Method and apparatus for variable speed route simulation operation for navigation system

• US 8,306,736 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2007
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wu, Chun-Hsien
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIPALA, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US11/805,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20100094533A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,992 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/200, 701/201, 701207-209, 701/211, 701/400, 701/409, 701/410, 701/431, 701/538, 701/408, 701/421, 701/426, 701/428, 701/429, 701/432, 701/436, 701/437, 701/454, 701/455, 701/457, 701/532, 701/533, 701/300, 340988-990, 340/995.1, 340/995.14, 340/995.15, 340/995.19, 340/995.2
• US Class Current: 701/410
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3655 Timing of guidance instructions
• 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 method for route simulation operation on a navigation system is able to complete the route simulation operation within a short period of time. The method includes the steps of: calculating a route from a starting point to a destination; determining a first route simulation speed for a preset number of first turns from the starting point; determining a second route simulation speed for a preset number of last turns before the destination; determining a third route simulation speed for a remaining part of the calculated route; and displaying a progression indicator on the calculated route to the destination on a map image on the screen of the navigation system and moving the progression indicator based on the simulation speeds determined in the above steps.

Claims

1. A method of conducting a route simulation operation on a screen of a navigation system, comprising the following steps of:

calculating a route from a starting point to a destination specified by a user;

determining a first route simulation speed for a first part of the calculated route having a preset number of first turns from the starting point, the first route simulation speed being slow enough for the user to familiarize with the preset number of first turns;

determining a second route simulation speed for a second part of the calculated route having a preset number of last turns before the destination, the second route simulation speed being slow enough for the user to familiarize with the preset number of last turns;

determining a third route simulation speed for a part that extends between said first part and said second part of the calculated route, the third route simulation speed being higher than the first or second route simulation speed; and

displaying a progression indicator on the calculated route to the destination on a map image on the screen of the navigation system and moving the progression indicator based on the simulation speeds determined in the above steps.

2. A method of conducting a route simulation operation as defined in claim 1, wherein said step of displaying and moving the progression indidator on the map image includes a step of adjusting a scale factor of the map image in such a way that the scale factor increases when the route simulation speed is high and the scale factor decreases when the route simulation speed is low.

3. A method of conducting a route simulation operation as defined in claim 1, further comprising a step of determining a total distance between the starting point and the destination for allocating route simulation speeds to locations on the calculated route.

4. A method of conducting a route simulation operation as defined in claim 1, further comprising a step of presetting an overall route simulation time regardless of a total distance between the starting point and the destination.

5. A method of conducting a route simulation operation as defined in claim 1, further comprising steps of:

presetting an overall route simulation time;

determining a total distance between the starting point and the destination; and

allocating route simulation speeds to locations on the calculated route by reflecting the total distance and adjusting the first, second, and third route simulation speeds so that the route simulation operation will complete within the preset overall route simulation time.

6. A method of conducting a route simulation operation as defined in claim 1, wherein said step of determining the third route simulation speed includes a step of determining a type of road on the calculated route and a step of adjusting the third route simulation speed depending on the type of road.

7. A method of conducting a route simulation operation as defined in claim 1, wherein said step of determining the third route simulation speed includes a step of detecting maneuver points on the calculated route, a step of categorizing the maneuver points based on complexity of maneuvering action, and a step of decreasing the route simulation speed depending on the category of the maneuver points, where the maneuvering action includes turn, U-turn, and stop.

8. A method of conducting a route simulation operation as defined in claim 1, wherein the first route simulation speed for the first part of the calculated route is lower than the second route simulation speed for the second part of the calculated route.

9. A method of conducting a route simulation operation as defined in claim 1, wherein the first route simulation speed for the first part of the calculated route or the second route simulation speed for the second part of the calculated route is further adjusted based on whether the first part or second part is congested or not.

10. A method of conducting a route simulation operation as defined in claim 1, wherein said preset number of first turns from the starting point is three and said preset number of last turns before the destination is three.

11. An apparatus for conducting a route simulation operation on a screen of a navigation system, comprising:

an input device for a user to specify a destination in the navigation system to calculate a route from a starting point to the destination;

a route simulation controller for determining a first route simulation speed for a first part of the calculated route having a preset number of first turns from the starting point, the first route simulation speed being slow enough for the user to familiarize with the preset number of first turns;

the route simulation controller determines a second route simulation speed for a second part of the calculated route having a preset number of last turns before the destination, the second route simulation speed being slow enough for the user to familiarize with the preset number of last turns;

the route simulation controller determines a third route simulation speed for a part that extends between said first part and said second part of the calculated route, the third route simulation speed being higher than the first or second route simulation speed; and

a display controller for controlling an operation of the screen based on the instruction from the route simulation controller for displaying a progression indicator on the calculated route to the destination on a map image on the screen of the navigation system and moving the progression indicator based on the simulation speeds determined by the route simulation controller.

12. An apparatus for conducting a route simulation operation as defined in claim 11, wherein said display controller for displaying and moving the progression indicator on the map image further controls the screen to display an adjusted scale factor of the map image in such a way that the scale factor increases when the route simulation speed is high and the scale factor decreases when the route simulation speed is low.

13. An apparatus for conducting a route simulation operation as defined in claim 11, wherein the route simulation controller determines a total distance between the starting point and the destination for allocating route simulation speeds to locations on the calculated route.

14. An apparatus for conducting a route simulation operation as defined in claim 11, wherein the route simulation controller presets an overall route simulation time regardless of a total distance between the starting point and the destination.

15. An apparatus for conducting a route simulation operation as defined in claim 11, wherein the route simulation controller further controls the following operations of:

presetting an overall route simulation time;

determining a total distance between the starting point and the destination; and

allocating route simulation speeds to locations on the calculated route by reflecting the total distance and adjusting the first, second, and third route simulation speeds so that the route simulation operation will complete within the preset overall route simulation time.

16. An apparatus for conducting a route simulation operation as defined in claim 11, wherein said the route simulation controller further determines a type of road on the calculated route and adjusts the third route simulation speed depending on the type of road.

17. An apparatus for conducting a route simulation operation as defined in claim 11, wherein said the route simulation controller further determines maneuver points on the calculated route, categorizes the maneuver points based on complexity of maneuvering action, and decreases the route simulation speed depending on the category of the maneuver points, where the maneuvering action includes turn, U-turn, and stop.

18. An apparatus for conducting a route simulation operation as defined in claim 11, wherein the first route simulation speed for the first part of the calculated route is lower than the second route simulation speed for the second part of the calculated route.

19. An apparatus for conducting a route simulation operation as defined in claim 11, wherein the first route simulation speed for the first part of the calculated route or the second route simulation speed for the second part of the calculated route is further adjusted based on whether the first part or second part is congested or not.

20. An apparatus for conducting a route simulation operation as defined in claim 11, wherein said preset number of first turns from the starting point is three and said preset number of last turns before the destination is three.