Apparatus for and method of junction view display

• US 8,612,151 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2008
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TomTom Navigation B.V (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: Tomtom Global Content B.V (TomTom NV)
• Inventors: Miksa, Krzysztof, Winkler, Marcus
• Primary Examiner(s): MARC-COLEMAN, MARTHE Y
• Application Number:
  US12/736,764
• Publication Number:
  US 20110112756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,985 Days
• Field of Search: 701/533, 701/532, 701/437, 701/314, 340/995.2, 340/995.24
• US Class Current: 701/533
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3638 including 3D objects and buildings three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects G06T17/00; geographic models G06T17/05
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3658 Lane guidance

Abstract

A navigation method and navigation system are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the method has the following actions: a.) receiving position data from a position determining device; b.) when approaching a junction with the navigation system, displaying the junction view on a display, the junction view showing data as to a real-life view of the junction inclusive of an image of each signpost present on the junction as visible to a user of the navigation system; c.) receiving route information from route planning software indicating a route to be followed by the user; and d.) highlighting on the display a signpost related to a road segment to be followed by the user relative to all other signposts as shown on the display.

Claims

1. A navigation system comprising a processor and a display for displaying route information, a position determination device for determining a position of said navigation system in a road network, said processor being connected to a memory storing route planning software arranged to calculate a route to be followed from a starting position to a destination, said memory further storing a computer program comprising instructions and data in order to allow said processor to perform the following actions:

a. to receive position data from said position determination device;

b. when approaching a junction on said road network, presenting a junction view on said display, said junction view comprising image data as to a real-life view of said junction, said real-life view comprising road segments connected to said junction as visible to a user of the navigation system approaching said junction and an image of each signpost and associated signpost content present on said junction as visible to said user;

c. to receive route information from said route planning software indicating said route to be followed by the user of said navigation system, said route information comprising data as to which road segment connected to said junction is to be followed by said user on said route; and

d. to highlight on said display a signpost and associated signpost content related to said road segment to be followed by said user relative to all other signposts as shown on said display.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said junction view is read by said processor from either a memory within said navigation system or downloaded from a remote memory, or is processed on the fly based on data in a map database.

3. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the action to highlight said signpost includes at least one of the following sets of actions:

a. to flash said signpost,

b. to present said signpost in a distinguishable color,

c. to display said signpost bigger than other signposts,

d. to show said signpost partly in front of other signposts, and

e. to present said signpost in a normal way but to present other signposts in a blurred, semi-transparent, low contrast or darkened way.

4. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said computer program is arranged to allow said processor to perform the action to present said junction view inclusive of objects as present in reality or some generalized simulation of such objects, as visible when approaching the junction.

5. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said computer program is arranged to allow said processor to perform the action of highlighting on the display one or more lanes of the road segment the user can take relative to other lanes on said junction in accordance with said route.

6. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said computer program is arranged to allow said processor to perform any one of the following actions:

a. to show any inscription on the signpost in a legible way on said display;

b. to show an inscription of the signpost in an illegible or semi-illegible way on said display;

c. to show a reduced portion of the inscription on the signpost on the display;

d. to show the signposts only with their real-life colors, but without any inscription.

7. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the navigation system comprises a speaker and said computer program is arranged to allow said processor to perform the action of generating a voice instruction for said user via said speaker indicating which road segment the user is to follow from said junction.

8. The navigation system according to claim 7, wherein said voice instruction includes a repetition of a text as shown on said signpost to be followed by the user.

9. The navigation system according to claim 7, wherein said voice instruction includes a location of the signposts the user has to follow relative to other signposts on said junction view.

10. The navigation system according to claim 7, wherein said voice instruction includes an indication of the lane to be followed by the user.

11. The navigation system according to claim 7, wherein said navigation system is arranged as an in-car navigation system in a vehicle, and said computer program is arranged to allow said processor to perform the action of receiving position data from said position determining device as to a lane in which said vehicle is driving and informing a driver of the vehicle how many lanes said driver has to shift leftward or rightward to arrive at a desired lane according to the route to be followed by the driver.

12. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the junction view comprises at least one lane per road segment, each signpost being related to at least one lane, the computer program being arranged to allow said processor to show linking information between the signpost highlighted by the processor and the at least one lane indicated by said highlighted signpost to indicate which lane or lanes of the at least one lane is associated with the signpost.

13. A handheld device comprising a navigation system as claimed in claim 1.

14. A vehicle comprising a navigation system as claimed in claim 1.

15. A method to be performed on a navigation system comprising:

a. receiving position data from a position determining device arranged to determine a position of said navigation system in a road network;

b. when approaching a junction in said road network with said navigation system, presenting a junction view on a display of said navigation system, said junction view comprising data as to a real-life view of said junction, said real-life view comprising road segments connected to said junction as visible to a user of said navigation system and an image of each signpost and associated signpost content present at said junction as visible to said user;

c. receiving route information from route planning software indicating a route to be followed by said user, said route information comprising data as to which road segment connected to said junction is to be followed by said user; and

d. highlighting on said display a signpost and associated signpost content related to said road segment to be followed by said user relative to all other signposts as shown on said display.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a computer program product comprising instructions and data which, when executed by a navigation system, allow said navigation system to perform the method of claim 15.

17. A navigation system comprising:

a processor;

a display for displaying route information; and

a position determination device for determining a position of said navigation system in a road network, said processor being arranged to calculate a route to be followed from a starting position to a destination, and being further arranged to;

a. receive position data from said position determination device;

b. when approaching a junction on said road network, present a junction view on said display, said junction view comprising image data corresponding to a real-life view of said junction, said junction view comprising road segments connected to said junction as visible to a user of the navigation system approaching said junction and an image of each signpost present on said junction as visible to said user;

c. receive route information indicating said route to be followed by the user of said navigation system, said route information comprising data as to which road segment connected to said junction is to be followed by said user on said route; and

d. present on said display a signpost related to said road segment to be followed by said user in another way to all other signposts as shown on said display, wherein the other signposts are shown in a dulled manner relative to the signpost related to said road segment to be followed.