Method for operating a navigation device

• US 7,979,203 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2008
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Navigon AG (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Navigon AG (Garmin Limited)
• Inventors: Haag, Dominik, Schliermann, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US12/100,740
• Publication Number:
  US 20080262722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 701/208, 701/213, 701/211, 701/36, 342/357.25, 342/357.21, 342/357.52, 340/996
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00771 the input being a vehicle position or surrounding, e.g. GPS-based position or tunnel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/349 Adjustment of brightness
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/18 for varying the light intensity
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/265 constructional aspects of navigation devices, e.g. housings, mountings, displays G01C21/3688 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/04 by land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/049 giving information to passengers inside the vehicles

Abstract

A method for operating a navigation device including a processor, a signal receiver for receiving position signals, a road network database that also contains position data on tunnels (tunnel attributes), a position finding unit that determines the current position of the vehicle, a display unit and a display control for controlling the adjustments of the display unit, particularly for regulating the brightness and/or a color scheme of the display unit. The display control is able to change the adjustment of the display unit while driving through a tunnel (tunnel mode). The method can include determining the vehicle position with consideration of the received position signals and automatically activating the tunnel mode of the display unit by means of the display control immediately or with a certain time delay if the determined vehicle position features a tunnel attribute and the received position signals fall short of a predetermined signal quality.

Claims

1. A method for operating a device, particularly a navigation device for a motor vehicle, wherein the device comprises a processor, a signal receiver for receiving position signals, particularly GPS-signals, a road network database that also contains position data on tunnels (tunnel attributes), a position finding unit that determines the current position of the vehicle, a display unit and a display control for controlling the adjustments of the display unit, particularly for regulating the brightness and/or a color scheme of the display unit, wherein the display control is able to change the adjustment of the display unit while driving through a tunnel (tunnel mode), the method comprising:

a) determining the vehicle position with consideration of the received position signals;

b) automatically activating the tunnel mode of the display unit by means of the display control immediately or with a certain time delay if the determined vehicle position features a tunnel attribute and the received position signals fall short of a predetermined signal quality.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the tunnel mode of the display control is automatically deactivated when the navigation device is restarted and/or when the navigation device is activated from the standby-mode.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the display control activates the adjustments of the display unit that applied before the last activation of the tunnel mode after the tunnel mode is deactivated.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjustments of the display unit while driving through a tunnel (tunnel mode) correspond to the adjustments of the display unit during nighttime hours (nighttime mode) and/or that the tunnel mode cannot be activated when the vehicle enters a tunnel while the nighttime mode is activated and/or that the tunnel mode cannot be deactivated when the vehicle exits a tunnel while the nighttime mode is activated.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein only the brightness of the display unit is regulated when activating the nighttime mode.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the tunnel mode of the display unit is deactivated by the display control immediately or with a certain time delay if the received position signals exceed a predetermined signal quality and the determined vehicle position no longer features a tunnel attribute.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the vehicle position in the tunnel is determined without evaluating position signals by means of an extrapolation method and/or by evaluating other sensors, wherein the tunnel mode of the display unit is deactivated by the display control immediately or with a certain time delay if the vehicle position determined by means of extrapolation no longer features a tunnel attribute and the received position signals exceed a predetermined signal quality.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the tunnel mode of the display unit is deactivated by the display control immediately or with a certain time delay if the received position signals exceed a predetermined signal quality, wherein the determined vehicle position is not taken into account in the deactivation of the tunnel mode.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the tunnel mode of the display unit is deactivated by the display control immediately or with a certain time delay if the determined vehicle position no longer features a tunnel attribute, wherein the received signal quality of the position signals is not taken into account in the deactivation of the tunnel mode.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the vehicle position in the tunnel is determined without evaluating position signals by means of an extrapolation method and/or by evaluating other sensors, wherein the tunnel mode of the display unit is deactivated by the display control immediately or with a certain time delay if the vehicle position determined by means of extrapolation or by evaluating other sensors no longer features a tunnel attribute.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a time-measuring instrument respectively measures the time (T1) that has elapsed since the received position signals have once again exceeded a predetermined signal quality and/or the vehicle position no longer features a tunnel attribute, wherein the tunnel mode is only deactivated in a time-delayed fashion by the display control once the measured time (T1) has exceeded a predetermined time delay (Z1).

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the time-measuring instrument respectively measures the time (T2) that has elapsed since the received position signals have dropped below a predetermined signal quality and/or the vehicle position features a tunnel attribute, wherein the tunnel mode is only activated in a time-delayed fashion by the display control once the measured time (T2) has exceeded a predetermined time delay (Z2).

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the time-measuring instrument respectively measures the time (T3) that has elapsed since the tunnel mode was activated, wherein the tunnel mode is only deactivated in a time-delayed fashion by the display control once the measured time (T3) has exceeded a predetermined time delay (Z3).

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the time-measuring instrument respectively measures the time (T4) that has elapsed since the tunnel mode was deactivated, wherein the tunnel mode is only activated in a time-delayed fashion by the display control once the measured time (T4) has exceeded a predetermined time delay (Z4).

15. The method of claim 14, wherein at least two different time delays (Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4) are monitored parallel to one another, wherein the tunnel mode is only activated or deactivated in a time-delayed fashion by the display control once at least two measured times (T1, T2, T3, T4) have exceeded the respectively assigned time delays (Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4).

16. The method of claim 15, wherein a combination of the time delays (Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4) in a paired fashion is only possible for the paired combinations of time delays (Z1, Z4) and (Z2, Z3).

17. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one time delay (Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4) can be configured by the user.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein one or more time delays (Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4) can also assume the value 0.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the tunnel-dependent display control can be switched off by inputting a user command.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the manner of illustrating the tunnel mode and/or the nighttime mode is configured by the user.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the brightness and/or the color scheme are regulated with a soft transition during the activation and/or the deactivation of the tunnel mode and/or the nighttime mode.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is connected to at least one functional component of a vehicle, particularly that the device exchanges data with the vehicle control via a vehicle bus, wherein a corresponding signal is forwarded from the device to the functional component of the vehicle when it is detected that the vehicle enters and/or exits a tunnel.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the dimmed headlights and/or the ventilation and/or the windshield wipers and/or the instrument background lighting are influenced in dependence on the tunnel signal of the device.