APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING NAVIGATION FUNCTION IN PORTABLE TERMINAL

• US 20110191021A1
• Filed: 02/01/2011
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Min, Hyun-Suk, Jeong, Dae-Yeon
• Application Number:
  US13/018,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20110191021A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation

Abstract

An apparatus and a method provide a navigation function in a portable terminal that is located indoors. The apparatus and method improves indoor path deviation determination by using space information in a portable terminal. The apparatus includes a path determiner that determines a travel path of a user and a path deviation of the user based on information related to a space where the user is located.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing a navigation function in a portable terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a path determiner configured to determine a travel path of a user and a path deviation of the user based on information related to a space where the user is located.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the path determiner searches for the travel path to a destination, compares a next space along the travel path with the space where the user is located, determines that the user has not deviated from the travel path when determining that the space where the user is located coincides with the next space along the travel path, and determines that the user has deviated from the travel path when determining that the space where the user is located does not coincide to the next space along the travel path.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein, after determining that the user has deviated from the travel path:

when determining that the space where the user is located coincides with a previous space along the travel path, the path determiner guides the path to the destination using a space along the travel path that follows the previous space along the travel path, and

when determining that the space where the user is located does not coincide with any space along the travel path, the path determiner re-searches for a new travel path to the destination.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein, when determining that the space where the user is located coincides with the next space along the travel path, the path determiner determines that the user does not deviate from the travel path so as to determine the path deviation without regard to wide movements within the space.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the path determiner divides the travel path to the destination into spaces and removes the space passed by the user from an output screen.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information related to the space where the user moves comprises at least one of a space enclosed by walls in a building, a region subdivided from the space, and a link for entering the space.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the path determiner detects a movement when the user passes through a link between spaces.

8. A method for providing a navigation function in a portable terminal, the method comprising:

determining a travel path of a user, the travel path comprising a set of spaces; and

determining a path deviation of the user using information related to a space where the user is located.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the path deviation comprises:

determining a next space along the travel path;

comparing the next space along the travel path with the space where the user is located;

when determining that the space where the user is located coincides with the next space along the travel path, determining that the user has not deviated from the travel path; and

when determining that space where the user is located does not coincide with the next space along the travel path, determining that the user has deviated from the travel path.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

after determining that the user gets out of the path;

determining a space the user enters after deviating from the path,

determining whether the determined space coincides with a previous space along the travel path,

in response to determining that the determined space coincides with a previous space along the travel path, guiding the path to the destination using a space along the travel path that follows the previous space along the travel path, and

when determining that the determined space does not coincide with any space along the travel path, re-searching for a new travel path to the destination.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein determining whether the space where the user is located coincides with the next space along the travel path determines the path deviation without regard to wide movements within the space.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

dividing the travel path to the destination into spaces; and

making the space passed by the user disappear in an output screen.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the information related to the space where the user moves comprises at least one of a space enclosed by walls in a building, a region subdivided from the space, and a link for entering the space.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein determining a path deviation of the user comprises detecting a movement when the user passes through a link between spaces.

15. An apparatus for providing a navigation function in a portable terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a communication unit configured to receive search path information for an indoor navigation function;

a display unit configured to output a travel path according to the navigation function;

an input unit configured to input data for a destination of the travel path;

a memory unit configured to store map data for the indoor navigation function;

a space determiner configured to determine spaces belonging to a travel path to the destination of the user and determine a space where the user is located;

a path determiner configured to determine the travel path of the user and a path deviation of the user based on information related to the space where the user is located; and

a controller configured to process and provide path information for the user who moves indoors using the space information.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the path determiner determines whether the user deviates from the travel path by comparing a next space along the travel path determined by the space determiner with the space where the user is located.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein, the path determiner, after determining that the user has deviated from the travel path, determines whether the space where the user is located coincides with a previous space along the travel path,

wherein, when determining that the space where the user is located coincides with a previous space along the travel path, the path determiner guides the path to the destination using a space along the travel path that follows the previous space along the travel path, and

when determining that the space where the user is located does not coincide with any space along the travel path, the path determiner re-searches for a new travel path to the destination.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the controller divides the path to the destination of the user into spaces and removes the space passed by the user disappear from an output screen.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the information related to the space where the user moves comprises at least one of a space enclosed by walls in a building, a region subdivided from the space, and a link for entering the space.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the controller detects a movement when the user passes through a link between spaces.