Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Navigation
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-18
2001-07-10
Chin, Gary (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Navigation
C701S208000, C340S990000, C340S995190
Reexamination Certificate
active
06259987
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the selection of a destination for route calculation in a vehicle navigation system. More specifically, the present invention provides a means by which a user of a vehicle navigation system may conveniently select a city as a destination even where the streets of that city have not been digitized and included in the system's map database.
In currently available vehicle navigation systems, the user may specify a desired destination in a variety of ways. For example, when it is known, the user may specify the street address of the destination. Alternatively, the user may specify an intersection of two roads in the vicinity of the destination. Once the user selects one of these alternative methods for designating the destination, the user is typically prompted to select a city from a displayed city list. In response to selection of a city, the user is then prompted to select the appropriate street or streets from a displayed list of streets corresponding to the selected city. Obviously, for either of these alternatives to be available, the streets of the city in which the destination is located must be represented by digitized data in the system's map database. However, because there are many small towns outside of major urban areas which have not yet been digitized, the map databases commonly used in commercially available systems do not have much, if any, street data for such towns.
FIG. 1
is a flowchart
100
illustrating a particular method for selecting a destination for route calculation using a street address. Once the user selects the street address option for specifying a destination (
102
), a city list
152
is presented (
104
) which includes all of the cities for which digitized street data exist in map database
154
, i.e., digitized cities. Upon selection of a particular city by the user (
106
), a street name list
156
is presented (
108
) which includes all of the streets in map database
154
corresponding to the selected city. Upon selection of a street name by the user (
110
), the user is prompted to enter a street address (
112
). Once a valid street address is entered (
114
), the navigation system employs the specified address as the destination for route calculation (
116
).
FIG. 2
is a flowchart
200
illustrating another method for selecting a destination for route calculation using an intersection. Once the user selects the intersection option for specifying a destination (
202
), a city list
152
is presented (
204
) which includes all of the cities for which digitized street data exist in map database
154
, i.e., digitized cities. Upon selection of a particular city by the user (
206
), a first street name list
156
is presented (
208
) which includes all of the streets in map database
154
corresponding to the selected city. Upon selection of a first street name by the user (
210
), a cross street name list
252
is presented (
212
) which includes all cross streets corresponding to the selected street name. When a cross street is selected (
214
), the corresponding intersection is then used as the destination for route calculation (
216
).
As discussed above, when a user indicates a desire to designate a specific street address or intersection, the user is typically presented with a list of cities. However, if the streets of the town in which the destination is located are not included in the system's map database, the town is not included in the city list. That is, the city list displays only cities and towns for which digitized street data are stored in the map database. Non-digitized cities are not represented in the city list.
As an alternative to the destination selection methods described above, some systems also allow the user to specify a point of interest (POI) such as, for example, an amusement park or a restaurant. In some systems, city centers or downtown areas are included as a POI category. In response to the selection of the city center category, a list of cities and towns is displayed. In contrast with the city list described above, this city center list includes towns for which digitized street data are not available. The centers or downtown areas of such towns are represented in the map database as a single location with reference to, for example, a highway which passes through the town and for which map data are available.
FIG. 3
is a flowchart
300
illustrating a method for selecting a destination for route calculation using points of interest (POI) such as, for example, amusement parks, museums, restaurants, and downtown areas or city centers. When a user of the vehicle navigation system selects the POI option (
302
), a list of POI categories
352
is displayed (
304
) which includes a number of categories of points of interest stored in map database
154
. When the user selects a POI category (
306
) and the category is city centers (
308
), a city center list
354
is displayed (
310
) which includes all of the cities in map database
154
regardless of whether database
154
has digitized street data for the listed cities. That is, both digitized and non-digitized cities are represented in city center list
354
. Once the user selects one of the city centers (
312
), the city center is used as the destination for route calculation (
318
). Where, on the other hand, some other POI category is selected, the appropriate POI list
356
corresponding to the selected category is displayed (
314
). Individual POI lists
354
and
356
may either be generated during database compilation, or on the fly during system operation from a single large POI list which includes POIs across all categories. Upon selection of a particular POI (
316
), the selected POI is used as the destination for route calculation (
318
).
The problem with currently available systems is that once a user selects the street address or intersection options, it is not apparent to the user why a particular city or town is not included in the displayed city list. Neither is it apparent that a city omitted from the city list might be included in the more inclusive city center list among the POI categories. This tends to be confusing for many users who justifiably assume that the system cannot be used to navigate to the desired destination. This, in turn, defeats the purpose of providing a vehicle navigation system. It is therefore desirable to provide a method for selecting a destination in a vehicle navigation system which allows the user to more easily identify and designate towns for which street data are not available.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, a vehicle navigation system is provided which allows the user to easily select a destination for the purpose of route calculation by designating the city in which the destination is located regardless of whether street data is available for the city. The present invention accomplishes this by displaying a more inclusive city list in response to selection by the user of a destination selection option which relies on the availability of street data. That is, if a user indicates a desire to designate a destination using a street address, a city list is displayed which includes non-digitized cities, i.e., cities for which no street data are available in the system's map database. Thus, even where the destination is in a non-digitized city the user may still select the city as the destination city without having to go look for it elsewhere. Of course, when a non-digitized city is selected, the user will not be able to specify a street address. Instead, the city center or downtown area of the selected city will be designated as the destination.
Thus, according to the present invention, a method for selecting a destination in a vehicle navigation system is provided. A plurality of options are provided for designating the destination in the system's user interface. A first option employs at least one street name to designate the destination. In response to selection of the first option, a list of citi
Ceylan Timur
Nolan Jim
White Laura
Beyer Weaver & Thomas LLP
Chin Gary
Visteon Technologies, LLC
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