TECHNIQUE FOR SIGNALLING TELEPHONE CALLS DURING A ROUTE GUIDANCE

• US 20120214457A1
• Filed: 08/17/2011
• Published: 08/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elektrobit Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Elektrobit Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Iaccarino, Silvio
• Granted Patent: US 9,638,527 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/417
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3655 Timing of guidance instructions

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a technique for controlling the signalling of incoming telephone calls during a route guidance by means of a navigation device. A method aspect includes the steps of detecting an incoming telephone call, determining a distance to a forthcoming manoeuvre instruction or route reference point on a predetermined route in response to the detected telephone call, and delaying the incoming telephone call until a manoeuvre instruction has been output if the determined distance to the forthcoming manoeuvre instruction or route reference point falls short of a predetermined threshold value.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a signalling of incoming telephone calls during a route guidance, comprising the following steps:

detecting an incoming telephone call;

determining a distance to a forthcoming route reference point or to an output of a forthcoming manoeuvre instruction on a predetermined route in response to the detected telephone call; and

delaying the signalling of the incoming telephone call until a manoeuvre instruction has been output if the determined distance to the forthcoming route reference point or to the output of the forthcoming manoeuvre instruction falls short of a predetermined first threshold value, wherein the manoeuvre instruction that is output comprises a modified instruction in the form of an abbreviated instruction with respect to an originally intended manoeuvre instruction.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the incoming telephone call generally includes a message of a telecommunications service.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining a local rerouting for the predetermined route if the distance to the forthcoming route reference point or to the output of the forthcoming manoeuvre instruction falls short of a predetermined second threshold value.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the local rerouting is terminated and a driver is guided back onto the predetermined route when the telephone call has been concluded.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the determination of the rerouting depends on a type of road on which the vehicle is located.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the manoeuvre instruction that is output includes instructions relating to the local rerouting.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining a distance between the forthcoming route reference point and at least one following route reference point.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the at least one route reference point following the forthcoming route reference point is included into the manoeuvre instruction that is output.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising determining a local rerouting if the distance between the forthcoming route reference point and the at least one following route reference point falls short of a predetermined third threshold value.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the local rerouting is terminated and a driver is guided back onto the predetermined route when the telephone call has been concluded.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the determination of the rerouting depends on a type of road on which the vehicle is located.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the manoeuvre instruction that is output includes instructions relating to the local rerouting.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first, second and/or third threshold value is a time threshold value and the determined distance is a time interval.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the time interval is estimated from a current driving speed and a determined spatial distance to the forthcoming route reference point, to the route reference point following said forthcoming route reference point, or to the output of the forthcoming manoeuvre instruction.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the manoeuvre instruction that is output depends on the distance to the forthcoming route reference point or to the output of the forthcoming manoeuvre instruction.

16. A computer-program product with program code for implementing the method according to claim 1 when the computer-program product is executed on a computer device.

17. The computer-program product according to claim 16, which is stored on a computer-readable recording medium.

18. An apparatus for controlling a signalling of incoming telephone calls during a route guidance, comprising:

a device for detecting an incoming telephone call;

a device for determining a distance to a forthcoming route reference point or to an output of a forthcoming manoeuvre instruction on a predetermined route in response to the detected telephone call;

a delay device that has been set up to delay the signalling of the incoming telephone call until a manoeuvre instruction has been output if the determined distance to the forthcoming route reference point or to the output of the forthcoming manoeuvre instruction falls short of a predetermined first threshold value; and

a device for modifying a manoeuvre instruction, the modified manoeuvre instruction corresponding to an instruction that has been abbreviated with respect to an originally intended manoeuvre instruction.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further including a device for determining a local rerouting, which has been set up to calculate a local rerouting for the predetermined route if the distance (d, t) to the forthcoming route reference point or to the output of a forthcoming manoeuvre instruction falls short of a predetermined second threshold value or the distance between the forthcoming route reference point and a following route reference point falls short of a third threshold value.

20. A navigation device including the apparatus according to claim 18.