Method for operating a navigation appliance, and arrangement for carrying out the method

• US 6,760,661 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2003
• Issued: 07/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Klein, Bernhard, Zehner, Steffen
• Primary Examiner(s): LOUIS JACQUES, JACQUES H
• Application Number:
  US10/374,008
• Publication Number:
  US 20030154024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 701/208, 701/209, 701/210, 701/211, 701/117, 701/23-26, 701/118, 701/207, 340/990, 340/996, 340/995.19, 340/995.21, 340/995.13, 340/905, 340/988, 340/901, 340/995.1, 340/995.12, 340/995.14, 342/357.01, 342/357.07, 342/357.09, 342/357.13, 342/357.17, 342/454
• US Class Current: 701/210
• 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 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096866 where the complete route is shown to the driver
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice

Abstract

A method for operating a navigation device comprising a central processing unit (100) and a memory medium (130) with a digitized map is disclosed. The method comprises the following steps: inputting a route with start and target coordinates that can be selected on the map; receiving traffic jam data via an external source (140); displaying a calculated route and the respective traffic jam data; and editing said traffic jam data. In the case of acceptance of a traffic jam a possible bypass of the corresponding route section is calculated and displayed, and in the case of non-acceptance the calculated route section is maintained.

Claims

1. A method for operating a navigation appliance having a central processor unit and a storage medium which contains a digitized map, comprising the following steps:

entering route data using start and destination coordinates which can be selected on the map, calculating a route based on the entered route data

receiving traffic jam data associated with the calculated route via an external source,

displaying the calculated route and respective traffic jam data,

displaying a route section of the calculated route with a traffic jam graphically,

outputting traffic jam data on an output unit in editable form,

receiving editing commands for the output traffic jam data from an input device, and

calculating a new route or route section taking into account the edited traffic jam data following reception of a calculation command via the input device.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein an area can be defined which is not used for calculating a new route section.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the area is defined graphically by a geometric shape.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a route section can be entered manually as a traffic jam area.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when the traffic jam data are being edited, the respective data for a traffic jam can be selected sequentially starting with the traffic jam nearest the starting point.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein a traffic jam starting point and a traffic jam ending point can be entered for the manual entry.

7. A navigation appliance comprising:

a central processor unit,

a storage medium which contains a digitized map,

means for receiving traffic jam data, associated with a route via an external source,

a display unit for displaying a calculated route and the respective traffic jam data,

means for outputting received traffic jam data on the display unit in editable form,

means for editing the traffic jam data, with the means including an input apparatus, and

means for calculating a new route or route section taking into account the edited traffic jam data.

8. The navigation appliance as claimed in claim 7, wherein the input apparatus is a rotation sensor.

9. The navigation appliance as claimed in claim 7, wherein the input apparatus is a pressure sensor.

10. The navigation appliance as claimed in claim 7, wherein the input apparatus is a joystick.

11. The navigation appliance as claimed in claim 7, wherein the input apparatus is a input-sensitive display.

12. The navigation appliance as claimed in claim 7, wherein the input apparatus comprises a gesture interpretation apparatus.

13. The navigation appliance as claimed in claim 7, wherein the input apparatus comprises a voice recognition unit.

14. The navigation appliance as claimed in claim 7, wherein the means for receiving traffic jam data is a mobile telephone.

15. The navigation appliance as claimed in claim 7, wherein the means for receiving traffic jam data is radio capable of receiving traffic jam messages.