NAVIGATION DEVICE, METHOD AND PROGRAM

• US 20110077850A1
• Filed: 07/23/2010
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: USHIDA, Koichi
• Application Number:
  US12/842,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20110077850A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3614 through interaction with a road map, e.g. selecting a POI icon on a road map
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

A navigation device includes a display unit, an operation detection unit, and an operation control unit. The display unit displays a map, at least a facility and a vicinity thereof on the map, and an icon. The operation detection unit detects a movement of the icon by a user. The operation control unit sets, when the map of the vicinity of the facility is displayed on the display unit, a predetermined area around a position of the facility as a lead-in area. The operation control unit also executes, when the icon is moved, a function of the icon with respect to the position of the facility if a post-movement position of the icon detected by the operation detection unit is within the lead-in area.

Claims

1. A navigation device, comprising:

a display unit for displaying a map, at least a facility and a vicinity thereof on the map, and an icon;

an operation detection unit for detecting a movement of the icon by a user; and

an operation control unit for

when the map of the vicinity of the facility is displayed on the display unit, setting a predetermined area around a position of the facility as a lead-in area, and

when the icon is moved, executing a function of the icon with respect to the position of the facility if a post-movement position of the icon detected by the operation detection unit is within the lead-in area.

2. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein

the operation control unit is configured for, when the icon is moved, executing the function of the icon with respect to the post-movement position of the icon if the post-movement position of the icon detected by the operation detection unit is outside the lead-in area.

3. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein

the icon is a destination icon to set the post-movement position of the icon as a destination, and

the operation control unit is configured for setting the position of the facility as the destination if the post-movement position of the destination icon is within the lead-in area.

4. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein:

the display unit has a touch panel unit;

the operation detection unit is configured for detecting a drag operation by the user based on an input from the touch panel unit; and

the operation control unit is configured for executing the function of the icon with respect to the position of the facility if the icon was subjected to the drag operation and moved to within the lead-in area.

5. The navigation device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a recording unit for recording map information and facility information; and

a facility search unit for searching the map and facility information for a desired facility based on the user'"'"'s input;

wherein the display unit is configured for

displaying a list of facilities returned by the facility search unit; and

upon user'"'"'s selection of the facility from said list, displaying the facility and the vicinity thereof on the map.

6. The navigation device according to claim 5, wherein:

the display unit is configured for displaying a further icon together with the list of facilities returned by the facility search unit;

the operation detection unit is configured for detecting a movement of the further icon onto a display item in said list, said display item corresponding to the facility selected by the user; and

the operation control unit is configured for executing a function of the further icon with respect to the position of the facility selected by the user upon detection by the operation detection unit that the further icon has been moved onto the display item corresponding to said facility.

7. The navigation device according to claim 6, wherein:

the further icon is a destination icon to set the post-movement position of the icon as a destination, and

the operation control unit is configured for, upon detection by the operation detection unit that the destination icon has been moved onto the display item corresponding to said facility,

causing the display unit to display the facility and the vicinity thereof on the map, and

setting the position of the facility as the destination.

8. The navigation device according to claim 6, wherein:

the further icon is a map display icon, and

the operation control unit is configured for, upon detection by the operation detection unit that the map display icon has been moved onto the display item corresponding to said facility, causing the display unit to display the facility and the vicinity thereof on the map.

9. A navigation device, comprising:

a recording unit for recording map information and facility information; and

a facility search unit for searching the map and facility information for a desired facility;

a display unit for displaying an icon and a list of facilities returned by the facility search unit;

an operation detection unit for detecting a movement of the icon by a user onto a display item in said list to select the facility corresponding to said display item; and

an operation control unit for executing a function of the icon with respect to a position of the facility selected by the user, upon detection by the operation detection unit that the icon has been moved onto the display item corresponding to said facility.

10. The navigation device according to claim 9, wherein

the icon is a destination icon to set a post-movement position of the icon as a destination, and

the operation control unit is configured for, upon detection by the operation detection unit that the destination icon has been moved onto the display item corresponding to said facility,

causing the display unit to display the facility and a vicinity thereof on the map, and

setting the position of the facility as the destination.

11. The navigation device according to claim 9, wherein:

the icon is a map display icon, and

the operation control unit is configured for, upon detection by the operation detection unit that the map display icon has been moved onto the display item corresponding to said facility, causing the display unit to display the facility and a vicinity thereof on the map.

12. The navigation device according to claim 11, wherein:

the operation control unit is configured for

causing the display unit to display, together with the map of the facility and the vicinity thereof, a further icon;

setting a predetermined area around the position of the facility as a lead-in area; and

upon detection by the operation detection unit that said further icon has been moved into the lead-in area, executing a function of said further icon with respect to the position of the facility.

13. The navigation device according to claim 12, wherein:

the operation control unit is configured for, when the further icon is moved, executing the function of the further icon with respect to a post-movement position of the further icon if the post-movement position of the further icon detected by the operation detection unit is outside the lead-in area.

14. A navigation method, comprising the steps of.

searching for a desired facility;

displaying, on a display unit, an icon together with a map of a vicinity of a search facility found in the searching step;

detecting a movement of the icon by a user; and

when the map of the vicinity of the search facility is displayed on the display unit, setting a predetermined area around a position of the search facility as a lead-in area, and

when the icon is moved, executing a function of the icon with respect to the position of the search facility if a post-movement position of the icon detected in the detecting step is within the lead-in area.

15. The navigation method according to claim 14, further comprising

when the icon is moved, executing the function of the icon with respect to the post-movement position of the icon if the post-movement position of the icon detected in the detecting step is outside the lead-in area.

16. The navigation method according to claim 14, further comprising

displaying, on the display unit, a list of facilities returned by the searching step;

and

upon user'"'"'s selection of the facility from said list, displaying the facility and the vicinity thereof on the map.

17. The navigation method according to claim 16, further comprising

displaying a further icon together with the list of facilities returned by the searching step;

detecting a movement of the further icon onto a display item in said list, said display item corresponding to the facility selected by the user; and

executing a function of the further icon with respect to the position of the facility selected by the user upon detection that the further icon has been moved onto the display item corresponding to said facility.

18. A computer-readable medium containing a program for causing, when executed by a computer, which comprises a recording unit that records map information and facility information and a display unit, the computer to execute the method of claim 14.