Mobile navigation device

• US 8,374,787 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2010
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Huang, Hsing-Chiang, Tun, Yun-Long
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, SHARDUL D
• Application Number:
  US12/970,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20110208430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 701/216, 701/472, 701/200, 701/400
• US Class Current: 701/472
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/165 combined with non-inertial navigation instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments

Abstract

A mobile navigation device operating in a first mode and a second mode is provided. In the first mode, a satellite positioning module is activated while a dead reckoning module is disabled. A processor calculates the coordinates of the mobile navigation device based on the satellite navigation signals received by the satellite positioning module. In the second mode, the satellite positioning module is disabled while the dead reckoning module is activated, and the processor updates the coordinates based on displacements and rotations detected by the dead reckoning module.

Claims

1. A mobile navigation device, comprising:

a satellite positioning module, for receiving a satellite navigation signal;

a dead reckoning module, for detecting a displacement and a rotation of the mobile navigation device;

a processor coupled to the satellite positioning module and the dead reckoning module, for reading the satellite navigation signal, the displacement, and the rotation,

wherein the mobile navigation device operates in a first mode and a second mode alternately, and

in the first mode, the satellite positioning module is activated, the dead reckoning module is disabled, and the processor calculates a position coordinate according to the satellite navigation signal, and

in the second mode, the satellite positioning module is disabled, the dead reckoning module is activated, and the processor updates the position coordinate according to the displacement and the rotation; and

a memory coupled to the processor, for storing the position coordinate,

wherein when the mobile navigation device is switched from the first mode to the second mode, the memory keeps the data status of the satellite positioning module for a next switch back to the first mode from the second mode,

wherein in the first mode;

the processor determines whether a first time span when the mobile navigation device continuously operates in the first mode exceeds a first threshold time span,

the mobile navigation device is switched to the second mode by the processor when the first time span exceeds the first threshold time span, and

the processor continues to update the position coordinate according to the satellite navigation signal when the first time span does not exceed the first threshold time span.

2. The mobile navigation device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a firmware coupled to the processor, for providing a program to control the timing for switching between the first mode and the second mode for the processor.

3. The mobile navigation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the first mode:

the satellite positioning module determines whether the satellite navigation signal satisfies a receiving condition,

wherein the mobile navigation device is switched to the second mode by the processor when the satellite navigation signal does not satisfy the receiving condition.

4. The mobile navigation device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the processor updates the position coordinate according to the satellite navigation signal when the satellite navigation signal satisfies the receiving condition.

5. The mobile navigation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the mobile navigation device is switched from the first mode to the second mode:

the dead reckoning module is activated to detect the displacement and the rotation; and

the satellite positioning module is disabled to reduce power consumption of the mobile navigation device.

6. The mobile navigation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the mobile navigation device is switched from the second mode to the first mode:

the processor activates the satellite positioning module and keeps the dead reckoning module activated; and

the processor determines whether the satellite navigation signal was locked by the satellite positioning module during a specific time;

wherein the dead reckoning module is disabled while the satellite positioning module is activated by the processor when the satellite navigation signal was locked by the satellite positioning module during the specific time, to switch the mobile navigation device to the first mode, and

the satellite positioning module is disabled while the dead reckoning module is activated by the processor when the satellite navigation signal was not locked by the satellite positioning module during the specific time, to switch the mobile navigation device to the second mode.

7. The mobile navigation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the second mode:

the processor determines whether a second time span when the mobile navigation device continuously operates in the second mode exceeds a second threshold time span;

the mobile navigation device is switched to the first mode by the processor when the second time span exceeds the second threshold time span, and

the processor continues to update the position coordinate according to the displacement and the rotation when the second time span does not exceed the second threshold time span.

8. The mobile navigation device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the processor records a current position coordinate of the mobile navigation device as a first location when the mobile navigation device enters the second mode from the first mode.

9. The mobile navigation device as claimed in claim 8, wherein in the second mode:

the processor determines whether the displacement exceeds a threshold distance, wherein the displacement is reckoned from the first location;

the mobile navigation device is switched to the first mode by the processor when the displacement exceeds the threshold distance, and

the processor updates the position coordinate according to the first location, the displacement, and the rotation and keeps the mobile navigation device in the second mode when the displacement does not exceed the threshold distance.

10. The mobile navigation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor records a current traveling direction of the mobile navigation device as a first direction when the mobile navigation device enters the second mode from the first mode.

11. The mobile navigation device as claimed in claim 10, wherein in the second mode:

the processor determines whether the rotation exceeds a threshold angle;

the mobile navigation device is switched to the first mode by the processor when the rotation exceeds the threshold angle, and

the processor updates the position coordinate according to the first location, the displacement, and the rotation and keeps the mobile navigation device operating in the second mode when the rotation does not exceed the threshold angle.

12. The mobile navigation device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the rotation is an included angle between a current traveling direction of the mobile navigation device and the first direction.

13. The mobile navigation device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the rotation is an included angle between the first direction and a connecting line direction formed by the first location and a current position coordinate of the mobile navigation device.

14. The mobile navigation device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the rotation is a varied traveling direction of the mobile navigation device during a specific unit of time.

15. The mobile navigation device as claimed in claim 9, wherein in the second mode:

the dead reckoning module determines a circuitous index of motion path of the mobile navigation device according to an instantaneous angular velocity, an average angular velocity, and the rotation;

the processor uses a first distance reference value as the threshold distance and uses a first time reference value as the second threshold time span when the circuitous index is larger than a threshold value; and

the processor uses a second distance reference value as the threshold distance and uses a second time reference value as the second threshold time span when the circuitous index is smaller than the threshold value,

wherein the first distance reference value is smaller than the second distance reference value, and the first time reference value is smaller than the second time reference value.

16. The mobile navigation device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dead reckoning module comprises a gyro or an acceleration sensor.