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

• US 20070038364A1
• Filed: 04/14/2006
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Jae-Myeon, Hong, Hyun-Su, Yang, Sung-Chul
• Application Number:
  US11/404,600
• Publication Number:
  US 20070038364A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• 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 personal navigation mode in a navigation device, the apparatus comprising:

a personal navigation algorithm for implementing a personal navigation mode;

a vehicle navigation algorithm for implementing a vehicle navigation mode;

an external device interface for connecting the navigation device and an external device; and

a navigation algorithm controller for switching the navigation mode between the vehicle navigation mode and the personal navigation mode according to whether the navigation device is mounted in a navigation device holder through the external device interface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the navigation algorithm controller determines whether the navigation device is mounted in the navigation device holder by checking if a button of the navigation device for sensing mounting of the navigation device is depressed.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the navigation algorithm controller determines whether the navigation device is mounted in the navigation device holder by checking if a message indicating mounting of the navigation device is received from the navigation device holder.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a car.

5. An apparatus for switching a navigation mode between a vehicle navigation mode and a personal navigation mode in a navigation device, the apparatus comprising:

a personal navigation algorithm for implementing a personal navigation mode;

a vehicle navigation algorithm for implementing a vehicle navigation mode;

a speed measuring unit for providing a speed of the navigation device; and

a navigation algorithm controller for switching the navigation mode between the vehicle navigation mode and the personal navigation mode according to whether the speed of the navigation device is greater than a predetermined speed threshold.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the speed measuring unit is a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver for receiving a GPS signal and providing a GPS speed.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the predetermined speed threshold is statistically determined according to experimental results.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein if the navigation device is on a road way, the predetermined speed threshold is set less than a statistical value.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the vehicle is a car.

10. An apparatus for switching a navigation mode between a vehicle navigation mode and a personal navigation mode in a navigation device, the apparatus comprising:

a personal navigation algorithm for implementing a personal navigation mode;

a vehicle navigation algorithm for implementing a vehicle navigation mode;

a step detecting unit for detecting a step according to movement of the navigation device; and

a navigation algorithm controller for switching the navigation mode between the vehicle navigation mode and the personal navigation mode according to whether a step is detected by the step detecting unit.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the step detecting unit comprises an accelerometer for measuring an acceleration according to movement of the navigation device and outputting the measured acceleration and detects a step using the measured acceleration.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the step detecting unit detects a step using a zero-crossing method.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein if a step is detected, the navigation algorithm controller determines whether the number of detected steps is greater than a predetermined step detected number and switches the navigation mode to the personal navigation mode if the number of detected steps is greater than the predetermined step detected number threshold.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the predetermined step detected number threshold is statistically determined according to experimental results.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein if the navigation device is on a road way, the predetermined step detected number threshold is set greater than a statistical value.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the vehicle is a car.

17. An apparatus for switching a navigation mode between a vehicle navigation mode and a personal navigation mode in a navigation device, the apparatus comprising:

a personal navigation algorithm for implementing a personal navigation mode;

a vehicle navigation algorithm for implementing a vehicle navigation mode;

an external device interface for connecting the navigation device and an external device;

a speed measuring unit for providing a speed of the navigation device;

a step detecting unit for detecting a step according to movement of the navigation device; and

a navigation algorithm controller for switching the navigation mode between the vehicle navigation mode and the personal navigation mode according to whether the navigation device is mounted in a navigation device holder through the external device interface, whether the speed of the navigation device is greater than a predetermined speed threshold, and whether a step is detected by the step detecting unit.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the navigation algorithm controller determines whether the navigation device is mounted in the navigation device holder by checking if a button of the navigation device for sensing mounting of the navigation device is depressed.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the navigation algorithm controller determines whether the navigation device is mounted in the navigation device holder by checking if a message indicating mounting of the navigation device is received from the navigation device holder.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the speed measuring unit is a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver for receiving a GPS signal and providing a GPS speed.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the predetermined speed threshold is statistically determined according to experimental results.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein if the navigation device is on a road way, the predetermined speed threshold is set less than a statistical value.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the step detecting unit comprises an accelerometer for measuring an acceleration according to movement of the navigation device and outputting the measured acceleration and detects a step using the measured acceleration.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the step detecting unit detects a step using a zero-crossing method.

25. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the vehicle is a car.

26. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein if a step is detected, the navigation algorithm controller determines whether the number of detected steps is greater than a predetermined step detected number and switches the navigation mode to the personal navigation mode if the number of detected steps is greater than the predetermined step detected number threshold.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the predetermined step detected number threshold is statistically determined according to experimental results.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein if the navigation device is on a road way, the predetermined step detected number threshold is set greater than a statistical value.

