Method For Operating A Navigation System

• US 20090063033A1
• Filed: 08/20/2008
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Navigon AG (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Navigon AG (Garmin Limited)
• Inventors: Schmidt, Thorsten W.
• Application Number:
  US12/194,684
• Publication Number:
  US 20090063033A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3438 Rendez-vous, i.e. searching a destination where several users can meet, and the routes to this destination for these users; Ride sharing, i.e. searching a route such that at least two users can share a vehicle for at least part of the route

Abstract

A method for operating a navigation system including at least one first user terminal and at least one navigation device includes the following steps:

• • a) inputting a destination and an appointed time into the user terminal;
  • b) transmitting a message from the user terminal to the navigation device by means of remote data transmission, wherein said message contains a destination and an appointed time;
  • c) receiving the message on the navigation device;
  • d) calculating a route on the navigation device, wherein this route leads from the current location to the destination received with the message; and
  • e) outputting the route.

Claims

1. A method for operating a navigation system comprising at least one first user terminal (01, 03, 06) and at least one navigation device (02, 04, 07),

wherein the user terminal (01, 03, 06) comprises an input device for inputting operator commands and/or location data, particularly destinations and/or time data, especially appointed times,

and wherein the user terminal (01, 03, 06) comprises a transmitting unit for transmitting user-generated messages via a communication system,

and wherein the navigation device (02, 04, 07) comprises a receiving unit that makes it possible to receive messages from the communication system,

and wherein the navigation device (02, 04, 07) comprises a road network database,

and wherein the navigation device (02, 04, 07) comprises a route calculating unit for calculating a planned route,

with said method comprising the following steps:

a) inputting a destination and an appointed time into the user terminal (01, 03, 06);

b) transmitting a message from the user terminal (01, 03, 06) to the navigation device (02, 04, 07) by means of remote data transmission, wherein said message contains a destination and an appointed time;

c) receiving the message on the navigation device;

d) calculating a route on the navigation device (02, 04, 07), wherein this route leads from the current location to the destination received with the message; and

e) outputting the route.

2. The method according to claim 1, in which the navigation device (02, 04) comprises a signal receiving unit for receiving position signals, particularly GPS-signals, wherein the navigation device (02, 04) determines the current position based on the position signals by means of a position determining unit, and wherein the navigation device (02, 04) outputs maneuvering instructions in order to follow the route in dependence on the current position.

3. The method according to claim 1, in which the appointed time is output, particularly displayed, on the output unit of the navigation device (02, 04, 07).

4. The method according to claim 1, in which the expected driving time for traveling the route from the current location to the destination received with the message is calculated in the navigation device (02, 04), wherein a proposed time of departure is derived from the appointed time received and the expected driving time.

5. The method according to claim 4, in which a plausibility check between the proposed time of departure and the current time is carried out and a warning signal can be output in dependence on the result of the plausibility check.

6. The method according to claim 1, in which the message containing the destination and the appointed time is transmitted between the user terminal (01, 03, 06) and the navigation device (02, 04, 07) in the form of a mobile communication text message (SMS, MMS, WAP) or an Internet text message (e-mail, TCP-IP).

7. The method according to claim 1, in which the user terminal (01, 03, 06) comprises a signal receiving unit for receiving position signals, particularly GPS-signals, wherein the user terminal determines the current position based on the position signals by means of a position determining unit, and wherein the current position of the user terminal (01, 03, 06) is transmitted as the destination with a message from the user terminal (01, 03, 06) to the navigation device (02, 04, 07).

8. The method according to claim 7, in which the current position of the user terminal (01, 03, 06) is dynamically updated and repeatedly transmitted to the navigation device (02, 04, 07).

9. The method according to claim 1, in which the communication system comprises a message server, particularly a community server (05), wherein the message with the destination and the appointed time is transmitted from the user terminal (06) to the message server (05) and then from the community server (05) to the navigation device (07), particularly in a deferred fashion.

10. The method according to claim 1, in which the message with the destination and the appointed time is transmitted from the user terminal (06) to several navigation devices (07a, 07b, 07c), particularly to navigation devices that belong to a common group of recipients.

11. The method according to claim 1, in which a community server (05) derives the destination by evaluating specified destination criteria.

12. The method according to claim 11, in which the destination is derived by the community server (05) with consideration of the current location of the user terminal (06) and/or with consideration of the current location of at least one navigation device (07).

13. The method according to claim 11, in which the destination is stored in the community server (05) under a certain addressing, wherein the message transmitted from the user terminal (06) to the navigation device (07) contains the addressing of the destination in the community server (05).