System and method of displaying position information including and image in a navigation system

• US 20040249565A1
• Filed: 06/03/2004
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Young-Sik
• Granted Patent: US 7,383,123 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams

Abstract

A system and method of displaying position information including an image in a navigation system are disclosed. The navigation system has an information center and a mobile terminal. The information center includes a database for storing a node message with node image information about the geographical features of a node and a database for storing map data. The node image information is divided into image segments corresponding to directions. The information center sets a route according to a current position and a destination of the mobile terminal, generates map data including the route and nodes in the route, and transmits it to the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal selects nodes for which to receive node messages in the map data. The information center transmits a node message for the next node each time the mobile terminal reaches each of the selected nodes. The mobile terminal reproduces the node message.

Claims

1. In a navigation system having an information center and a mobile terminal, the information center including a database for storing a node message with node image information about the geographical features of a node and a database for storing map data, the node image information being divided into image segments corresponding to directions, a method of processing position information in the information center, comprising the steps of:

setting a route according to a current position and a destination of the mobile terminal, generating map data including the route and a plurality of nodes in the route, and transmitting the map data to the mobile terminal;

transmitting a node message for the first of the nodes to the mobile terminal;

tracking the movement of the mobile terminal and transmitting a node message for a next node to a node where the mobile terminal based on said movement; and

terminating transmission of the node messages when the mobile terminal reaches the last of the plurality of nodes.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of returning to the route setting step when the mobile terminal is off track.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the node messages includes node data and node image information, the node data having a node name, a road type, and a link type and the node image information comprising a 360-degree panoramic image of a node.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the panoramic image is divided into a plurality of image segments corresponding to plurality of directions of the mobile terminal.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the node message transmitting step comprises the steps of:

transmitting the node data of the node message when the mobile terminal reaches the node;

determining the direction of the mobile terminal and transmitting an image segment of the node image information corresponding to the direction of the mobile terminal; and

sequentially transmitting image segments corresponding to directions adjacent to the direction the mobile terminal is traveling in.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the nodes comprises at least one of an intersection, a tollgate, an interchange, and a waypoint near the destination.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the node message transmitting step comprises the step of discontinuing the transmission of the node image information when the mobile terminal passes through the node during the transmission and transmitting a node message for the next node.

8. In a navigation system having an information center and a mobile terminal, the information center including a database for storing a node message with node image information about the geographical features of a node and a database for storing map data, the node image information being divided into image segments corresponding to directions, a method of displaying position information in the mobile terminal, comprising the steps of:

transmitting navigation information including a current position and a destination to the information center;

receiving map data including a route from the current position to the destination and nodes in the route from the information center;

displaying a node message for the first of the nodes received from the information center;

tracking the movement of the mobile terminal, requesting a node message from the information center for a next node to be reached by the mobile terminal, and downloading the node message from the information center, and displaying the node message; and

terminating the download of the node message when the mobile terminal reaches the last of the nodes, and notifying arrival at the destination on a display when the mobile terminal reaches the destination.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of retransmitting the navigation information for route resetting when the mobile terminal is off track.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein each of the node messages includes node data and node image information, the node data having a node name, a road type, and a link type and the node image information comprising a 360-degree panoramic image of a node.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the panoramic image is divided into a plurality of image segments corresponding to a plurality of directions of the mobile terminal.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the node message downloading step comprises the steps of:

downloading the node data of the node message when the mobile terminal reaches the node;

displaying the node data of the node message;

receiving an image segment of the node image information corresponding to the direction the mobile terminal is traveling in and displaying the image segment; and

sequentially receiving image segments corresponding to directions adjacent to the direction the mobile terminal is traveling in, while displaying the image segment corresponding to the direction the mobile terminal is traveling in, and storing the received image segments.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the nodes comprises at least one of an intersection, a tollgate, an interchange, and a waypoint near the destination.

