Display method and apparatus of navigation system

• US 6,687,613 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2001
• Issued: 02/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yokota, Tatsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THU V
• Application Number:
  US09/871,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20020183924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200-201, 701/206-209, 701/211-213, 701/225, 340/988, 340/990, 340/992, 340/995, 342/357.12, 342/357.13, 342/457, 345/783, 345/802, 345/810-811, 345/817-820, 345/823, 345/825-826, 345/828-829
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers

Abstract

A display method and apparatus for navigation system for displaying information necessary for guiding a driver of a vehicle. The navigation system is designed to enable a user (such as driver or passenger) quickly find and select the destination in a new area based on the names or places used in his/her home area. The navigation system includes a search method for searching a point of interest based on a list of preferred names specially created or based on a list of registered points used in his/her home area.

Claims

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

forming a set of data listing names of business chains (hereafter “

preferred list”

), said set of data being registered by a user;

displaying a destination selection menu including a search method based on data stored in a storage medium (point of interest data) on a screen of the navigation system wherein the selection menu includes the preferred list;

selecting the preferred list in the destination selection menu;

displaying the list of names in the preferred list on the screen of the navigation system;

selecting one of the names in the preferred list shown on the screen;

examining the point of interest data having the same name selected from the preferred list in the storage medium and displaying a resultant set of places within a predetermined distance from a current vehicle position; and

specifying one of the places displayed on the screen as a destination.

2. A display method of 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.

3. A display method of 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 the user to get to the selected destination.

4. A display method of a navigation system as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the set of places having the same name selected from the preferred list further including a step of arranging the set of places in the order of distance from the current vehicle position.

5. A display method of a navigation system as defined in claim 1, wherein the business chains include chain stores, chain restaurants, companies having branch offices, private or public organizations having affiliated organizations, and wherein each of the business chains has a name common among the chain.

6. A display apparatus of a navigation system, comprising:

means for forming a set of data listing names of business chains (hereafter “

preferred list”

), said set of data being registered by a user;

means for displaying a destination selection menu including a search method based on data stored in a storage medium (point of interest data) on a screen of the navigation system wherein the selection menu includes the preferred list as a selection item;

means for selecting the preferred list in the destination selection menu;

means for displaying the list of names in the preferred list on the screen of the navigation system;

means for selecting one of the names in the preferred list shown on the screen;

means for examining the point of interest data having the same name selected from the preferred list in the storage medium and displaying a resultant set of places within a predetermined distance from a current vehicle position; and

means for selecting one of the places displayed on the screen as a destination.

7. A display apparatus of a navigation system as defined in claim 6, further comprising means for determining an appropriate route to the selected destination and displaying a route guidance screen for guiding the user to get to the selected destination.

8. A display apparatus of a navigation system as defined in claim 6, further including means for arranging the set of places in the order of distance from the current vehicle position.