Mapless GPS navigation system with sortable destinations and zone preference

• US 5,964,821 A
• Filed: 10/21/1996
• Issued: 10/12/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ValueStreet Consulting Group
• Original Assignee: Delco Electronics Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Brunts, Randall T., Welk, Douglas Lynn
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US08/735,305
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/201, 701/208, 701/209, 701/210, 701/211, 701/213, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995, 342/457, 342/357
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3611 using character input or menus, e.g. menus of POIs character input methods in general G06F3/0233
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3632 Guidance using simplified or iconic instructions, e.g. using arrows G01C21/365 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/49 whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/017 Detecting state or type of motion

Abstract

A navigation system is provided for offering navigational assistance to a mobile user. The navigation system receives GPS position information signals which are processed to determine current position latitude and longitude coordinates and direction of travel. A destination database includes a plurality of categorized destinations and corresponding destination position coordinates pertaining to the destinations. The destination database is stored on an interfacable memory card and contains menu categories and subcategories for classifying the destinations and additional text information pertaining to the destinations. User selectable menu controls enable the user to sequence through the menu of categories and destinations and select a desired destination. This is easily accomplished by rotating a rotary pushbutton to view category and destination selections and depressing the rotary pushbutton to select the selection shown. A processor compares the current position coordinates with the position coordinates of the selected destination and determines a distance and a straight-line direction from the current position to the selected destination. The processor may also sort considered destinations by radial distance and within a limited search zone. A display displays the distance and a direction pointing indicator for showing the direction from the current position to the selected destination. In one embodiment, the navigation system is integrated with an audio entertainment system and shares a common display and housing.

Claims

1. A mapless navigation system with radially sortable destination selections, said navigation system comprising:

a position sensing receiver for receiving position information and determining a current position thereof;

a destination data base for storing a plurality of destinations and information pertaining to the destinations;

a user selectable hierarchy menu containing various categories of the destinations, said menu being manually selectable by a user to select one of said categories;

means for determining a distance and a direction from a location remote from the current position to the selected destination;

means for selecting a particular remote location;

a direction pointing indicator for providing a visual indication of the direction from the current position to the selected destination; and

means for sorting the destinations within the selected category by radial distance from a selected location remote from the current position to each of said sorted destinations.

2. The navigation system as defined in claim 1 wherein said sorted destinations of said selected category are arranged in order of increasing distance.

3. The navigation system as defined in claim 1 wherein said sorted destinations are displayed to a user for selection.

4. A method of navigating with a plurality of radially sortable destinations, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving position information with a GPS receiver and determining a current position thereof;

storing a plurality of destinations and destination information in a destination data base, each of said destinations being categorized as a predetermined type of destination;

selecting at least one of said categories from said destination data base;

means for selecting a location remote from the current position;

determining a distance from the selected location remote from the current position to each of the destinations within said selected category;

sorting the destinations of said selected category by increasing radial distance from the selected location to each of the destinations in said selected category;

arranging said sorted destinations in order of increasing distance so that a user may sequentially select a destination from the arranged sorted destinations; and

displaying the distance from the selected location to a selected destination.

5. The method as defined in claim 4 further comprising the steps of selecting another destination and displaying the distance and direction from said selected another destination.

6. A method of navigating with a plurality of radially sortable destinations, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving position information with a GPS receiver and determining a current position thereof;

storing a plurality of destinations and destination information in a destination database, each of said destinations being categorized as a predetermined type of destination;

selecting at least one of said categories from said destination database;

selecting destinations located within a limited angular window substantially centered about a direction of travel of the vehicle;

determining a distance from a selected location remote from the current position to each of the selected destinations within the selected category;

sorting the selected destinations located within said angular window by increasing distance from the selected location to each of the selected destinations within the angular window; and

displaying the distance from the selected location to one of said selected destinations.

7. A method of navigating with a plurality of radially sortable destinations, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving position information with a GPS receiver and determining a current position of the receiver;

storing a plurality of destinations and destination information in a destination database, each of said destinations being categorized as a predetermined type of destination;

selecting at least one of said categories from said destination database;

comparing each of the destinations of the selected category with search pattern criteria which defines a limited search zone;

determining which of the destinations of the selected category are located within the limited search zone;

determining a distance from a selected location remote from the current position to each of the destinations that are determined to be within the limited search zone wherein said limited search zone includes a limited angular window substantially centered about a direction of travel of the vehicle;

sorting the destinations which are determined to be located within the limited search zone by increasing distance from the selected location to each of the destinations determined to be within the limited search zone; and

displaying the sorted destinations.

8. The method as defined in claim 7 wherein said limited search zone further includes a limited area centered about the receiver.