Navigation application with several navigation modes

• US 9,103,681 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2013
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: McGavran, Christine B., Moore, Bradford A., Moore, Christopher D., Habeck, Harold O., van Os, Marcel, Yue, Wesley, Grundstrom, Eric L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Anwari, Maceeh
• Application Number:
  US14/055,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20140365113A1
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: 701/425
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3423 Multimodal routing, i.e. combining two or more modes of transportation, where the modes can be any of, e.g. driving, walking, cycling, public transport
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3652 Guidance using non-audiovisual output, e.g. tactile, haptic or electric stimuli
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3661 Guidance output on an external device, e.g. car radio
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635

Abstract

A method for providing navigation instructions on a device is described. As the device traverses a navigated route according to a first mode of transportation, the method displays a first turn-by-turn navigation presentation defined for the first mode. Based on data gathered by the device, the method determines that the device is navigating the route according to a second mode of transportation. The method automatically displays a second, different turn-by-turn navigation presentation defined for the second mode.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a display screen;

a set of processing units; and

a non-transitory machine readable medium storing a navigation application for execution by at least one processing unit, the navigation application comprising;

a first module configured to (i) present a first version of a map on the display screen when a first navigation mode associated with a first mode of transportation is used to provide navigation instructions along a first route, and (ii) present a second, different version of the map on the display screen when a second navigation mode associated with a second mode of transportation is used to provide navigation instructions along a second route; and

a second module configured to automatically identify one of the first navigation mode and second navigation mode as a desired navigation mode for a current mode of transportation, wherein the second module identifies the second navigation mode as the desired navigation mode when the second module (i) detects that the device is at a border of first and second regions, wherein a first set of transportation modes is available in the first region while a different second set of transportation modes is available in the second region, and (ii) determines that the first transportation mode is not a viable transportation mode in the second set of transportation modes for the second region.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first route uses a first set of pathways and the second route uses a second set of pathways different from the first set.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the first set of pathways comprises at least one pathway in the second set of pathways and at least one pathway not in the second set of pathways, wherein at least one pathway is a road and another pathway is a sidewalk.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the second module is further for identifying the second navigation mode as the desired navigation mode when the device reaches a threshold distance from a destination of the route even before the device reaches the border of the first and second regions.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the first module presents the first version of the map with higher detailed constructs than the second version of the map.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the first module presents the first version of the map in three-dimensional view and the second version of the map in two-dimensional view.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the first region comprises a first set of pathways for the first transportation mode and the second region comprises a second set of pathways for the second transportation mode.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the navigation application further comprises a map storage that stores map data for driving roads in one of the first and second transportation modes and for walking pathways in another one of the transportation modes.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the navigation application further comprises a third module for periodically analyzing motion data captured by a set of motion sensors of the device to identify a probable mode of transportation for the device, wherein the second module is further for identifying the desired navigation mode based on the identified probable mode of transportation.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the second module is further for identifying the second navigation mode as the desired navigation mode only after the third module has identified the second mode of transportation associated with the second navigation mode as the probable mode of transportation for a threshold amount of time.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the second module is further for identifying the second navigation mode as the desired navigation mode only when the device has traveled within a particular range of distances while the third module has identified the second mode of transportation associated with the second navigation mode as the probable mode of transportation.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the set of motion sensors comprises at least one of a light sensor, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a magnetometer, and a GPS receiver.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the data gathered by the set of motion sensors of the device comprises information about a current location of the device.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the information about the current location of the device comprises at least one of a distance between the current location of the device and a destination of the route, a time that the device has been at the current location, and whether the device is located on a road.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the second module is further for identifying the second navigation mode as the desired navigation mode only when the device has traveled at a speed within a range of speeds for a threshold amount of time, wherein the speed is detected by a motion sensor of the device.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the second module is further for providing a notification when the navigation mode changes from one of the first and second navigation modes to the other navigation mode.

