Navigation Device with Touch Screen

• US 20060173615A1
• Filed: 03/06/2006
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TomTom Navigation B.V (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: TomTom NV
• Inventors: Gretton, Mark, Jurgens, Sven-Erik, Pinkus, Ayal, Neef, Edwin
• Granted Patent: US 7,925,437 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events

Abstract

A navigation device programmed with a map database and software that enables a route to be planned between two user-defined places. The device may be further programmed to be able to display on a touch sensitive display a main navigation mode screen showing a map and to allow a user to input destination address information using a virtual keyboard whose keys are sized to allow reliable finger activation. The device is especially advantageous for an in-car navigation device since it allows the user to easily and reliably input address information, even whilst the device is mounted in a vehicle.

Claims

1. A navigation device programmed with a map database and software that enables a route to be planned between two user-defined places, wherein the device is further programmed to be able to display on a touch sensitive display a main navigation mode screen showing a map and to allow a user to input destination address information using a virtual keyboard whose keys are sized to allow reliable finger activation.

2. The device of claim 1 in which the device is mountable on a vehicle dashboard and the destination address information can be input to the virtual keyboard whilst the device is mounted on the dashboard.

3. The device of claim 1 in which the virtual keyboard is a QWERTY format keyboard.

4. The device of claim 1 in which the virtual keyboard is an AZERTY format keyboard.

5. The device of claim 4 in which the horizontal spacing of individual keys is 25 pixels center to center.

6. The device of claim 5 in which the vertical spacing of individual keys is 32 pixels center to center.

7. The device of claim 1 in which the virtual keyboard is an ABC format keyboard.

8. The device of claim 1 in which the horizontal spacing of individual keys is 40 pixels center to center.

9. The device of claim 8 in which the vertical spacing of individual keys is 32 pixels center to center.

10. The device of any preceding claim 1 in which the individual key size in pixels is, to an approximate 25% tolerance, selected from the following list:

36×

28 (ABC keyboard image)

21×

28 (QWERTY/ASERTY keyboard image)

46×

28 (arrow keys on QWERTY/AZERTY keyboard images) and

70×

28 (space/back keys on QWERTY/AZERTY keyboard images)

11. The device of claim 1 in which the total image sizes for different keyboards (width, height) are, to an approximate 25% tolerance, selected from the following list:

240×

155 (ABC keyboard image)

240×

155 (QWERTY keyboard image)

240×

155 (AZERTY keyboard image)

240×

62 (2 line NUM/Arrowkeys image)

240×

31 (1 line Arrow key image)

12. A method of enabling a user to interact with a navigation device programmed with a map database and software that enables a route to be planned between two user-defined places, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

(a) displaying on a touch sensitive display a main navigation mode screen showing a map;

(b) allowing a user to input destination address information using a virtual keyboard whose keys are sized to allow reliable finger activation.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the method further comprises the preparatory step of mounting the device on a vehicle dashboard, and then a user entering the destination address information to the virtual keyboard whilst the device is mounted on the dashboard.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the virtual keyboard is a QWERTY format keyboard.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the virtual keyboard is an AZERTY format keyboard.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the horizontal spacing of individual keys is 25 pixels center to center.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the vertical spacing of individual keys is 32 pixels center to center.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the virtual keyboard is an ABC format keyboard.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the horizontal spacing of individual keys is 40 pixels center to center.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the vertical spacing of individual keys is 32 pixels center to center.

21. The method of claim 12 wherein the individual key size in pixels is, to an approximate 25% tolerance, selected from the following list:

36×

28 (ABC keyboard image)

21×

28 (QWERTY/ASERTY keyboard image)

46×

28 (arrow keys on QWERTY/AZERTY keyboard images) and

70×

28 (space/back keys on QWERTY/AZERTY keyboard images)

22. The method of claim 12 wherein the total image sizes for different keyboards (width, height) are, to an approximate 25% tolerance, selected from the following list:

240×

155 (ABC keyboard image)

240×

155 (QWERTY keyboard image)

240×

155 (AZERTY keyboard image)

240×

62 (2 line NUM/Arrowkeys image)

240×

31 (1 line Arrow key image)