Methods and apparatus for dynamic point of interest display

• US 6,542,814 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2001
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tomtom Global Content B.V (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: Horizon Navigation, Inc.
• Inventors: Govind, Gunda, Polidi, Ari I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): To, Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US09/801,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20020138196A1
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: 701/208, 701/211, 701/212, 701/202, 701/200, 701/207, 701/23, 701/26, 701/209, 701/117, 701/118, 340/995, 340/990, 340/988, 345/133, 707/101
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence

Abstract

The present invention provides a computer implemented method and apparatus for providing a display of points of interest in conjunction with a vehicle navigation system. According to one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle navigation system is provided and includes a processor configured to identify and display a plurality of points of interest with reference to a vehicle'"'"'s location, and to repeat the display to reflect changes in the vehicle'"'"'s location. In another embodiment, the vehicle navigation system includes a processor configured so that the plurality of points of interest identified is within a radius of the current position when the current location is within a densely digitized area. When the vehicle is not within a densely digitized area, the plurality of points of interest lie ahead along the current road within a second distance.

Claims

1. A vehicle navigation system comprising:

at least one sensor for generating location data relating to a vehicle location;

a memory for storing map data, the map data including points of interest data;

a display; and

a processor configured to;

identify a plurality of points of interest with reference to the vehicle location and the points of interest data by performing in a first mode an omnidirectional search relative to the vehicle location in densely digitized regions, and in a second mode a corridor search relative to a road corresponding to the vehicle location in sparsely digitized regions;

display the plurality of points of interest on the display; and

automatically repeat display of the plurality of points of interest to reflect changes in the vehicle location.

2. The vehicle navigation system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to perform the search in the second mode along the road ahead of the vehicle position.

3. The vehicle navigation system of claim 2 wherein the processor is configured to perform the search in the second mode for a first distance along the road ahead of the vehicle position.

4. The vehicle navigation system of claim 3 wherein the first distance is determined with reference to vehicle speed.

5. The vehicle navigation system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to adjust a width of a corridor involved in the corridor search in accordance with at least one parameter.

6. The vehicle navigation system of claim 5 wherein the at least one parameter comprises vehicle speed.

7. The vehicle navigation system of claim 1 wherein the road corresponds to a previously calculated route, the processor being further configured to perform the search relative to the previously calculated route.

8. The vehicle navigation system of claim 7 wherein the processor is configured to identify the plurality of points of interest along all of the previously calculated route.

9. The vehicle navigation system of claim 7 wherein the processor is configured to repeat identification of the plurality of points of interest along the previously calculated route to reflect the changes in the vehicle position.

10. The vehicle navigation system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to operate in the second mode when the system is navigating along a previously calculated route.

11. The vehicle navigation system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to operate in the second mode when the vehicle location corresponds to a highway.

12. The vehicle navigation system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to display the plurality of points of interest as icons on a map grid on the display.

13. The vehicle navigation system of claim 12 wherein the icons comprise commercial logos associated with the plurality of points of interest.

14. The vehicle navigation system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to display the plurality of points of interest as text on the display.

15. The vehicle navigation system of claim 14 wherein the processor is further configured to scroll the text on the display.

16. The vehicle navigation system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to identify the plurality of points of interest with reference to at least one category selected by a user.

17. The vehicle navigation system of claim 16 wherein the at least one category includes at least one of restaurants, service stations, accommodations, and rest stops.

18. The vehicle navigation system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to identify the plurality of points of interest with reference to at least one business name selected by a user.

19. The vehicle navigation system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to display a promotion or advertisement associated with at least one of the plurality of points of interest.

20. The vehicle navigation system recited in claim 1 wherein at least one of the dimensions of a corridor involved in the corridor search are adjusted in accordance with at least one of the vehicle speed, density of digitized data, and the number of matching POI'"'"'s located within the corridor.

