Navigation system, particularly for a motor vehicle

• US 8,606,519 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2010
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG), Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG), Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Waeller, Christoph
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, YUEN H
• Application Number:
  US13/380,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20120109525A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,312 Days
• Field of Search: 701/533, 345/173
• US Class Current: 701/533
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A navigation system, particularly for a motor vehicle, determines the position of the navigation system or the motor vehicle and for determining a route to a destination. The navigation system includes a display for presenting variable information and a transparent touchscreen arranged above the display or a touchpad arranged independently of the display for recognizing the position of a touch on the touchscreen or the touchpad. The navigation system also includes a controller for displaying a map presentation on the display as a first operator control area and for displaying at least one second operator control area on the display. A contact-based dragging movement using the touchscreen over the first operator control area allows movement of the map presentation, rotation of the map presentation or inclination of the map presentation to be executed. A contact-based dragging movement using the touchscreen over the second operator control area allows movement of the map presentation, rotation of the map presentation and inclination of the map presentation to be executed.

Claims

1. A navigation system to determine a route to a destination, comprising:

a display to present variable information;

a touch-activated user input device for which user touch coordinates on the input device are directly associated with coordinates of the display;

a controller to display a map presentation on the display as a first operator control area and to display at least one second operator control area on the display, wherein a contact-based dragging movement using the user input device in connection with coordinates in the first operator control area causes a first function selected from the group consisting of

movement of the map presentation,

rotation of the map presentation and

inclination of the map presentation

and wherein a contact-based dragging movement using the user input device in connection with coordinates in the second operator control area causes a second function different from the first function and selected from the group consisting of

movement of the map presentation,

rotation of the map presentation and

inclination of the map presentation,

wherein the second operator control area is oriented horizontally with respect to a horizontally oriented map presentation.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the controller presents a third operator control area on the display, wherein a contact-based dragging movement using the user input device in connection with coordinates in the third operator control area causes a third function different from the first and second functions and selected from the group consisting of

movement of the map presentation,

rotation of the map presentation and

inclination of the map presentation.

3. The navigation system according to claim 2, wherein the second operator control area and the third operator control area form a frame surrounding the first operator control area.

4. The navigation system according to claim 3, wherein the second operator control area is associated with a lower portion of the frame and/or with an upper portion of the frame, with respect to a horizontally oriented map presentation.

5. The navigation system according to claim 3, wherein the third operator control area is associated with a left-hand portion of the frame and/or with a right-hand portion of the frame, with respect to a horizontally oriented map presentation.

6. The navigation system according to claim 2, wherein the third operator control area is oriented vertically with respect to a horizontally oriented map presentation.

7. The navigation system according to claim 2, wherein the map presentation is inclined upon a contact-based dragging movement using the user input device in connection with coordinates in the third operator control area.

8. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the map presentation is moved upon a contact-based dragging movement using the user input device in connection with coordinates in the first operator control area.

9. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the map presentation is rotated upon a contact-based dragging movement using the user input device in connection with coordinates in the second operator control area.

10. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

the user input device is a multi-touch device recognizing at least two simultaneously occurring touches,

a contact-based compressing or spreading movement using the multi-touch device in connection with coordinates in the first operator control area causes a fourth function selected from the group consisting of

reduction or enlargement of the map presentation and

inclination of the map presentation

a contact-based compressing or spreading movement using the multi-touch device in connection with coordinates in the second operating control area causes a fifth function different from the fourth function and selected from the group consisting of

reduction or enlargement of the map presentation and

inclination of the map presentation.

11. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the navigation system is a vehicle navigation system.

12. The navigation system according to claim 11, wherein display is switchable between navigation system information, climate control information and passenger entertainment information.

13. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

when the user input device is not activated, the display shows the map presentation without an indicator for the first and second operator control areas, and

when the user input device is touched, the display adds the indicator for the first and second operator control areas.

14. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the user input device is a transparent touchscreen arranged above the display for recognizing the position of a touch on the touchscreen.

15. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the user input device is a touchpad arranged independently of the display.

16. A navigation system to determine a route to a destination, comprising:

a display to present variable information;

a multi-touch user input device to recognize at least two simultaneously occurring touches on the user input device such that user touch coordinates on the input device are directly associated with coordinates of the display;

a controller to display a map presentation on the display as a first operator control area and to display at least one second operator control area on the display, wherein a contact-based compressing or spreading movement using the user input device in connection with coordinates in the first operator control area causes a function selected from the group consisting of

reduction or enlargement of the map presentation and

inclination of the map presentation

and wherein a contact-based compressing or spreading movement using the user input device in connection with coordinates in the second operator control area causes the other function selected from the group consisting of

reduction or enlargement of the map presentation and

inclination of the map presentation,

wherein the second operator control area is oriented horizontally with respect to a horizontally oriented map presentation.

17. A method for operating a navigation system for determining a route to a destination, the method comprising:

presenting a map presentation on a display having first and second operator control areas;

receiving a user touch signal on a touch-activated user input device for which user touch coordinates on the input device are directly associated with coordinates of the display;

receiving a contact-based dragging movement at the user input device in connection with the first operator control area and causing a first function selected from the group consisting of

movement of the map presentation,

rotation of the map presentation and

inclination of the map presentation

receiving a contact-based dragging movement at the user input device in connection with the second operator control area and causing a second function different from the first function and selected from the group consisting of

movement of the map presentation,

rotation of the map presentation and

inclination of the map presentation,

wherein the second operator control area is oriented horizontally with respect to a horizontally oriented map presentation.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein

the display has a third operator control area, and

a contact-based dragging movement using the user input device in connection with coordinates in the third operator control area causes a third function different from the first and second functions and selected from the group consisting of

movement of the map presentation,

rotation of the map presentation and

inclination of the map presentation.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein

the user input device is a multi-touch device recognizing at least two simultaneously occurring touches,

a contact-based compressing or spreading movement using the multi-touch device in connection with coordinates in the first operator control area causes a fourth function selected from the group consisting of

reduction or enlargement of the map presentation and

inclination of the map presentation

a contact-based compressing or spreading movement using the multi-touch device in connection with coordinates in the second operating control area causes a fifth function different from the fourth function and selected from the group consisting of

reduction or enlargement of the map presentation and

inclination of the map presentation.