Method and apparatus for updating unfinished destinations specified in navigation system

• US 7,043,356 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2003
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Linn, Jian-Liang
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US10/704,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20050102099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 701200-202, 701/204, 701208-209, 701/211, 701/23, 701/25, 340/994, 340/995.1, 340/988
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a navigation system to update unfinished destinations set in the navigation system when one or more destinations have not been reached within a predetermined time limit. The method includes the steps of inputting one or more destinations in the navigation system, measuring a time passage for each destination starting from a time when the destination is set in the navigation system, comparing the measured time passage with a predetermined time limit which is a time length commonly applied to all of the destinations and reporting the user that the destination is expired when the time passage exceeds a predetermined time limit, and deleting or renewing the expired destination in response to the user'"'"'s instruction. When the expired destination is renewed, a time passage for the renewed destination is newly measured from a time of the renewal.

Claims

1. A navigation method for updating an unfinished destination specified in a navigation system, comprising the following steps of:

inputting one or more destinations in the navigation system;

measuring a time passage for each destination starting from a time when the destination is set in the navigation system;

comparing the measured time passage with a predetermined time limit which is a time length commonly applied to all of the destinations and reporting the user that the destination is expired when the time passage exceeds the predetermined time limit; and

deleting or renewing the expired destination in response to the user'"'"'s instruction;

wherein, when the expired destination is renewed, a time passage for the renewed destination is newly measured from a time of the renewal, and when the expired destination is deleted, information regarding the expired destination is erased from the navigation system.

2. A navigation method as defined in claim 1, wherein said step of measuring the time passage includes a step of creating a time stamp for each destination which records a set-up time which is a time when a particular destination is set in the navigation system wherein the time passage is measure starting from the set-up time.

3. A navigation method as defined in claim 2, wherein said time stamp measures the time passage without regard to whether an engine of a vehicle is on or off.

4. A navigation method as defined in claim 2, wherein said time stamp changes the set-up time to a new set-up time when the corresponding destination is renewed, thereby measuring the time passage for the renewed destination starting from the new set-up time.

5. A navigation method as defined in claim 1, wherein said step of reporting the user that the destination is expired includes a step of displaying a message with a small space on a route guidance screen of the navigation system to indicate that an update procedure is necessary for the expired destination.

6. A navigation method as defined in claim 5, wherein said step of deleting or renewing the expired destination includes a step of displaying a message box which announces that there is an expired destination and prompts the user to decide whether the expired destination should be deleted or renewed.

7. A navigation method as defined in claim 6, wherein said message box is displayed as a pop-up screen superimposed on a time stamp screen listing one or more time stamps wherein said message box includes keys for the user to select for deleting or renewing the expired destination.

8. A navigation method as defined in claim 7, wherein said message box is displayed on the screen of the navigation system by an instruction of the user without regard to whether the vehicle is in motion or in stationary.

9. A navigation method as defined in claim 7, wherein said message box is displayed on the screen of the navigation system only when the vehicle is stationary.

10. A navigation method as defined in claim 1, wherein said predetermined time limit is twenty four hours when a plurality of destinations are set in the navigation system which are intended to visit within a day.

11. A navigation apparatus for updating an unfinished destination specified in a navigation system, comprising:

means for inputting one or more destinations in the navigation system;

means for measuring a time passage for each destination starting from a time when the destination is set in the navigation system;

means for comparing the measured time passage with a predetermined time limit which is a time length commonly applied to all of the destinations and reporting the user that the destination is expired when the time passage exceeds the predetermined time limit; and

means for deleting or renewing the expired destination in response to the user'"'"'s instruction;

wherein, when the expired destination is renewed, a time passage for the renewed destination is newly measured from a time of the renewal, and when the expired destination is deleted, information regarding the expired destination is erased from the navigation system.

12. A navigation apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said means for measuring the time passage includes means for creating a time stamp for each destination which records a set-up time which is a time when a particular destination is set in the navigation system wherein the time passage is measure starting from the set-up time.

13. A navigation apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein said time stamp measures the time passage without regard to whether an engine of a vehicle is on or off.

14. A navigation apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein said time stamp changes the set-up time to a new set-up time when the corresponding destination is renewed, thereby measuring the time passage for the renewed destination starting from the new set-up time.

15. A navigation apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said means for reporting the user that the destination is expired includes means for displaying a message with a small space on a route guidance screen of the navigation system to indicate that an update procedure is necessary for the expired destination.

16. A navigation apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein said means for deleting or renewing the expired destination includes means for displaying a message box which announces that there is an expired destination and prompts the user to decide whether the expired destination should be deleted or renewed.

17. A navigation apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein said message box is displayed as a pop-up screen superimposed on a time stamp screen listing one or more time stamps wherein said message box includes keys for the user to select for deleting or renewing the expired destination.

18. A navigation apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein said message box is displayed on the screen of the navigation system by an instruction of the user without regard to whether the vehicle is in motion or in stationary.

19. A navigation apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein said message box is displayed on the screen of the navigation system only when the vehicle is stationary.

20. A navigation apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said predetermined time limit is twenty four hours when a plurality of destinations are set in the navigation system which are intended to visit within a day.