Apparatus and method for switching navigation mode between vehicle navigation mode and personal navigation mode in navigation device

• US 9,551,584 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2016
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Jae-Myeon, Hong, Hyun-Su, Yang, Sung-Chul
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith, Jack W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chuong P
• Application Number:
  US15/077,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20160202080A1
• Time in Patent Office: 308 Days
• Field of Search: 701/408, 701/433, 701/468, 340/995.16, 340/426.19, 340/426.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/165 combined with non-inertial navigation instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3423 Multimodal routing, i.e. combining two or more modes of transportation, where the modes can be any of, e.g. driving, walking, cycling, public transport
• 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 21/3688 Systems comprising multiple parts or multiple output devices (not client-server), e.g. detachable faceplates, key fobs or multiple output screens
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/00 Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/52 Determining velocity

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus and method for switching a navigation mode between a vehicle navigation mode and a personal navigation mode in a navigation device supporting vehicle navigation and personal navigation. Switching between the vehicle navigation mode and the personal navigation mode is performed according to whether the navigation device is mounted in a navigation device holder, whether a GPS speed provided by a GPS receiver is higher than a predetermined speed, and whether a step is detected using an output of an accelerometer. Since mode switching between the vehicle navigation mode and the personal navigation mode is automatically performed, a user does not need to manually perform mode switching.

Claims

1. An apparatus for switching a navigation mode between a vehicle navigation mode and a pedestrian navigation mode, the apparatus comprising:

an accelerometer configured to detect an acceleration of the apparatus;

a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver configured to receive a GPS signal; and

a controller configured to;

switch the navigation mode of the apparatus from the vehicle navigation mode to the pedestrian navigation mode, if a step of a user is recognized based on the acceleration of the apparatus detected by the accelerometer, and

switch the navigation mode of the apparatus from the pedestrian navigation mode to the vehicle navigation mode, based on a velocity of the apparatus calculated using the GPS signal received by the GPS receiver.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to switch the navigation mode of the apparatus from the pedestrian navigation mode to the vehicle navigation mode, if the velocity of the apparatus calculated using the GPS signal received by the GPS receiver is greater than a first threshold value.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to identify a location of the apparatus by using the GPS signal received by the GPS receiver.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first threshold value is determined based on the identified location of the apparatus.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether the detected acceleration of the apparatus is output as a frequency waveform of a step pattern.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the controller recognizes the step of the user, if the detected acceleration of the apparatus is output as the frequency waveform of the step pattern.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether a number of recognized steps of the user is greater than a second threshold value, if the step of the user is recognized.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to switch the navigation mode of the apparatus from the vehicle navigation mode to the pedestrian navigation mode, if the number of recognized steps of the user is greater than the second threshold value.

9. A method for switching a navigation mode between a vehicle navigation mode and a pedestrian navigation mode in an apparatus including an accelerometer and a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting, by the accelerometer, an acceleration of the apparatus;

receiving, by the GPS receiver, a GPS signal;

switching, by the apparatus, the navigation mode of the apparatus from the vehicle navigation mode to the pedestrian navigation mode, if a step of a user is recognized based on the acceleration of the apparatus detected by the accelerometer; and

switching, by the apparatus, the navigation mode of the apparatus from the pedestrian navigation mode to the vehicle navigation mode, based on a velocity of the apparatus calculated using the GPS signal received by the GPS receiver.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein switching the navigation mode of the apparatus from the pedestrian navigation mode to the vehicle navigation mode comprises:

switching the navigation mode of the apparatus from the pedestrian navigation mode to the vehicle navigation mode, if the velocity of the apparatus calculated using the GPS signal received by the GPS receiver is greater than a first threshold value.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

identifying a location of the apparatus by using the GPS signal received by the GPS receiver.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first threshold value is determined based on the identified location of the apparatus.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining whether the detected acceleration of the apparatus is output as a frequency waveform of a step pattern; and

recognizing the step of the user, if the detected acceleration of the apparatus is output as the frequency waveform of the step pattern.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining whether a number of recognized steps of the user is greater than a second threshold value; and

recognizing the step of the user, if the number of recognized steps of the user is greater than the second threshold value.