Method of providing geographic information for a navigation system

• US 8,265,864 B1
• Filed: 09/12/2005
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navteq B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Inventors: Kaufman, Michael L., Herbst, James M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mawari, Redhwan K
• Application Number:
  US11/224,480
• Time in Patent Office: 2,556 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/206, 701/208, 701/209, 701/211, 701/212, 340/990, 340/995.1, 340/995.11, 340/995.12, 340/995.14, 340/995.15, 340/995.19, 340/995.24, 340/995.26, 345/156, 345/172
• US Class Current: 701/408
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence

Abstract

A method of providing geographic information for a navigation system comprises obtaining a request for a geographic region and accessing geographic data corresponding to the geographic region from a geographic database. The method also comprises providing a plurality of first map images generated from the geographic data. Each of the first map images represents a unique portion of the geographic region. When the first map images are displayed together, they provide a first map depicting the geographic region.

Claims

1. A method of providing geographic information for display on a computing device, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of first map images, each of said first map images depicts a map of a portion of a geographic region, wherein said first map images when displayed together illustrate a first map of said geographic region at a first scale;

providing a plurality of zoom-in map images for each of said first map images, wherein said zoom-in map images when displayed together provide a zoom-in map of said portion of said geographic region depicted by said first map image, said zoom-in map having a larger scale than said first scale, wherein each of the plurality of zoom-in map images is associated with a window identification value that identifies an arrangement of the plurality of zoom-in map images;

selecting, using a click wheel user interface, one of said zoom-in map images to identify a search area for obtaining restaurant information, wherein said search area is defined by said boundaries of said selected zoom-in map image, wherein said boundaries of said selected zoom-in map image are not administrative boundaries;

after selecting the one of the zoom-in map images, providing information regarding a plurality of restaurants located in the search area corresponding to said portion of said geographic region represented by said selected zoom-in map image, wherein said information includes at least one selected from the group consisting of;

street address, business hours, telephone number, menu, images of restaurant, number of seats, parking availability, average price, cuisine type, meals served, payment method, drive-through available, reservations suggested, number of seats, handicap accessibility, promotional materials and outdoor seating.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying each said first map images in one of a plurality of windows on a display to provide said first map of said geographic region.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

selecting one of first map images; and

displaying said plurality of zoom-in map images corresponding to said selected first map image to illustrate said zoom-in map.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said first map of said geographic region including a route highlight from an origin to a destination.

5. A method of providing geographic information for display on a computing device, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of first map images, each of said first map images depicts a map of a portion of a geographic region, wherein said first map images when displayed together illustrate a first map of said geographic region at a first scale;

providing a predetermined number of first zoom-in map images for each of said first map images, wherein said first zoom-in map images when displayed together provide a zoom-in map of said portion of said geographic region depicted by said first map image, said zoom-in map having a larger scale than said first scale, wherein each of the first zoom-in map images is associated with a window identification value that identifies an arrangement of the plurality of zoom-in map images;

providing a second-zoom-in map image for each of the predetermined number of zoom-in map images;

selecting one of said second-zoom-in map images to identify a search area for obtaining point of interest information, wherein said search area is defined by said boundaries of said selected second-zoom-in map image, wherein said boundaries of said selected second-zoom-in map image are not administrative boundaries; and

after selecting the one of the zoom-in map images, providing information regarding a plurality of points of interest located in the search area corresponding to said portion of said geographic region represented by said selected zoom-in map image.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the one of said second-zoom-in map images is selected via a click wheel user interface of the computing device.

7. A method of providing geographic information for display on a computing device, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of first map images, each of said first map images depicts a map of a portion of a geographic region, wherein said first map images when displayed together illustrate a first map of said geographic region at a first scale;

providing a predetermined number of first zoom-in map images for each of said first map images, wherein said first zoom-in map images when displayed together provide a zoom-in map of said portion of said geographic region depicted by said first map image, said zoom-in map having a larger scale than said first scale;

providing a second-zoom-in map image for each of the predetermined number of zoom-in map images;

selecting, via a click wheel user interface of the computing device, one of said second-zoom-in map images to identify a search area for obtaining point of interest information, wherein said search area is defined by said boundaries of said selected second-zoom-in map image, wherein said boundaries of said selected second-zoom-in map image are not administrative boundaries; and

after selecting the one of the zoom-in map images, providing information regarding a plurality of points of interest located in the search area corresponding to said portion of said geographic region represented by said selected zoom-in map image.