Method For Operating A Device

• US 20090046111A1
• Filed: 08/06/2008
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Navigon AG (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Navigon AG (Garmin Limited)
• Inventors: Joachim, Steffen, Katzer, Jochen
• Granted Patent: US 8,237,744 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/660
• 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 for operating a navigation device provides a driver with the option of being presented with an overview of the route lying ahead in addition to a detailed illustration of the current position along the route section, namely without any complicated interactions with the navigation device. This navigation device independently changes the scale of the display of the route on the display means in dependence on a manually selected operating mode. The advantage of this method can be seen in a semi-automated solution that always enables the driver to decide exactly which information should be displayed by his navigation device at which time.

Claims

1. A method for operating a device for determining a route for means of locomotion, particularly a navigation device for a motor vehicle, wherein said device comprises a processor, position signal receiving means, particularly for GPS-signals, a road network database that also contains route-specific information in the form of route attributes, a position determining unit for determining a position from the received position signals, display means for displaying the determined route, display control means for controlling the display means and input means for selecting between a first and a second operating mode of the display means, and wherein said method comprises the following steps:

a) determining the position with consideration of received position signals and determining the operating mode by querying the input means, as well as independently activating the determined operating mode;

b) independently changing the scale for the display of the route on the display means with the aid of the display control means, namely with consideration of the frequency of changes in position, if the first operating mode is selected; and

/or

c) independently changing the scale for the display of the route on the display means by means of the display control means based on the determined position and with consideration of the route attributes, if the second operating mode is selected.

2. The method according to claim 1, in which the display means are controlled during the course of the first operating mode in such a way that the displayed map section is scaled down when the frequency of changes in position increases and scaled up when the frequency of changes in position decreases.

3. The method according to claim 2, in which the scale is changed step-by-step between at least two scale stages if a change occurs in the frequency of changes in position, wherein a range of values of the frequency of changes in position is assigned to each scale stage.

4. The method according to claim 3, in which the ranges of values of the frequency of changes in position, which are assigned to the different scale stages, respectively overlap one another at least slightly.

5. The method according to claim 1, in which a permissible maximum and/or minimum scale can be predefined during the course of the first operating mode and is taken into consideration in the control of the display means.

6. The method according to claim 1, in which the display means are controlled in such a way that a scale change is only realized with respect to an area of the displayed map section that can be predefined.

7. The method according to claim 1, in which the device determines navigating instructions and stores them in the form of route attributes.

8. The method according to claim 1, in which the device stores locality-specific data of the road network database in the form of a route attribute.

9. The method according to claim 1, in which the device stores road-specific data of the road network database in the form of a route attribute.

10. The method according to claim 1, in which the device independently determines at least one alternative route between the starting point and the destination.

11. The method according to claim 10, in which the display means are controlled during the course of the second operating mode in such a way that the scale is selected with consideration of the alternative route.

12. The method according to claim 1, in which the control of the display means is realized during the course of the second operating mode with consideration of the navigating instructions, for a route section lying ahead that are stored in the form of a route attribute.

13. The method according to claim 1, in which the device comprises means for registering and storing a control rule for the display control means, wherein the scale change takes place with consideration of this control rule.

14. The method according to claim 13, in which the display control means are controlled in accordance with the control rule in such a way that either the display of the route or the display of a digitized road map stored in the device is assigned priority.

15. The method according to claim 1, in which the device comprises means for registering and storing user-defined route sections, wherein these route sections are taken into consideration in the determination of the route.

16. The method according to claim 1, in which a threshold value for the required minimum scale for the display of route sections can be defined by means of the route attributes, wherein the display means are controlled with consideration of the minimum scale.

17. The method according to claim 1, in which the device detects the manual selection of the operating mode in a tactile, acoustical or optical fashion with the aid of the input means.

18. The method according to claim 17, in which the display means comprise input means in the form of a touch-sensitive display area and touching this display area is interpreted as an input.

19. The method according to claim 1, in which a change in position that took place during the change-over between the operating modes is taken into consideration in the control of the display means.

20. The method according to claim 1, in which the change-over between the second and the first operating mode takes place in a timed fashion.