Navigation Device with Touch Screen : Waypoints

• US 20060195259A1
• Filed: 03/06/2006
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: TomTom International BV (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: TomTom NV
• Inventors: Gretton, Mark, Jurgens, Sven-Erik, Pinkus, Ayal, Neef, Edwin
• Application Number:
  US11/276,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20060195259A1
• 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 also be 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 set a desired location as a location to be stored in device memory by touching the screen, for example at the desired location shown on the map. The navigation device is especially advantageous for an in-car navigation device since it allows the user to easily and reliably input the current location as a waypoint such as, a reference point for future navigation, even while 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 set a desired location as a location to be stored in device memory by touching the screen within a zone large enough to be reliably selected by a single finger.

2. The device of claim 1 programmed to enable the user to set the current location as the location to be stored in device memory by touching the screen at the current location as shown on the map.

3. The device of claim 1 programmed to enable the user to set the current location as a waypoint by touching the screen at the current location as shown on the map.

4. The device of claim 3 in which the device is programmed so that touching the screen once or twice stores the desired location in device memory.

5. The device of claim 4 programmed so that a location stored in device memory by the user touching the screen is marked on the map with an icon.

6. The device of claim 5 in which the icon is a Point of Interest icon.

7. The device of claim 5 programmed so that the icon label can be annotated.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein said zone large enough to be reliably selected by a single finger is a square zone having an area of at least 0.7 cm2.

9. 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 set a desired location as a location to be stored in device memory by touching the screen within a zone large enough to be reliably selected by a single finger.

10. The method of claim 9 in which the user sets the current location as the location to be stored in device memory by touching the screen at the current location as shown on the map.

11. The method of claim 9 in which the user sets the current location as a waypoint by touching the screen at the current location as shown on the map.

12. The method of claim 10 in which the user sets the current location as a waypoint by touching the screen at the current location as shown on the map.

13. The method of claim 9 in which the action of touching the screen once or twice stores the desired location in device memory.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of (c) storing a location in device memory by the user touching the screen at the desired location and (d) marking that location on the map with an icon.

15. The method of claim 14 in which the icon is a Point of Interest icon.

16. The method of claim 13 comprising the further step of annotating the icon with a label.