high pressure level at the inner rim, the handle 230 is shortened (block 838).

[0151] On the other hand, if it is determined that the speed of the operator 130 has increased, due to the detection of a high pressure level on the outer rim of the handle 230, it may be determined that the operator 130 is walking with relatively long strides, and therefore, the legs of the operator 130 may be physically closer to the BOV 100 and thus become trapped in the BOV 100. Therefore, it is advantageous to physically move the BOV 100 away from the operator 130. For example, this can be achieved by extending the telescoping body of the handle 230, thus physically moving the BOV 100 away from the operator 130 and his / her legs. Furthermore, the height and angle of the handle 230 can be adjusted, for example, by lowering the handle to accommodate the current standing position of the operator 130, who is now moving at a relatively fast speed. Therefore, upon determining a high pressure level on the outer rim, the handle 230 is extended (block 840).

[0152] To illustrate the above, consider the following example: PMC 110 can change the angle of the BOV 100 body relative to the base of wheeled mobile platform 250, considering the angle to be somewhere between 180 degrees (where the sensor on BOV 100 is pointing downwards) and 90 degrees to 0 degrees (where 90 degrees means the sensor is pointing straight up, and 0 degrees means the sensor is pointing straight down) where the sensor on BOV 100 is pointing upwards. When the speed changes, the following dual actions can be manipulated: 1. As the speed increases, the handle 230 becomes longer and the angle of the BOV 100 body becomes smaller (assuming that the angle between the BOV 100 body and the wheeled moving platform 250 is 90 degrees when in a normal rest position). 2. As the speed decreases, the handle 230 shortens and the angle of the BOV100 body increases, so that it can move fully straight up to 90 degrees, but when the sensor points downwards towards the floor, it can increase to 180 degrees and fully fold.

[0153] The body may also change angle when dealing with inclines in the path, for example, when going up stairs, the angle of the BOV 100 body may have to be reduced to ensure the device does not tip over the operator 130. Similarly, this may occur when going down stairs. This can also be done as the angle of the terrain changes.

[0154] The above should not be considered limiting, and one skilled in the art will appreciate that there are other examples of how to configure the BOV 100.

[0155] Additionally, in some cases, the PMC 110 is configured to learn an identified operator's 130 configuration of steering wheel position, both at the operator's 130 default start-up and while navigating as route parameters change, e.g., terrain, time of day, etc. As previously mentioned, this learned configuration can be used to automatically configure the steering wheel 230 to suit the operator 130 in various conditions, such as when the operator's 130 speed increases or decreases.

[0156] If the operator 130 is a visually impaired operator and has reduced visual capabilities, it is particularly advantageous to automatically adjust the handle 230 in response to changes in the visually impaired operator's speed, as described above. However, the present disclosure is not limited to visually impaired operators, but is equally relevant to any other operator, including, for example, an athlete using a BOV 100 or a regular pedestrian using a BOV 100, who often varies their speed of travel.

[0157] The preceding description has referred to a BOV 100 powered by a battery. A vehicle referred to herein and hereafter is any vehicle capable of navigating from a first location to a second location, regardless of whether it is powered by a battery, and further regardless of the amount of battery consumption required to navigate the vehicle to the second location and whether the battery consumption is sufficient. In some examples, the vehicle referred to hereafter is the BOV 100 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and includes each of the elements shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. However, this should not be considered limiting, and the vehicle referred to hereafter may, in some cases, include only some of the functional elements shown in FIG. 3 and lack one or more functional elements related to battery consumption, such as the battery module 334. For ease of description, the vehicle referred to hereafter will be referred to as a BOV 100, regardless of whether a battery 220 is present in the vehicle referred to hereafter.

[0158] 9, a flowchart of operations performed while providing a navigation display of a vehicle (hereinafter also referred to as BOV 100) from a first location to a second location, regardless of the battery consumption of the vehicle being navigated, is shown. The description presented above with reference to Figures 6a, 6b and 7 is also relevant to the following description of providing a navigation display of a vehicle.

