Navigation apparatus having a picture frame function and method for operating the same

• US 7,602,315 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2007
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SKK Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: SK C&C Company Limited (SK Inc.)
• Inventors: Shin, Yong Myung
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham; Lam P
• Application Number:
  US11/812,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20080238724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 340/990, 340/995.1, 340/995.14, 340/995.19, 340/995.24, 340/995.26, 340/995.28, 701 23- 28, 701211-213
• US Class Current: 340/995.27
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams

Abstract

A navigation apparatus includes a map data storage for storing a map data, a picture frame image storage for storing one or more images, a mode-based setting storage for storing mode-based settings required in operating the navigation apparatus in a drive guide mode, a picture frame mode or a combination mode, and a control unit for, based on the mode-based settings, providing a drive guide information using the map data in the drive guide mode, providing drive guide information by use of the map data in the drive guide mode, providing a picture frame image by using the images in the picture frame mode and providing the picture frame image and the drive guide information in the combination mode, the drive guide information being displayed over the picture frame image.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus comprising:

an input unit for allowing a user to select one of a drive guide mode for realization of a drive guide function, a picture frame mode for realization of a picture frame function and a combination mode for simultaneous realization of the guide function and the picture frame function;

a map data storage for storing map data for use in the drive guide mode;

a picture frame image storage for storing one or more images;

a mode-based setting storage for storing mode-based settings required in operating the navigation apparatus in the drive guide mode, the picture frame mode or the combination mode; and

a control unit for, based on the mode-based settings stored through the input unit, providing drive guide information by using the map data in the drive guide mode, providing a picture frame image by using the images in the picture frame mode and providing the picture frame image and the drive guide information in the combination mode, the drive guide information being displayed over the picture frame image.

2. The navigation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit is adapted to provide the picture frame image as the background image for indicating the drive guide information over the background image, if the picture frame function is selected during execution of the drive guide mode.

3. The navigation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit is adapted to provide the picture frame image as the background image for indicating the drive guide information over the background image, if the drive guide function is selected during execution of the picture frame mode.

4. The navigation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit is adapted to filter the drive guide information according to the drive guide mode and provide only essential drive guide information to the user, while providing the picture frame image as the background image for indicating the drive guide information over the background image.

5. The navigation apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control unit is adapted to filter the drive guide information according to the drive guide mode and provide only essential drive guide information to the user, while providing the picture frame image as the background image for indicating the drive guide information over the background image.

6. The navigation apparatus of claim 3, wherein the control unit is adapted to filter the drive guide information according to the drive guide mode and provide only essential drive guide information to the user, while providing the picture frame image as the background image for indicating the drive guide information over the background image.

7. A navigation apparatus operating method, comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting one mode among a drive guide mode for realization of drive guide function, a picture frame mode for realization of a picture frame function and a combination mode for simultaneous realization of the drive guide mode and the picture frame mode;

(b) confirming mode-based settings pre-stored to operate the navigation apparatus in the drive guide mode, the picture frame mode or the combination mode; and

(c) based on the mode-based settings corresponding to the respective modes selected in the step (a), providing drive guide information by using map data in the drive guide mode, providing a picture frame image by using the images in the picture frame mode and providing the picture frame image and the drive guide information in the combination mode, the drive guide information being displayed over the picture frame image.

8. The navigation apparatus operating method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

(d) providing the picture frame image as the background image for indicating the drive guide information over the background image, if it is determined in the step (a) that the picture frame function is selected during execution of the drive guide mode.

9. The navigation apparatus operating method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

(e) providing the picture frame image as the background image for indicating the drive guide information over the background image, if it is determined in the step (a) that the drive guide function is selected during execution of the picture frame mode.

10. The navigation apparatus operating method of claim 7, wherein the drive guide information according to the drive guide mode is filtered to provide only essential drive guide information to a user, while providing the picture frame image as the background image for indicating the drive guide information on the background image.

11. The navigation apparatus operating method of claim 8, wherein the drive guide information according to the drive guide mode is filtered to provide only essential drive guide information to a user, while providing the picture frame image as the background image for indicating the drive guide information on the background image.

12. The navigation apparatus operating method of claim 9, wherein the drive guide information according to the drive guide mode is filtered to provide only essential drive guide information to a user, while providing the picture frame image as the background image for indicating the drive guide information on the background image.

13. The navigation apparatus operating method of claim 7, wherein the mode-based settings include a background image setting, and

wherein the picture frame image is provided as the background image in the step (c) according to the background image setting, if it is determined in the step (a) that the picture frame mode or the combination mode is selected.

14. The navigation apparatus operating method of claim 13, wherein the mode-based settings include an automatic scroll setting and an image switching setting, and wherein the step (c) includes the steps of:

counting a display time of the picture frame image currently displayed as the background image, if it is confirmed that the automatic scroll setting is selected;

determining whether the display time thus counted satisfies the image switching setting; and

switching the currently displayed background image image to a next order picture frame image according to the background image setting, if the display time satisfies the image switching setting while performing the automatic scroll setting.

15. The navigation apparatus operating method of claim 14, wherein the automatic scroll setting includes a horizontal scroll method and a vertical scroll method, and wherein the image is changed and displayed according to the scroll method selected.