29. A method for switching a navigation mode between a vehicle navigation mode and a personal navigation mode in a navigation device, the method comprising the steps of:

executing a navigation program upon request from a user and determining whether the navigation device is mounted in a navigation device holder; and

switching the navigation mode to the vehicle navigation mode if the navigation device is mounted in the navigation device holder and switching the navigation mode to the personal navigation mode if the navigation device is not mounted in the navigation device holder.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of determining whether the navigation device is mounted in the navigation device holder comprises

checking if a button of the navigation device for sensing mounting of the navigation device is depressed;

and

determining that the navigation device is mounted in the navigation device holder if the button is pressed and determining that the navigation device is not mounted in the navigation device holder if the button is not depressed.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of determining whether the navigation device is mounted in the navigation device holder comprises

checking if a message indicating mounting of the navigation device is received from the navigation device holder;

and

determining that the navigation device is mounted in the navigation device holder if the message is received and determining that the navigation device is not mounted in the navigation device holder if the message is not received.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the vehicle is a car.

33. A method for switching a navigation mode between a vehicle navigation mode and a personal navigation mode in a navigation device, the method comprising the steps of:

executing a navigation program upon request from a user and acquiring a speed of the navigation device;

switching the navigation mode to the vehicle navigation mode if the speed of the navigation device is greater than a predetermined speed threshold and switching the navigation mode into the personal navigation mode if the speed of the navigation device is less than a predetermined speed threshold.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the predetermined speed threshold is statistically determined according to experimental results.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein if the navigation device is on a road way, the predetermined speed threshold is set less than a statistical value.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the vehicle is a car.

37. A method for switching a navigation mode between a vehicle navigation mode and a personal navigation mode in a navigation device, the method comprising the steps of:

executing a navigation program upon request from a user and acquiring a measured acceleration of the navigation device;

recognizing a step pattern using the measured acceleration;

determining whether a step is detected according to the recognition result; and

switching the navigation mode to the vehicle navigation mode if a step is not detected and switching the navigation mode into the personal navigation mode if a step is detected.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein a step is detected using a zero-crossing method.

39. The method of claim 37, further comprising determining whether the number of detected steps is greater than a predetermined step detected number if a step is detected;

and

switching the navigation mode to the personal navigation mode if the number of detected steps is greater than the predetermined step detected number threshold.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the predetermined step detected number threshold is statistically determined according to experimental results.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein if the navigation device is on a road way, the predetermined step detected number threshold is set greater than a statistical value.

42. The method of claim 37, wherein the vehicle is a car.

43. A method for switching a navigation mode between a vehicle navigation mode and a personal navigation mode in a navigation device, the method comprising the steps of:

executing a navigation program upon request from a user and determining whether the navigation device is mounted in a navigation device holder;

switching the navigation mode to the vehicle navigation mode if the navigation device is mounted in the navigation device holder and acquiring a speed of the navigation device if the navigation device is not mounted in the navigation device holder;

switching the navigation mode to the vehicle navigation mode if the speed of the navigation device is greater than a predetermined speed threshold and acquiring a measured acceleration of the navigation device if the speed of the navigation device is less than a predetermined speed threshold; and

determining whether a step is detected according to the recognition result, switching the navigation mode to the vehicle navigation mode if a step is not detected, and switching the navigation mode into the personal navigation mode if a step is detected.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the step of determining whether the navigation device is mounted in the navigation device holder comprises

checking if a button of the navigation device for sensing mounting of the navigation device is pressed;

and

determining that the navigation device is mounted in the navigation device holder if the button is pressed and determining that the navigation device is not mounted in the navigation device holder if the button is not depressed.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the step of determining whether the navigation device is mounted in the navigation device holder comprises:

checking if a message indicating mounting of the navigation device is received from the navigation device holder; and

determining that the navigation device is mounted in the navigation device holder if the message is received and determining that the navigation device is not mounted in the navigation device holder if the message is not received.

46. The method of claim 43, wherein the predetermined speed threshold is statistically determined according to experimental results.

47. The method of claim 43, wherein if the navigation device is on a road way, the predetermined speed threshold is set less than a statistical value.

48. The method of claim 43, further comprising

determining whether the number of detected steps is greater than a predetermined step detected number if a step is detected;

and

switching the navigation mode to the personal navigation mode if the number of detected steps is greater than the predetermined step detected number threshold.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the predetermined step detected number threshold is statistically determined according to experimental results.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein if the navigation device is on a road way, the predetermined step detected number threshold is set greater than a statistical value.

51. The method of claim 43, wherein a step is detected using a zero-crossing method.

52. The method of claim 43, wherein the vehicle is a car.