[0159] As previously mentioned, according to certain embodiments of the presently disclosed subject matter, a route is defined as a series of two or more waypoints (waypoints). To provide a navigation display from a first location to a second location, a series of two or more waypoints between the first location and the second location is determined. This series of waypoints constitutes a navigation route.

[0160] As further described above, in some cases, various types of geographic location-related information can be used to determine a navigation route. For example, GPS coordinates can be used to determine a first location, a second location, and an intermediate point between the first and second locations, and local information such as visual clues can be used to navigate from one intermediate location to the next, in turn. The above advantages of using two or more types of geographic location-related information, such as making a route pedestrian-friendly or providing a more accurate route for navigation, are also applicable to describing vehicles that do not include any batteries or that include batteries but for which data about required consumption levels has not been determined.

[0161] 9, to provide a navigational display of the vehicle from a first location to a second location, geographic location-related information associated with the first and second locations is obtained (block 910) by a computer memory circuit associated with the vehicle, such as PMC 110 shown in FIG. 2, in a manner similar to that described above with reference to block 520 in FIG. 5. For example, GPS coordinates may be used to determine the first and second locations.

[0162] As previously described with reference to FIG. 6a, in some examples, at least a portion of the geographical location-related information associated with a waypoint can be discarded and selectively removed when navigating a route. Removal can occur, for example, when the obtained geographical location-related information is located on a map and discarded upon determining that at least a portion of the geographical location-related information is located in a predefined prohibited portion of the map. In some examples, defining the prohibited portion of the map can be performed by manually marking the prohibited area on the map.

[0163] Based on the acquired information, a navigation route from the first location to the second location can be determined, where the navigation route includes a series of waypoints each associated with corresponding geographic location-related information, and each two consecutive waypoints is associated with a corresponding section of the navigation route (block 920). The PMC 110 then acquires data indicating first and second waypoints between the first location and the second location, and then a section associated with the first and second waypoints is determined (block 930). In some examples, each of the first and second locations is considered a waypoint for determining the section, so that a section can be determined between the first location and the intermediate location or between the intermediate location and the second location.

[0164] Data indicating the direction of the section is also determined based on the corresponding geographic location-related information of the first and second waypoints associated with the section (block 940). For example, the direction between two GPS coordinates associated with two waypoints can be indicated by a cardinal direction / waypoint. In some cases, two or more sections and their respective directions are determined, where each section is determined between two consecutive waypoints.

[0165] Optionally, based on the determined section, PMC 110 obtains regional information associated with this determined section (block 950) in a manner similar to that described above for block 640 of Figure 6a. For example, PMC 110 retrieves data indicative of visual cues associated with the determined section from database of visual cues 6100.

[0166] In block 960, the PMC 110 further obtains regional information of the surrounding area, for example, by capturing one or more images of the surrounding area by one or more cameras 280 shown in FIG. 2 and extracting visual cues from the captured images, in a manner similar to that described above for block 650 of FIG. 6a.

[0167] 6a, the visual cues extracted from the captured image are searched for a match with the visual cues associated with the section when retrieved from the visual cues database 6100. In some examples, if a match is found between the visual cues classified from the captured image and the retrieved visual cues, additional data associated with the retrieved visual cues can help more accurately determine the location of the BOV 100. Furthermore, data indicative of the navigation path of the BOV 100 can be selectively modified based on the extracted visual cues and the additional data associated with the direction of the section, for example, by modifying at least one portion of the navigation path.

[0168] In block 980, the PMC 100 navigates the vehicle based on the revised navigation route.

[0169] Optionally, PMC 110 repeats the above process shown in blocks 930 through 980 until the destination is reached.

[0170] It should be noted that the teachings of the presently disclosed subject matter are not bound by the flowcharts shown in Figures 4-6 and 8-9, and that the operations shown may occur out of the order shown. For example, blocks 420 and 430, or blocks 630 and 640, or blocks 940 and 950, which are shown consecutively, may be performed substantially simultaneously or in the reverse order. It should also be noted that while the flowcharts are described with reference to elements of the BOV 100, this is in no way binding, and the operations may be performed by elements other than those described herein.

