Apparatus and method for generating sketch map information in portable terminal

• US 20110137550A1
• Filed: 12/03/2010
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Woo-Jun
• Granted Patent: US 8,571,788 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3893 Transmission of map data from distributed sources, e.g. from roadside stations

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus and method for generating a sketch map in a portable terminal. The apparatus includes a sketch map generating unit. The sketch map generating unit collects information about route points of the portable terminal by using location information, generates a sketch map message including the route information, and shares the generated sketch map message with another user.

Claims

1. An apparatus for generating a sketch map in a portable terminal, comprising:

a sketch map generating unit configured to collect information about route points of the portable terminal by using location information, generate a sketch map message including the route information, and share the generated sketch map message with another user.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein if the portable terminal is located within a range of a region for which the sketch map message is to be generated, the sketch map generating unit detects location information at regular intervals, and if a current location detected by the portable terminal is not identical to a previous location, the sketch map generating unit stores the detected location information to collect information about route points of the portable terminal.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein if the current location of the portable terminal is identical to the previous location, the sketch map generating unit increases a same location information, and repeats detecting location information at the regular intervals until the same location information reaches a predetermined critical value.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein if the same location information is greater than the predetermined critical value, the sketch map generating unit determines that the portable terminal has reached a destination and stops the location information collecting operation.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein if a distance between the current location and the previous location of the portable terminal is greater than a predetermined distance, the sketch map generating unit determines that the portable terminal is not located at the previous location, and if the distance between the current location and the previous location of the portable terminal is not greater than the predetermined distance, the sketch map generating unit determines that the portable terminal is located at the previous location.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the sketch map generating unit determines a sketch map range corresponding to a route point display range by using the stored location information, detects the number of route points to be displayed within the sketch map range, and displays the detected number of route points.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the sketch map generating unit detects distances between prestored route points, and sets the sketch map range based on a largest vertical distance and a largest horizontal distance, among the detected distances between the prestored route points.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein in conjunction with a schedule function, the sketch map generating unit determines whether the portable terminal is located within a predetermined range of a scheduled place before a scheduled setting time, generates the sketch map message if the portable terminal is located within the predetermined range, and notifies the existence of a schedule if the portable terminal is not located within the predetermined range.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication unit configured to send and receive sketch map message with another terminal; and

a display unit configured to display a user interface; and

a control unit coupled to the communication unit and the display unit, the control unit configured to concurrently display the current location of the portable terminal and the route points included in a received sketch map message if the current location of the portable terminal corresponds to a region corresponding to a sketch map in the received sketch map message.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the control unit is further configured to display a notification that the current location of the portable terminal does not correspond to the region corresponding to the sketch map

11. A method for generating a sketch map in a portable terminal, comprising:

collecting information about route points of the portable terminal by using location information;

generating a sketch map message including the route information; and

sharing the generated sketch map message with another user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein collecting the information about route points of the portable terminal by using location information comprises:

detecting location information at regular intervals if the portable terminal is located within a range of a region for which the sketch map message is to be generated; and

storing the detected location information if a current location detected by the portable terminal is not identical to the previous location.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

increasing a same location information, if the current location of the portable terminal is identical to the previous location; and

detecting the location information at the regular intervals until the same location information reaches a predetermined critical value.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising, if the same location information is greater than the predetermined critical value:

determining that the portable terminal has reached the destination; and

stopping from detecting the location information.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein if there is more than a distance between the current location and the previous location of the portable terminal is greater than a predetermined distance, the current location of the portable terminal is determined to not be identical to the previous location, and if the distance between the current location and the previous location of the portable terminal is not greater than the predetermined distance, the current location of the portable terminal is determined to be identical to the previous location.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein collecting the information about the route points of the portable terminal by using location information further comprises:

determining a sketch map range corresponding to a route point display range by using the stored location information; and

detecting the number of route points to be displayed within the sketch map range and displaying the detected number of route points.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

detecting distances between prestored route points; and

setting the sketch map range based on a largest vertical distance and a largest horizontal distance among the detected distances between the prestored route points.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining, in conjunction with a schedule function, whether the portable terminal is located within a predetermined range of a scheduled place before a scheduled setting time;

generating the sketch map message if the portable terminal is located within the predetermined range; and

notifying the existence of a schedule if the portable terminal is not located within the predetermined range.

19. An apparatus for generating a sketch map in a portable terminal, comprising:

a satellite signal receiving module configured to receive a satellite signal;

a sketch map generating unit configured to detect a current location of the portable terminal by using the satellite signal and store the detected location of the portable terminal, detect information about a route to a destination, and generate a sketch map message including the route information; and

a control unit configured to share the generated sketch map message with another user.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the control unit is further configured to concurrently display the current location of the portable terminal and the route points included in a received sketch map message if the current location of the portable terminal corresponds to a region corresponding to a sketch map in the received sketch map message.