NAVIGATION APPLICATION

• US 20130345959A1
• Filed: 09/30/2012
• Published: 12/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: van Os, Marcel, Blumenberg, Christopher, Vulcano, Emanuele, Moore, Bradford A., Pylappan, Seejo K.
• Granted Patent: US 9,182,243 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/408
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• 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 21/3632 Guidance using simplified or iconic instructions, e.g. using arrows G01C21/365 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3635 Guidance using 3D or perspective road maps
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3638 including 3D objects and buildings three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects G06T17/00; geographic models G06T17/05
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096861 where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096866 where the complete route is shown to the driver
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/00 Maps; Plans; Charts; Diagrams, e.g. route diagram star maps G09B27/04; devices for holding or supporting maps A47B97/02; for computing purposes G06G1/14, G09B1/16; display boards G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a navigation application that presents a novel navigation presentation on a device. The application identifies a location of the device, and identifies a style of road signs associated with the identified location of the device. The application then generates navigation instructions in form of road signs that match the identified style. To generate the road sign, the application in some embodiments identifies a road sign template image for the identified style, and generates the road sign by compositing the identified road sign template with at least one of text instruction and graphical instruction. In some embodiments, the road sign is generated as a composite textured image that has a texture and a look associated with the road signs at the identified location.

Claims

1. A machine readable medium storing a navigation program for execution by at least one processing unit of a device, the program comprising sets of instructions for:

identifying a location of the device;

identifying a style of road signs associated with the identified location of the device;

generating navigation instructions in form of road signs that match the identified style.

2. The machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions for generating navigation instructions comprises sets of instructions for:

identifying a road sign template image for the identified style;

for each of a plurality of navigation instructions, compositing the identified road sign template with at least one of text instruction and graphical instruction to generate a composite road sign instruction.

3. The machine readable medium of claim 2, wherein the set of instructions for compositing comprises a set of instructions for generating a composite textured image that has a texture and a look associated with the road signs at the identified location.

4. The machine readable medium of claim 2, wherein the text instruction specifies a maneuver at a junction along a navigated route, while the graphical instruction comprises a direction indicator that pictorially illustrates the maneuver at the junction.

5. The machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the program further comprises sets of instructions for:

presenting a particular road sign with a first appearance for a duration of time;

modifying the appearance of the particular road sign after the duration of time to draw attention to the road sign.

6. The machine readable medium of claim 5, wherein the set of instructions for modifying the appearance of the road sign comprises a set of instructions for modifying the appearance of the particular road sign for another duration of time before returning to the presentation of the particular road sign with the first appearance.

7. The machine readable medium of claim 5, wherein the set of instructions for modifying the appearance of the particular road sign comprises a set of instructions for producing a lighting effect that makes part or all of the particular road sign glow.

8. The machine readable medium of claim 7, wherein the set of instructions for producing the lighting effect comprises a set of instructions for projecting light that passes across the particular road sign.

9. The machine readable medium of claim 7 wherein the lighting effect brightens a sequence of contiguous segments of the particular road sign in order to generate an effect of a light source spanning across the particular road sign.

10. A machine readable medium storing a navigation program for execution by at least one processing unit of a device, the program comprising sets of instructions for:

identifying two successive maneuvers that are close to each other along a navigated route;

presenting concurrently two road signs to describe the two maneuvers.

11. The machine readable medium of claim 10, wherein the set of instructions for presenting the two road signs comprises sets of instructions for:

generating a first road sign having a surface over which navigation instructions for a first maneuver are placed;

generating a second road sign having a surface over which navigation instructions for a second maneuver are placed;

presenting the first and second road signs concurrently.

12. The machine readable medium of claim 11, wherein each navigation instructions include at least one of a text instruction and a graphical instruction.

13. The machine readable medium of claim 11, wherein the second road sign is smaller than the first road sign.

14. The machine readable medium of claim 13, wherein the program further comprises sets of instructions for removing the first road sign after the device passes the navigation maneuver associated with the first road sign;

replacing the second road sign with a larger third road sign that describes the second maneuver.

15. A method of generating a navigation presentation, the method comprising:

identifying a location of the device;

identifying a style of road signs associated with the identified location of the device; and

generating navigation instructions in form of road signs that match the identified style.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein generating navigation instructions comprises:

identifying a road sign template image for the identified style;

for each of a plurality of navigation instructions, compositing the identified road sign template with at least one of text instruction and graphical instruction to generate a composite road sign instruction.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein compositing comprises generating a composite textured image that has a texture and a look associated with the road signs at the identified location.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

presenting a particular road sign with a first appearance for a duration of time; and

modifying the appearance of the particular road sign after the duration of time to draw attention to the road sign.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein modifying the appearance of the road sign comprises modifying the appearance of the particular road sign for another duration of time before returning to the presentation of the particular road sign with the first appearance.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein modifying the appearance of the particular road sign comprises producing a lighting effect that makes part or all of the particular road sign glow.