[0171] It is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited in its application to the details set forth in the description contained herein or illustrated in the drawings. The present disclosure may include other embodiments and may be practiced and carried out in various ways. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. Those skilled in the art will therefore appreciate that they may readily utilize the conception upon which the present disclosure is based as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out some of the purposes of the subject matter disclosed herein.

[0172] It will also be understood that a PMC according to the present invention may be implemented, at least in part, on a suitably programmed computer. Similarly, the present invention contemplates a computer program readable by a computer for carrying out the method of the present invention. The present invention further contemplates a non-transitory computer-readable memory tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer for carrying out the method of the present invention.

[0173] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various modifications and variations may be made to the embodiments of the invention described above without departing from the scope thereof as defined in and by the appended claims.

Claims

1. 1. A method for providing a navigation display for a battery-powered vehicle (BOV) from a first location to a second location, the method comprising: a. obtaining data indicative of the first and second locations; b. determining data indicative of battery power consumption required to navigate the BOV from the first location to the second location; c. obtaining data indicative of the current power level of the battery; d. comparing the data indicative of the required battery power draw with the data indicative of the current power level of the battery to determine a remaining battery power status for navigating the BOV from the first location to the second location; e. Providing an indication based on said determination; A method comprising:

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining an insufficient remaining battery power condition in response to the comparison of the data, and providing an indication of insufficiency based on the determination.

3. f. Generating a signal to disable operation of said battery-powered BOV. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

4. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a sufficient remaining battery power condition in response to the comparison of the data; and providing, based on the determination, an indication that the remaining battery power condition is sufficient to facilitate navigating the BOV to the second location.

5. f. generating a signal to enable navigation of the BOV to the second location; g. navigating the BOV from the first location to the second location; The method of claim 4 further comprising:

6. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the comparison of the data includes comparing the data indicative of the current power level of the battery with a given threshold corresponding to the data indicative of the required battery power consumption, and determining a sufficient remaining battery power condition in response to the current power level of the battery exceeding the given threshold.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the sufficient remaining battery power condition is determined in response to the battery being fully charged.

8. repeating steps (a) through (e) where the first location is the current location of the navigated BOV; comparing the data indicative of the required battery power draw with the data indicative of the current power level of the battery to determine the remaining battery power status for navigating the BOV from the current location to the second location; The method of claim 5 further comprising:

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising determining an insufficient remaining battery power condition in response to the comparison of the data, and providing an indication of insufficiency based on the determination.

10. obtaining the data indicative of the first and second locations includes obtaining geographic location related information associated with the first and second locations, and the method further comprises: determining data indicative of a navigation route from the first location to the second location based on the received information; and determining the data indicative of the required battery power consumption based on the data indicative of the navigation route; The method of claim 1 further comprising:

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the geographic location-related information comprises obtaining GPS coordinates associated with the first location and / or the second location.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the geographic location-related information comprises obtaining one or more visual cues associated with the first location and / or the second location.

13. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the data indicative of the navigation route further comprises obtaining route information including at least one of the following parameters: route terrain data, route data dependent on one or more operator parameters, and one or more route surrounding conditions.

14. determining a sufficient remaining battery power status and, based on said determination, providing an indication that said remaining battery power status is sufficient to facilitate navigating said BOV to said second location; generating a signal to enable navigational operation of the BOV to the second location; obtaining data indicative of at least one waypoint on the navigation path between the first location and the second location, the waypoint being associated with geographic location-related information; navigating the BOV from the first location to the second location through the at least one waypoint; The method of claim 10 further comprising:

15. obtaining the data indicative of the at least one waypoint includes obtaining a GPS coordinate associated with the at least one waypoint, and prior to navigating the BOV from the first location to the second location through the at least one waypoint, the method further comprises: selectively removing at least some of the acquired GPS coordinates associated with the waypoint upon determining that at least some of the acquired GPS coordinates are in a prohibited area; navigating the BOV from the first location to the second location without the removed GPS coordinate; 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

16. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the selectively removing comprises: locating the acquired GPS coordinates in a map coordinate system; and discarding at least some of the GPS coordinates upon determining that at least some of the GPS coordinates are located in a predetermined, forbidden portion of the map coordinate system.

