Dynamic destination map display for navigation system

• US 9,052,212 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2012
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Doan, Linh, Iao, Mike
• Primary Examiner(s): ZURITA, JAMES H
• Application Number:
  US13/553,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20120283946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,055 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.1, 705/27.1, 701/461
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence

Abstract

A map display apparatus and method for a navigation changes a map scale dynamically to help the driver visualize the environment of the destination when the vehicle is approaching the destination. The map scale is changed dynamically to display the destination along with at least one map attribute near the destination to provide more information to the driver. The navigation system includes, among others, a searching unit and a scale changing unit to change the map scale to display the destination along with at least one map attribute when the vehicle is approaching the destination. The navigation system also includes a priority table to prioritize the map attributes and the searching unit searches the map attributes near the destination according to order in the priority table.

Claims

1. A map display apparatus for a navigation system comprising:

a display unit;

an information receiver adapted to receive position information about a current location of a vehicle;

at least one database to store and provide maps, map attributes, road networks, geographical features, and point-of-interest (POI) information;

a position and distance measuring unit for measuring a distance between the vehicle and a destination; and

a searching unit,

wherein when the position and distance measuring unit indicates that the vehicle is within a predetermined distance to the destination, the searching unit starts searching for at least one map attribute located within a predetermined search distance from the destination, and the map attribute is displayed with the destination, and

wherein the navigation system further comprises a map scale changing unit adapted to dynamically change a map scale that displays, at the same time, both the destination and at least one map attribute located within a predetermined search distance from the destination detected by the searching unit.

2. The map display apparatus for a navigation system as defined in claim 1, wherein the navigation system further comprises a priority table in which the map attributes are prioritized in a form of a priority list for said searching unit to search.

3. The map display apparatus for a navigation system of claim 2, wherein the priority table defines a search distance measured from the destination to each map attribute.

4. The map display apparatus for a navigation system as defined in claim 3, wherein the searching unit searches the priority list starting from a first map attribute in the priority list.

5. The map display apparatus for a navigation system as defined in claim 4, wherein the searching unit searches a next map attribute in the priority list when a previous map attribute or attributes in the priority list do not exist in the search distance.

6. The map display apparatus for a navigation system as defined in claim 1, wherein once the searching unit detects at least one map attribute located within the predetermined search distance from the destination, the map attribute information is transmitted to the map scale changing unit to dynamically change the map scale to display both the map attribute and the destination at the same time.

7. An apparatus for displaying a map including a destination along with at least one map attribute, comprising:

a display unit;

a plurality of input buttons adapted to accept user instructions;

a position and distance measuring unit; and

a searching unit,

wherein the position and distance measuring unit indicates that the vehicle is within a predetermined search distance to a destination and said searching unit starts searching for at least one map attribute within the predetermined search distance from the destination to be displayed with the destination in the same map, and

wherein the apparatus comprises a map scale changing unit adapted to dynamically change a map scale that displays, at the same time, both the destination and at least one map attribute located within a predetermined search distance from the destination detected by the searching unit.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the apparatus further comprises a priority table in which the map attributes are prioritized in a form of a priority list for said searching unit to search.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the priority table defines a search distance measured from the destination to each map attribute.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the searching unit searches the priority list starting from a first map attribute in the priority list and searches a next map attribute in the priority list when a previous map attribute or attributes in the priority list do not exist in the search distance.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein once the searching unit detects at least one map attribute located within the predetermined search distance from the destination I the map attribute information is transmitted to the map scale changing unit to dynamically change the map scale to display both the map attribute and the destination at the same time.