Navigation device and method for providing regional travel information in a navigation device

• US 20080228390A1
• Filed: 10/10/2007
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pieter Geelen, Simone Tertoolen
• Original Assignee: Pieter Geelen, Simone Tertoolen
• Inventors: Tertoolen, Simone, Geelen, Pieter
• Application Number:
  US11/907,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20080228390A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and device are disclosed for providing regional travel information in a navigation device. In at least one embodiment, the method includes storing regional travel information in the navigation device; providing at least one travel information category in response to receipt of a request for information from a user of the navigation device; accessing stored regional travel information in response to receipt of an indication of a selection of at least one of the provided travel information categories by the user; and providing the accessed regional travel information to the user. In at least one embodiment, the navigation device includes an output device to provide information; an input device to receive an input; memory to store regional travel information; and a processor to access the regional information stored in memory and to provide accessed regional travel information through the output device in response to receipt of the input.

Claims

1. A method of providing, in a navigation device, travel information, the method comprising:

storing regional travel information in the navigation device;

providing at least one travel information category in response to receipt of a request for information from a user of the navigation device;

accessing stored regional travel information in response to receipt of an indication of a selection of at least one of the provided travel information categories by the user; and

providing the accessed regional travel information to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the travel information includes at least one of regional statistics, medical information, road rules, traffic signs, driving tips, gasoline types, unit conversion tables, regional travel related phrases, and equipment lists.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigation device is configured to receive an input and provide information in a plurality of languages selectable by the user.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining if travel information is available in a language selected by the user.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising prompting the user to select a language from a group of languages in which travel information is available, if travel information is determined not to be available in the language selected by the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the travel information relates to a region in which the navigation device is located.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the travel information relates to a region selected by the user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein user selectable regions are arranged in order of geographic proximity to a location of the navigation device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigation device includes a display device and the providing includes displaying visually on the display device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one travel information category includes a plurality of travel information categories, selection of a travel information category includes selection of one of the plurality of travel information categories and the plurality of travel information categories include at least one of regional statistics, medical information, road rules, traffic signs, driving tips, gasoline types, unit conversion tables, regional travel related phrases, and equipment lists.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein providing travel information includes displaying an HTML file containing travel information on the display device.

12. A navigation device comprising:

an output device to provide information;

an input device to receive an input;

memory to store regional travel information; and

a processor to access the regional information stored in memory and to provide accessed regional travel information through the output device in response to receipt of the input.

13. The navigation device of claim 12, wherein regional travel information includes at least one of regional statistics, medical information, road rules, traffic signs, driving tips, gasoline types, unit conversion tables, regional travel related phrases, and equipment lists.

14. The navigation device of claim 13, wherein the user determines by the input which type of regional travel information is provided.

15. The navigation device of claim 12, wherein the navigation device is configured to receive the input and provide regional travel information through the output device in a plurality of languages selectable by a user.

16. The navigation device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to determine if regional travel information is available in a language selected by the user.

17. The navigation device of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to prompt the user to select a language from a group of languages in which regional travel information is available if regional travel information is determined not to be available in the language selected by the user.

18. The navigation device of claim 12, wherein the navigation device is configured to determine a region in which the navigation device is located.

19. The navigation device of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to provide regional travel information for the region in which the navigation device is located.

20. The navigation device of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to prompt a user to select a region for which regional travel information should be provided.

21. The navigation device of claim 20, wherein the processor is further configured to provide a plurality of regions for which regional travel information is available.

22. The navigation device of claim 21, wherein the plurality of regions are arranged in order of geographic proximity to the region in which the navigation device is located.

23. The navigation device of claim 12, wherein regional information is stored in memory as HTML files.

24. The navigation device of claim 12, wherein the input device includes a touch screen input device.

25. The navigation device of claim 12, wherein the output device is a display device.

37. The navigation device of claim 12 wherein regional information is stored in memory as HTML files.

26. A navigation device comprising:

means for providing information;

means for receiving an input;

means for storing regional travel information; and

means for accessing the stored regional travel information and for providing accessed regional travel information through the means for providing information in response to receipt of the input.

27. The navigation device of claim 26, wherein regional travel includes at least one of regional statistics, medical information, road rules, traffic signs, driving tips, gasoline types, unit conversion tables, regional travel related phrases, and equipment lists.

28. The navigation device of claim 27, wherein the user determines by the input which type of regional travel information is provided.

29. The navigation device of claim 26, wherein the navigation device is configured to receive the input and provide regional travel information in a plurality of languages selectable by a user.

30. The navigation device of claim 29, wherein the means for accessing stored regional travel information is configured to determine if regional travel information is available in a language selected by the user.

31. The navigation device of claim 30, wherein the means for accessing stored regional travel information is further configured to prompt the user to select a language from a group of languages in which regional travel information is available if regional information is determined not to be available in the language selected by the user.

32. The navigation device of claim 26, wherein the navigation device is configured to determine a region in which the navigation device is located.

33. The navigation device of claim 32, wherein the means for accessing stored regional travel information is further configured to provide regional travel information for the region in which the navigation device is located.

34. The navigation device of claim 32, wherein the means for accessing stored regional travel information is further configured to prompt a user to select a region for which regional travel information should be provided.

35. The navigation device of claim 34, wherein the means for accessing stored regional travel information is further configured to provide a plurality of regions for which regional travel information is available.

36. The navigation device of claim 35 wherein the plurality of regions are arranged in order of geographic proximity to the region in which the navigation device is located.