Navigation device

• US 20040054466A1
• Filed: 09/25/2003
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tomtom Global Content B.V (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Herrmann, Peter, Schaefer, Walter
• Granted Patent: US 6,909,966 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3605 Destination input or retrieval

Abstract

A navigational device is described where a position is storable by actuating a control element and this position may be input as a driving destination by re-actuating the control element. This simplifies the input of an often frequented driving destination, e.g., the place of residence.

Claims

1. A navigational device for navigating a vehicle in particular through a road network, a driving route from a starting point to a destination point being calculable, a current vehicle position being determinable by the navigational device, a position being storable by actuating a control element, wherein the stored position may be input into the navigational device (1) as the driving destination by re-actuating the control element (8, 5, 6, 19).

2. The navigational device as recited in claim 1, wherein a current vehicle position (12) is storable by actuating the control element (8, 5, 6, 19) at least for a specified length of time.

3. The navigational device as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the navigational device (1) is connected to a display (2);

names of places, addresses and/or geographical points are displayable on the display (2); and

a position of a selected place, of an address and/or of a geographical point are storable by actuating the control element (8, 5, 6, 19) at least for a predefined length of time.

4. The navigational device as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein a map (10) is viewable on the display (2), and the stored position (17) is prominently viewable on map (10).

5. The navigational device as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein a route direction from the current vehicle position (12) to the stored position is automatically started upon input of the stored position as the driving destination.

6. The navigational device as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein distance and/or travel time and/or a direction (21) from the current vehicle position to the stored position are displayable by actuating the control element (8, 5, 6, 19).

7. The navigational device as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the control element has at least one pushbutton (8).

8. The navigational device as recited in claim 7, wherein the control element is formed by two adjacent buttons (5, 6), the control element (5, 6) being actuated by at least approximately simultaneously actuating the adjacent buttons (5, 6).

9. The navigational device as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the control element is a selection area (19) operating surface (13).