Navigation system and navigation method

• US 10,145,706 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2013
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Knobel, Martin, Schumann, Josef
• Primary Examiner(s): Mawari, Redhwan K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Torchinsky, Edward
• Application Number:
  US14/086,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20140142842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,839 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3476 using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3614 through interaction with a road map, e.g. selecting a POI icon on a road map
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence

Abstract

In a navigation method, coordinates and additional information concerning several places, so-called places of interest, are stored as data in a memory. Surrounding-area parameters are predefined by which, with respect to arbitrary places, one surrounding area respectively is defined which surrounds the place. During a traveling movement with a navigation device, one pertaining surrounding area respectively is acquired by use of the surrounding-area parameters and the respective current location of the navigation device. By way of the stored coordinates, at least one of the stored places of interest is determined which is situated in the acquired surrounding area. The additional information stored with respect to the determined place of interest is outputted by way of a user interface.

Claims

1. A navigation method, in which coordinates and additional information concerning several places of interest are stored as data in a memory of a navigation device, comprising the acts of:

predefining surrounding-area parameters by which surrounding areas are respectively defined;

during a traveling movement, acquiring by the navigation device, a surrounding area based on the surrounding-area parameters and a current location of the navigation device;

determining, by the navigation device using the stored coordinates and without regard to route information, that at least one of the places of interest of the stored places of interest is situated in the acquired surrounding area; and

outputting, by way of a user interface of the navigation device, a symbol representing the at least one of the places of interest and the additional information stored with respect to the at least one of the places of interest by dynamically lighting up the symbol and the additional information on the user interface as soon as the at least one of the places of interest arrives within the acquired surrounding area; and

determining, based on the traveling movement and the stored coordinates of the at least one of the places of interest and without regard to user input, an intended destination corresponding to at least another one of the places of interest that is different than the at least one of the places of interest.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the act of:

inputting into the navigation device the surrounding-area parameters or a surrounding area, within which a search for stored places of interest occurs, before beginning a trip or at the beginning of the trip, while not inputting a trip destination into the navigation device.

3. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the acts of acquiring the surrounding area and/or determining the at least one of the places of interest and the at least another one of the places of interest are done during the travelling movement.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the traveling movement occurs on a trip via a vehicle equipped with a navigation system containing the navigation device and the memory storing the data concerning the places of interest, the method further comprising the acts of:

not inputting a trip destination into the navigation system at a beginning of the trip via the vehicle; and

acquiring the surrounding area during a drive of the vehicle on the trip based on the surrounding-area parameters and a current location of the vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the additional information concerning the at least one of the places of interest is limited to minimal data content.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the additional information concerning the at least one of the places of interest is loaded via data sources.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising navigating by way of a vehicle,

wherein, via vehicle sensors and/or the navigation device, additional information is determined and displayed by way of an operating interface of the vehicle, such additional information includes at least one of the following:

probable energy consumption until the at least one of the places of interest is reached,

probable energy accumulator content when the at least one of the places of interest is reached,

possible available energy charging station at the at least one of the places of interest,

total energy consumption for the trip to the at least one of the places of interest and a subsequent direct return trip to an original starting place of the trip, and

a route distance for a drive to the at least one of the places of interest and subsequent direct return trip to the original starting place of the trip.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the surrounding area is defined radially about the current location of the navigation device.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the surrounding area is defined radially surrounding one or more of the places of interest.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein predefining the surrounding-area parameters is based on a user shapeable lasso on an graphical user interface on which the current location is displayed.

19. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the acts of:

receiving a selection of the at least one of the places of interest at the user interface of the navigation device; and

computing and displaying a route to the at least one of the places of interest in response to the receiving.

22. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the act of:

automatically hiding the symbol and the additional information on the user interface as soon as the navigation device determines that a vehicle in which the navigation device is disposed is being steered toward a place of interest other than the at least one of the places of interest.

25. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the act of:

making a decision whether the additional information concerning the at least one of the places of interest is output by way of the user interface as a function of a current battery charge status of a vehicle in which the navigation device is disposed, wherein the additional information is not output if the at least one of the places of interest cannot be reached by the vehicle with the current battery charge status, wherein the vehicle is an electric vehicle, and wherein the at least one of the places of interest is a tourist site, a place for an event or activity, an adventure site, a nature park, or a site with a natural spectacle.

