ROUTE SELECTION EMPLOYING METRICS

• US 20120259541A1
• Filed: 04/11/2011
• Published: 10/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garmin Switzerland GmbH (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Garmin Switzerland GmbH (Garmin Limited)
• Inventors: Downey, David J., Lee, Choy Wai, Carlson, Kenneth A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,781,730 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/433
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map

Abstract

Techniques are described that may be implemented in a mobile electronic device providing navigation functionality to facilitate selection of a route to a destination from multiple route options. In one or more implementations, route selection information is displayed on a display of the mobile electronic device to facilitate selection of a route to a destination. The route selection information describes one or more routes to the destination and includes one or more metrics, associated with each route, that identify a characteristic of the route (e.g., a difficulty rating, topography, total climb distance, number of turns, and so on). A map may then be displayed on the display to furnish navigation information for the selected route to facilitate navigation to the destination.

Claims

1. A mobile electronic device comprising:

a display;

an input device;

a memory operable to store one or more modules; and

a processing system operable to execute the one or more modules to;

cause route selection information to be displayed on the display, the route selection information describing two or more routes to a destination and a topographic characteristic for each of the routes;

receive a selection via the input device, the selection including a selected route chosen from the two or more routes; and

cause a map to be displayed on the display, the map configured to furnish navigation information for the selected route to facilitate navigation to the destination.

2. The mobile electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the route selection information further comprises at least one of an estimated travel time to the destination and a distance to the destination for each of the routes.

3. The mobile electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the processing system is further operable to calculate a level of difficulty encountered while navigating each of the routes and cause the difficulty levels to be displayed on the display.

4. The mobile electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the processing system is operable to cause an elevation profile for each route to be displayed graphically adjacent the corresponding route.

5. The mobile electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the routes are simultaneously displayed on the display in an overlay configuration.

6. The mobile electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the routes are displayed on separate screens, the display operable to facilitate scrolling of the screens to cause the routes to be sequentially displayed.

7. The mobile electronic device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a position-determining module operable to receive satellite navigation signals and determine a geographic position of the mobile electronic device using the received satellite navigation signals, the module configured to use the determined geographic position to generate the routes to the destination and to locate a position of the mobile electronic device on the map.

8. A mobile electronic device comprising:

a memory configured to store map data;

a display configured to display information to a user of the mobile electronic device;

an input device configured to receive an input from the user of the mobile electronic device;

a position-determining module operable to receive satellite navigation signals and determine a geographic position of the portable electronic device using the received satellite navigation signals; and

a processing system operable to execute at least one module to;

generate two or more routes to a destination from the determined geographic position using the map data, each of the routes including an elevation profile for the route;

cause route selection information to be displayed on the display, the route selection information including a graphical display of the routes, the graphical display including topographic information describing the elevation profile of the route;

receive a selection via the input device, the selection including a selected route chosen from the routes; and

cause a map to be displayed on the display, the map configured to furnish navigation information for the selected route to facilitate navigation to the destination.

9. The mobile electronic device as recited in claim 8, wherein the topographic information is displayed graphically adjacent to the route.

10. The mobile electronic device as recited in claim 8, wherein the routes are simultaneously displayed on the display in an overlay configuration.

11. The mobile electronic device as recited in claim 8, wherein the routes are displayed on separate screens, the display operable to facilitate scrolling of the screens to cause the routes to be sequentially displayed.

12. The mobile electronic device as recited in claim 8, wherein the route selection information further comprises a difficulty rating associated with each of the routes, the difficulty rating calculated to describe a level of difficulty encountered while navigating the route.

13. A method comprising:

causing route selection information to be displayed on a display of a mobile electronic device, the route selection information describing two or more routes to a destination and a topographic characteristic for each of the routes;

receiving a selection via an input device of the mobile electronic device, the selection including a selected route chosen from the routes; and

causing a map to be displayed on the display, the map configured to furnish navigation information for the selected route to facilitate navigation to the destination.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the route selection information further comprises at least one of an estimated travel time to the destination and a distance to the destination for each of the routes.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, further including calculating and displaying a difficulty rating associated with each route, the difficulty rating calculated to describe a level of difficulty encountered while navigating the route.

16. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the topographic information comprises an elevation profile of each of the routes, the elevation profile displayed graphically adjacent each of the displayed routes.

17. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the routes are simultaneously displayed on the display in an overlay configuration.

18. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein each of the routes is displayed on separate screens that are scrollable to cause the routes to be sequentially displayed.