Personal GPS navigation device

• US 9,250,076 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2013
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TomTom Navigation B.V (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: TomTom International BV (TomTom NV)
• Inventors: Geelen, Pieter
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOUIE, WAE LENNY
• Application Number:
  US13/778,285
• Publication Number:
  US 20130174076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/202, 701/209, 701/211, 701/438, 701/454, 701/450, 701/467, 701/532, 701/533, 340/995.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3635 Guidance using 3D or perspective road maps
• 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 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/24 Acquisition or tracking or demodulation of signals transmitted by the system synchronisation aspects of direct sequence spread spectrum modulation H04B1/7073
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing

Abstract

A navigation device is disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the navigation device includes a storage device to store map information and points of interest (POIs), the POIs including description information and location information; and a display to display stored POIs at a location of the map information, based upon the location information, POIs being selectively retrievable from a remote location for subsequent storage and display.

Claims

1. A navigation device, comprising:

a storage device configured to store map information, said map information including a plurality of points of interest (POIs) in a database, the POIs including;

description information;

an indication of type; and

point location information, and the POIs being stored in the database such that they can be used as a destination for a route calculation algorithm and;

a user interface configured to receive at least one input from a user to create at least one first POI for insertion in the storage device;

a connection device configured to connect the navigation device to at least one of a remote server and another navigation device for the selective retrieval of at least one second POI for insertion in the storage device; and

a display configured to display at least one stored POI on a map based upon the point location information for the POI and further display a plurality of functions related to the at least one stored POI upon selection of the at least one stored POI.

2. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the connection device is configured to selectively retrieve the at least one second POI over the internet.

3. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the connection device is configured to selectively retrieve the at least one second POI over a wireless connection.

4. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the display is a touch screen display, and the touch screen display is configured to receive the at least one input from the user to create the at least one first POI for insertion in the storage device.

5. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the connection device is configured to selectively exchange the at least one first POI over the internet.

6. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the connection device is configured to selectively exchange the at least one first POI over a wireless connection.

7. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the user can create a user-defined category for the at least one first POI.

8. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the additional information for the at least one second POI is provided by a business.

9. The navigation device of claim 8, wherein the additional information is an advertisement.

10. The navigation device of claim 1 further comprising a communication application that enables communications between the navigation device and POI.

11. The navigation device of claim 10, wherein the communications is voice communications or text messaging.

12. The navigation device of claim 8 further comprising opening a browser window to display a web page related to the at least one stored POI upon selection of the at least one stored POI.

13. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the stored POIs are exchangeable with other users.

14. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the display is further configured to display additional information for the at least one stored POI upon selection of the at least one stored POI.

15. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of functions causes the navigation device to display a list of POIs nearby to the at least one stored POI.

16. The navigation device of claim 15, wherein the displayed list is ordered by distance from the at least one stored POI.

17. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the navigation device is configured to receive a function selection from the displayed list of functions and perform the selected function.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium which stores a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for operating a navigation device, the navigation device including a storage device configured to store map information, said map information including a plurality of points of interest (POIs) in a database, the POIs including:

description information;

an indication of type; and

point location information, and the POIs being stored in the database such that they can be used as a destination for a route calculation algorithm, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising;

receiving at least one input from a user to create at least one first POI for insertion in the storage device;

connecting the navigation device to at least one of a remote server and another navigation device for the selective retrieval of at least one second POI for insertion in the storage device; and

displaying at least one stored POI on a map based upon the point location information for the POI and further display a plurality of functions related to the at least one stored POI upon selection of the at least one stored POI.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 further comprising receiving a function selection from the displayed list of functions and performing the selected function.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein one of the plurality of functions causes the navigation device to display a list of POIs nearby to the at least one stored POI.