Method and apparatus for selecting a destination in a vehicle navigation system

• US 5,987,375 A
• Filed: 10/07/1996
• Issued: 11/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Visteon Technologies LLC (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Technologies LLC (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Tamai, Haruhisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US08/726,152
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/207, 701/208, 701/209, 73/178 R, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3611 using character input or menus, e.g. menus of POIs character input methods in general G06F3/0233
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096894 where input is assisted by the navigation device, i.e. the user does not type the complete name of the destination, e.g. using zip codes, telephone numbers, progressively selecting from initial letters

Abstract

A method and apparatus for selecting a destination in a vehicle navigation system are described. The vehicle navigation system includes a display and a selection control. A first destination is selected from a primary list of destinations in response to a selection signal generated by the selection control. The first destination is placed on a secondary list of destinations in response to its selection. The secondary list includes previously selected destinations from the primary list. For subsequent destination selections, the primary and secondary lists are presented on the display thereby facilitating selection of destinations from both the primary and secondary lists. A feature by which the system may search for a destination across categories is also described.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining a destination history for a specific category of destinations in a vehicle navigation system, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting a first destination in response to selection of the first destination by a user of the vehicle navigation system;

without user intervention, determining whether the first destination belongs to the specific category; and

without user intervention, including the first destination in the destination history only where the first destination belongs to the specific category.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of designating the specific category in response to selection of the specific category by the user.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of designating at least one private category which is prohibited from being the specific category in response to selection of the at least one private category by the user.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the specific category comprises non-private destinations.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the specific category comprises points of interest.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the points of interest category includes tourist attractions, parks, businesses, and restaurants.

7. An apparatus for maintaining a destination history for a specific category of destinations in a vehicle navigation system, comprising:

means for selecting a first destination in response to selection of the first destination by a user of the vehicle navigation system;

means for determining, without user intervention, whether the first destination belongs to the specific category; and

means for including, without user intervention, the first destination in the destination history only where the first destination belongs to the specific category.

8. A computer program product for maintaining a destination history for a specific category of destinations in a vehicle navigation system, comprising:

a computer-readable medium; and

a computer program mechanism embedded in the computer-readable medium for causing a computer to perform the steps of;

selecting a first destination in response to selection of the first destination by a user of the vehicle navigation system;

without user intervention, determining whether the first destination belongs to the specific category; and

without user intervention, including the first destination in the destination history only where the first destination belongs to the specific category.

9. A vehicle navigation system, comprising:

a user interface; and

a processor coupled to the user interface, the processor being operable to;

select a first destination in response to selection of the first destination by a user of the vehicle navigation system;

without user intervention, determine whether the first destination belongs to the specific category; and

without user intervention, include the first destination in the destination history only where the first destination belongs to the specific category.