Method and apparatus for generating location based reminder message for navigation system

• US 7,889,101 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2008
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yokota, Tatsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham; Lam P
• Application Number:
  US12/082,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20100026526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 340/539.13, 340/995.1, 340/995.14, 340/995.19, 701200-216
• US Class Current: 340/995.19
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096866 where the complete route is shown to the driver
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a navigation system for generating a reminder message by applying predefined validation rule to display and/or voice announce the reminder message associated with a particular location. The method includes the steps of creating reminder message data which include a reminder message, a primary location, a secondary location, and a validation rule; comparing a reference location with the primary location; applying the validation rule in the reminder message data to determine whether a relationship between the primary location and the reference location satisfies the condition in the validation rule; displaying the reminder message when the condition is satisfied; and conducting a route guidance operation to reach a location selected by the user.

Claims

1. A method of generating a location based reminder by a navigation system, comprising the following steps of:

creating reminder message data which include a reminder message, a primary location, a secondary location defines a Point Of Interest (POI) type, and a validation rule where the primary location is a location associated with the reminder message, a secondary location is a location where a user conducts an activity defined by the reminder message, and the validation rule defines condition for generating the reminder message;

comparing a reference location with the primary location where the reference location is a destination that is specified by the user for a route guidance operation of the navigation system;

applying the validation rule in the reminder message data to determine whether a relationship between the primary location and the reference location satisfies the condition in the validation rule for generating the reminder message;

displaying the reminder message associated with the primary location when the condition defined in the validation rule is satisfied where the display includes one or more candidate secondary locations determined by the navigation system based on the POI type and within a predetermined distance from the reference location; and

conducting a route guidance operation to reach a location selected from the one or more candidate secondary locations by the user.

2. A method of generating a location based reminder as defined in claim 1, further comprising a step of accepting a user'"'"'s selection of one of the one or more candidate secondary locations for the route guidance operation.

3. A method of generating a location based reminder as defined in claim 1, wherein said reminder message data further include data related to an effective time which specifies a time range or a time limit for generating the reminder message which will be evaluated in combination with the validation rule.

4. A method of generating a location based reminder as defined in claim 3, further comprising a step of determining whether the effective time has been met before displaying the reminder message associated with the primary location.

5. A method of generating a location based reminder as defined in claim 1, wherein when said secondary location in the reminder message data defines a POI type, the navigation system searches and displays the one or more candidate secondary locations belonging to the POI type when displaying the reminder message.

6. A method of generating a location based reminder as defined in claim 5, wherein said candidate secondary locations belonging to the POI type will be displayed in an order of distance from the reference location or in an order of alphabet when displaying the reminder message.

7. A method of generating a location based reminder as defined in claim 3, wherein said reminder message data include two or more different effective times for generating the reminder message and two or more different conditions in the validation rule for triggering a reminder operation so that the reminder message will be generated depending on the different times and conditions.

8. A method of generating a location based reminder as defined in claim 1, further comprising a step of generating the reminder message by voice sounds.

9. A method of generating a location based reminder as defined in claim 1, wherein said step of conducting a route guidance operation includes a step of selecting a candidate secondary location as a destination (final destination) or a waypoint (intermediate destination) for the route guidance operation by the navigation system.

10. A method of generating a location based reminder as defined in claim 1, wherein said step of creating the reminder message data includes a step of directly inputting the reminder message data by operating the navigation system or indirectly inputting the reminder message data by a personal computer and transferring the reminder message data to the navigation system.

11. An apparatus of generating a location based reminder by a navigation system, comprising:

means for creating reminder message data which include a reminder message, a primary location, a secondary location defines a Point Of Interest (POI) type, and a validation rule where the primary location is a location associated with the reminder message, a secondary location is a location where a user conducts an activity defined by the reminder message, and the validation rule defines condition for generating the reminder message;

means for comparing a reference location with the primary location where the reference location is a destination that is specified by the user for a route guidance operation of the navigation system;

means for applying the validation rule in the reminder message data to determine whether a relationship between the primary location and the reference location satisfies the condition in the validation rule for generating the reminder message;

means for displaying the reminder message associated with the primary location when the condition defined in the validation rule is satisfied where the display includes one or more candidate secondary locations determined by the navigation system based on the POI type and within a predetermined distance from the reference location; and

means for conducting a route guidance operation to reach a location selected from the one or more candidate secondary locations by the user.

12. An apparatus of generating a location based reminder as defined in claim 11, further comprising means for accepting a user'"'"'s selection of one of the one or more candidate secondary locations for the route guidance operation.

13. An apparatus of generating a location based reminder as defined in claim 11, wherein said reminder message data further include data related to an effective time which specifies a time range or a time limit for generating the reminder message which will be evaluated in combination with the validation rule.

14. An apparatus of generating a location based reminder as defined in claim 13, further comprising means for determining whether the effective time has been met before displaying the reminder message associated with the primary location.

15. An apparatus of generating a location based reminder as defined in claim 11, wherein when said secondary location in the reminder message data defines a POI type, the navigation system searches and displays the one or more candidate secondary locations belonging to the POI type when displaying the reminder message.

16. An apparatus of generating a location based reminder as defined in claim 15, wherein said candidate secondary locations belonging to the POI type will be displayed in an order of distance from the reference location or in an order of alphabet when displaying the reminder message.

17. An apparatus of generating a location based reminder as defined in claim 13, wherein said reminder message data include two or more different effective times for generating the reminder message and two or more different conditions in the validation rule for triggering a reminder operation so that the reminder message will be generated depending on the different times and conditions.

18. An apparatus of generating a location based reminder as defined in claim 11, further comprising means for generating the reminder message by voice sounds.

19. An apparatus of generating a location based reminder as defined in claim 11, where said means for conducting a route guidance operation includes means for selecting a candidate secondary location as a destination (final destination) or a waypoint (intermediate destination) for the route guidance operation by the navigation system.

20. An apparatus of generating a location based reminder as defined in claim 11, where said means for creating the reminder message data includes means for directly inputting the reminder message data by operating the navigation system or indirectly inputting the reminder message data by a personal computer and transferring the reminder message data to the navigation system.