User interface system and method for a vehicle navigation device

• US 9,518,835 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2013
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: BlackBerry Corporation (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Vertelney, Laurie J., Kohn, Daniel M., Wollenberg, Steven C., Smartt, Brian E., Lima, Paul J., Wels, Eric S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): MERLINO, DAVID P
• Application Number:
  US14/080,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20140142852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• 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 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096861 where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

A user interface for use in a vehicle navigation and traffic information device. Various adaptable menu commands and intuitive UI elements are provided to ease user navigation of the interface and to minimize driver distraction while providing information in an optimized manner.

Claims

1. A method by a device, the method comprising:

receiving, by the device, a wireless signal from at least one external information processing system, the wireless signal comprising location information associated with the device;

selecting, from a memory of the device, a plurality of potential destinations;

calculating a navigation route for each destination in the plurality of potential destinations, wherein each navigation route routes the device to a corresponding one of the plurality of potential destinations;

displaying, on a display of the device, the plurality of potential destinations, including a corresponding distance to each potential destination;

detecting that the device passed a decision point within the navigation route calculated for at least one of the plurality of potential destinations, wherein the detecting is based on receiving one or more electronic signals comprising a location of the device;

determining that the at least one of the plurality of potential destinations is inaccessible using the calculated route in response to detecting that the device passed the decision point; and

updating the displayed plurality of potential destinations in response to determining that the at least one of the plurality of potential destinations is inaccessible using the calculated route, wherein each of the displayed plurality of potential destinations is updated prior to receiving an input from a user selecting one of the plurality of potential destinations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of potential destinations is displayed in a list.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving user input regarding a selected destination from the displayed list of potential destinations;

calculating one or more routes between a present location and the selected destination;

displaying an icon representing the one or more routes; and

calculating and displaying an estimated travel time between the present location and the selected destination for each of the calculated routes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting the plurality of potential destinations is based at least on at least one of a current time of day and day of week and at least one of a time of day and day of week at which each destination in the plurality of potential destinations was previously traveled to.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a corresponding estimated time of arrival for each potential destination based on the navigation route calculated for each potential destination.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating a corresponding estimated time of arrival based on current traffic conditions based on the navigation route calculated for each potential destination.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein updating the displayed plurality of potential destinations further comprises removing a potential destination from the displayed plurality of potential destinations after at least one of:

a time has lapsed since passing the decision point; and

a distance has been traveled since passing the decision point.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of potential destinations is further based on the current usage context of the device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of potential destinations is based on at least one search term.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one search term is one type of point of interest.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the types of point of interest comprise at least one of fuel, food, parking, banks, lodging, landmarks, shops, attractions, and entertainment.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying comprises displaying on a touch sensitive screen.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the corresponding distance for each of the plurality of potential destinations comprises a straight-line distance.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the corresponding distances for each of the plurality of potential destinations are based on the calculated navigation route for the potential destination and the current location of the device.

15. A device comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium; and

computer readable instructions, stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium, that when executed are effective to cause the device to;

receive a wireless signal from at least one external information processing system, the wireless signal comprising location information associated with the device;

select, from a memory of the device, a plurality of potential destinations;

calculate a navigation route for each destination in the plurality of potential destinations, wherein each navigation route routes the device to a corresponding one of the plurality of potential destinations;

display, on a display of the device, the plurality of potential destinations, including a corresponding distance to each potential destination;

detect that the device passed a decision point within the navigation route calculated for at least one of the plurality of potential destinations, wherein the detecting is based on receiving one or more electronic signals comprising a location of the device;

determine that the at least one of the plurality of potential destinations is inaccessible using the calculated route in response to detecting that the device passed the decision point; and

update the displayed plurality of potential destinations in response to determining that the at least one of the plurality of potential destinations is inaccessible using the calculated route, wherein each of the displayed plurality of potential destinations is updated prior to receiving an input from a user selecting one of the plurality of potential destinations.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the plurality of potential destinations is displayed in a list.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein dynamically updating the displayed plurality of potential destinations further comprises removing a potential destination from the displayed plurality of potential destinations after at least one of:

a time has lapsed since passing the decision point; and

a distance has been traveled since passing the decision point.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the plurality of potential destinations is based on at least one search term.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the at least one search term is one type of point of interest with the point of interest comprising at least one of fuel, food, parking, banks, lodging, landmarks, shops, attractions, and entertainment.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising readable instructions that are executable by at least one processor of a device to perform a method comprising:

receiving, by the device, a wireless signal from at least one external information processing system, the wireless signal comprising location information associated with the device;

selecting, from a memory of the device, a plurality of potential destinations;

calculating a navigation route for each destination in the plurality of potential destinations, wherein each navigation route routes the device to a corresponding one of the plurality of potential destinations;

displaying, on a display of the device, the plurality of potential destinations, including a corresponding distance to each potential destination;

detecting that the device passed a decision point within the navigation route calculated for at least one of the plurality of potential destinations, wherein the detecting is based on receiving one or more electronic signals comprising a location of the device;

determining that the at least one of the plurality of potential destinations is inaccessible using the calculated route in response to detecting that the device passed the decision point; and

updating the displayed plurality of potential destinations in response to determining that the at least one of the plurality of potential destinations is inaccessible using the calculated route, wherein each of the displayed plurality of potential destinations is updated prior to receiving an input from a user selecting one of the plurality of potential destinations.