Methods, data structures, and systems for processing track logs

• US 6,845,318 B1
• Filed: 04/09/2003
• Issued: 01/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garmin Limited
• Original Assignee: Garmin Limited
• Inventors: Conrad, John H., Moore, Scott T., Moore, Ryan T.
• Primary Examiner(s): BEHNCKE, CHRISTINE M
• Application Number:
  US10/409,856
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/201, 701/202, 701/205, 701/207, 701/213, 340/990, 340/995.26, 342/357.13
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence

Abstract

Methods, data structures, and systems provide techniques for processing track logs. A track log is represented as a plurality of track points. The track points represent geographic positions previously traversed. The track log and the track points are overlaid on a map and presented on a display in communication with a portable navigation device. Track points are graphically selected and identified via the display. Any graphically selected track point is also associated with a selectable operation for immediate, automatic, and/or subsequent execution on the portable navigation device.

Claims

1. A method of processing a track log, comprising:

presenting a track log as a plurality of track points overlaid graphically on a map, wherein each track point is has a unique timestamp to distinguish it from the remaining track points;

receiving a selection for one of the track points; and

processing an operation associated with the selection.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein in presenting, the track log, the track points, and the map are displayed on a screen or a monitor in communication with a navigation device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein in receiving, the selection is received from a graphical input selection device interfaced to a navigation device having the track log.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein in processing, the operation generates a waypoint for the selected track point.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein in processing, the operation generates a route back to the selected track point from a current position of a navigation device.

6. A track log data structure residing on a computer readable medium for processing track points, the track log data structure comprising:

a plurality of track points represented as geographic positions previously traversed by a navigation device; and

wherein the track points are graphically presented on a display in communication with a navigation device as the track log, and a selected one of the track points is graphically selected using a selection device of the navigation device and one or more operations are associated with the selected track point for immediate or subsequent processing by the navigation device, and wherein the track points include attribute information a portion of which uniquely identifies each track point and its relationship to the remaining track points.

7. The track log data structure of claim 6, wherein a total number of the plurality of track points is configurable.

8. The track log data structure of claim 6, wherein one of the one or more operations permits a route to be generated from a current position of the navigation device to the selected track point.

9. A track log processing system, comprising:

a navigation device;

a display in communication with the navigation device; and

a track point processing application operable to execute in the navigation device that identifies a plurality of track points associated with a track log data structure and permits graphical selection, from the display, of a selected track point, and wherein the selected track point is selectively associated with an operation, which is operable to be executed on the navigation device and wherein the selected track point includes attribute information acquired from the track log data structure, portions of the attribute information distinguish the selected track point from the remaining unselected track points.

10. The track log processing system of claim 9, wherein the track log data structure is acquired remotely from the navigation device.

11. The track log processing system of claim 9, wherein the track log data is acquired from a local storage or a local cache associated with the navigation device.

12. The track log processing system of claim 9, wherein the track log data structure is acquired from a removable computer readable medium interfaced to the navigation device.

13. The track log processing system of claim 9, wherein the track log data structure is presented within in the display and overlaid on a map that is also presented within the display.

14. The track log processing system of claim 9, wherein the selective operation is at least one of a track back operation and a waypoint assignment.

15. A method of processing a track log, comprising:

presenting a track log as a plurality of track points overlaid graphically on a map, wherein the track points are presented as date and time entries that each track point was recorded within the track log;

receiving a selection for one of the track points; and

processing an operation associated with the selection.

16. A method of processing a track log, comprising:

presenting a track log as a plurality of track points overlaid graphically on a map;

receiving a selection for one of the track points, wherein the selection is received as a date and time entry that identifies or approximates the selected track point; and

processing an operation associated with the selection.

17. A track log data structure residing on a computer readable medium for processing track points, the track log data structure comprising:

a plurality of track points represented as geographic positions previously traversed by a navigation device; and

wherein the track points are graphically presented on a display in communication with a navigation device as the track log, and a selected one of the track points is graphically selected using a selection device of the navigation device and one or more operations are associated with the selected track point for immediate or subsequent processing by the navigation device, and wherein the plurality of track points are also represented as date and time entries for which each track point was previously traversed.

18. The track log data structure of claim 17, wherein when the selection device is in focus over a particular one of the plurality of track points, the particular track point in focus is graphically presented with its date and time entry overlaid on top of the track log at a location within the display that approximately represents the particular track point in focus.

19. A track log data structure residing on a computer readable medium for processing track points, the track log data structure comprising:

a plurality of track points represented as geographic positions previously traversed by a navigation device; and

wherein the track points are graphically presented on a display in communication with a navigation device as the track log, and a selected one of the track points is graphically selected using a selection device of the navigation device and one or more operations are associated with the selected track point for immediate or subsequent processing by the navigation device, and wherein one of the one or more operations permit the selected track point to be associated with a waypoint.

20. The track log data structure of claim 19, wherein the waypoint is a separate and distinct data structure from the track log data structure.

21. A track log processing system, comprising:

a navigation device;

a display in communication with the navigation device; and

a track point processing application operable to execute in the navigation device that identifies a plurality of track points associated with a track log data structure and permits graphical selection, from the display, of a selected track point, and wherein the selected track point is selectively associated with an operation, which is operable to be executed on the navigation device, wherein the track log data structure is presented within in the display and overlaid on a map that is also presented within the display, and wherein a number of the plurality of track points are dynamically presented within the display and overlaid on a position of the track log data structure as an input selection device is placed in focus over the position.

22. The track log processing system of claim 21, wherein the dynamically presented track points are presented as date and time entries.