MOBILE VEHICLE NAVIGATION METHOD AND APPARATUS THEREOF

• US 20100082230A1
• Filed: 03/30/2009
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Hong, Won-Gil, Park, Ilyun-Dok, Kyu, Jung-Hak, Hwang, Jung-Ilyun, Choi, Jin-Seok, Park, Jong-Sun
• Granted Patent: US 8,457,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application

Abstract

A device and method for managing a schedule of one or more events in a navigation device of a vehicle. The method includes determining by the navigation device that a predetermined vehicle event has occurred; receiving the schedule by the navigation device based upon the step of determining; and issuing an alert by the navigation device that a scheduled event has passed, is occurring or will occur within a predetermined time.

Claims

1. A method of managing a schedule of one or more events in a navigation device of a vehicle, comprising:

determining by the navigation device that a predetermined vehicle event has occurred;

receiving the schedule by the navigation device based upon the step of determining; and

issuing an alert by the navigation device that a scheduled event has passed, is occurring or will occur within a predetermined time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined vehicle event comprises one of

a vehicle start;

a vehicle door operation;

a vehicle seat belt operation;

a driver seating detection event; and

a vehicle window operation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the schedule comprises one of:

wirelessly receiving the schedule from a remote server; and

wirelessly receiving the schedule from a mobile communication terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining by the navigation device that a predetermined vehicle event has occurred comprises one of:

wirelessly transmitting a corresponding notification from the navigation device to a remote server; and

wirelessly transmitting the corresponding notification from the navigation device to a mobile communication terminal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the schedule comprises:

displaying a message asking whether to receive the schedule from one of a mobile communication terminal and a remote server;

receiving a user selection to receive the schedule from the one of the mobile communication terminal and the remote server; and

wirelessly transmitting a request to receive the schedule from the one of the mobile communication terminal and the remote server.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving location information corresponding to the scheduled event; and

one of

automatically setting a location corresponding to the location information as a destination, and

setting the location corresponding to the location information as the destination in response to a user confirmation.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of retrieving location information corresponding to a scheduled event comprises:

retrieving one of a schedule event location name, a schedule event address, and a schedule event location phone number.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

detecting an amount of fuel in the vehicle;

determining if the vehicle can reach the destination without refueling; and

if the vehicle is determined to be unable to reach the destination without refueling, displaying location information of a refueling station.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of displaying location information of a refueling station comprises:

displaying location information about a refueling station within a predetermined distance of a travel route from a current location of the vehicle to the destination.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

setting the selected gas station as an intermediate destination automatically or in response to a user selection.

11. A navigation apparatus configured to be installed in a vehicle, comprising:

a communication device; and

a controller operatively connected to the communication device, the controller configured to

determine that a predetermined vehicle event has occurred,

wirelessly receive a schedule if the predetermined vehicle event is determined to have occurred, and

issue an alert that a scheduled event has passed, is occurring or will occur within a predetermined time.

12. The navigation apparatus of claim 11, wherein the predetermined vehicle event comprises one of

a vehicle start;

a vehicle door operation;

a vehicle seat belt operation;

a driver seating detection event; and

a vehicle window operation.

13. The navigation apparatus of claim 11, wherein the communication device is configured to one of:

wirelessly receive the schedule from a remote server; and

wirelessly receive the schedule from a mobile communication terminal.

14. The navigation apparatus of claim 11, wherein the communication device is configured to one of:

wirelessly transmit a corresponding notification from the navigation device to a remote server; and

wirelessly transmit the corresponding notification from the navigation device to a mobile communication terminal.

15. The navigation apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to:

display a message asking whether to receive the schedule from one of a mobile communication terminal and a remote server,

receive a user selection to receive the schedule from the one of the mobile communication terminal and the remote server; and

wirelessly transmit a request to receive the schedule from the selected one of the mobile communication terminal and the remote server.

16. The navigation apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to:

retrieve location information corresponding to the scheduled event; and

one of

automatically set a location corresponding to the location information as a destination, and

set the location corresponding to the location information as the destination in response to a user confirmation.

17. The navigation apparatus of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to:

retrieve one of a schedule event location name, a schedule event address, and a schedule event location phone number.

18. The navigation apparatus of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to:

detect an amount of fuel in the vehicle;

determine if the vehicle can reach the destination without refueling; and

if the vehicle is determined to be unable to reach the destination without refueling, display location information of a refueling station.

19. The navigation apparatus of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to:

display location information about a refueling station within a predetermined distance of a travel route from a current location of the vehicle to the destination.

20. The navigation apparatus of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to:

set the selected gas station as an intermediate destination automatically or in response to a user selection.

21. A vehicle, comprising:

a navigation apparatus including

a communication device, and

a controller operatively connected to the communication device, the controller configured to

determine that a predetermined vehicle event has occurred,

receive a schedule if the predetermined vehicle event is determined to have occurred, and

issue an alert that a scheduled event has passed, is occurring or will occur within a predetermined time.