Portable navigation apparatus with refueling prompt function and method thereof

• US 8,280,619 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2009
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Watkins, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US12/585,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20110060521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/123
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence

Abstract

This present invention provides a portable navigation apparatus with a refueling prompt function, characterized in that the memory comprises a driving style table and a fuel consumption reference database, and the processing unit comprises a fuel recording unit and a refueling prompt unit. Wherein, while a vehicle approaches a gas station near the navigation route, or while a new route or a re-planned route is generated, the refueling prompt unit is able to automatically calculate forecasting fuel consumption required for traveling from a current location to a next gas station near a navigation route according to the navigation route generated by the route navigation unit, the driving style table and the fuel consumption reference database, and prompting an alarm signal when the forecasting fuel consumption is greater than the fuel quantity to remind a user to refuel firstly.

Claims

1. A portable navigation apparatus with a refueling prompt function, comprising a display unit, an audio output unit, an input unit, a processing unit, an electronic map database, a memory and a GPS receiver for receiving satellite positioning data from a GPS satellite, the processing unit comprising a route navigation unit for generating a navigation route;

characterized in that;

the memory comprising;

a driving style table recording a plurality of road ranks and a plurality of corresponding average vehicle speeds in accordance with a driving style of a user; and

a fuel consumption reference database storing relations between vehicle velocities and fuel consumption rates; and

the processing unit further comprising;

a fuel recording unit recording fuel quantity; and

a refueling prompt unit automatically calculating forecasting fuel consumption required for traveling from a current location to a next gas station near the navigation route according to the navigation route, the driving style table and the fuel consumption reference database while the current location approaches a gas station near the navigation route, or while a new route or a re-planned route is generated, and prompting an alarm signal when the forecasting fuel consumption is greater than the fuel quantity.

2. The portable navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the refueling prompt unit divides the navigation route from the current location to the next gas station into a plurality of road sections, determines the road ranks of the road sections, acquires the average vehicle speeds of the road ranks to determine the corresponding fuel consumption rates of the road sections, and calculates each sectional fuel consumption of the road sections by multiplying each fuel consumption rate to each distance of the road sections, so as to sum up the sectional fuel consumptions to produce the forecasting fuel consumption.

3. The portable navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the driving style table is determined by statistically analyzing the satellite positioning data received by the GPS receiver during daily driving of the user, so as to obtain the average vehicle speeds corresponding to the plurality of road ranks of the user.

4. The portable navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the driving style table is provided by accepting manual inputs via the input unit.

5. The portable navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fuel consumption reference database is provided via a vehicle computer or by accepting manual inputs via the input unit.

6. The portable navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fuel recording unit is provided via a vehicle computer, or by accepting manual inputs via the input unit.

7. The portable navigation apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the fuel recording unit further prompts an operation interface to allow the user to enter the fuel quantity while the vehicle enters a gas station.

8. The portable navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fuel recording unit further comprises a refueling button being pressed each time when a fuel tank of the vehicle is filled from empty to full, the refueling button provides a traveling distance of the vehicle between a current refueling and a previous refueling after being pressed, and an average fuel consumption rate is calculated according to the traveling distance and a capacity of the fuel tank.

9. The portable navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the road ranks comprise an express highway, freeway, tollway, plane road, elevated road, city road or country road.

10. A method for performing a refueling prompt function on a portable navigation apparatus, comprising the steps of:

establishing a driving style table recording a plurality of road ranks and a plurality of corresponding average vehicle speeds in accordance with a driving style of a user;

providing a fuel consumption reference database storing relations between vehicle velocities and fuel consumption rates;

providing a fuel recording table recording fuel quantity;

generating a navigation route;

automatically calculating forecast fuel consumption required for traveling from a current location to a next gas station near the navigation route according to the navigation route, the driving style table and the fuel consumption reference database while the current location approaches a gas station near the navigation route, or while a new route or a re-planned route is generated; and

prompting an alarm signal when the forecast fuel consumption is greater than the fuel quantity by the refueling prompt unit.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of automatically calculating the forecasting fuel consumption further comprises steps of:

dividing the navigation route from the current location to the next gas station into a plurality of road sections;

determining the road ranks of the road sections;

acquiring the average vehicle speeds of the road ranks to determine the corresponding fuel consumption rates of the road sections;

calculating each sectional fuel consumption of the road sections by multiplying each fuel consumption rate to each distance of the road sections; and

summing up the sectional fuel consumptions to produce the forecasting fuel consumption.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the driving style is determined by statistically analyzing satellite positioning data received by a GPS receiver during daily driving of the user, so as to obtain the average vehicle speeds corresponding to the plurality of road ranks of the user.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the driving style table is provided by accepting manual inputs via the input unit.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the fuel consumption reference database is provided via a vehicle computer or by accepting manual inputs via the input unit.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein the fuel recording unit is provided via a vehicle computer, or by accepting manual inputs via the input unit.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the fuel recording unit further prompts an operation interface to allow the user to enter the fuel quantity while the vehicle enters a gas station.

17. The method according to claim 10, wherein the fuel recording unit further comprises a refueling button being pressed each time when a fuel tank of the vehicle is filled from empty to full, the refueling button provides a traveling distance of the vehicle between a current refueling and a previous refueling after being pressed, and an average fuel consumption rate is calculated according to the traveling distance and a capacity of the fuel tank.

18. The method according to claim 10, wherein the road ranks comprise an express highway, freeway, tollway, plane road, elevated road, city road or country road.