Navigation device with improved detour routing

• US 7,623,962 B1
• Filed: 09/02/2005
• Issued: 11/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garmin Limited
• Original Assignee: Garmin Limited
• Inventors: Loschen, Thomas I., Moore, Scott T., Moore, Ryan T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu; Yonel
• Application Number:
  US11/218,909
• Time in Patent Office: 1,544 Days
• Field of Search: 701200-202, 701/208, 701/210, 701213-215, 340/988, 340/995.1, 342/357.06
• 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

Abstract

A navigation device with improved detour routing is disclosed. The navigation device is generally operable to calculate a first route to a destination utilizing a current location of the navigation device, receive a detour request from a user provided by the user functioning a single detour input once, and calculate a second detour route to the destination in response to the detour request. Such a configuration enables the user to easily and safely request additional route calculations to provide a detour around undesirable travel conditions without requiring extensive user input.

Claims

1. A navigation device comprising:

a processor operable to—

determine a current geographic location of the device,

receive a destination,

calculate a first route to the destination utilizing the current geographic location of the device and the received destination, and

calculate a second detour route to the destination, the second detour route not including at least a portion of the first route, each of the calculated routes including navigation instructions; and

a touch screen display coupled with the processor and operable to present visual representations of a single detour input and at least a portion of one of the calculated routes,

wherein a single selection of the single detour input on the touch screen provides a detour request to trigger the processor to calculate the second detour route and begin providing the corresponding navigation instructions without prompting for entry of route information relating to the first route or the second detour route.

2. The device of claim 1, further including a location determining component coupled with the processor to facilitate determination of the current location of the navigation device.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the location determining component is operable to receive GPS signals.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor calculates the second detour route to return to the first route after a dynamically calculated distance.

5. The device of claim 1, further including a user interface operable to receive information from the user including the destination.

6. The device of claim 1, further including a housing for housing the processor and the touch screen display.

7. The device of claim 1, further including a memory coupled with the processor for storing navigation information.

8. A navigation device comprising:

a processor operable to—

determine a current geographic location of the device,

receive a destination,

calculate a first route to the destination utilizing the current geographic location of the device and the received destination, and

calculate a second detour route to the destination, the second detour route not including at least a portion of the first route, each of the calculated routes including navigation instructions;

a location determining component coupled with the processor to facilitate determination of the current location of the navigation device;

a memory coupled with the processor, the memory operable to store navigation information; and

a touch screen display coupled with the processor and operable to present visual representations of a single detour input, at least a portion of one of the calculated routes, and the current geographic location of the device,

wherein a single selection of the single detour input on the touch screen provides a detour request to trigger the processor to calculate the second detour route and begin providing the corresponding navigation instructions without prompting for entry of route information relating to the first route or the second detour route.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the processor calculates the second detour route to return to the first route after a dynamically calculated distance.

10. The device of claim 8, further including a housing for housing the location determining component, the processor, and the touch screen display.

11. A method of providing a route in response to a detour request, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a destination;

calculating a first route to the destination utilizing a current geographic location of the navigation device and the received destination;

presenting on a touch screen display a single detour input;

receiving a detour request from a user by detecting when the user functions the single detour input once;

in response to detection of the detour request, calculating a second detour route including navigation instructions to the destination and begin providing the navigation instructions without prompting for entry of route information relating to the first route or the second detour route, the second detour route not including at least a portion of the first route; and

presenting at least a portion of the second detour route on the touch screen display.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second detour route returns the user to the first route after a dynamically calculated distance.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first route and second detour route each include a plurality of thoroughfares.

14. The method of claim 11, further including the steps of:

receiving a second detour request from the user, the second detour request consisting of the user functioning the single detour input once; and

calculating a third route to the destination in response to the second detour request, the third route not including at least a portion of the second detour route.