Method For Operating A Navigation System

• US 20090177388A1
• Filed: 12/15/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Navigon AG (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Navigon AG (Garmin Limited)
• Inventors: Schmidt, Thorsten W.
• Application Number:
  US12/334,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20090177388A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3658 Lane guidance

Abstract

A method for operating a navigation system includes the following steps:

• a) calculating a route from a starting point to a destination, wherein the route consists of a sequence of road segments and junctions between the road segments that is selected from a database in which a geographic area is described by means of road segments and junctions with a route calculation method,
• b) calculating at least one lane instruction that contains instructions for the user in order to follow the calculated route in the form of a lane change maneuver based on the current position, and
• c) calculating and displaying a schematic lane image (12) on a display unit, wherein the schematic lane image (12) graphically displays the lane instruction in schematic form, wherein
• c1) a first lane course (13) is calculated that shows the lanes prior to the lane change maneuver, particularly at the current position;
• c2) a second lane course (14) is calculated that shows the lanes during the lane change maneuver, and
• c3) a combination of the first and the second lane course is displayed in the schematic lane image (12).

Claims

1. A method for operating a navigation system with the following steps:

a) calculating a route from a starting point to a destination, wherein the route consists of a sequence of road segments and junctions between the road segments that is selected from a database in which a geographic area is described by means of road segments and junctions with a route calculation method,

b) calculating at least one lane instruction that contains instructions for the user in order to follow the calculated route in the form of a lane change maneuver based on the current position, and

c) calculating and displaying a schematic lane image (12) on a display unit, wherein the schematic lane image (12) graphically displays the lane instructions in schematic form, in which

c1) a first lane course (13) is calculated that shows the lanes prior to the lane change maneuver, particularly at the current position;

c2) a second lane course (14) is calculated that shows the lanes during the lane change maneuver, and

c3) a combination of the first and the second lane course is displayed in the schematic lane image (12).

2. The method according to claim 1, in which a third lane course is also calculated that shows the lanes after the lane change maneuver, wherein a combination of the first, the second and the third lane course is displayed in the schematic lane image (12).

3. The method according to claim 1, in which a fourth lane course (18) is also calculated that shows the lanes after a turning maneuver that follows the lane change maneuver, wherein a combination of the first, the second, the third and the fourth lane course is displayed in the schematic lane image (12).

4. The method according to claim 3, in which all roads that can be reached by means of the turning maneuver are displayed in the schematic lane image (12) together with the fourth lane course (18).

5. The method according to claim 1, in which a maneuvering lane course (15) is calculated that shows the path to be driven during the lane change maneuver, wherein the maneuvering lane course (15) is displayed in the schematic lane images (12) together with the first, the second and the third lane courses.

6. The method according to claim 5, in which the maneuvering lane course (15) displayed in the schematic lane image (12) is illustrated in an optically highlighted fashion.

7. The method according to claim 1, in which at least two maneuvering lane courses (15) that represent alternative paths (16) along the route are displayed in a schematic lane image.

8. The method according to claim 1, in which at least one maneuvering lane course of at least two maneuvering lane courses that represent alternative paths along the route is displayed in an optically highlighted fashion and/or is exclusively displayed in a schematic lane image, wherein this at least one maneuvering lane course to be displayed is selected in dependence on an ensuing lane maneuver.

9. The method according to claim 1, in which structurally separated lanes are displayed in an optically separated fashion in the display of the lane courses.

10. The method according to claim 1, in which the schematic lane image (12) is displayed on the display unit of the navigation device in the form of a schematic illustration of the traffic situation, particularly intersection situations.

11. The method according to claim 1, in which the schematic lane image (12) is displayed on the display unit of the navigation device parallel to other image contents, particularly schematic map illustrations.

12. The method according to claim 1, in which the schematic lane image (12) is drawn into the map section to be illustrated and is displayed on the display unit of the navigation device.

13. The method according to claim 1, in which only the schematic lane image (12) is displayed on the display unit of the navigation device.

14. The method according to claim 1, in which schematic lane images (12) are displayed while the navigation function of the navigation device is deactivated, wherein no maneuvering lane course (15) is displayed in the schematic lane image (12), and wherein all lane courses within a certain distance from the current position are displayed in the schematic lane image (12).

15. The method according to claim 1, in which the schematic lane image (12) is calculated by analyzing data sets of digital road maps.

16. The method according to claim 1, in which the digital memory card format used for generating the schematic lane images (12) is optimized by means of pre-processing steps in such a way that the calculated information on the lane course is already contained in the memory card format and can be directly read out.