Method for displaying navigation route, navigation apparatus and recording medium

• US 8,983,772 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2010
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Lee, Yu-Cheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Holcomb, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ng, Jonathan K
• Application Number:
  US12/831,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20110022300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,714 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/455
• US Class Current: 701/431
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3632 Guidance using simplified or iconic instructions, e.g. using arrows G01C21/365 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map

Abstract

A method for displaying a navigation route, a navigation apparatus, and a recording medium are provided. In the method, a current location of a mobile device is detected. Next, a start point and an end point are received and a navigation route is planned accordingly. Then, an electronic map database is accessed and a navigation map is rendered on a screen of the mobile device according to the electronic map database, wherein only the map information associated with the navigation route in the electronic map database is displayed on the navigation map and the displayed map information comprises the road names of a current road and a next road associated with the current location of the mobile device in the navigation route.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a navigation route, suitable for a mobile device having a screen, a positioning unit, an input unit, a storage unit and a processing unit, the method comprising:

detecting a current location of the mobile device by the positioning unit;

receiving a start point and an end point by the input unit;

planning a navigation route according to the start point and the end point by the processing unit; and

accessing an electronic map database stored in the storage unit and rendering a navigation map on the screen according to the electronic map database by the processing unit, wherein only map information in the electronic map database associated with the navigation route is displayed, wherein the displayed map information in the electronic map database associated with the navigation route comprises road names associated with a current road and a next road in the navigation map corresponding to the current location of the mobile device in the navigation map, wherein the step of rendering the navigation map on the screen further comprises;

displaying a representative icon of the mobile device at the current location of the mobile device, wherein the representative icon comprises a speed and forward direction information of the mobile device or a speed limit of the current road corresponding to the current location of the mobile device;

displaying a thumbnail of the navigation route on the screen, wherein the thumbnail comprises the start point, the end point, a path of the navigation route, and a mark indicating the current location of the mobile device; and

receiving an operation of a user for the thumbnail, and activating a route simulation mode to simulate the navigation route by moving the representative icon of the mobile device on the navigation route.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of rendering the navigation map on the screen further comprises:

displaying a reference point on a turning point of the current road turning to the next road in the navigation map when the current road is connected to the next road.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of rendering the navigation map on the screen further comprises:

marking a distance between the current location and a location of a next turning point in the navigation route.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of rendering the navigation map on the screen further comprises:

marking the road name of a previous road which is intersected with the current road and passed by before the turning point in the navigation route.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of rendering the navigation map on the screen comprises:

rendering the navigation map in a form of a two-dimensional plan view or a three-dimensional bird eye view, wherein the display scale of the three-dimensional bird eye view is larger than the display scale of the two-dimensional plan view.

6. A non-transitory recording medium, recording program instructions for:

detecting a current location of the mobile device;

receiving a start point and an end point;

planning a navigation route according to the start point and the end point; and

accessing an electronic map database and rendering a navigation map on the screen according to the electronic map database, wherein only map information in the electronic map database associated with the navigation route is displayed, wherein the displayed map information in the electronic map database associated with the navigation route comprises road names associated with a current road and a next road in the navigation map corresponding to the current location of the mobile device in the navigation map, wherein the step of rendering the navigation map on the screen further comprises;

displaying a representative icon of the mobile device at the current location of the mobile device, wherein the representative icon comprises a speed and forward direction information of the mobile device or a speed limit of the current road corresponding to the current location of the mobile device;

displaying a thumbnail of the navigation route on the screen, wherein the thumbnail comprises the start point, the end point, a path of the navigation route, and a mark indicating the current location of the mobile device; and

receiving an operation of a user for the thumbnail, and activating a route simulation mode to simulate the navigation route by moving the representative icon of the mobile device on the navigation route.

7. A navigation apparatus, comprising:

a positioning unit, for detecting a current location of the navigation apparatus;

a display unit;

an input unit, for receiving a start point and an end point;

a storage unit, for storing an electronic map database; and

a processing unit, coupled to the positioning unit, the input unit, the display unit and a storage unit, for planning a navigation route according to the start point and the end point received by the input unit, accessing the electronic map database stored in the storage unit, and rendering a navigation map on the display unit according to the electronic map database, wherein only map information in the electronic map database associated with the navigation route is displayed, wherein the displayed map information in the electronic map database associated with the navigation route comprises road names associated with a current road and a next road in the navigation map corresponding to the current location of the navigation apparatus in the navigation map, wherein the processing unit further comprises;

displaying a representative icon at the current location of the navigation apparatus, wherein the representative icon comprises a speed and forward direction information of the navigation apparatus or a speed limit of the current road corresponding to the current location of the navigation apparatus; and

displaying a thumbnail of the navigation route on the display unit, wherein the thumbnail comprises the start point, the end point, a path of the navigation route, and a mark indicating the current location of the navigation apparatus; and

receiving an operation of a user for the thumbnail, and activating a route simulation mode to simulate the navigation route by moving the representative icon of the mobile device on the navigation route.

8. The navigation apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the processing unit further displays a reference point on a turning point of the current road turning to the next road in the navigation map.

9. The navigation apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the processing unit further marks a distance between the current location and a location of a next turning point in the navigation route.

10. The navigation apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the reference point comprises a point of interest, a landmark, a store, or a building located in the turning point.

11. The navigation apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the processing unit further marks the road name of a previous road which is intersected with the current road and passed by before the turning point in the navigation route.

12. The navigation apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

a communication unit, for receiving information of a jammed section in the navigation route, wherein the processing unit marks the jammed section on the navigation route displayed by the display unit by using a preset road color or road pattern.

13. The navigation apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the processing unit comprises:

rendering the navigation map in a form of a two-dimensional plan view or a three-dimensional bird eye view.