Display method and apparatus for navigation system

• US 6,484,094 B1
• Filed: 02/19/2002
• Issued: 11/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wako, Hikaru
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US10/078,131
• Time in Patent Office: 273 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701/207, 701/208, 701/209, 701/211, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• 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

Abstract

A display method and apparatus for navigation system for specifying the destination easily and quickly. The navigation system is designed to enable a user to quickly select a POI (Point of Interest) through a set of POIs specially made by a user or by the system. The navigation system includes a “Favorite POI” menu created based on user'"'"'s preference or frequency of use and/or “Last POI” created based on most recent use. The user can directly select a POI through the “Favorite POI” or “Last POI”. Since this process does not require a long list of category and sub-category or page scrolling, the user can easily and quickly select the destination.

Claims

1. A display method for a navigation system, comprising the following steps of:

forming a set of points of interest (POI) listing a predetermined number of POIs (Favorite POI) selected based on user'"'"'s preference or automatically by the navigation system based on a predetermined rule;

displaying a list of destination input methods and selecting a “

Point of Interest”

menu;

displaying a “

Point of Interest”

screen for selecting a method of searching a point of interest wherein the “

Point of Interest”

screen includes a “

Favorite POI”

menu;

selecting the “

Favorite POI”

menu and displaying the list of predetermined number of “

Favorite POI”

for selecting a category of POI; and

selecting one of the categories of POI in the “

Favorite POI” and

specifying a destination in the selected category of the “

Favorite POI”

.

2. A display method for a navigation system as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said POIs in said list of said “

Favorite POI”

indicates at least one category of the selected POI.

3. A display method for a navigation system as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said POIs in said list of said “

Favorite POI”

indicates a category and one or more lower layers of category of the selected POI.

4. A display method for a navigation system as defined in claim 1, wherein said predetermined rule for automatically forming said list of “

Favorite POI”

by the navigation system is an order of frequent use of same POI or an order of recent use of POIs.

5. A display method for a navigation system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a step of confirming the selected destination by displaying detailed information on the selected destination.

6. A display method for a navigation system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a step of determining an appropriate route to the selected destination and displaying a route guidance screen for guiding a user to reach the selected destination.

7. A display method for a navigation system as defined in claim 1, wherein said step of forming the “

Favorite POI”

includes a step of selecting a category or a combination of a category and one or more lower layers of category of POI preferred by a user through a system setup process provided in the navigation system.

8. A display method for a navigation system, comprising the following steps of:

forming a set of points of interest (POI) listing a predetermined number of POIs (Last POI) selected automatically by the navigation system based on an order of recent use of POIs;

displaying a list of destination input methods and selecting a “

Point of Interest”

menu;

displaying a “

Point of Interest”

screen for selecting a method of searching a point of interest wherein the “

Point of Interest”

screen includes a “

Last POI”

menu;

selecting the “

Last POI”

menu and displaying a list of the predetermined number of “

Last POI”

for selecting a category of POI; and

selecting one of the categories of POI in the “

Last POI” and

specifying a destination in the selected category of the “

Last POI”

.

9. A display method for a navigation system as defined in claim 8, wherein each of said POIs in said list of said “

Last POI”

indicates at least one category of the selected POI.

10. A display method for a navigation system as defined in claim 8, wherein each of said POIs in said list of said “

Last POI”

indicates a category or a combination of a category and one or more lower layers of category of the selected POI.

11. A display method for a navigation system as defined in claim 8, further comprising a step of confirming the selected destination by displaying detailed information on the selected destination.

12. A display method for a navigation system as defined in claim 8, further comprising a step of determining an appropriate route to the selected destination and displaying a route guidance screen for guiding a user to reach the selected destination.

13. A display method for a navigation system as defined in claim 8, wherein said step of forming the “

Favorite POI”

includes a step of selecting a category and a sub-category of POI preferred by a user through a system setup process provided in the navigation system.

14. A display apparatus for a navigation system, comprising:

means for forming a set of points of interest (POI) listing a predetermined number of POIs (Favorite POI) selected based on user'"'"'s preference or automatically by the navigation system based on a predetermined rule;

means for displaying a list of destination input methods and selecting a “

Point of Interest”

menu;

means for displaying a “

Point of Interest”

screen for selecting a method of searching a point of interest wherein the “

Point of Interest”

screen includes a “

Favorite POI”

menu;

means for selecting the “

Favorite POI”

menu and displaying the list of predetermined number of “

Favorite POI”

for selecting a category of POI; and

means for selecting one of the categories of POI in the “

Favorite POI” and

specifying a destination in the selected category of the “

Favorite POI”

.

15. A display apparatus for a navigation system as defined in claim 14, wherein each of said POIs in said “

Favorite POI”

list indicates a category or a combination of a category and one or more lower layers of the selected POI.

16. A display apparatus for a navigation system as defined in claim 14, wherein said predetermined rule for automatically forming said list of “

Favorite POI”

by the navigation system is an order of frequent use of same POI or an order of recent use of POIs.

17. A display apparatus for a navigation system as defined in claim 14, wherein said list of predetermined number of POI is automatically determined based on an order of most recently used POIs (“

Last POI”

) by the navigation system.

18. A display apparatus for a navigation system as defined in claim 14, further comprising means for confirming the selected destination by displaying detailed information on the selected destination.

19. A display apparatus for a navigation system as defined in claim 14, further comprising means for determining an appropriate route to the selected destination and displaying a route guidance screen for guiding a user to reach the selected destination.

20. A display apparatus for a navigation system as defined in claim 14, said means for forming the “

Favorite POI”

includes means for selecting a category and a sub-category of POI preferred by a user through a system setup process provided in the navigation system.