Navigation device and method for emphasizing a map route

• US 9,534,916 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2008
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TomTom Navigation B.V (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: TomTom International BV (TomTom NV)
• Inventors: Geelen, Pieter, Tebbutt, James, Van Hemert, Jasper-Michiel
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOYER, DALE S
• Application Number:
  US12/736,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20110029227A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,168 Days
• Field of Search: 701400-541
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3635 Guidance using 3D or perspective road maps
• 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

Abstract

A method, a device and a computer readable medium are disclosed for navigation. The method includes determining map information for display on an integrated input and display device of a navigation device, based upon a determined route of travel of the navigation device; and differentiating at least a portion of the map information within a threshold distance of the determined route of travel, from other map information, to thereby emphasize the determined route of travel. The navigation device includes a processor to determine map information for subsequent display, based upon a determined route of travel of the navigation device, the processor further being useable to control display of at least a portion of the map information, determined to be within a threshold distance of the determined route of travel, in a manner differentiated from display of other map information, to thereby emphasize the determined route of travel.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, by a processor, map information for display on a display device of a navigation device, based upon a determined route of travel of the navigation device;

scanning, by the processor, the determined map information to detect an edge of a building footprint;

determining, by the processor, that the edge of the building footprint is within a threshold distance of the determined route of travel; and

in response to determining that the edge of the building footprint is within the threshold distance, causing, by the processor, the building footprint to be differentiated to thereby emphasize the determined route of travel, wherein the differentiating includes highlighting the building footprint so that the building footprint is displayed with at least some color emphasis that is different than buildings having building footprints further than the threshold distance from the determined route of travel; and

displaying, using the navigation device, the determined map information and the differentiated building footprints.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the differentiating includes displaying building footprints, within the threshold distance of the determined route of travel, in at least one of the same color and same color shade.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, prior to display on the display device of the navigation device, whether or not the determined map information includes at least one pattern within the threshold distance of the determined route of travel, the differentiating including differentiating the determined at least one pattern within the threshold distance of the determined route of travel, from other map information, to thereby emphasize the determined route of travel.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

displaying the determined map information, including the differentiated at least one pattern determined to be within the threshold distance of the determined route of travel, in three dimensions on the integrated input and display device of the navigation device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the determined map information, including the differentiated building footprint determined to be within the threshold distance of the determined route of travel, in three dimensions on the integrated input and display device of the navigation device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the differentiating includes differentiating the building footprint by increasing a number of pixels representing at least a portion of the building footprint when the edge of the building footprint is within the threshold distance of the determined route of travel.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium including program segments for, when executed on a processor of a navigation device, causing the navigation device to perform a method comprising:

determining map information for display on a display device of the navigation device based upon a determined route of travel of the navigation device;

scanning the determined map information to detect an edge of a building footprint;

determining that the edge of the building footprint is within a threshold distance of the determined route of travel; and

in response to determining that the edge of the building footprint is within the threshold distance, causing the building footprint to be differentiated to thereby emphasize the determined route of travel, wherein the differentiating includes highlighting the building footprint so that the building footprint is displayed with at least some color emphasis that is different than buildings having building footprints further than the threshold distance from the determined route of travel.

8. A navigation device, comprising:

a processor to determine map information for subsequent display, based upon a determined route of travel of the navigation device, the processor further being operable to;

scan the determined map information to detect an edge of a building footprint;

determine that the edge of the building footprint is within a threshold distance of the determined route of travel;

in response to determining that the edge of the building footprint is within the threshold distance, cause the building footprint to be differentiated to thereby emphasize the determined route of travel, wherein the differentiating includes highlighting the building footprint so that the building footprint is displayed with at least some color emphasis that is different than buildings having building footprints further than the threshold distance from the determined route of travel; and

display at least a portion of the map information, determined to be within the threshold distance of the determined route of travel including differentiated building footprints.

9. The navigation device of claim 8, further comprising:

an integrated input and display device to display the determined map information, including display of at least a portion of the map information determined to be within the threshold distance of the determined route of travel in a differentiated manner, in three dimensions.

10. The navigation device of claim 9, wherein the navigation device is a portable navigation device.

11. The navigation device of claim 9, wherein the navigation device is integrated into a vehicle.

12. The navigation device of claim 8, wherein the display of at least a portion of the map information by the processor includes at least one of controlling highlighting, controlling displaying in a same color and controlling displaying in a same color shade, of at least the portion of the map information determined to be within the threshold distance of the determined route of travel.

13. The navigation device of claim 8, wherein the display of at least a portion of the map information by the processor includes at least one of controlling highlighting, controlling display in a same color and controlling display in a same color shade, building footprints whose edge is determined to be within the threshold distance of the determined route of travel.

14. The navigation device of claim 8, wherein the navigation device is a portable navigation device.

15. The navigation device of claim 8, wherein the navigation device is integrated into a vehicle.

16. The navigation device of claim 8, wherein building footprints to be differentiated are identified in a memory of the navigation device using one or more flags.

17. The navigation device of claim 8, wherein the map information includes at least one of:

trees, houses and bodies of water, and wherein the differentiated manner includes highlighting the at least one of;

trees, houses and bodies of water within the threshold distance of the determined route of travel.