Personal GPS navigation device

• US 20040243307A1
• Filed: 06/02/2003
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Palmtop Software B.V.
• Original Assignee: Palmtop Software B.V.
• Inventors: Geelen, Pieter
• Application Number:
  US10/452,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20040243307A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/213
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/24 Acquisition or tracking or demodulation of signals transmitted by the system synchronisation aspects of direct sequence spread spectrum modulation H04B1/7073
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing

Abstract

A personal GPS navigation device capable of simultaneously displaying a map, an indication of the current position of the device on the map and a GPS signal strength indicator. The device differs from the prior art in displaying a GPS signal strength indicator at the same time as the navigation map and hence does not require a user to leave the navigation mode to call up a separate GPS information screen in order to see the GPS signal strength. The GPS navigation device of this invention is further capable of displaying icons indication Points of Interest, whose display may be prioritised by type or by density of occurrence. The GPS of this invention is further able to calculate a speed of the device and use that speed to change the zoom of the map. The device is also able to change map zoom as the device approaches route situations requiring complex decisions.

Claims

1. A personal GPS navigation device programmed to display, at the same time, each of the following:

(a) a map;

(b) an indication of the current position of the device on the map; and

(c) a GPS signal strength indicator.

2. The device of claim 1 in which the GPS signal strength indicator comprises several bars, with all bars being visible if a received GPS signal exceeds a predefined strength requirement and no bars are visible if the received GPS signal is below a second predefined strength requirement.

3. The device of claim 2 in which progressively more bars are visible as the received GPS signal increases beyond predefined strength requirements.

4. The device of claim 3 in which two bars are visible if the received GPS signal is strong enough for the device to obtain a 2D fix, but not a 3D fix.

5. The device of claim 4 in which three bars are visible if the received GPS signal is strong enough for the device to obtain the 3D fix.

6. The device of claim 1 in which the device is further programmed to display, at the same time as the map, a navigation bar comprising the GPS signal strength indicator and at least one element chosen from the group of elements consisting of a name of a route that the device is located on, a direction of travel required at a next junction, a speed of the device, a distance to a next junction to a new route and a distance to a destination.

7. The device of claim 1 which is capable of displaying on the map Point of Interest icons that have been downloaded to the device over a wide area network connection from a remote database.

8. The device of claim 1 which is able to selectively enable display of a category of Point of Interest icons.

9. The device of claim 1 in which the map is divided into grid cells of a predefined size and, within each such cell, the device enables only a single Point of Interest icon to be displayed.

10. The device of claim 9 in which a first category of Point of Interest icons having a first density of occurrence is given priority to appear over a second category of Point of Interest icons having s a second density of occurrence when the first density of occurrence is less than the second density of occurrence.

11. The device of claim 10 in which display of at least one category of Point of Interest icons is disabled when the map is zoomed out beyond a threshold.

12. The device of claim 1 in which moving Point of Interest icons can be displayed on the map.

13. The device of claim 1 able to associate an action with a Point of Interest icon displayed on the map.

14. The device of claim 13 in which the action is chosen from the group of actions consisting of opening a window with information about to the Point of Interest, opening a window with at least one function relating to the Point of Interest, opening a communications application that enables the device to communicate with the Point of Interest and opening a browser window that opens a web page relating to the Point of Interest.

15. The device of claim 1 able to automatically zoom into the map as the device approaches a decision point that may be complex to navigate, in order to reveal more detail to aid navigation.

16. The device of claim 1 able to calculate a speed of the device and to automatically zoom out as the speed of the device exceeds a predefined level.

17. The device of claim 1 able to calculate a speed of the device and in which detail shown in the map automatically decreases if the speed of the device exceeds a predefined level.

18. The device of claim 1 programmed to display a next major route change.

19. The device of claim 1 able to display the map in a mode suitable for viewing at night time, in which a route currently being travelled is shown in a brighter tone than a surrounding area.

40. The device of claim 2 in which a single bar is visible if the received GPS signal exceeds the second predefined requirement, but the received GPS signal is not strong enough for the device to obtain a position fix.

20. Computer software for a portable computing device, the software enabling the device to display, at the same time, each of the following:

(a) a map;

(b) an indication of the current position of the device on the map; and

(c) a GPS signal strength indicator.

21. The software of claim 20 which enables the device to display the GPS signal strength indicator comprising several bars, with all bars being visible if a received GPS signal exceeds a predefined strength requirement and no bars are visible if the received GPS signal is below a second predefined strength requirement.

22. The software of claim 21 which enables progressively more bars to become visible as the received GPS signal increases beyond predefined strength requirements.

23. The software of claim 21 which enables a single bar to be visible if the received GPS signal exceeds the second predefined requirement, and the received GPS signal is not strong enough for the device to obtain a position fix.

24. The software of claim 23 which enables two bars to be visible if the received GPS signal is strong enough for the device to obtain a 2D fix, but not a 3D fix.

25. The software of claim 24 which enables three bars to be visible if the received GPS signal is strong enough for the device to obtain the 3D fix.

26. The software of claim 20 which enables the device to display, at the same time as the map, a navigation bar comprising the GPS signal strength indicator and an element chosen from the group of elements consisting of a name of a route that the device is located on, a direction of travel required at a next junction, a speed of the device, a distance to a next junction to a new route and a distance to a destination.

27. The software of claim 20 which enables the device to display on the map Point of Interest icons that have been downloaded to the device over a wide area network connection from a remote database.

28. The software of claim 20 which enables the device to allow the display of a category of Point of Interest icons to be selectively enabled.

29. The software of claim 20 which enables the map to be divided into grid cells of a predefined size and within each such cell, only a single Point of Interest icon is displayed.

30. The software of claim 29 which enables a first category of Point of Interest icons having a first density of occurrence to be given priority to appear in a given cell over a second category of Point of Interest icons having s a second density of occurrence when the first density of occurrence is less than the second density of occurrence.

31. The software of claim 30 which enables display of at least one category of Point of Interest icons to disabled when the map is zoomed out beyond a threshold.

32. The software of claim 20 which enables moving Point of Interest icons to be displayed on the map.

33. The software of claim 20 which enables an action to be associated with a Point of Interest icon displayed on the map.

34. The software of claim 33 in which the action is chosen from the group of actions consisting of opening a window with information about the Point of Interest, opening a window with at least one function relating to the Point of Interest, opening a communications application that enables the device to communicate with the Point of Interest and opening a browser window that opens a web page relating to that Point of Interest.

35. The software of claim 20 which enables automatic zooming into the map as the device approaches a decision point that may be complex to navigate, in order to reveal more detail to aid navigation.

36. The software of claim 20 which enables calculation of a speed of the device and automatic zooming out of the map as the speed of the device exceeds a predefined level.

37. The software of claim 20 which enables calculation of a speed of the device and to automatically decrease the detail shown in the map if the speed of the device exceeds a predefined level.

38. The software of claim 20 which enables the device to display a next major route change.

39. The software of claim 20 which enables the device to display the map in a mode suitable for viewing at night time, in which a route currently being travelled is shown in a brighter tone than a surrounding area.