Image correction method and apparatus for navigation system with portable navigation unit

• US 8,332,144 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2006
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agfa Graphics Nv (Agfa-Gevaert N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Diaz, Melvin Bernard, Ogawa, Tsutomu Tommy
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amin, Bhavesh V
• Application Number:
  US11/642,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20070203646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,183 Days
• Field of Search: 701/209, 701/211, 701/213, 701/212, 701/36, 701/208, 701/200, 340/990, 382/282, 382/276
• US Class Current: 701/455
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3688 Systems comprising multiple parts or multiple output devices (not client-server), e.g. detachable faceplates, key fobs or multiple output screens

Abstract

The image correction method and system for navigation device with portable navigation unit converts an image based on projection to a first display into a suitable image on a second display such that the area of the second display is used economically and efficiently while maintaining some elements of the image in substantially common aspect ratio between the images on the first display and on the second display. The image correction method determines the ratio of the second display, determines if image correction is required, and checks a correction table and performs image correction according to correction rules to generate the corrected image for projecting on the second display.

Claims

1. A navigation system for displaying a map for guiding a user to a destination, comprising:

a first display provided on a removable navigational unit;

a second display provided on an in-vehicle portion within a vehicle, the second display having an aspect ratio different from that of the first display;

a navigation interface which electrically connects the removable navigation unit with the in-vehicle portion;

an image controller which generates both a first image for projection on the first display and a second image for projection on the second display where each of the first and second images has a plurality of image elements; and

a data table which stores data indicating a plurality of image elements, corrected image elements for different aspect ratios, and correction rules for correcting an aspect ratio of the image element;

wherein the image controller selects an image element and creates corrected image element data for the selected image element based on the correction rules in the data table for projection on the second display such that the image of only the selected image element has a substantially common aspect ratio on each of the first display and the second display even though the aspect ratios of the first and second displays are different from one another and wherein an unselected image element is projected without modification on the second display.

2. A navigation system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first display has a first aspect ratio and the second display has a second aspect ratio, and wherein the image controller of the removable navigation unit detects a difference between the first aspect ratio and the second aspect ratio when the first display is connected to the in-vehicle portion and determines whether image correction is necessary based on the difference between first aspect ratio and the second aspect ratio.

3. A navigation system as defined in claim 1, wherein said correction rule is an image correction rule algorithm that performs calculation to generate the corrected image element data to display the selected image element on the second display when there is a difference between the first aspect ratio and the second aspect ratio.

4. A navigation system as defined in claim 3, wherein the image data for displaying the image on the first and second displays is comprised of map element data and map image data, and map element data are extracted for image correction to have substantially common aspect ratio on each of the first display and the second display when displayed on the second display.

5. A navigation system as defined in claim 1, wherein the navigation interface establishes communication between the removable navigation unit and the in-vehicle portion when the removable navigation unit is mounted on the navigation interface where the interface includes a connector to transmits electrical signals and power between the removable navigation unit and the in-vehicle portion.

6. A navigation system as defined in claim 5, wherein the removable navigation unit includes an integral speaker and the in-vehicle portion includes an in-vehicle speaker, and when mounted on the navigation interface, the removable navigation unit disables the integral speaker and activates the in-vehicle display to use only the in-vehicle speaker for performing the navigation functions.

7. A navigation system as defined in claim 5, wherein the removable navigation unit controls relative volume of sounds that are reproduced by the in-vehicle speaker such that the volume of navigational sounds is greater than that of non-navigational sounds.

8. A navigation system as defined in claim 5, wherein the removable navigation unit includes an integral antenna and the in-vehicle portion includes an in-vehicle antenna, and when mounted on the navigation interface, the removable navigation unit disables the integral antenna and activates the in-vehicle antenna to use only the in-vehicle antenna for performing the navigation functions.

9. A navigation system as defined in claim 5, wherein the removable navigation unit includes an integral antenna and the in-vehicle portion includes an in-vehicle antenna, and when mounted on the navigation interface, the removable navigation unit activates both the integral antenna and the in-vehicle antenna for performing the navigation functions.

10. A navigation system as defined in claim 5, wherein the removable navigation unit includes integral controls and the in-vehicle portion includes in-vehicle controls, and when mounted on the navigation interface, the removable navigation unit disables the integral controls and activates the in-vehicle controls to use only the in-vehicle controls for performing the navigation functions.

11. A navigation system as defined in claim 5, wherein the removable navigation unit includes integral controls and the in-vehicle portion includes in-vehicle controls, and when mounted on the navigation interface, the removable navigation unit activates both the integral controls and the in-vehicle controls for performing the navigation functions.

12. A navigation system as defined in claim 1, wherein, when the removable navigation unit is mounted, the navigation interface sends signals and data to components in the in-vehicle portion and receives signals and data from the components in the in-vehicle portion through either wired communication or wireless communication.

17. A navigation system as defined in claim 1, wherein the image controller selects an image element based on amount of distortion of the image element.

13. A method for generating a corrected image for a navigation system, comprising the following steps of:

connecting a first display and a second display each having an aspect ratio different from one another;

retrieving image data for the first display;

determining a difference between the aspect ratio of the first display and the aspect ratio of the second display;

determining which image element should be displayed with substantially the same aspect ratio on each of the first display and the second display;

selecting an image element from a plurality of image elements that configure a first image displayed on the first display based on the determination step so that only the selected image element is corrected in its aspect ratio when displayed on the second display;

checking a correction table to extract corrected image element data for only the selected image element by applying a correction rule based on a difference between the first and second display, where the correction table stores corrected image element data to be used as the selected image element; and

generating the corrected image element data extracted from the correction table for displaying a second image of the selected image element on the second display so that only the selected image element has a substantially common aspect ratio on each of the first display and the second display even though the aspect ratios of the first and second displays are different from one another where an unselected element is projected without modification on the second display.

14. A method for generating a corrected image as defined in claim 13, wherein the first display is provided to a removable navigation unit and the second display is provided to an in-vehicle portion of a vehicle.

15. A method for generating a corrected image as defined in claim 14, further comprising a step of determining whether the first display and the second display are electrically connected through an navigation interface.

16. A method of generating a corrected image as defined in claim 15, further comprising a step of checking correction rules to perform calculation for generating the corrected image element data for the selected element.