Navigation system and method

• US 8,670,925 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2010
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Longhorn Automotive Group LLC (Alpha Alpha Intellectual Partners LLC)
• Original Assignee: Calabrese Holdings LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Gluck, Adrian
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMBY, RICHARD M
• Application Number:
  US12/837,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20100318291A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 701408-410, 701/418, 701/437, 701/438, 701/465, 3409951-99513
• US Class Current: 701/409
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3673 Labelling using text of road map data items, e.g. road names, POI names

Abstract

A non-scaled, linearly compressed pictographic mapping system is provided for the visual display of information in a navigational aid. Unlike today'"'"'s road maps which use a point-arc-polygon paradigm, the new mapping uses a non-scaled, linearly-compressed pictographic design that shows roads as linear pictograms. The display has a columnar layout, whereby the descriptive elements are grouped together by type, and displayed one above the other in columns. The maps may also contain icons representing points of interest arranged in a cloud fashion. In this manner, the mapping paradigm also serves to increase traveler safety, provide navigation assistance during address-less trips, create valuable advertising space and new promotional opportunities, and dramatically increases the travelers'"'"' communications and entertainment options.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a storage device having stored geographic mapping information thereon, said geographic mapping information usable to generate a plurality of visual depictions indicative of the geographic mapping information;

a display generator configured to read said stored geographic mapping information and generate a non-scaled and compressed array of said visual depictions and send said generated array to a display device, the non-scaled and compressed array displayed to indicate a view representative of a current travel road and upcoming roads or landmarks relative to a current geographic location of the system, the visual depictions presented in an expected order of encounter and arranged in a linear format irrespective of actual distances associated with the mapping information, the display generator further configured to continuously update the view based on the current geographic location and a determined direction of travel of the system; and

an input device configured to send input data to said display generator, wherein said input data is indicative of what information is to be used in generating said array.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said visual depictions depict icons representative of point of interest information.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said icons represent general classes of information, goods and services.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said visual depictions depict logos representative of point of interest information.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said logos represent brand sources associated with information, goods and services.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said current geographic location of the system is continuously updated using a location determination device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said visual depictions are arranged about a coordinate axis oriented relative to the direction of travel the system.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising an audio generator configured to provide an aural indication of current travel road and intersecting road information.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said system is a mobile device.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a display generator configured to generate a non-scaled compressed view of roads and a non-scaled and compressed array of visual depictions associated with point of interest data on a display device, the non-scaled compressed view of roads and non-scaled and compressed array displayed to indicate a view representative of a current travel road or upcoming roads and landmarks relative to a current geographic location of the apparatus, presented in an expected order of encounter, and arranged in a linear format irrespective of actual distances associated with the roads and points of interest, the display generator further configured to continuously update the view based on the current geographic location and a determined direction of travel of the apparatus; and

an input device configured to provide input to said display generator, wherein said input is used to determine in part what road map data and point of interest data are used in generating said non-scaled compressed view of roads and non-scaled and compressed array of visual depictions.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said visual depictions depict icons representative of the point of interest data on the display device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said icons represent general classes of information, goods and services.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said visual depictions depict logos representative of the point of interest data on the display device.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said logos represent specific brand sources of information, goods and services.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said non-scaled compressed view of roads depicts representations of said roads as straight lines with no landmass features or scaling.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said non-scaled compressed view includes information related to features adjacent to said roads and information related to actual distance and estimated time required to travel to various locations along said roads, said information displayed in columnar format adjacent to said representations of said roads.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said visual depictions are arranged about a periphery of said representations of said roads, said visual depictions representative of a relative geographic location of the point of interest data on the display device.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said apparatus is a mobile device.

19. A method comprising:

determining a current position of a navigation device;

generating a sequential set of road segments in an expected order of encounter and a non-scaled array of visual depictions associated with point of interest information selected based on received input and said current position;

sequentially displaying a non-scaled compressed view of said sequential set of road segments and said non-scaled array of visual depictions on said navigation device, the non-scaled compressed view of said sequential set of road segments and non-scaled array of visual depictions including a current travel road, presented relative to the current position, and arranged in a linear format irrespective of actual distances associated with the road segments and points of interest; and

continuously updating the view based on the current position and a determined direction of travel.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said visual depictions depict icons representative of said point of interest information.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said icons represent general classes of information, goods and services.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein said visual depictions depict logos representative of said point of interest information.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said logos represent brand sources associated with information, goods and services.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein said visual depictions are arranged about a representation of a current position of the navigation device, said visual depictions arranged so as to indicate relative geographic locations associated with the point of interest information.

25. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-readable instructions comprising:

instructions for determining a current position of a navigation device;

instructions for generating a sequential set of road segments selected based on received input and said current position;

instructions for sequentially displaying a non-scaled compressed view of said sequential set of road segments in an expected order of encounter on said navigation device, the non-scaled compressed view including a current travel road and point of interest information arranged as hierarchical representations of the point of interest information and arranged so as to indicate relative geographic locations of the point of interest information, wherein the non-scaled compressed view of said sequential set of road segments is arranged in a linear format irrespective of actual distances associated with the road segments; and

instructions for continuously updating the view based on the current position and a determined direction of travel.