Navigation device and method of changing route for navigation device

• US 9,200,916 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2012
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Yoshida, Yoshikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIPALA, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US14/373,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20140372025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3611 using character input or menus, e.g. menus of POIs character input methods in general G06F3/0233
• 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

Abstract

It is an object of the present invention to improve the operability of the operation of changing a route by setting a new waypoint or destination point in a navigation device. To accomplish the object, the navigation device according to the present invention includes: a route searching unit that searches for a route from a departure point through waypoints to a destination point; a display controller that produces a screen display which allows one desired location among the departure point and at least one of the waypoints passed through to be designated as a new waypoint or destination point in one operation; and a route changing unit that changes the route searched for by the route searching unit in accordance with the designation performed by the one operation.

Claims

1. A navigation device comprising:

a processor to execute a program; and

a memory to store the program which, when executed by the processor, results in performance of steps comprising,

searching for a route from a departure point through waypoints to a destination point;

producing a screen display which allows one desired location among said departure point and at least one of said waypoints passed through to be designated as a new waypoint or destination point in one operation; and

changing said route searched for in accordance with the designation performed by said one operation,

wherein said program results in performance of steps further comprising producing said screen display which allows the designation of said one desired location and the designation of the order of arrival at said one desired location with respect to a current position, at least one of said waypoints not yet passed through and said destination point to be performed by said one operation, displaying a plurality of operating icons in matrix form on said screen display, and

said one operation is an operation of selecting one icon among said plurality of operating icons, and

determining said order of arrival, based on any one of positional information about a row direction and positional information about a column direction of an icon selected from among said plurality of operating icons by said one operation, and determining said one desired location, based on the other positional information.

2. The navigation device according to claim 1,

wherein said program results in performance of steps further comprising displaying operating icons which allow the designation of only said one desired location among said order of arrival and said one desired location and which make said order of arrival arbitrary.

3. A method of changing a route for a navigation device, comprising:

searching for a route from a departure point through waypoints to a destination point;

producing a screen display which allows one desired location among said departure point and at least one of said waypoints passed through to be designated as a new waypoint or destination point in one operation; and

changing said route searched for in accordance with the designation performed by said one operation,

wherein producing said screen display which allows the designation of said one desired location and the designation of the order of arrival at said one desired location with respect to a current position, at least one of said waypoints not yet passed through and said destination point to be performed by said one operation, displaying a plurality of operating icons in matrix form on said screen display, and

said one operation is an operation of selecting one icon among said plurality of operating icons, and

determining said order of arrival, based on any one of positional information about a row direction and positional information about a column direction of an icon selected from among said plurality of operating icons by said one operation, and determining said one desired location, based on the other positional information.

4. A method of changing a route for a navigation device according to claim 3,

further comprising displaying operating icons which allow the designation of only said one desired location among said order of arrival and said one desired location and which make said order of arrival arbitrary.