Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Navigation – Employing position determining equipment
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-28
2001-01-30
Zanelli, Michael J. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Navigation
Employing position determining equipment
C701S213000, C342S357490, C340S995190
Reexamination Certificate
active
06182010
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to in-vehicle navigation systems and, in particular, to a method and system for displaying visual images on a portable computing device to assist a user in locating traffic landmarks.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, the computer industry has sought to add computer processing and communications capabilities to devices other than what would normally be considered a traditional computer. Such devices are quite varied and include, for example, personal digital assistants (PDAs), smartphones, cellular phones, desktop screen phones, in-vehicle devices, vehicle traffic lights, kiosks, business organizers (e.g., IBM WorkPadT™, PalmPilot™, and the like), computer peripherals (such as printers, fax machines, and the like), handheld or palmtop computing devices, and the like. For convenience, these devices, as a class, are referred to herein as “pervasive computing” clients as they are devices that are designed to be connected to servers in a computer network and used for computing purposes regardless of their location.
Palmtop computers and the like are now being proposed as pervasive computing devices for use in an automobile. In-vehicle navigation systems, of course, are well-known. Representative systems are described in U.S. Pat. Nos.: 5,121,326, 5,191,532 and 5,792,109. U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,326 describes a navigation system that displays a general map of the driver's location. As the driver approaches an intersection, the display provides a detailed map of the intersection to provide further guidance to the driver. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,191,532, a navigation system is disclosed where driving directions can be provided even though the user's exact destination is not listed in the systems database. Certain geographic features such as cities and landmarks are used to approximate the destination for purposes of providing directions. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,729,109, the inventors provide a vehicle navigation system that uses speech generation to give spoken directions when the driver is approaching an intersection.
Although such existing in-vehicle navigation systems are useful for their intended purpose, the user interface for such devices is often fairly crude. Typically, the interface comprises a grid or map illustrating various roads, streets and intersections. Occasionally, these maps include other identifying information. Thus, while a user may be provided with some useful information from such displays, maps are often confusing, especially at some complex intersections. Moreover, these types of displays generally do not always provide sufficient information so as to enable a user to accurately determine if the vehicle has reached a given location represented on the map.
The present invention addresses the need to provide improved in-vehicle display of navigation information.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide accurate visual information to a driver in using a navigation system to allow the driver to more accurately assess his or her position relative to an intersection or other physical location where an action may need to be taken.
It is a further object to provide a vehicle navigation system with the capability of displaying a visual identification (e.g., a photograph) consistent with the driver's then-current perspective to allow for more accurate and intuitive decision making during the course of navigating a vehicle.
It is a yet another object of the present invention to provide a more useful in-vehicle navigation system that displays information automatically so that a user has more complete data available at an earliest possible time prior to a decision point.
A more general object of the present invention is to provide an improved vehicle navigation display system and interface.
Another general object of this invention is to provide still photographs or real-time videos of physical landmarks in conjunction with display of a navigation grid or map in a vehicle or handheld navigation system.
These and other objects of the invention are provided in a navigation system, preferably for use in a vehicle. The system includes a processor, and a graphical display for displaying map information. As the vehicle approaches a given location, e.g., an intersection, a visual image of the location is retrieved and displayed on the graphical display. In one embodiment, the visual image is a photograph of the location that is displayed in a pop-up window on the display screen. If desired, additional graphic images or text are superimposed on or associated with the image to facilitate navigation. Thus, for example, if the user were approaching an intersection, the invention displays a still photograph of the intersection, perhaps with an arrow overlaid thereupon to illustrate that the user should make a given turn.
Each location may have a set of photograph images associated therewith. Thus, for example, a given intersection is photographed at different times of day and/or at different times of the year. This enables the user to be provided with the most accurate representation of the location as the user approaches. If sufficient processing capability is available in the vehicle navigation system and the content is otherwise available, the system may be selectively controlled to display video images of the physical location. This would be quite helpful in the situation wherein physical elements in the scenery are consistently changing.
Preferably, the image content is collected by other vehicles (e.g., police cars, delivery vehicles, taxi cars, post office vehicles, etc.) and stored on given physical media within a user's vehicle (e.g., as a CD-ROM, or the like), or such information may be stored in a server. In the latter case, the in-vehicle system connects to the server (e.g., via a wireless connection) and receives the desired content for display on the user's computer.
The inventive display method may also be practiced in other environments. Thus, for example, the method may be implemented in a handheld or mobile computer that includes a global positioning system (GPS) or the like for displaying the position of the device. In such case, a grid or map may be displayed on the computer screen. When the user approaches some location of interest, a photographic image is displayed, e.g., in a pop-up window, as a visual association of the user's position with some actual physical location.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects and features of the present invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention as will be described. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment.
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International Business Machines - Corporation
Judson David H.
LaBaw Jeffrey S.
Zanelli Michael J.
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