Apparatus and method for providing travel route in navigation system

• US 20040249569A1
• Filed: 06/04/2004
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Oh, Hwan Saeng
• Granted Patent: US 8,423,281 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance

Abstract

An apparatus and method provide a travel route in a navigation system. The apparatus includes: a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver for receiving position data from a plurality of GPS satellites; a storage unit for storing map data and the travel route therein; a display unit for displaying the stored map data and travel route on a screen; a key input unit for receiving a variety of input key signals, and an origin and a destination therebetween; a velocity and direction detection unit for detecting a travel velocity and direction of travel of a moving object; a wireless communication unit for communicating to receive traffic information on an on-road; and a control unit for controlling each unit to store the travel route in the storage unit and to provide the stored travel route for a user.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing a travel route in a navigation system, the apparatus comprising:

a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver for receiving position data from a plurality of GPS satellites;

a storage unit for storing map data and a travel route therein;

a display unit for displaying the stored map data and travel route on a screen thereof;

a key input unit for receiving a variety of input key signals, and an origin and a destination therebetween;

a velocity and direction detection unit for detecting a travel velocity and direction of a moving object;

a wireless communication unit for communicating to receive traffic information with respect to an on-road; and

a control unit for controlling storage of the travel route in the storage unit and to provide the stored travel route for a user.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a number of hot keys and wherein the travel route is matched to each hot key to be stored in the storage unit.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the travel route is matched to each destination to be stored in the storage unit.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the travel route is grouped and stored with reference to the origin or the destination.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the moving object arrives at the destination along a current travel route, the control unit inquires of a user whether or not the current travel route would be stored, and then to store the current travel route in a predetermined area of the storage unit.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the user inputs the origin and the destination, the control unit compares the received origin and destination with the stored travel route and then provides the stored travel route corresponding to the received origin and destination.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stored travel route comprises the origin, a via, the destination, the traveling route, a hot key, and time information for guidance of the moving object.

8. A method of providing a travel route in a navigation system, comprising:

(a) receiving an origin and a destination;

(b) determining whether or not a travel route corresponding to the received origin and destination is identical with a travel route stored in a storage unit;

(c) if it is determined that the corresponding travel route is identical with the stored travel route, reading the stored travel route from the storage unit; and

(d) displaying the read travel route on a screen for guidance of a moving object.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising using the received origin and destination to compare and determine whether or not the corresponding travel route is identical with the stored travel route.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of:

(e) if the corresponding travel route is not identical with the stored traveling route, reading the corresponding travel route from map data of the storage unit to display the read travel route on the screen, or/and downloading the corresponding travel route from a traffic information center to display the downloaded travel route on the screen.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the step (d) further comprises:

(d-1) determining whether or not the moving object arrives at the received destination;

(d-2) if it is determined that the moving object arrives at the received destination, inquiring of a user whether or not a current travel route would be stored; and

(d-3) if the user elects to store the current travel route, storing the current travel route and its relation information.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the relation information comprises at least two of the origin, the destination, a hot key, and time.

13. A method for providing a travel route in a navigation system, the method comprising:

(a) determining whether or not a user inputs to the navigation system an origin and a destination of a travel route for guidance of a moving object;

(b) if it is determined that the user inputs the origin and the destination, recognizing a current position and a travel direction of the moving object on the basis of a GPS (Global Positioning System) signal to track the moving object along a travel trace, and searching for an optimal travel route from the origin to the destination;

(c) displaying an optimal travel route on a screen to guide the moving object along the optimal travel route;

(d) determining whether or not the moving object arrives at the destination and then, if it is determined that the moving object arrives at the destination, inquiring of the user whether or not a current travel route would be stored; and

(e) if the user selects to store the current travel route, storing the current travel route in a predetermined area of a storage unit.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the step (a) further comprises the steps of:

(a-1) if it is determined that the navigation system is not in an input mode where the user inputs the origin and the destination, determining whether or not the navigation system is in a search mode where the user searches for a desired travel route;

(a-2) if it is determined that the navigation system is in the search mode, searching and selecting the desired travel route; and

(a-3) displaying the selected traveling route on the screen to guide the moving object along the displayed travel route.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein, in the step (b), the optimal travel route is selected among a travel route received from a traffic information center using a wireless communication network and a travel route searched from map data of the storage unit.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein, in the step (a-2), a search screen for the travel route is provided for the user to see the origin and the destination of the travel route and select the desired travel route.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein in the step (a-2), the search screen for the travel route is provided for the user to see only the destination of the travel route and select the desired travel route.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein in the step (a-2), the search screen for the travel route is provided for the user to select the displayed travel route through a hot key.

19. A system that provides a travel route in a navigation system, comprising:

(a) means for receiving an origin and a destination;

(b) means for determining whether or not a travel route corresponding to the received origin and destination is identical with a travel route stored in a storage unit;

(c) means for reading the stored travel route from the storage unit based on a determination that the corresponding travel route is identical with the stored travel route; and

(d) means for displaying the read travel route on a screen for guidance of a moving object.

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

means for comparing the received output and destination and for providing a stored travel route corresponding to the received origin and destination if a user inputs the origin and the destination.