System and method for off route processing

• US 7,660,667 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2007
• Issued: 02/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Furukawa, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): Black; Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Behncke; Christine M
• Application Number:
  US11/842,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20070288162A1
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: 379/190, 379/191, 340/995.1, 340/995.11, 340/995.14, 340/995.15, 340/995.17, 340/995.19, 340/995.21, 340/995.27, 701/208, 701/212, 701/224, 701/210
• US Class Current: 701/212
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker

Abstract

A system and method for off route processing is disclosed. The system and method can be used to provide information when an off route condition occurs. The system and method can include provisions to make modifications in the way navigation information is displayed. The system and method can also provide a selectable re-route mode and selectable re-route information.

Claims

1. A system for displaying navigation information comprising:

a display displaying a map and an indicia, the indicia representing a motor vehicle;

the map including major map features and minor map features;

the display having a first region that displays the map with a first level of detail and a second region that displays the map with a second level of detail, wherein the first level of detail is greater than the second level of detail and wherein a boundary separates the first region and the second region, and wherein the first region and the second region include major map features and the second level of detail excludes at least one type of minor map features;

the display further comprising a third region that displays the map with a lower level of detail than the second region;

the system having a first condition wherein the indicia is on a route in the first region and wherein the indicia remains at a substantially fixed position with respect to the first region;

the system having a second condition wherein the indicia is spaced from the route and wherein the indicia crosses the boundary from the first region to the second region and wherein a modification is made to keep the route and the indicia within the display.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the modification includes a change in scale of the map.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the scale is increased to show a larger geographical area as the indicia moves further away from the route.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the scale is decreased to show a smaller geographical area as the indicia moves closer to the route.

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein the scale is returned to an original scale when the indicia returns to the route.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the modification includes movement of the indicia from the fixed position.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the indicia returns to the fixed position when the indicia returns to the route.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first region has a first size in a first portion of the display and a second size in a second portion of the display, wherein the first size is larger than the second size.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the third region includes no map features.

10. A system for displaying navigation information comprising:

a central unit, wherein the central unit includes at least one provision for communicating with a communications network, memory, a processor, and a display port for interacting with a display;

bandwidth information stored in the memory, wherein bandwidth information is information related to the overall transmission capabilities of the at least one provision for communicating with a communications network, wherein the central unit is configured to determine the bandwidth information;

content mode information stored in the memory, wherein the content mode information includes a determination of the level of detail of navigation information available to the system, wherein the determination is based on the bandwidth information;

the display displaying a map and an indicia, the indicia representing a motor vehicle;

the display having a first region that displays the map with a first level of detail and a second region that displays the map with a second level of detail, wherein the first level of detail is greater than the second level of detail;

the system having a first condition wherein the indicia is on a route in the first region;

the system having a second condition wherein the indicia is spaced from the route and the indicia is permitted to enter the second region and wherein a modification is made to keep the route and the indicia on the display;

wherein the navigation information is received from a remote system connected to the system via the at least one provision for communicating with a communications network; and

wherein the navigation information has been prepared for transfer to the system according to the level of detail of navigation information available to the system.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the remote system is configured to determine re-route information when the system is in the second condition.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the remote system and the system are configured to be connected via a connection system.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the connection system is configured to monitor a connection between the remote system and the system.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the connection system is configured to determine a waiting time between an initial time and a time of delivery, and wherein the connection system in configured to determine whether activity has occurred during the waiting time.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the remote system is configured to send dummy data to the system if no activity has occurred during the waiting time.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein the system is configured to receive information related to a selected re-route mode.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the remote system is configured to execute an off route process based on the selected re-route mode when the system is in the second condition.

18. A system for displaying navigation information comprising:

an on-board unit (OBU), wherein the OBU includes a communication port for receiving information from a wireless communications network via a wireless communication link, memory, and a processor;

bandwidth information stored in the memory, wherein the bandwidth information is a transmission capability of the wireless communication link, wherein the processor is programmed to determine the bandwidth information;

content mode information stored in the memory, wherein the content mode information includes a determination of the level of detail of navigation information available to the system, wherein the determination of the level of navigation information available to the system is based on the bandwidth information;

wherein the content mode information includes a selected level of detail;

wherein the navigation information is received from a remote system in communication with the system via the wireless communications network;

wherein the OBU is configured to transfer the content mode information to the remote system via the wireless communication link;

wherein the navigation information has been prepared according to the content mode information, the navigation information including two levels of detail;

the display configured to display the navigation information received from the remote system as a map showing a route and an indicia placed on the map, the indicia representing a motor vehicle;

the map having a first region that displays a first level of detail, a second region that displays a second level of detail, and a third region with a third level of detail, wherein the first level of detail is greater than the second level of detail and the second level of detail is greater than the third level of detail;

the map including major map features and a plurality of categories of minor map features, wherein the first region includes the route, the major map features and all of the plurality of categories of minor map features, the second region includes the major map features and less than all of the plurality of categories of minor map features, and the third region includes no map features;

the display having a first condition wherein the indicia is in the first region proximate the route; and

the display having a second condition wherein the indicia is spaced from the route and the indicia is permitted to enter the second region and wherein a modification is made to keep the route and the indicia on the display.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the indicia remains at a substantially fixed position with respect to the first region.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the modification includes moving the indicia from the substantially fixed position.

21. The system according to claim 18, wherein the modification includes a change in a map scale.

22. The system according to claim 18, wherein the determination of the level of navigation information available to the system is based on a user subscription level.