17. The data indicative of the navigation route includes data indicative of a series of the at least two waypoints, each of the at least two waypoints being associated with corresponding geographic location related information, each two consecutive waypoints being associated with a corresponding section of the navigation route, and while navigating the BOV from the first location to the second location, the method includes: a) determining data indicative of intervals associated with first and second of the at least two midpoints; b) determining data indicative of a direction of the section from the first waypoint to the second waypoint based on the corresponding geographical location related information of the at least two waypoints; c) obtaining data indicating area information associated with the determined section; and d) obtaining local information about the surrounding area; e) selectively modifying the data indicative of the navigation route based on the acquired associated regional information, the acquired regional information of the surrounding area, and the direction of the segment; f) navigating the BOV based on the revised navigation path; 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

18. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first or second intermediate point is the same as the first or second location, respectively.

19. 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising repeating steps (a)-(f) for at least one different section until the second location is reached, the at least one different section being associated with at least one waypoint that is different from the first and second waypoints.

20. 20. The method of claim 17, further comprising configuring the BOV.

21. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein configuring the BOV includes adjusting a handle connected to the BOV.

22. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein configuring the BOV includes configuring a velocity of the BOV.

23. 1. A method of providing a navigation display for a vehicle navigating from a first location to a second location, the method comprising: (a) obtaining data indicative of geographic location related information associated with the first and second locations; (b) determining, based on the obtained geographical location-related information, data indicative of a navigation route from the first location to the second location, wherein the data indicative of the navigation route includes data indicative of a series of at least two waypoints, each of the at least two waypoints being associated with corresponding geographical location-related information, and each two consecutive waypoints being associated with a corresponding section of the navigation route; (c) determining data indicative of intervals associated with first and second of the at least two midpoints; (d) determining data indicating a direction of the section from the first waypoint to the second waypoint based on its corresponding geographical location related information; (e) obtaining data indicating area information based on the determined direction; and (f) obtaining local information of the surrounding area; (g) selectively modifying the data indicative of the navigation route based on the obtained data indicative of the area information; (h) navigating the vehicle based on the revised navigation route; A method comprising:

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein obtaining the geographic location-related information comprises obtaining GPS coordinates associated with the first location and / or the second location.

25. 24. The method of claim 23, wherein obtaining the geographic location related information comprises obtaining one or more visual cues associated with the first location and / or the second location.

26. 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first or second intermediate point is the same as the first and second locations, respectively.

27. 24. The method of claim 23, further comprising repeating steps (c) through (h) for at least one different section until the second location is reached, the at least one different section being between at least one waypoint different from the first and second waypoints.

28. (g) repeating steps (a) through (h) where the first location is the current location of the navigated vehicle; (j) selectively removing at least a portion of the obtained geographical location-related information associated with the at least one waypoint upon determining that the associated geographical location-related information is in a prohibited area prior to navigating the vehicle based on the revised navigation route; (k) navigating the vehicle from the first location to the second location without the removed information; 28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

29. The geographic location related information associated with the at least one waypoint includes GPS coordinates, and selectively removing the geographic location related information includes: mapping the GPS coordinates to a map coordinate system; discarding at least a portion of the GPS coordinates upon determining that at least a portion of the GPS coordinates is located in a predetermined forbidden portion of the map coordinate system; 24. The method of claim 23, comprising:

30. 24. The method of claim 23, further comprising configuring the vehicle.

31. 31. The method of claim 30, wherein configuring the vehicle includes adjusting a steering wheel connected to the vehicle.

32. 31. The method of claim 30, wherein configuring the vehicle includes configuring a speed of the vehicle.

