ROUTE PREVIEW

• US 20110112750A1
• Filed: 10/07/2008
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TomTom Navigation B.V (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: TomTom Navigation B.V (TomTom NV)
• Inventors: Lukassen, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,157,759 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map

Abstract

A navigation device includes: a route calculation module operable to calculate a route from a start location to a destination location; a rendering module configured to use digital map data to generate images of the route for display to a user; and a route preview module operable to provide the user with a preview of the calculated route. In at least one embodiment, the route preview module is operable to divide the calculated route into junction segments and road segments, and is configured to control the rendering module to display images representative of locations within the road segments at a higher display speed than images representative of locations within the junction segments.

Claims

1. A navigation device comprising:

a route calculation module operable to calculate a route from a start location to a destination location;

a rendering module configured to use digital map data to generate images of said route for display to a user; and

a route preview module operable to provide the user with a preview of the calculated route, wherein;

the route preview module is operable to divide said calculated route into junction segments and road segments, and is configured to control said rendering module to display images representative of locations within said road segments at a higher display speed than images representative of locations within said junction segments.

2. A navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said route preview module includes a route divider module configured to divide a calculated route into road segments and junction segments.

3. A navigation device according to claim 2, wherein the route preview module comprises a distance calculator module configured to calculate a distance for each said road segment.

4. A navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the route preview module is configured to vary the display speed of successive road segments.

5. A navigation device according to claim 3, wherein said route preview module is configured to vary the display speed of successive road segments in accordance with calculated road segment distances.

6. A navigation device according to claim 5, wherein said route preview module comprises a display speed module configured to calculate a display speed for road segments according to calculated road segment distances.

7. A navigation device according to claim 6, wherein said display speed module is configured to linearly increase the display speed of road segments with increase road segment distance.

8. A navigation device according to claim 6, wherein said display speed module is configured to control said rendering module to cull images for rendering in the event that a calculated display speed for a road segment exceeds a maximum display speed for a processor of said navigation device.

9. A navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said route preview module is configured to control said rendering module to gradually increase the display speed in the region of a transition between a junction segment and a road segment, and to gradually decrease the display speed in the region of a transition between a road segment and a junction segment.

10. A navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the route preview module is controllable to cause said rendering module to generate images representative of locations within junction segments.

11. A navigation device according to claim 10, wherein said rendering module is configured to implement video processing techniques to smooth transitions from one displayed junction segment to another.

12. A method of operating a navigation device comprising:

controlling a route calculation module to calculate a route from a start location to a destination location;

controlling a rendering module to use digital map data to generate images of said route for display to a user;

controlling a route preview module to provide the user with a preview of the calculated route; and

dividing said calculated route into junction segments and road segments, and controlling said rendering module to display images representative of locations within said road segments at a higher display speed than images representative of locations within said junction segments.

13. A method according to claim 12, comprising the step of varying the display speed of successive road segments.

14. A method according to claim 13, comprising the step of calculating the distance of road segments.

15. A method according to claim 13, comprising the step of varying the display speed of road segments in accordance with calculated road segment distances.

16. A computer program comprising one or more computer program modules configured, when executed by a processor resource, to cause the processor resource to implement a method as defined in claim 12.

17. A computer program as claimed in claim 16, embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium.