Autoscaling of recommended route

• US 6,574,551 B1
• Filed: 06/19/1998
• Issued: 06/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Didi (HK) Science and Technology Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Magellan DIS, Inc.
• Inventors: Millington, Jeffrey A., Maxwell, Kenneth G.
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US09/099,963
• Time in Patent Office: 1,810 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/201, 701/207, 701/208, 701/211, 701/212, 701/214, 701/209, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995, 731/78.R
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker

Abstract

A navigation system is used to assist a user in proceeding from a current location to a desired destination. The navigation system includes a processor for storing a database of roads and a system for determining the current position of a vehicle in relation to the database. A user can select a desired destination in the database by using an input device which sends the selection to the processor. The navigation system determines a route to the selected destination. An output device displays the route and the vehicle'"'"'s current position by automatically scaling the display to include the route and the current position.

Claims

1. A navigation system comprising:

a database of roads;

a system for determining a position of the navigation system relative to the database;

a system for determining a route to a destination in said database;

a display for displaying said route and said position, said display automatically scaling said display to include said route and said position when said position is not on said route; and

means for determining a distance from said position to said route wherein said display displays said distance when said position is not on said route.

2. A navigation system of claim 1 wherein said position includes at least a first position and a second position, said system for determining said route based on said first position and said display being automatically scaled to display said route and said second position, said first position being different than said second position.

3. A navigation system of claim 2 wherein said first position is a location of a vehicle when said destination is selected and said second position is a location of the vehicle when said system for determining said route has completed determining said route to said destination.

4. A navigation system of claim 2 further wherein said second position is not on said route.

5. The navigation system of claim 1 wherein the means for determining a distance determines the distance from the position to a nearest point on the route.

6. A navigation system comprising:

a database of roads;

a system for determining a position of the navigation system relative to the database;

a system for determining a route to a destination in said database;

a display for displaying said route and said position, said display automatically scaling said display to include said route and said position wherein said position includes at least a first position comprising a location of a vehicle when said destination is selected and a second position comprising a location of the vehicle when said system for determining said route has completed determining said route to said destination and wherein said system for determining said route is based on said first position and said display is automatically scaled to display said route and said second position, said first position being different than said second position, and wherein said second position is not on said route; and

means for determining a distance from said second position to said route wherein said display displays said distance.

7. The navigation system of claim 6 wherein the means for determining a distance determines the distance from the second position to a nearest point on the route.

8. A method for automatically scaling a display for a navigation system including the steps of:

(a) determining a first position of the display relative to a database of roads;

(b) selecting a destination in the database;

(c) calculating a route to the destination in the database;

(d) calculating a map scale including said route and said first position when the first position is not on said route;

(e) displaying said route and said first position based on said map scale when said first position is not on said route; and

(f) determining a distance from said route to said first position and displaying said distance.

9. The method of claim 8 further including the step of determining a second position relative to the database wherein said first position is different than said second position such that said first position corresponds to a first location of a vehicle when the destination is selected and said second position corresponds to a second location of the vehicle once said route has been calculated.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said step (f) includes the step of determining the distance between the first position and a nearest point on the route.

11. A method for automatically scaling a display for a navigation system including the steps of:

(a) determining a first position of the display relative to a database of roads;

(b) selecting a destination in the database;

(c) calculating a route to the destination in the database;

(d) calculating a map scale including said route and said first position;

(e) determining a second position relative to the database wherein said first position is different than said second position such that said first position corresponds to a first location of a vehicle when the destination is selected and said second position corresponds to a second location of the vehicle once said route has been calculated;

(f) determining said route based on said first position and calculating said map scale based on said second position;

(g) displaying said route and said second position based on said map scale.

12. The method of claim 11 further including the step of displaying said route and said second position based on said map scale.

13. The method of claim 11 further including the step of determining a distance from said route to said second position and displaying said distance.

14. The method of claim 11 further including the steps of:

(h) displaying at a first map scale prior to said step (g), and

(i) displaying at a second map scale different from said first map scale during said step (g).

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the second position is not on the route.

16. A navigation system comprising:

an input device for selecting a desired destination;

a processor for storing a database of roads and for receiving input from said input device;

a system for determining a first position of the navigation system relative to the database;

a system for calculating a route to the desired destination in the database;

means for calculating a map scale that includes said route and said first position when said first position is not on said route;

an output device for displaying said route and said first position when said first position is not on said route, said output device being automatically scaled to display said route and said first position simultaneously; and

means for determining a distance from said first position to said route, said distance being displayed via said output device with said route and said first position.

17. A navigation system of claim 16 further including means for determining a second position relative to the database wherein said first position is different than said second position such that said first position corresponds to a first location of a vehicle when the destination is selected and said second position corresponds to a second location of the vehicle once said route has been calculated.

18. A method for automatically scaling a display for a navigation system including the steps of:

determining a first position of the navigation system relative to a database of roads;

calculating a route in the database;

calculating a second position of the navigation system relative to the database of roads, subsequent to the first position;

determining a map scale which would ensure that the route and first position can both be displayed simultaneously;

changing the map scale to ensure that the route and second position can both be displayed simultaneously; and

displaying said route and said second position based on said map scale.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the second position is not on the route.

20. A navigation system comprising:

an input device for selecting a desired destination;

a processor for storing a database of roads and for receiving input from said input device;

a system for determining a first position of the navigation system relative to the database;

a system for calculating a route to the desired destination in the database;

means for determining a second position relative to the database wherein said first position is different than said second position such that said first position corresponds to a first location of a vehicle when the destination is selected and said second position corresponds to a second location of the vehicle once said route has been calculated;

an output device for displaying said route and said second position, said output device being automatically scaled to display said route and said second position simultaneously wherein said system for calculating said route calculates said route based on said first position and said output device is automatically scaled to display said route and said second position.

21. A navigation system of claim 20 further including means for calculating a map scale that includes said route and said second position.

22. A navigation system of claim 21 further including means for determining a distance from said second position to said route, said distance being displayed via said output device with said route and said second position.

23. The navigation system of claim 20 wherein the second position is not on the route.