Electronic device and navigation method

• US 10,101,167 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2017
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mobile Drive Netherlands BV
• Original Assignee: Chiun Mai Communication Systems, Inc. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tsai, Lun-Yuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Hilgendorf, Dale W
• Application Number:
  US15/434,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20170276498A1
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3438 Rendez-vous, i.e. searching a destination where several users can meet, and the routes to this destination for these users; Ride sharing, i.e. searching a route such that at least two users can share a vehicle for at least part of the route
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096805 where the transmitted instructions are used to compute a route
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096816 where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A navigation method includes establishing a communication connection between a first electronic device and a second electronic device. A current position of the first electronic device is obtained. The current position of the first electronic device is sent to the second electronic device. Once a confirmed navigation route is obtained from the second electronic device, navigate according to the confirmed navigation route.

Claims

1. A navigation method, the method comprising:

establishing, at a first electronic device, a communication connection between the first electronic device and a second electronic device;

obtaining, at the first electronic device, a current position of the first electronic device;

sending, from the first electronic device, the current position of the first electronic device to the second electronic device;

obtaining, at the first electronic device, a confirmed navigation route from the second electronic device, wherein the confirmed navigation route is confirmed by the second electronic device according to the current position of the first electronic device;

navigating, at the first electronic device, according to the confirmed navigation route; and

determining, at the first electronic device, whether the confirmed navigation route should be reconfirmed, wherein the confirmed navigation route is determined to be reconfirmed when the first electronic device meets a condition, the condition comprises a total movement time length of the first electronic device being greater than a predetermined time length.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the obtaining of the confirmed navigation route from the second electronic device comprises:

determining, at the first electronic device, a destination position of the first electronic device in response to user input of the first electronic device; and

sending, from the first electronic device, the current position and the destination position of the first electronic device to the second electronic device; and

obtaining, at the first electronic device, the confirmed navigation route from the second electronic device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the obtaining of the confirmed navigation route from the second electronic device comprises:

determining, at the first electronic device, a destination position of the first electronic device in response to user input of the first electronic device;

calculating, at the first electronic device, a first navigation route according to the current position and the destination position of the first electronic device;

sending, from the first electronic device, the first navigation route, the current position and the destination position of the first electronic device to the second electronic device;

receiving, at the first electronic device, the confirmed navigation route from the second electronic device.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

sending, from the first electronic device, a notification that the confirmed navigation route should be reconfirmed to the second electronic device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the condition further comprises the first electronic device moving off the confirmed navigation route, a total movement distance value of the first electronic device being greater than a predetermined movement distance value.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein a determining of whether the first electronic device moves off the confirmed navigation route comprising:

selecting, at the first electronic device, a number of positions from the confirmed navigation route;

obtaining, at the first electronic device, the current position of the first electronic device at each predetermined time interval;

continuously calculating, at the first electronic device, a distance value between the current position of the first electronic device and nearest one of the number of positions, wherein the nearest one of the number of positions is located ahead of the current position of the first electronic device;

continuously calculating, at the first electronic device, a difference value between two adjacent calculated distance values by subtracting a current calculate distance value from a previously calculated distance value; and

determining, at the first electronic device, the first electronic device moves off the confirmed navigation route when the difference value is greater than a preset value, and determining, at the first electronic device, the first electronic device moves according to the confirmed navigation route when the difference value is less than or equal to the preset value.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

continuously obtaining, at the first electronic device, the current position of the first electronic device;

continuously sending, from the first electronic device, the current position of the first electronic device to the second electronic device, so as to enable the second electronic device to monitor whether the confirmed navigation route should be reconfirmed.