17. For a navigation application executable by at least one processing unit of a device, a method comprising:

presenting (i) a first version of a map on a display screen of the device when a first navigation mode associated with a first mode of transportation is used to provide navigation instructions along a first route, and (ii) a second, different version of the map on the display screen when a second navigation mode associated with a second mode of transportation is used to provide navigation instructions along a second route; and

automatically identifying one of the first and second navigation modes as a desired navigation mode for a current mode of transportation, wherein the second navigation mode is identified as the desired navigation mode when (i) the device is at a border of first and second regions, wherein a first set of transportation modes is available in the first region while a second different set of transportation modes is available in the second region, and (ii) the first transportation mode is not a viable transportation mode in the second set of transportation modes for the second region.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first route uses a first set of pathways and the second route uses a second set of pathways different from the first set.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first set of pathways comprises at least one pathway in the second set of pathways and at least one pathway not in the second set of pathways, wherein at least one pathway is a road and another pathway is a sidewalk.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the second navigation mode is identified as the desired navigation mode when the device reaches a threshold distance from a destination of the route even before the device reaches the border of the first and second regions.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein presenting the first version of the map comprises presenting the first version of the map with higher detailed constructs than the second version of the map.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein presenting the first version of the map further comprises presenting the first version of the map in three-dimensional view and the second version of the map in two-dimensional view.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the first region comprises a first set of pathways for the first transportation mode and the second region comprises a second set of pathways for the second transportation mode.

24. The method of claim 17 further comprising periodically analyzing motion data captured by a set of motion sensors of the device to identify a probable mode of transportation for the device, wherein the desired navigation mode is identified based on the identified probable mode of transportation.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the second navigation mode is identified as the desired navigation mode only after the second mode of transportation associated with the second navigation mode is identified as the probable mode of transportation for a threshold amount of time.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the second navigation mode is identified as the desired navigation mode only when the device has traveled within a particular range of distances while the second mode of transportation associated with the second navigation mode has been identified as the probable mode of transportation.

27. The method of claim 17, wherein the second navigation mode is identified as the desired navigation mode only when the device has traveled at a speed within a range of speeds for a threshold amount of time, wherein the speed is detected by a motion sensor of the device.

28. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a navigation application for execution by at least one processing unit of a device, the navigation application comprising sets of instructions for:

presenting (i) a first version of a map on a display screen of the device when a first navigation mode associated with a first mode of transportation is used to provide navigation instructions along a first route, and (ii) a second, different version of the map on the display screen when a second navigation mode associated with a second mode of transportation is used to provide navigation instructions along a second route; and

automatically identifying one of the first and second navigation modes as a desired navigation mode for a current mode of transportation, wherein the second navigation mode is identified as the desired navigation mode when (i) the device is at a border of first and second regions, wherein a first set of transportation modes is available in the first region while a second different set of transportation modes is available in the second region, and (ii) the first transportation mode is not a viable transportation mode in the second set of transportation modes for the second region.

29. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 28, wherein the first route uses a first set of pathways and the second route uses a second set of pathways different from the first set.

30. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 29, wherein the first set of pathways comprises at least one pathway in the second set of pathways and at least one pathway not in the second set of pathways, wherein at least one pathway is a road and another pathway is a sidewalk.

31. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 28, wherein the set of instructions for identifying one of the first navigation mode and second navigation mode as the desired navigation mode comprises a set of instructions for identifying the second navigation mode as the desired navigation mode when the device reaches a threshold distance from a destination of the route even before the device reaches the location that is at the border of the first and second regions.

32. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 28, wherein the navigation application further comprises a set of instructions for providing a notification when the navigation mode changes from one of the first and second navigation modes to the other navigation mode.

33. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 28, wherein the transportation mode that is available in the first set of transportation modes but not the second set of transportation modes comprises driving.

34. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 28, wherein the first region comprises a first set of pathways for the first set of transportation modes and the second region comprises a second set of pathways for the second set of transportation modes.

35. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 28, wherein the navigation application further comprises a set of instructions for periodically analyzing motion data captured by a set of motion sensors of the device to identify a probable mode of transportation for the device, wherein the set of instructions for identifying one of the first navigation mode and the second navigation mode as the desired navigation mode comprises a set of instructions for identifying the desired navigation mode based on the identified probable mode of transportation.

36. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 35, wherein the set of instructions for identifying one of the first navigation mode and the second navigation mode as the desired navigation mode comprises a set of instructions for identifying the second navigation mode as the desired navigation mode only after the second mode of transportation associated with the second navigation mode has been identified as the probable mode of transportation for a threshold amount of time.

37. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 35, wherein the set of instructions for identifying one of the first navigation mode and the second navigation mode as the desired navigation mode comprises a set of instructions for identifying the second navigation mode as the desired navigation mode only when the device has traveled within a particular range of distances while the second mode of transportation associated with the second navigation mode has been identified as the probable mode of transportation.

38. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 28, wherein the set of instructions for identifying one of the first navigation mode and the second navigation mode as the desired navigation mode comprises a set of instructions for identifying the second navigation mode as the desired navigation mode only when the device has traveled at a speed within a range of speeds for a threshold amount of time, wherein the speed is detected by a motion sensor of the device.