Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Navigation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-13
2001-12-04
Camby, Richard M. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Navigation
C701S206000, C701S208000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06327532
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of navigating a means of conveyance or vehicle, especially a self-powered vehicle, a ship or an aircraft, from a starting position to a destination, wherein the destination and, if necessary, the starting location are input to the navigation system. The invention also relates to a navigation system for the vehicle, especially a self-powered vehicle, ship or aircraft, for navigating from a starting position to a destination, in which an input device for input of the destination and, if necessary, the starting position is provided.
2. Prior Art
In a vehicle, especially a motor vehicle, aircraft or ship, fixed or installed navigation systems rapidly guide an operator of the vehicle, simply and reliably from an actual starting position to a desired destination, without requiring the operator to obtain a map and perform the work of planning a route. Suitable navigation data is present, for example stored on a CD-ROM, based e.g. on data from a map, chart or street map. The navigation unit determines the momentary location of the vehicle, e.g. for example using a GPS (Global Positioning System), and calculates suitable navigation statements or instructions, which guide the vehicle to a predetermined destination. For example, the navigation data includes data regarding streets and roads for a motor vehicle.
However before the navigation system performs its function and can calculate a route from a starting location to a destination, it is necessary to input the desired destination and, if necessary, also the actual starting location into the navigation system without a GPS. This occurs for example by a manually operated input device, in which the alphabetic characters of a character table are scrolled or called up in succession and are selected, until the selected characters and numbers designate the appropriate destination or starting point, for example a street name and house number of the destination or starting point. This however is troublesome and time-consuming and requires a certain fundamental knowledge of the operational details of the navigation system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved navigation method and navigation system of the above-described kind, which eliminates the above-described disadvantage and is simpler and more comfortable to operate.
This object, and others which will be made more apparent hereinafter, is attained in a method of navigating a means of conveyance or vehicle, especially a self-powered vehicle, a ship or an aircraft, from a starting position to a destination, wherein the destination and, if necessary, the starting location are input to the navigation system.
According to the invention the method of navigating a vehicle comprises the steps of:
a) inputing one or more predetermined numbers designating the predetermined destination and, if necessary, the starting position into the navigation system;
b) correlating the one or more predetermined numbers with at least one position address from a position address list provided in a memory device and reading out the at least one position address from the memory device; and
c) assigning the at least one position address output from the memory device in step b) as the predetermined destination and, if necessary, starting position in the navigation system.
The method according to the invention has the advantage that complete destination data can be provide to the navigation system by the input of a simple number, i.e. with only e.g. ten different keys of a numerical ten-key key pad or input device, without the need of successively entering troublesome alphabetic character information for retrieval of destination information from an alphabetic character table, including place name, street name and house number.
Furthermore preferred features are described and claimed in appended dependent method claims.
In a preferred embodiment the numbers are telephone numbers of telephones at various possible destinations or starting locations and in the method according to the invention input of a particular telephone number to the navigation system results in retrieval of the position address correlated with it from the memory device and that position address is assigned as the destination or starting position.
Preferably the memory device contains a direct correlation of the position addresses to the numbers and advantageously comprises a CD-ROM.
Appropriately the input device is an external ten-key input device or is a numeric input device of an auto radio or CD player connected to the navigation system.
The navigation system according to the invention comprises a numeric keyboard device for input of numbers and a memory device containing a list of position addresses for the different destinations and starting locations correlated with the numbers or which can be correlated with the numbers.
This has the advantage that a simple input of destination or starting location data to the navigation system is possible, by only inputting numbers without troublesome alphabetic character selection from a character table. This data can be completely provided simply by input of numbers, i.e. with only a ten digit numeric key pad or keyboard device, without inputting the destination data in the troublesome form of location names, street names and house numbers comprising numbers for numeric characters and alphabetic symbols for alphabetic characters.
Preferred embodiments of the navigation system are described and claimed in appended dependent claims.
Appropriately the numeric key pad or keyboard input device is an external ten-key input device or a numeric input device of an auto radio or CD player connected with the navigation system.
An especially simple and intuitive access to the data of the memory is obtained when the numbers are telephone numbers.
In a particularly preferred embodiment the memory device is a CD-ROM and the numbers are telephone numbers of a telephone number list stored on the CD-ROM which are correlated with position addresses stored on the CD-ROM.
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Black Karl-Heinz
Fricke Walter
Heidekrueger Peter
Camby Richard M.
Robert & Bosch GmbH
Striker Michael J.
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