8. A first electronic device, comprising:

a first communication device;

a position device;

a storage device; and

at least one processor, wherein the storage device stores one or more programs that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

establish, at the first electronic device, a communication connection between the first electronic device and a second electronic device;

obtain, at the first electronic device, a current position of the first electronic device;

send, from the first electronic device, the current position of the first electronic device to the second electronic device;

obtain, at the first electronic device, a confirmed navigation route from the second electronic device, wherein the confirmed navigation route is confirmed by the second electronic device according to the current position of the first electronic device;

navigate, at the first electronic device, according to the confirmed navigation route; and

determine, at the first electronic device, whether the confirmed navigation route should be reconfirmed, wherein the confirmed navigation route is determined to be reconfirmed when the first electronic device meets a condition, the condition comprises a total movement time length of the first electronic device being greater than a predetermined time length.

9. The first electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the obtaining of the confirmed navigation route from the second electronic device comprises:

determining, at the first electronic device, a destination position of the first electronic device in response to user input of the first electronic device; and

sending, from the first electronic device, the current position and the destination position of the first electronic device to the second electronic device; and

obtaining, at the first electronic device, the confirmed navigation route from the second electronic device.

10. The first electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the obtaining of the confirmed navigation route from the second electronic device comprises:

determining, at the first electronic device, a destination position of the first electronic device in response to user input of the first electronic device;

calculating, at the first electronic device, a first navigation route according to the current position and the destination position of the first electronic device;

sending, from the first electronic device, the first navigation route, the current position and the destination position of the first electronic device to the second electronic device;

receiving, at the first electronic device, the confirmed navigation route from the second electronic device.

11. The first electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is further caused to:

send, from the first electronic device, a notification that the confirmed navigation route should be reconfirmed to the second electronic device.

12. The first electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the condition further comprises the first electronic device moving off the confirmed navigation route, a total movement distance value of the first electronic device being greater than a predetermined movement distance value.

13. The first electronic device according to claim 12, wherein a determining of whether the first electronic device moves off the confirmed navigation route comprising:

selecting, at the first electronic device, a number of positions from the confirmed navigation route;

obtaining, at the first electronic device, the current position of the first electronic device at each predetermined time interval;

continuously calculating, at the first electronic device, a distance value between the current position of the first electronic device and nearest one of the number of positions, wherein the nearest one of the number of positions is located ahead of the current position of the first electronic device;

continuously calculating, at the first electronic device, a difference value between two adjacent calculated distance values by subtracting a current calculate distance value from a previously calculated distance value; and

determining, at the first electronic device, the first electronic device moves off the confirmed navigation route when the difference value is greater than a preset value, and determining, at the first electronic device, the first electronic device moves according to the confirmed navigation route when the difference value is less than or equal to the preset value.

14. The first electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is further caused to:

continuously obtain, at the first electronic device, the current position of the first electronic device;

continuously send, from the first electronic device, the current position of the first electronic device to the second electronic device, so as to enable the second electronic device to monitor whether the confirmed navigation route should be reconfirmed.

15. A navigation method, the method comprising:

receiving, from a first electronic device, a current position of the first electronic device;

obtaining, at a second electronic device, a confirmed navigation route according to the current position of the first electronic device;

sending, from the second electronic device, the confirmed navigation route to the first electronic device; and

obtaining, at the second electronic device, a reconfirmed navigation route when the confirmed navigation route should be reconfirmed, wherein the confirmed navigation route is determined to be reconfirmed when the first electronic device meets a condition, the condition comprises a total movement time length of the first electronic device being greater than a predetermined time length.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, at the second electronic device, a destination position of the first electronic device from the first electronic device, wherein the confirmed navigation route is confirmed according to the current position and the destination position of the first electronic device.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, at the second electronic device, a destination position and a first navigation route from the first electronic device; and

obtaining, at the second electronic device, the confirmed navigation route according to a confirming result of whether the first navigation route is correct, wherein the confirming result is obtained according to the current position and the destination position of the first electronic device.

18. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

determining, at the second electronic device, a destination position of the first electronic device in response to user input of the second electronic device; and

obtaining, at the second electronic device, the confirmed navigation route according to the current position and the destination position of the first electronic device.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising:

displaying, at the second electronic device, a navigation route that needs to be confirmed on a display device of the second electronic device, so as to enable a user of the second electronic device to confirm the displayed navigation route; and

obtaining, at the second electronic device, the confirmed navigation route in response to user input of the second electronic device.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

continuously obtaining, at the second electronic device, the current position of the first electronic device from the first electronic device;

displaying, at the second electronic device, the current position of the first electronic device on the display device, so as to enable the user of the second electronic device to monitor whether the confirmed navigation route should be reconfirmed.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the second electronic device pre-stores road conditions surrounding the destination position of the first electronic device, the method further comprises:

continuously obtaining, at the second electronic device, the current position of the first electronic device;

determining, at the second electronic device, whether the confirmed navigation route should be reconfirmed according to the current position and the destination position of the first electronic device, and the road conditions surrounding the destination position of the first electronic device.

22. The method according to claim 18, wherein the second electronic device pre-stores road conditions surrounding the destination position of the first electronic device, and the confirmed navigation route is confirmed at the second electronic device according to a preset rule based on the road conditions surrounding the destination position of the first electronic device.

23. An electronic device comprising:

at least one processor; and

a storage device, wherein the storage device stores one or more programs that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

receive, from a first electronic device, a current position of the first electronic device;

obtain, at the electronic device, a confirmed navigation route according to the current position of the first electronic device;

send, from the electronic device, the confirmed navigation route to the first electronic device; and

obtain, at the electronic device, a reconfirmed navigation route when the confirmed navigation route should be reconfirmed, wherein the confirmed navigation route is determined to be reconfirmed when the first electronic device meets a condition, the condition comprises a total movement time length of the first electronic device being greater than a predetermined time length.

24. The electronic device according to claim 23, wherein the at least one processor is further caused to:

receive, at the electronic device, a destination position of the first electronic device from the first electronic device, wherein the confirmed navigation route is confirmed according to the current position and the destination position of the first electronic device.

25. The electronic device according to claim 23, wherein the at least one processor is further caused to:

receive, at the electronic device, a first navigation route from the first electronic device;

receive, at the electronic device, a destination position of the first electronic device from the first electronic device; and

obtain, at the electronic device, the confirmed navigation route according to a confirming result of whether the first navigation route is correct, wherein the confirming result is obtained according to the current position and the destination position of the first electronic device.

26. The electronic device according to claim 23, wherein the at least one processor is further caused to:

determine, at the electronic device, a destination position of the first electronic device in response to user input of the electronic device; and

obtain, at the electronic device, the confirmed navigation route according to the current position and the destination position of the first electronic device.

27. The electronic device according to claim 26, wherein the at least one processor is further caused to:

display, at the electronic device, a navigation route that needs to be confirmed on a display device of the electronic device, so as to enable a user of the electronic device to confirm the displayed navigation route; and

obtain, at the electronic device, the confirmed navigation route in response to user input of the electronic device.

28. The electronic device according to claim 27, wherein the at least one processor is further caused to:

continuously obtain, at the electronic device, the current position of the first electronic device from the first electronic device;

display, at the electronic device, the current position of the first electronic device on the display device, so as to enable the user of the electronic device to monitor whether the confirmed navigation route should be reconfirmed.

29. The electronic device according to claim 28, wherein the electronic device pre-stores road conditions surrounding the destination position of the first electronic device, the at least one processor is further caused to:

continuously obtain, at the electronic device, the current position of the first electronic device;

determine, at the electronic device, whether the confirmed navigation route should be reconfirmed according to the current position and the destination position of the first electronic device, and the road conditions surrounding the destination position of the first electronic device.

30. The electronic device according to claim 26, wherein the electronic device pre-stores road conditions surrounding the destination position of the first electronic device, and the confirmed navigation route is confirmed by the at least one processor according to a preset rule based on the road conditions surrounding the destination position of the first electronic device.