Navigation device with touch screen

• US 7,737,951 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2004
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TomTom Navigation B.V (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: TomTom International BV (TomTom NV)
• Inventors: Jurgens, Sven-Erik, Pinkus, Ayal, Neef, Edwin, Gretton, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar; Vijay
• Application Number:
  US10/546,741
• Publication Number:
  US 20070103445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,301 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179, 345/169, 178 1801- 1809, 178 1901- 1906, 178 2001- 2004, 701200-226
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events

Abstract

A navigation device is programmed to be able to associate any function, belonging to a core set of functions, with a non-overlapping touch input zone that is large enough to be reliably activated using a finger. Hence, the present invention is predicated on the insight that it is possible to identify a set of core functions and to then enable all of them to be reliably selected/activated by a finger touch to a touch input zone large enough for reliable activation. This is especially advantageous for an in-car navigation device in which the core functions are those functions that are likely to be activated by a driver whilst still driving.

Claims

1. A hand-held self contained navigation device programmed with a map database and software that enables a route to be planned to a destination, wherein the device is further programmed to:

display a normal navigation mode screen that shows, when in use, a current location of the navigation device;

associate each of a plurality of functions, belonging to a core set of functions, with a respective non-overlapping touch input zone that is large enough to be reliably activated using a finger of a user; and

suspend display of the normal navigation mode screen and display said core set of functions in place of the normal navigation mode screen, in response to a finger touch of the user of an expanded touch zone on the displayed normal navigation mode screen.

2. The navigation device of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of functions is initiated by selecting a graphical option and, whenever a displayed screen includes graphical options, then each of the graphical options is linked to a respective one of the non-overlapping touch input zones that is large enough to be reliably activated using a finger is displayed.

3. The navigation device of claim 1 wherein the navigation device is mountable on a vehicle dashboard and the core set of functions include functions that are activatable by a driver whilst driving.

4. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the core set of functions include functions that cannot be selected or activated from the same screen.

5. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the core set of functions includes one or more of:

(i) moving between a relatively highest level in a menu hierarchy to a next level down;

(ii) tasking away from the normal navigation mode screen;

(iii) selecting selectable options that initiate route recalculation functions; and

(iv) setting the current location as a location to be marked on a map.

6. The navigation device of claim 5, wherein the selectable options relate to one or more of the following functions:

(a) calculate alternative route;

(b) calculate alternative route without including an extent of the road ahead;

(c) calculate alternative route without including a predefined road; and

(d) revert to original route.

7. The navigation device of claim 2, wherein the graphical options are graphical icons.

8. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the touch input zone is at least 0.7 cm² in area.

9. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the touch zone is activated by a single or a double touch.

10. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the navigation device is further programmed to be able to associate any key, belonging to the keys of a virtual keyboard, with a non-overlapping touch input zone that is large enough to be reliably activated using a finger.

11. A method of displaying navigation information, the method being deployed in a hand-held self contained navigation device programmed with a map database and software that enables a route to be planned to a destination, comprising:

displaying a normal navigation mode screen that shows a current location of the navigation device;

defining at least one core set of functions performable by said navigation device;

associating each of the core set of functions with a respective non-overlapping touch input zone that is large enough to be reliably activated using a finger of a user; and

suspending display of the normal navigation mode screen and displaying said core set of functions in place of the normal navigation mode screen, in response to a finger touch of the user of an expanded touch zone on the displayed normal navigation mode screen.

12. Computer software adapted to enable a hand-held self contained navigation device, programmed with a map database and software that enables a route to be planned to a destination;

wherein the computer software;

displays, when in use, a normal navigation mode screen that shows a current location of the navigation device, associates each of a plurality of functions, belonging to a core set of functions, with a respective non-overlapping touch input zone that is large enough to be reliably activated using a finger of a user, and suspends display of the normal navigation mode screen and displays said core set of functions in place of the normal navigation mode screen in response to a finger touch of the user of an expanded touch zone on the displayed normal navigation mode screen.

13. A navigation device programmed with a map database and software that enables a route to be planned to a destination, the device comprising:

a touch sensitive display to display a normal navigation mode screen that shows, when in use, a current location of the navigation device; and

a processor to, in conjunction with the software, suspend display of the normal navigation mode screen on the touch sensitive display and control the touch sensitive display to display a core set of functions in place of the normal navigation mode screen, in response to a user touch of an expanded touch zone on the displayed normal navigation mode screen, each of the core set of functions being associated with a non-overlapping touch input zone that is large enough to be reliably activated by a finger of a user.

14. The navigation device of claim 13 wherein each of the plurality of functions is initiated by selecting a graphical option and, whenever a displayed screen includes graphical options, then each of the graphical options is linked to a respective one of the non-overlapping touch input zones that is large enough to be reliably activated using a finger is displayed.

15. The navigation device of claim 13, wherein the core set of functions includes one or more of:

(i) moving between a relatively highest level in a menu hierarchy to a next level down;

(ii) tasking away from the normal navigation mode screen;

(iii) selecting selectable options that initiate route recalculation functions; and

(iv) setting the current location as a location to be marked on a map.

16. The navigation device of claim 15, wherein the selectable options relate to one or more of the following functions:

(a) calculate alternative route;

(b) calculate alternative route without including an extent of the road ahead;

(c) calculate alternative route without including a predefined road; and

(d) revert to original route.

17. The navigation device of claim 14, wherein the graphical options are graphical icons.

18. The navigation device of claim 13, wherein the touch input zone is at least 0.7 cm² in area.

19. The navigation device of claim 13, wherein the touch zone is activated by a single or a double touch.