33. 1. A battery-operated vehicle (BOV), comprising: a battery configured to provide power to the BOV; at least one processor included in a processing and memory circuit (PMC) operably connected to the battery, a. obtaining data indicative of first and second locations; b. determining data indicative of battery power consumption required to navigate the BOV from the first location to the second location; c) obtaining data indicative of a current power level of the battery; d. comparing the data indicative of the required battery power draw with the data indicative of the current power level of the battery to determine a remaining battery power status for navigating the BOV from the first location to the second location; e. Providing an indication based on said determination; at least one processor configured to perform Battery-operated vehicles (BOVs) including:

34. the one or more processors f. generating a signal to enable navigation of the BOV to the second location; g. navigating the BOV from the first location to the second location; 34. The BOV of claim 33, further configured to:

35. the one or more processors repeating steps (a) through (e) where the first location is the current location of the navigated BOV; comparing the data indicative of the required battery power draw with the data indicative of the current power level of the battery to determine the remaining battery power status for navigating the BOV from the current location to the second location; 35. The BOV of claim 34, further configured to:

36. A vehicle, at least one camera configured to capture one or more images of the surrounding area; a GPS unit configured to obtain GPS coordinates of the location of the vehicle; at least one processor included in a processing and memory circuit (PMC) operatively connected to the one or more cameras and the GPS unit, the processor configured to provide a navigation display to a vehicle navigating from a first location to a second location; a) obtaining data indicative of geographic location related information associated with said first location using GPS readings of a GPS unit; b) obtaining data indicative of geographic location related information associated with the second location; and c) determining, based on the obtained geographical location-related information, data indicative of a navigation route from the first location to the second location, wherein the data indicative of the navigation route includes data indicative of a series of at least two waypoints, each of the at least two waypoints being associated with corresponding geographical location-related information, and each two consecutive waypoints being associated with a corresponding section of the navigation route; d) determining data indicative of intervals associated with first and second of the at least two midpoints; e) determining data indicative of a direction of the section from the first waypoint to the second waypoint based on its corresponding geographical location related information; f) obtaining data indicative of regional information based on the determined direction; g) obtaining regional information of the surrounding area based on one or more images captured by the one or more cameras; h) selectively modifying the data indicative of the navigation route based on the obtained data indicative of the area information; i) navigating the vehicle based on the revised navigation route; at least one processor configured to perform Vehicles including.

37. 37. The vehicle of claim 36, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to configure the vehicle.

38. 37. The vehicle of claim 36, wherein the vehicle further includes a steering wheel, and configuring the vehicle includes adjusting the steering wheel.

39. 37. The vehicle of claim 36, wherein configuring the vehicle includes configuring a speed of the vehicle.

40. 1. A computer program product including a computer-readable storage medium bearing program instructions that, when read by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method of providing a navigation display for a battery-powered vehicle (BOV) from a first location to a second location, the method comprising: a. obtaining data indicative of the first and second locations; b. determining data indicative of battery power consumption required to navigate the BOV from the first location to the second location; c. obtaining data indicative of the current power level of the battery; d. comparing the data indicative of the required battery power draw with the data indicative of the current power level of the battery to determine a remaining battery power status for navigating the BOV from the first location to the second location; e. Providing an indication based on said determination; a computer program product,

41. 1. A computer program product including a computer-readable storage medium bearing program instructions that, when read by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method of providing a navigation display for a vehicle navigating from a first location to a second location, the method comprising: (a) obtaining data indicative of geographic location related information associated with the first and second locations; (b) determining, based on the obtained geographical location-related information, data indicative of a navigation route from the first location to the second location, wherein the data indicative of the navigation route includes data indicative of a series of at least two waypoints, each of the at least two waypoints being associated with corresponding geographical location-related information, and each two consecutive waypoints being associated with a corresponding section of the navigation route; (c) determining data indicative of intervals associated with first and second of the at least two midpoints; (d) determining data indicating a direction of the section from the first waypoint to the second waypoint based on its corresponding geographical location related information; (e) obtaining data indicating area information based on the determined direction; and (f) obtaining local information of the surrounding area; (g) selectively modifying the data indicative of the navigation route based on the obtained data indicative of the area information; (h) navigating the vehicle based on the revised navigation route; a computer program product,

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