Method and terminal for providing a route in a navigation system using satellite image

• US 8,762,052 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2013
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Min, Hyun-Suk, Jung, Hee, Kim, Kwang-Soo, Kim, Jin-Won
• Primary Examiner(s): TISSOT, ADAM D
• Application Number:
  US13/930,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20130297209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 361 Days
• Field of Search: 701200-215, 701/533, 701/532, 701/469, 701/2, 701/120, 701/25, 701/412, 701/416, 701/439, 701/454, 701/526, 701/527, 342/357.25, 342/357.57, 342/175, 342/179, 342/463, 473/407, 473/409
• US Class Current: 701/436
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3852 Data derived from aerial or satellite images

Abstract

A method and a terminal for providing a route in a navigation system using a satellite image are provided. The terminal includes a route calculation unit for calculating a route from a current location to a destination when a user inputs the destination, a satellite image requesting unit for requesting a satellite image server for satellite images corresponding to locations on the route and for downloading the requested satellite images, a satellite image storage unit for storing the downloaded satellite images, and a controller for retrieving a satellite image corresponding to the current location from the satellite image storage unit and for displaying the retrieved satellite image simultaneously while downloading the satellite images corresponding to the locations on the route.

Claims

1. A terminal for providing a route, the terminal comprising:

a storage unit; and

a controller configured to requesting a satellite image server for satellite images corresponding to image blocks showing contiguous segments of the route, to download the requested satellite images from the satellite image server and store the downloaded satellite images in the storage unit, to retrieve, from the storage unit, a satellite image corresponding to a segment of the route on which the user is presently located, and to display the retrieved satellite image on a display unit,

wherein the route is divided into the contiguous segments, each segment corresponding to one of the image blocks stored in the satellite image server.

2. The terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller displays the satellite image together with a digital map for the navigation by means of a split screen.

3. The terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller displays the retrieved satellite image and zooms in/out according to a user input.

4. The terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller first downloads the satellite image corresponding to the segment of the route on which the user is presently located from the satellite image server and then downloads satellite images corresponding to next segments of the route from the satellite image server.

5. The terminal as claimed in claim 4, wherein while the controller downloads the satellite images from the satellite image server and the storage unit stores the satellite images, the controller retrieves and displays a satellite image stored in the storage unit and corresponding to the segment of the route on which the user is presently located.

6. The terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller downloads all of the requested satellite images from the satellite image server prior to displaying any of the requested satellite images.

7. A method for providing a route, the method comprising:

requesting, by a terminal, a satellite image server for satellite images corresponding to image blocks showing contiguous segments of the route;

downloading, by the terminal, the requested satellite images from the satellite server;

storing, by the terminal, the downloaded satellite images in a storage unit of the terminal;

retrieving, from the storage unit, a satellite image corresponding to a segment of the route on which the user is presently located; and

displaying the retrieved satellite image on a display of the terminal,

wherein the route is divided into the contiguous segments, each segment corresponding to one of the image blocks stored in the satellite image server.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

displaying the retrieved satellite image together with a digital map for navigation by means of a split screen.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the displaying of the retrieved satellite image comprises:

displaying the retrieved satellite image and zooming in/out according to a user input.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the downloading of the satellite images comprises:

downloading, by the terminal, the satellite image corresponding to the segment of the route on which the user is presently located from the satellite server; and

continuing to download satellite images corresponding to next segments of the route from the satellite server.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein while the satellite images are downloaded from the satellite server, an already stored satellite image corresponding to the segment of the route on which the user is presently located is retrieved and displayed for navigation.

12. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein all of the requested satellite images are downloaded from the satellite image server prior to displaying any of the requested satellite images.