Power saving system for navigation device

• US 8,515,667 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2008
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vodafone IP Licensing Limited (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Vodafone IP Licensing Limited (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Inventors: Haatainen, Niko
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafi, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US12/247,571
• Publication Number:
  US 20090043491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,777 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/200, 701/201, 701207-211, 701/408, 701/409, 701/410, 701/411, 701/412, 701/413, 701/414, 701/428, 701/429, 701/431, 701/432, 701/436, 701/490, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 340/539.3, 340/929, 3409951-996, 340/955, 340/953, 340/956, 340/518, 340/539.2, 340/3.6, 340/5.32, 340/815.43, 340/815.56, 340/815.65, 340/FOR.400, 455/574, 4553431-345, 348/333.01, 348/333.13, 348/333.03, 342/139, 342/104, 342/118, 342/176, 342/185, 342/357.74
• US Class Current: 701/432
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968

Abstract

A navigation system using a mobile terminal, GPS receiver and navigation software, wherein the navigation software is arranged to switch the mobile terminal into a power saving mode if there are no further instructions needed for a determined period of time or distance. The power saving functionality comprises turning the backlight off and changing the visualization of the display for better readability without the backlight.

Claims

1. A power saving navigation device comprising a display, the device being capable of acquiring the current location of the device and a user specified desired destination, the device further arranged to:

request navigation information for a route based on the acquired current location and the desired destination;

display said requested route on said display of said navigation device and guiding a user along said route;

determine a span value for the next expected guiding information;

determine a threshold value for power saving management, wherein said threshold includes at least one of a predetermined time and distance;

compare said span value to said threshold value;

a processor is configured to activate the power saving mode if said span value exceeds said threshold value,

wherein said power saving mode comprises turning off the background light of the display of said navigation device and changing at least one display indicia, said at least one display indicia including one or more of a map and visual guidance icons, wherein changing said at least one display indicia includes changing one or more of the colors of a map, font size, font color, and size of visual guidance icons, such that the at least one display indicia can be seen without a backlight, wherein the power saving mode is an independent feature of said device that is being activated by the processor after a certain time of inactivity, wherein said device compares said span value to said threshold value and sends an activity signal when said threshold value exceeds said span value.

2. A navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the navigation device comprises a built-in GPS receiver.

3. A navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the navigation device is coupled to a separate GPS receiver.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein the next expected guiding information comprises a junction requiring instruction.