MOBILE VEHICLE NAVIGATION METHOD AND APPARATUS THEREOF

• US 20100305844A1
• Filed: 09/14/2009
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Seung-Hoon, CHOI, Sung-Ha
• Application Number:
  US12/559,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20100305844A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• 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 21/3614 through interaction with a road map, e.g. selecting a POI icon on a road map
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard

Abstract

A method and apparatus for receiving current location information; extracting photo images associated with areas selected by a user from map data, reading image capture location information from the extracted photo images, and calculating a route by way of the image captured locations of the extracted photo images based on the current location information and the read image capture location information; and outputting the route.

Claims

1. A method of outputting navigation data from a navigation device, comprising:

within the navigation device, receiving or developing current location information;

selecting an area of interest based on a user area selection command;

extracting an image and associated image meta-data from stored or downloaded map data, the image associated with a location in the selected area;

calculating a route based on the current location information and the meta-data; and

outputting the route from the navigation device.

2. The method of claim 1, the step of outputting the route comprising:

outputting travel information for the location associated with the image, the travel information including one of a distance to the location from the current location or from the route, a time to travel to the location from the current location or from the route, and a mode of transportation to the location from the current location or from the route.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving and outputting weather information associated with one of the current location, the route and the location associated with the image.

4. The method of claim 1, the step of extracting an image and associated image meta-data comprises:

displaying a tag or icon representing the image; and

selecting the image based upon a user image selection input.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the image is one of a plurality of extracted images, the method further comprising one of:

displaying the selected image with a brightness level or other visual characteristic different from a brightness level or other visual characteristic of a non-selected image; and

displaying the selected image with a brightness level or other visual characteristic different from a brightness level or other visual characteristic of another selected image according to a corresponding expected location arrival time.

6. The method of claim 1, the step of outputting the route comprising:

discriminating between pedestrian route segment and a vehicle route segment.

7. The method of claim 2, the step of outputting travel information comprising:

outputting directions to a parking lot at or near the location associated with the image.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the image is one of a plurality of extracted images, the method further comprising:

displaying the plurality of extracted images according to a location popularity parameter.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the meta-data includes time or schedule information for the location associated with the image.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the time or schedule information includes meal time information, the method further comprising:

outputting travel information to or from a restaurant based on the meal time information.

11. A navigation device, comprising:

a display unit; and

a controller operatively connected to the display unit, the controller configured to

select an area of interest based on a user area selection command,

extract an image and associated image meta-data from stored or downloaded map data, the image associated with a location in the selected area,

calculate a route based on the current location information and the meta-data, and

output the route from the navigation device.

12. The navigation device of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to output travel information for the location associated with the image, the travel information including one of a distance to the location from the current location or from the route, a time to travel to the location from the current location or from the route, and a mode of transportation to the location from the current location or from the route.

13. The navigation device of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to receive and output weather information associated with one of the current location, the route and the location associated with the image.

14. The navigation device of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to

display a tag or icon representing the image;

and

select the image based upon a user image selection input.

15. The navigation device of claim 14,

wherein the image is one of a plurality of extracted images, and

wherein the controller is configured to

display the selected image with a brightness level or other visual characteristic different from a brightness level or other visual characteristic of a non-selected image, and

display the selected image with a brightness level or other visual characteristic different from a brightness level or other visual characteristic of another selected image according to a corresponding expected location arrival time.

16. The navigation device of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to discriminate between pedestrian route segment and a vehicle route segment.

17. The navigation device of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to output directions to a parking lot at or near the location associated with the image.

18. The navigation device of claim 11,

wherein the image is one of a plurality of extracted images, and

wherein the controller is configured to display the plurality of extracted images according to a location popularity parameter.

19. The navigation device of claim 11, wherein the meta-data includes time or schedule information for the location associated with the image.

20. The navigation device of claim 19,

wherein the time or schedule information includes meal time information, and

wherein the controller is configured to output travel information to or from a restaurant based on the meal time information.

21. A motor vehicle, comprising:

a navigation device including a display unit and a controller operatively connected to the display unit, the controller configured to

select an area of interest based on a user area selection command,

extract an image and associated image meta-data from stored or downloaded map data, the image associated with a location in the selected area,

calculate a route based on the current location information and the meta-data, and

output the route from the navigation device.