Navigation device and method

• US 8,606,502 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2008
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tomtom Global Content B.V (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: Tomtom North America Incorporated (TomTom NV)
• Inventors: Hixson, Stephen Price
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUYNH, LUAT T
• Application Number:
  US12/736,878
• Publication Number:
  US 20110118977A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,807 Days
• Field of Search: 701/408, 701/532, 701/533, 701/418, 701/527, 340/995.19, 340/990
• US Class Current: 701/408
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3644 Landmark guidance, e.g. using POIs or conspicuous other objects

Abstract

A navigation device includes a locator for determining a location of the navigation device, a processor, an audio output device and/or a display controllable by the processor, and a store for map data and historical data. The historical data includes historical information about a location and a location identifier identifying the location. The processor is arranged to control the audio output device and/or display to convey the historical information as an audio and/or visual output in response to the processor determining from the locator that the navigation device is in the vicinity of the location identified by the location identifier.

Claims

1. A navigation device comprising:

a locator for determining a location of the navigation device;

a processor;

at least one of an audio output device and a display controllable by the processor; and

a store for map data and historical data, said historical data comprising historical information about a location and a location identifier identifying the location,

wherein said processor is arranged to control at least one of the audio output device and display to convey the historical information as at least one of an audio and visual output in response to the processor determining from the locator that the navigation device is in the vicinity of the location identified by the location identifier; and

wherein the navigation device is considered to be in the vicinity of the location identified by the location identifier if the navigation device is within a predetermined distance of the location identified by the location identifier, said predetermined distance being set by a user.

2. A navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is arranged to map position fixes obtained via the locator to the map data.

3. A navigation device according to claim 2, wherein the location identifier of the historical data identifies a location on the map data and the processor determines that the navigation device is in the vicinity of the location identified by the location identifier by map matching the position fixes of the locator to the map data, determining a current location of the navigation device on the map data and determining whether the current location on the map data is in the vicinity of the location on the map data identified by the location identifier of the historical data.

4. A navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the navigation device is considered to be in the vicinity of the location identified by the location identifier if the navigation device is at the same location on a navigable route as the location identified by the location identifier.

5. A navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is arranged to cause the display to display a request for the predetermined distance and configure an input interface to receive a selection of a predetermined distance.

6. A navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the navigation device is considered to be in the vicinity of the location identified by the location identifier if the location identified by the location identifier is considered to be in view from a current location of the navigation device.

7. A navigation device according claim 6, wherein the location identifier identifies from which locations on navigable routes of the map data the historical location can be seen and the processor is arranged to control at least one of the audio output device and display to convey the historical information when the navigation device is at one of these locations on the navigable routes.

8. A navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the historical data comprises a type identifier identifying one or more attributes (other than location) of the historical location.

9. A navigation device according to claim 8, wherein the processor is arranged to control at least one of the audio output device and display to convey historical information based on the type identifier associated with that historical information.

10. A navigation device according to claim 9, wherein the processor is arranged to cause the display to display a request for a selection of one or more attributes of historical sites that is of interest to the user and configure the input interface to receive a selection of the one or more attributes.

11. A navigation device according to claim 10, wherein, in response to the selection, the processor is arranged to only convey historical information having one or more, or even all, of the attributes selected by the user.

12. A navigation device according to claim 8, wherein the input interface is configured to enable a user to select a destination and the processor is arranged to determine a navigable route based on the selected destination and identify historical locations in the vicinity of the planned route.

13. A navigation device according to claim 8, wherein the input interface is configured to enable a user to select a type of historical location that she/he would like to visit and the processor is arranged to determine a navigable route based on the selected type of historical location.

14. A server comprising memory having stored thereon historical data comprising historical information about a location and a location identifier identifying the location on map data that is used by a navigation device to determine a navigable route, a communication link for communicating with a navigation device according to claim 1 and a processor arranged to send historical data to the navigation device.

15. A data carrier having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor of a navigation device comprising:

a locator for determining a location of the navigation device;

at least one of an audio output device and a display controllable by the processor; and

a store for map data and historical data, said historical data comprising historical information about a location and a location identifier identifying the location, causes the processor to control at least one of the audio output device and display to convey the historical information as at least one of an audio and visual output in response to the processor determining from the locator that the navigation device is in the vicinity of the location identified by the location identifier, wherein the navigation device is considered to be in the vicinity of the location identified by the location identifier if the navigation device is within a predetermined distance of the location identified by the location identifier, said predetermined distance being set by a user of the navigation device.