Portable terminal with the function of walking navigation

• US 6,580,999 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2002
• Issued: 06/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Shimada, Shigeru, Maruyama, Kishiko, Sasaki, Toshiichirou
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US10/173,423
• Publication Number:
  US 20020165662A1
• Time in Patent Office: 364 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/201, 701/202, 701/211, 701/212, 701/213, 701/214, 340/988, 340/995, 342/357.01, 342/357.06, 342/357.08, 342/443, 342/147, 367/118
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver

Abstract

A portable terminal with the function of walking navigation. The portable terminal displays information on its narrow screen so as to make it easy for the user (walker) to understand and realize an interface that enables the user to understand inputs of retrieving conditions intuitively, thereby saving the input labor.

Assume now that a user (walker) 10 is lost while walking towards a destination 11. In such a case, the present invention enables necessary information to be compressed, for example, so as to display both direction and distance to the destination from a present place with an orientation and a length of an arrow on a small screen and further so as to match the orientation of the arrow with the direction of the destination in the actual space. If the user (walker) 10 specifies a compressed information item 12, 13, or 14 for inquiry, the present invention controls so that the arrow always points the direction of the destination corresponding to each of those compressed information items 12, 13, and 14. The condition of retrieval can also be set by turning, for example, the tip of the portable terminal directly in the desired direction 12, 13, or 14.

Claims

1. A portable terminal with the function of walking navigation, comprising:

a device for getting location information denoting a present place of said portable terminal;

a device for getting direction information denoting an orientation of said portable terminal; and

a device for getting the location information of another portable terminal, wherein

a direction from said present place to the location of said another portable terminal is displayed with the distance information between said locations to supply route guidance information as said walking navigation information.

2. A portable terminal with the function of walking navigation according to claim 1;

wherein said direction is denoted with an orientation of line and said distance is denoted with number.

3. A portable terminal with the function of walking navigation according to claim 1;

wherein said direction from said present place to the location of said another portable terminal is displayed using the symbols denoting the said present location and said location of another portable terminal.

4. A portable terminal with the function of walking navigation according to claim 1;

wherein said direction from said present place to the location of said another portable terminal is denoted with an orientation of a line that is distinguished between starting and ending points.

5. A portable terminal with the function of walking navigation, comprising:

a device for getting location information denoting a present place of said portable terminal;

a device for getting direction information denoting an orientation of said portable terminal; and

a device for getting the location information of another portable terminal, wherein

a relation between said orientation and a direction form said present place to the location of said another portable terminal is displayed with the distance information between said locations to supply route guidance information as said walking navigation information.

6. A portable terminal with the function of walking navigation, comprising:

a device for getting location information denoting a present place of said portable terminal;

a device for getting direction information denoting an orientation of said portable terminal; and

a device for getting the location information of another portable terminal from said another terminal via connected network, wherein

a relation between said orientation and a direction from said present place to the location of said another portable terminal is displayed to supply route guidance information as said walking navigation information.