Method and apparatus for navigation system for searching selected type of information along route to destination

• US 7,565,239 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2005
• Issued: 07/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wako, Hikaru, de Silva, Andrew S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu; Yonel
• Application Number:
  US11/124,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20060253247A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: 701200-202, 701208-209, 701/211, 340/988, 340/995.1, 340/995.27
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3611 using character input or menus, e.g. menus of POIs character input methods in general G06F3/0233
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus for use with a navigation system to search specified type of information along a calculated route to a destination by incorporating search criteria based on city or other regional zones. The method includes the steps of building one or more zones to be traversed in travelling on the calculated route to the destination based on map data, displaying a list of zones on the calculated route to prompt a user to select a zone, displaying a list of types of information to prompt the user to select a type of information to be searched, searching information along the calculated route within the selected zone within a predetermined search range of the calculated route, and displaying the information of the selected type within the selected zone resulted from the search.

Claims

1. A method of finding information along a calculated route to a destination with use of a navigation system, comprising the following steps of:

building one or more zones to be traversed in travelling on the calculated route to the destination based on map data;

displaying a list of zones on the calculated route to prompt a user to select a zone;

displaying a list of types of information to prompt the user to select a type of information to be searched;

searching information along the calculated route within the selected zone within a predetermined search range of the calculated route; and

displaying the information of the selected type within the selected zone resulted from the search;

wherein said zones are cities through which the calculated route runs and the user selects one or more cities from the list of zones, and the cities are arranged in the order of the distance from a current vehicle position along the route; and

wherein said step of displaying the list of types of information includes a step of displaying both a distance key and a city key on a screen at the same time to prompt the user to select a range or searching the type or information either by the range of a city along the calculated route or a distance from the current vehicle position.

2. A method of finding information as defined in claim 1, wherein said zone further includes a county or state through which the calculated route runs.

3. A method of finding information as defined in claim 1, wherein said information is points of interest (POI) information along the calculated route, and the method further comprising a step of displaying a list of types of POI information to prompt the user to select a type of POIs to be searched.

4. A method of finding information as defined in claim 1, wherein said information is points of interest (POI) information along the calculated route, and the method further comprising a step of setting a selected POI as a stopover so that the navigation system guides the user to the selected POI en route to the destination.

5. A method of finding information as defined in claim 1, wherein said information is local event information along the calculated route, and the method further comprising a step of displaying a list of types of local event information to prompt the user to select a type of local events to be searched.

6. A method of finding information as defined in claim 1, wherein said information is local event information along the calculated route, and the method further comprising a step of setting a place of selected local event as a stopover so that the navigation system guides the user to the selected local event en route to the destination.

7. A method of finding information as defined in claim 1, wherein said information is local event information along the calculated route, and the method further comprising a step of displaying detailed information on a selected local event and allowing the user to make a reservation or purchase a ticket for the selected local event.

8. A method of finding information as defined in claim 1, wherein said information is traffic incident information along the calculated route, and the method further comprising a step of displaying a list of traffic incidents with corresponding traffic icons.

9. A method of finding information as defined in claim 1, wherein said information is traffic incident information along the calculated route, and the method further comprising a step of specifying all or selected traffic incidents to avoid from the calculated route to the destination.

10. A method of finding information as defined in claim 9, further comprising a step of recalculating a route to the destination to produce a new route which avoids all or the selected traffic incidents therefrom.

11. An apparatus for finding information along a calculated route to a destination with use of a navigation system, comprising:

means for building one or more zones to be traversed in travelling on the calculated route to the destination based on map data and routing data;

means for displaying a list of zones on the calculated route to prompt a user to select a zone;

means for displaying a list of types of information to prompt the user to select a type of information to be searched;

means for searching information along the calculated route within the selected zone within a predetermined search range of the calculated route; and

means for displaying the information of the selected type within the selected zone resulted from the search;

wherein said zones are cities through which the calculated route runs and the user selects one or more cities from the list of zones, and the cities are arranged in the order of the distance from a current vehicle position along the route; and

wherein said means for displaying the list of types of information includes means for displaying both a distance key and a city key on a screen at the same time to prompt the user to select a range of searching the type of information either by the range of a city along the calculated route or a distance from the current vehicle position.

12. An apparatus for finding information as defined in claim 11, wherein said zone further includes a county or state through which the calculated route runs.

13. An apparatus for finding information as defined in claim 11, wherein said information is points of interest (POI) information along the calculated route, and the apparatus further comprising means for displaying a list of types of POI information to prompt the user to select a type of POIs to be searched.

14. An apparatus for finding information as defined in claim 11, wherein said information is points of interest (POI) information along the calculated route, and the apparatus further comprising means for setting a selected POI as a stopover so that the navigation system guides the user to the selected POI en route to the destination.

15. An apparatus for finding information as defined in claim 11, wherein said information is local event information along the calculated route, and the apparatus further comprising means for displaying a list of types of local event information to prompt the user to select a type of local events to be searched.

16. An apparatus for finding information as defined in claim 11, wherein said information is local event information along the calculated route, and the apparatus further comprising means for setting a place of selected local event as a stopover so that the navigation system guides the user to the selected local event en route to the destination.

17. An apparatus for finding information as defined in claim 11, wherein said information is local event information along the calculated route, and the apparatus further comprising means for displaying detailed information on a selected local event and allowing the user to make a reservation or purchase a ticket for the selected local event.

18. An apparatus for finding information as defined in claim 11, wherein said information is traffic incident information along the calculated route, and the apparatus further comprising means for displaying a list of traffic incidents with corresponding traffic icons.

19. An apparatus for finding information as defined in claim 11, wherein said information is traffic incident information along the calculated route, and the apparatus further comprising means for specifying all or selected traffic incidents to avoid from the calculated route to the destination.

20. An apparatus for finding information as defined in claim 19, further comprising means for recalculating a route to the destination to produce a new route which avoids all or the selected traffic incidents therefrom.