21. A computer-implemented method for use with a vehicle navigation system comprising at least one sensor for generating location data relating to a vehicle location, a memory for storing map data, the map data including points of interest data, and a display, the method comprising:

identifying a plurality of points of interest with reference to the vehicle location and the points of interest data by performing in a first mode an omnidirectional search relative to the vehicle location in densely digitized regions, and in a second mode a corridor search relative to a road corresponding to the vehicle location in sparsely digitized regions;

displaying the plurality of points of interest on the display; and

automatically repeating display of the plurality of points of interest to reflect changes in the vehicle location.

22. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer program instructions stored therein for performing the method of claim 21.

23. A vehicle navigation system comprising:

at least one sensor for generating location data relating to a vehicle location;

a memory for storing map data;

a display; and

a processor configured to;

identify a plurality of points of interest using a corridor search of the map data in a corridor corresponding to a road corresponding to the vehicle location, wherein the corridor extends parallel to the road; and

display the plurality of points of interest on the display.

24. The vehicle navigation system of claim 23 wherein the processor is configured to perform the corridor search along the road ahead of the vehicle position.

25. The vehicle navigation system of claim 24 wherein the processor is configured to perform the corridor search for a first distance along the road ahead of the vehicle position.

26. The vehicle navigation system of claim 25 wherein the first distance is determined with reference to vehicle speed.

27. The vehicle navigation system of claim 23 wherein the processor is alternatively configured to identify the plurality of points of interest using an omnidirectional search relative to the vehicle position in densely digitized regions.

28. The vehicle navigation system of claim 27 wherein the processor is configured to use the corridor search to identify the plurality of points of interest in densely digitized regions.

29. The vehicle navigation system of claim 27 wherein the processor is configured to use the corridor search to identify the plurality of points of interest when the system is navigating along a previously calculated route.

30. The vehicle navigation system of claim 27 wherein the processor is configured to use the corridor search to identify the plurality of points of interest when the vehicle location corresponds to a highway.

31. The vehicle navigation system of claim 23 wherein the processor is configured to adjust a width of a corridor corresponding to the corridor search in accordance with at least one parameter.

32. The vehicle navigation system of claim 31 wherein the at least one parameter comprises vehicle speed.

33. The vehicle navigation system of claim 23 wherein the road corresponds to a previously calculated route, the processor being further configured to perform the corridor search relative to the previously calculated route.

34. The vehicle navigation system of claim 33 wherein the processor is configured to identify the plurality of points of interest along all of the previously calculated route.

35. The vehicle navigation system of claim 33 wherein the processor is configured to repeat identification of the plurality of points of interest along the previously calculated route to reflect the changes in the vehicle position.

36. The vehicle navigation system of claim 23 wherein the processor is configured to display the plurality of points of interest as icons on a map grid on the display.

37. The vehicle navigation system of claim 36 wherein the icons comprise commercial logos associated with the plurality of points of interest.

38. The vehicle navigation system of claim 23 wherein the processor is configured to display the plurality of points of interest as text on the display.

39. The vehicle navigation system of claim 38 wherein the processor is further configured to scroll the text on the display.

40. The vehicle navigation system of claim 23 wherein the processor is configured to identify the plurality of points of interest with reference to at least one category selected by a user.

41. The vehicle navigation system of claim 40 wherein the at least one category includes at least one of restaurants, service stations, accommodations, and rest stops.

42. The vehicle navigation system of claim 31 wherein the processor is configured to identify the plurality of points of interest with reference to at least one business name selected by a user.

43. The vehicle navigation system of claim 31 wherein the processor is configured to display a promotion or advertisement associated with at least one of the plurality of points of interest.

44. The vehicle navigation system recited in claim 23 wherein at least one of the dimensions of the corridor are adjusted in accordance with at least one of the vehicle speed, density of digitized data, and the number of matching POI'"'"'s located within the corridor.

45. A computer-implemented method for use with a vehicle navigation system comprising at least one sensor for generating location data relating to a vehicle location, a memory for storing map data, and a display, the method comprising identifying a plurality of points of interest using a corridor search of the map data in a corridor corresponding to a road corresponding to the vehicle location, wherein the corridor extends parallel to the road, and displaying the plurality of points of interest on the display.

46. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer program instructions stored therein for performing the method of claim 45.