Method and apparatus for associating brand icon with POI location for navigation system

• US 8,285,481 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2006
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: De Silva, Andrew, Doan, Linh
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIPALA, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US11/502,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20080082262A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,252 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/206, 701/207, 701/208, 701/211, 701/212, 701/213, 701/400, 701/408, 701/409, 701/438, 701/454, 701/467, 701/532, 701/538, 340/995.27, 340/995.26, 340/995.23, 340/995.24, 34099516-99518, 340/995.14, 340/995.1, 340/988, 340/990, 345/619, 345/629, 345/650, 345/655
• US Class Current: 701/409
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a navigation system automatically assigns or allows a user to assign a brand icon to a particular location. The navigation system displays the assigned brand icon as well as generic icons on a map image. Thus, the navigation system enables the user to quickly distinguish a particular place such as a point of interest (POI) from other similar type of POIs on a map image. The user can identify a particular chain restaurant from other restaurant by the brand icon unique to the particular chain restaurant on the map image so that the user can easily specify the favorite restaurant as a destination.

Claims

1. A method for a navigation system for assigning a brand icon to a particular place, comprising the following steps of:

specifying a particular place for a navigation system for creating a lookup table related to brand icons where a brand icon identifies a particular business located at the particular place;

checking whether the specified particular place is associated with a brand icon;

assigning the brand icon to the particular place when both are associated with one another, the step including a step of displaying a plurality of icon blocks each showing a generic icon or a brand icon so that a user can select one of the icons to be assigned to the particular place;

storing data regarding the association between the particular place and the brand icon, thereby creating the lookup table in the navigation system;

displaying a map image or a menu image on a display screen of the navigation system for selecting a place to visit or selecting a menu item;

displaying the brand icon retrieved from the lookup table on the map or menu image when a location of the particular place comes within a range of the image that can be displayed on the display screen; and

displaying a generic icon for each remaining location on the map or menu image;

wherein the generic icon represents a generic category or type of business rather than a particular business and its location represented by the brand icon, and wherein the brand icon is a graphic representation that uniquely identifies a particular business that is indistinguishable by the generic icon and wherein the lookup table has a franchise/brand ID and an icon field that stores graphic representation associated with the franchise/brand ID.

2. A method for a navigation system as defined in claim 1, said lookup table lists place names and brand icons so that the navigation system can check whether the specified particular place is associated with the brand icon.

3. A method for a navigation system as defined in claim 1, wherein said step of checking whether the specified particular place is associated with a brand icon includes a step of determining whether the specified particular place has a location name and comparing the location name to entries in the Franchise/Brand name field in the look up table.

4. A method for a navigation system as defined in claim 1, wherein said step of assigning the brand icon to the particular place includes a step of displaying a plurality of icon blocks each showing a generic icon or a brand icon, and a step of creating a brand icon when desired icon is not found in the icon blocks.

5. A method for a navigation system as defined in claim 1, wherein said step of assigning the brand icon includes a step of obtaining electronic data of a brand icon through a communication network or other media.

6. A method for a navigation system as defined in claim 1, wherein said step of specifying the particular place and creating the lookup table includes a step of obtaining electronic data of place names and brand icons through a communication network or other media.

7. A method for a navigation system as defined in claim 1, wherein said step of specifying the particular place includes a step of creating destination data and storing the created data in an address book or other recording area of the navigation system.

8. A method for a navigation system as defined in claim 1, wherein said particular place is a one belong to a group of organizations with a same name including chain stores and franchise stores.

9. An apparatus for a navigation system for assigning a brand icon to a particular place, comprising:

a data storage device which stores map data related to determining a preferable route between a start point and a destination, said map data including information on POIs (points of interest) and associated icons;

a monitor for displaying information and images related to operations of selecting brand icons or generic icons of the POIs to be displayed and route guidance to the destination;

a controller for controlling overall operations of a route search process for assigning an icon to a location of a map image or a menu on the monitor screen and a route guidance process for guiding a user to the destination through the preferable route;

wherein the controller controls the following operations of;

specifying a particular place for a navigation system for creating a lookup table related to brand icons based on the map data from the data storage device where a brand icon identifies a particular business located at the particular place;

checking whether the specified particular place is associated with a brand icon;

assigning the brand icon to the particular place on the map image or menu when both are associated with one another;

displaying a plurality of icon blocks each showing a generic icon or a brand icon so that a user can select one of the icons to be assigned to the particular place;

storing data regarding the association between the particular place and the brand icon in the data storage device or other memory, thereby creating the lookup table in the navigation system;

displaying a map image or a menu image on the monitor of the navigation system for selecting a place to visit or selecting a menu item;

displaying the brand icon retrieved from the lookup table on the map or menu image on the monitor when a location of the particular place comes within a range of the image that can be displayed on the display screen; and

displaying a generic icon for each remaining location on the map or menu image on the monitor; and

wherein the generic icon represents a generic category or type of business rather than a particular business and its location represented by the brand icon and wherein the brand icon is a graphic representation that uniquely identifies a particular business that is indistinguishable by the generic icon and wherein the lookup table has a franchise/brand ID and an icon field that stores graphic representation associated with the franchise/brand ID.

10. An apparatus for a navigation system as defined in claim 9, wherein said lookup table lists place names and brand icons so that the navigation system can check whether the specified particular place is associated with the brand icon.

11. An apparatus for a navigation system as defined in claim 9, wherein said controller further controls an operation of said operation of checking whether the specified particular place is associated with a brand icon includes an operation of determining whether the specified particular place has a location name and comparing the location name to entries in the Franchise/Brand name field in the look up table.

12. An apparatus for a navigation system as defined in claim 9, wherein said controller further controls an operation of displaying a plurality of icon blocks each showing a generic icon or a brand icon and creating a brand icon when desired icon is not found in the icon blocks.

13. An apparatus for a navigation system as defined in claim 9, wherein said controller further controls an operation of obtaining electronic data of a brand icon through a communication network or other media.

14. An apparatus for a navigation system as defined in claim 9, wherein said controller further controls an operation of obtaining electronic data of place names and brand icons through a communication network or other media.

15. An apparatus for a navigation system as defined in claim 9, wherein said controller further controls an operation of creating destination data and storing the created data in an address book or other recording area of the navigation system.

16. An apparatus for a navigation system as defined in claim 9, wherein said particular place is a one belong to a group of organizations with a same name including chain stores and franchise stores.