8. A navigation system, comprising:

a position acquisition system;

a memory for storing coordinates and additional information concerning places of interest;

a memory for storing surrounding-area parameters;

an acquisition system for dynamically acquiring a destination area during a trip; and

a user interface,

wherein the navigation system is operatively configured to;

predefine surrounding-area parameters by which surrounding areas are respectively defined;

during a traveling movement, acquire the surrounding-area parameters and a current location of the navigation system,

determine, using the stored coordinates and without regard to route information, that at least one of the places of interest of the stored places of interest is situated in the acquired surrounding area; and

output, by way of a user interface, a symbol representing the at least one of the places of interest and the additional information stored with respect to the determined at least one of the places of interest by dynamically lighting up the symbol and the additional information on the user interface as soon as the at least one of the places of interest arrives within the acquired surrounding area; and

determine, based on the traveling movement and the stored coordinates of the at least one of the places of interest and without regard to user input, an intended destination corresponding to at least another one of the places of interest that is different than the at least one of the places of interest.

11. The navigation system according to claim 8, wherein the surrounding area is defined radially about the current location of the navigation system.

14. The navigation system according to claim 8, wherein the surrounding area is defined radially surrounding one or more of the places of interest.

17. The navigation system according to claim 8, wherein predefining the surrounding-area parameters is based on a user shapeable lasso on the user interface on which the current location is displayed.

20. The navigation system according to claim 8, wherein:

the user interface is operatively configured to receive a selection of the at least one of the places of interest; and

the navigation system is operatively configured to compute and display a route to the at least one of the places of interest in response to the selection received by the user interface.

23. The navigation system according to claim 8, wherein the symbol and the additional information are automatically hidden on the user interface as soon as the navigation system determines that a vehicle in which the navigation system is disposed is being steered toward a place of interest other than the at least one of the places of interest.

26. The navigation system according to claim 8, wherein the navigation system is further operatively configured to make a decision whether the additional information concerning the at least one of the places of interest is output by way of the user interface as a function of a current battery charge status of a vehicle in which the navigation device is disposed, wherein the additional information is not output if the at least one of the places of interest cannot be reached by the vehicle with the current battery charge status, wherein the vehicle is an electric vehicle, and wherein the at least one of the places of interest is a tourist site, a place for an event or activity, an adventure site, a nature park, or a site with a natural spectacle.

9. A vehicle comprising:

a navigation system, comprising;

a position acquisition system;

a memory for storing coordinates and additional information concerning places of interest;

a memory for storing surrounding-area parameters;

an acquisition system for dynamically acquiring a destination area during a trip; and

a user interface,

wherein the navigation system is operatively configured to;

predefine surrounding-area parameters by which surrounding areas are respectively defined;

during a traveling movement, acquire a surrounding area based on the surrounding-area parameters and a current location of the navigation system;

determine, using the stored coordinates and without regard to route information, that at least one of the places of interest of the stored places of interest is situated in the acquired surrounding area; and

output, by way of the user interface, a symbol representing the at least one of the places of interest and the additional information stored with respect to the at least one of the places of interest by dynamically lighting up the symbol and the additional information on the user interface as soon as the at least one of the places of interest arrives within the acquired surrounding area; and

determine, based on the traveling movement and the stored coordinates of the at least one of the places of interest and without regard to user input, an intended destination corresponding to at least another one of the places of interest that is different than the at least one of the places of interest.

12. The vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the surrounding area is defined radially about the current location of the navigation system.

15. The vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the surrounding area is defined radially surrounding one or more of the places of interest.

18. The vehicle according to claim 9, wherein predefining the surrounding-area parameters is based on a user shapeable lasso on the user interface on which the current location is displayed.

21. The vehicle according to claim 9, wherein:

the user interface is operatively configured to receive a selection of the at least one of the places of interest; and

the navigation system is operatively configured to compute and display a route to the at least one of the places of interest in response to the selection received by the user interface.

24. The vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the symbol and the additional information are automatically hidden on the user interface as soon as the navigation system determines that the vehicle is being steered toward a place of interest other than the at least one of the places of interest.

27. The vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the navigation system is further operatively configured to making a decision whether the additional information concerning the at least one of the places of interest is output by way of the user interface as a function of a current battery charge status of the vehicle, wherein the additional information is not output if the at least one of the places of interest cannot be reached by the vehicle with the current battery charge status, wherein the vehicle is an electric vehicle, and wherein the at least one of the places of interest is a tourist site, a place for an event or activity, an adventure site, a nature park, or a site with a natural spectacle.