GUIDING A DRIVE PATH OF A MOVING OBJECT IN A NAVIGATION SYSTEM

• US 20060195258A1
• Filed: 02/16/2006
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: KIM, Young In, KIM, Myung Hyun
• Granted Patent: US 7,630,832 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3632 Guidance using simplified or iconic instructions, e.g. using arrows G01C21/365 takes precedence

Abstract

A navigation system, and a method for guiding a moving object having the navigation system, include a control unit which determines a current position of the moving object and whether the moving object has arrived at a guide point of a guide target. The control unit provides the drive path based on the current position of the moving object. Upon arrival of the moving object at the guide point, a first turn guide icon and a second turn guide icon are determined for the guide target, wherein the first turn guide icon and the second turn guide icon collectively represent suggested vehicle operations at the guide point and a drive direction at a position of the guide target from a plurality of previously stored turn guide icons. The guide icons are sequentially displayed relative to the drive path throughout the vehicle operation at the guide point.

Claims

1. A method of guiding a motor vehicle having a navigation system along a drive path, the method comprising:

determining a current position of the motor vehicle with a control unit of the navigation system and providing the drive path to a display unit based on the current position of the moving object;

determining whether the motor vehicle has arrived at a complex guide point of a guide target, wherein the complex guide point includes a plurality of road interchanges within a predetermined distance of each other, the road interchanges each including a road direction angle within a common angular range;

determining, upon arrival at the complex guide point, a first turn guide icon and a second turn guide icon for the guide target, wherein the first turn guide icon and the second turn guide icon collectively represent a suggested vehicle operation at the guide point and a drive direction at a position of the guide target from a plurality of previously stored turn guide icons; and

sequentially displaying the determined turn guide icons relative to the drive path throughout the vehicle operation at the guide point on a display unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the common angular range is approximately 15°

.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the guide icons each differ in directional angle by approximately 5°

or more.

4. A method of guiding a moving object having a navigation system along a path, the method comprising:

determining a current position of the moving object with a control unit;

determining whether the moving object has arrived at a guide point of a guide target and instructing the drive path based on the current position of the moving object;

determining, upon arrival at the guide point, a first turn guide icon and a second turn guide icon for the guide target, wherein the first turn guide icon and the second turn guide icon collectively represent a suggested vehicle operation at the guide point and a drive direction at a position of the guide target from a plurality of previously stored turn guide icons; and

sequentially displaying the determined turn guide icons relative to the drive path throughout the vehicle operation at the guide point on a display unit.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the current position of the moving object is determined with hybrid navigation using the control unit, wherein hybrid navigation comprises receiving a navigation message with a GPS receiver and detecting a drive state detecting signal with a sensor unit.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

matching the detected current position of the moving object to map data; and

displaying the detected current position and map data on the display unit.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising searching the path between an origination and destination of the moving object, wherein the guide target is located on the searched path.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein searching the path comprises includes inputting a search command to a command input unit.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the origination of the moving object is a position detected by the control unit by hybrid navigation, wherein hybrid navigation comprises receiving a navigation message with a GPS receiver and detecting a drive state detecting signal with a sensor unit.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein searching the path comprises referencing previously stored map data with the control unit, wherein the previously stored map data is in a map data storage unit.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of turn guide icons differ from one another with respect to a display angle per a preset angle interval.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the turn guide icons comprises determining turn guide icons having display angles within a range of an angle at which the moving object should be turned from the position of the guide target.

13. The method of claim 4, wherein sequentially displaying comprises:

determining a distance between a current position of the moving object and the position of the guide target; and

sequentially displaying the turn guide icons according to the determined distance.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the distance between the current position and the position of the guide target comprises determining the current position of the moving object with hybrid navigation by the control unit, wherein hybrid navigation comprises receiving a navigation message with a GPS receiver and detecting a drive state detecting signal with a sensor unit.

15. The method of claim 4, wherein the guide point comprises a complex guide point including a plurality of road interchanges within a predetermined distance of each other, the road interchanges each including a road direction angle within a common angular range.

16. The method of claim 4, wherein the common angular range is 15°

.

17. The method of claim 4, wherein the first and the second icons differ in directional angle by approximately 5°

or more.

18. The method of claim 4, wherein the moving object is a motor vehicle and the path is a driving path of the motor vehicle.

19. A navigation system within a moving object for guiding the moving object along a drive path, the system comprising:

a satellite navigation system receiver;

a sensor unit for detecting a driving direction and operating state of the moving object independently from the satellite navigation system receiver;

a map data storage unit;

a display unit; and

a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured for determining a current position of the moving object from data received from the satellite navigation system receiver;

wherein the control unit is configured for determining whether the moving object has arrived at a guide point of a guide target for instructing the drive path based on the current position of the moving object and the driving direction and the operating state of the moving object;

wherein the control unit is configured for determining, upon arrival at the guide point, a first turn guide icon and a second turn guide icon for the guide target, wherein the first turn guide icon and the second turn guide icon collectively represent a suggested vehicle operation at the guide point and a drive direction at a position of the guide target from a plurality of previously stored turn guide icons within the map data storage unit; and

wherein the control unit is configured for sequentially displaying the determined turn guide icons relative to the drive path throughout the vehicle operation at the guide point on the display unit.