NAVIGATION DEVICE AND METHOD OF UPDATING THEREFOR

• US 20110060519A1
• Filed: 04/16/2009
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: TomTom International BV (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: TomTom International BV (TomTom NV)
• Inventors: Hunter, Raymond
• Application Number:
  US12/736,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20110060519A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/25 involving aiding data received from a cooperating element, e.g. assisted GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096816 where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09685 where the complete route is computed only once and not updated
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]

Abstract

A navigation device is capable of a first level of operation and a second level of operation. In at least one embodiment, the device includes a processing resource arranged to support, when in use, an operational environment. The device also includes a data store operably coupled to the processing resource and arranged to store updatable data useable by the operational environment. The device further includes a communications network interface for supporting connectivity with a subscription-free communications network. The first level of operation consumes less power than the second level of operation, and the processing resource supports an activation module arranged to cause a transition from the first level of operation to the second level of operation. The processing resource is also arranged to use the communications network interface following the transition to the second level of operation in order to download data.

Claims

1. A navigation device capable of a first level of operation and a second level of operation, the device comprising:

a processing resource arranged to support, when in use, an operational environment;

a data store operably coupled to the processing resource and arranged to store updatable data useable by the operational environment; and

a communications network interface for supporting connectivity with a subscription-free communications network;

wherein the first level of operation consumes less power than the second level of operation;

the processing resource supports an activation module arranged to cause a transition from the first level of operation to the second level of operation; and

the processing resource is arranged to use the communications network interface following the transition to the second level of operation in order to download data.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing resource is arranged to use at least part of the downloaded data to update at least part of the updatable data.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first level of operation is a dormant state.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second level of operation is an active state.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the subscription-free communications network is capable of supporting communication via another communications network, the download of the data being via both the subscription-free communications network and the another communications network.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the another communications network is subscription based.

7. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communications network interface is a wireless local area network communications interface.

8. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the updatable data is dynamic data.

9. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the updatable data comprises calibration data.

10. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least part of the updatable data relates to traffic data.

11. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the updatable data comprises map data.

12. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communications network interface is used in response to the transition to the second level of operation.

13. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the activation module is arranged to cause the transition at a predetermined time.

14. A device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the processing resource is arranged to learn an activation time during a day or night when a user causes the navigation device to transition from the first level of operation to the second level of operation.

15. A device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the processing resource is arranged to observe a plurality of times when the transition caused by the user takes place and to calculate the activation time from the plurality of times observed.

16. A device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the plurality of times is averaged in order to yield the activation time.

17. A device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the predetermined time is determined to precede the activation time by a pre-activation time period.

18. A device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the processing resource is arranged to determine the size of the data to be downloaded and use the size of the data to be downloaded to determine whether sufficient time remains before the activation time in order to download the data.

19. A device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the data to be downloaded comprises separately downloadable parts, the processing resource being arranged to at least one of prioritise download of the separately downloadable parts and defer download of a downloadable part of the separately downloadable parts in response to insufficient time being available to download all the separately downloadable parts before the activation time.

20. A device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the processing resource is arranged to determine the size of the data to be downloaded and use the size of the data to be downloaded to determine the pre-activation time period.

21. A device as claimed in claim 20, wherein the processing resource is arranged to determine the pre-activation time period using the determined size of the data to be downloaded and knowledge of an obtainable download speed.

22. A communications system comprising:

a navigation device as claimed in claim 1;

a first communications network capable of communicating with the navigation device;

a second communications network operably coupled to the first communications network and capable of passing communications between the navigation device and a remote source of data;

wherein the first communications network is subscription-free.

26. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first level of operation is a dormant state.

27. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second level of operation is an active state.

28. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing resource is arranged to learn an activation time during a day or night when a user causes the navigation device to transition from the first level of operation to the second level of operation.

23. A method of updating a navigation device capable of a first level of operation and a second level of operation, the method comprising:

supporting an operational environment;

storing updatable data in a data store useable by the operational environment;

providing a communications network interface for supporting connectivity with a subscription-free communications network;

providing an activation module to cause a transition from the first level of operation to the second level of operation; and

using the communications network interface following the transition to the second level of operation in order to download data;

wherein the first level of operation consumes less power than the second level of operation.

24. A computer program element comprising computer program code segments to, when run on a computer, make the computer execute the method as claimed in claim 23.

25. A computer program element as claimed in claim 24, embodied on a computer readable medium.