14. In a navigation system having an information center and a mobile terminal, the information center including a database for storing a node message with node image information about the geographical features of a node and a database for storing map data, the node image information being divided into image segments corresponding to directions, a method of processing position information in the information center, comprising the steps of:

calculating a route according to a current position and a destination of the mobile terminal, generating map data including the route and nodes in the route, and transmitting the map data to the mobile terminal;

transmitting node messages for all the nodes to the mobile terminal at a time, and waiting;

resetting a route from a current position of the mobile terminal and the destination when the information center receives a route resetting request from the mobile terminal during waiting, and transmitting a node message; and

terminating transmission of the node message when the mobile terminal notifies the information center of arrival at the last of the nodes.

15. In a navigation system having an information center and a mobile terminal, the information center including a database for storing a node message with node image information about the geographical features of a node and a database for storing map data, the node image information being divided into image segments corresponding to directions, a method of displaying position information in the mobile terminal, comprising the steps of:

(1) transmitting navigation information including a current position and a destination to the information center;

(2) receiving map data including a route from the current position to the destination and nodes in the route from the information center;

(3) selecting nodes for which to receive node messages in the map data and notifying the information center of the selected nodes;

(4) downloading the node messages for the selected nodes from the information center, storing the node messages, and moving while displaying a node message for the first of the selected nodes;

(5) displaying node image information included in a node message for the next node each time the mobile terminal reaches each of the selected nodes;

(6) transmitting the navigation information to the information center, while requesting route resetting if the mobile terminal is off track, and repeating the steps (2) to (5); and

(7) notifying the information center of arrival at the last of the nodes when the mobile terminal reaches the last node and notifying arrival at the destination on a display when the mobile terminal reaches the destination.

16. In a navigation system having an information center and a mobile terminal, the information center including a database for storing a node message with node image information about the geographical features of a node and a database for storing map data, the node image information being divided into image segments corresponding to directions, a method of displaying position information in the mobile terminal, comprising the steps of:

transmitting navigation information including a current position and a destination to the information center;

receiving map data including a route from the current position to the destination and nodes in the route from the information center;

selecting nodes for which to receive node messages in the map data and requesting transmission of the entire node messages of the selected nodes to the information center;

downloading the node messages for the selected nodes from the information center and storing the node messages;

displaying the first of the node messages while moving;

displaying a node message image for the next node each time the mobile terminal reaches each of the selected nodes; and

displaying a node message for the destination when the mobile terminal reaches the last node and notifying arrival at the destination on a display when the mobile terminal reaches the destination.

17. A navigation system for displaying position information including an image, the system comprising:

a mobile terminal; and

an information center adapted to set a route according to a current position and a destination of the mobile terminal, generate map data including the route and a plurality of nodes in the route, and transmit the map data to the mobile terminal, transmit a node message for the first of the nodes to the mobile terminal, track the movement of the mobile terminal and transmit a node message for a next node to a node where the mobile terminal based on said movement, and terminate transmission of the node messages when the mobile terminal reaches the last of the nodes.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the information center is further adapted to include a database for storing a node message with node image information about the geographical features of a node and a database for storing map data, the node image information is divided into image segments corresponding to directions.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the information center is further adapted to return to route setting when the mobile terminal is off track.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein each of the node messages includes node data and node image information, the node data having a node name, a road type, and a link type and the node image information comprising a 360-degree panoramic image of a node.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the panoramic image is divided into a plurality of image segments corresponding to a plurality of directions of the mobile terminal.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the information center is further adapted to transmit the node data of the node message when the mobile terminal reaches the node, determine the direction of the mobile terminal and transmit an image segment of the node image information corresponding to the direction of the mobile terminal, and sequentially transmit image segments corresponding to directions adjacent to the direction the mobile terminal is traveling in.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein each of the nodes comprises at least one of an intersection, a tollgate, an interchange, and a waypoint near the destination.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the information center is further adapted to discontinue the transmission of the node image information when the mobile terminal passes through the node during the transmission and transmit a node message for the next node.