CN101395447B - Method and apparatus for relational display of point-of-interest items using optional location markers - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and apparatus for relational display of point of interest entries utilizing selectable position markers. In one embodiment, the method includes prompting selection of a point of interest location marker on a navigation device, and displaying selectable point of interest entries on the navigation device in an order based on a location related to the selected point of interest location marker and a relative location of each of the selectable point of interest entries.

Description

Method and apparatus for relational display of point-of-interest items using optional location markers

priority statement

This application hereby claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to each of the following British patent applications: 0604709.6, filed March 8, 2006; 0604708.8, filed March 8, 2006; No. 0604710.4, filed March 8, 2006; and No. 0604706.2, filed March 8, 2006, the entire contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference way incorporated into this article.

technical field

The present application relates generally to navigation methods and apparatus.

Background technique

In known navigation systems, menus are used to display various travel destinations, desired locations or desired points of interest. For example, a user may select a category of restaurants and may find that multiple choices are available. The user can then select a particular restaurant, and then use the navigation system to determine a route to that restaurant.

Contents of the invention

The inventors have found that, while in known navigation systems a number of selectable various travel destinations or locations are displayed, such as listing multiple entries in various selectable categories, the entries are not displayed to the user relative proximity. For example, in at least one embodiment, a method includes prompting on a navigation device to select a point of interest location marker, and based on a location associated with the selected point of interest location marker (e.g., current GPS location of the navigation device, user's home , travel destination, etc.) and the relative position of each of the optional point of interest entries, with the optional point of interest entries displayed in a certain order.

In another embodiment, a navigation device includes integrated input and display means for prompting selection of a point of interest location marker on the navigation device based on the location and selectable point of interest entry associated with the selected point of interest location marker The relative positions of each of the optional points of interest entries shown in a certain order.

Description of drawings

Hereinafter the application will be described in more detail by using example embodiments, which will be explained with the aid of the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates an example view of a Global Positioning System (GPS);

FIG. 2 illustrates an example block diagram of electronic components of a navigation device according to an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 3 illustrates a server, a navigation device and an example block diagram of connections therebetween according to an embodiment of the present application;

Figure 4 illustrates an example of a display screen of an embodiment of the present application;

Figure 5 illustrates an example of another display screen of an embodiment of the present application; and

FIG. 6 illustrates an example of another display screen of an embodiment of the present application.

Detailed ways

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It will be further understood that the term "comprising" when used in this application specifies the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and/or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, Steps, operations, elements, components and/or groups thereof.

In describing the example embodiments illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be employed for the sake of clarity. However, it is not intended that the disclosure of this patent specification be limited to the specific terms so chosen, and it is to be understood that each specific element includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, example embodiments of the present patent application are described hereinafter. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

Figure 1 illustrates an example view of a Global Positioning System (GPS) that may be used by a navigation device, including that of an embodiment of the present application. Such systems are known and used for various purposes. In general, GPS is a satellite radio-based navigation system capable of determining the continuous position, velocity, time, and in some instances direction information of an unlimited number of users.

GPS, officially known as NAVSTAR, incorporates multiple satellites that cooperate with the Earth in extremely precise orbits. Based on these precise orbits, GPS satellites can relay their positions to any number of receiving units. The GPS system is implemented when a device specially equipped to receive GPS data begins scanning the radio frequencies for GPS satellite signals. Upon receiving radio signals from a GPS satellite, the device determines the precise location of the satellite via one of a number of different conventional methods. The device will in most instances continue to scan for signals until it has acquired at least three different satellite signals (note that although less common, other triangulation techniques can be used to determine the position with only two signals) until. By performing geometric triangulation, the receiver uses three known positions to determine its own two-dimensional position relative to the satellite. This can be done in a known manner. Furthermore, obtaining the fourth satellite signal will allow the receiving device to calculate its three-dimensional position by the same geometric calculations in a known manner. Position and velocity data can be updated in real time on a continuous basis by an unlimited number of users.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the GPS system is indicated generally by reference numeral 100 . A plurality of satellites 120 are in orbit around Earth 124 . The orbit of each satellite 120 is not necessarily synchronized with the orbits of the other satellites 120, and may in fact be out of sync. A GPS receiver 140 useful in an embodiment of the navigation device of the present application is shown receiving spread spectrum GPS satellite signals 160 from various satellites 120 .

The continuously transmitted spread spectrum signal 160 from each satellite 120 utilizes a very accurate frequency standard implemented using extremely accurate atomic clocks. Each satellite 120 transmits as part of its data signal transmission 160 a data stream indicative of that particular satellite 120 . Those skilled in the relevant art will appreciate that GPS receiver device 140 generally requires spread spectrum GPS satellite signals 160 from at least three satellites 120 for GPS receiver device 140 to calculate its two-dimensional position by triangulation. Obtaining additional signals resulting in signals 160 from a total of four satellites 120 permits the GPS receiver device 140 to calculate its three-dimensional position in a known manner.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example block diagram of electronic components of a navigation device 200 of an embodiment of the present application represented in block component format. It should be noted that the block diagram of the navigation device 200 does not contain all components of the navigation device, but merely represents a number of example components.

The navigation device 200 is located in a housing (not shown). The housing contains a processor 210 which is connected to an input device 220 and a display screen 240 . The input device 220 may include a keyboard device, a voice input device, and/or any other known input device for inputting information; and the display screen 240 may include any type of display screen, such as an LCD display, for example. In at least one embodiment of the present application, the input device 220 and the display screen 240 are integrated into an integrated input and display device, including keypad or touch screen input, wherein the user only needs to touch a part of the display screen 240 to select multiple Displays one of the selections or activates one of several virtual buttons.

Additionally, other types of output devices 250 may also include, including but not limited to, audible output devices. While the output device 250 may produce audible information to a user of the navigation device 200, it should equally be appreciated that the input device 240 may also include a microphone and software for receiving input voice commands.

In the navigation device 200, the processor 210 is operatively connected and arranged to receive input information from an input device 240 via a connection 225 and is operatively connected to at least one of a display screen 240 and an output device 250 via an output connection 245 , to output information to it. In addition, processor 210 is operatively connected to memory 230 via connection 235 and is further adapted to receive information from and send information to input/output (I/O) port 270 via connection 275 , wherein the I/O port 270 can be connected to the I/O device 280 outside the navigation device 200 . External I/O devices 270 may include, but are not limited to, external listening devices such as headphones, for example. The connection to the I/O device 280 may further be a wired or wireless connection to any other external device, such as a car stereo for hands-free operation and/or for voice-activated operation, such as for connection to headphones or headphones and/or for connection to a mobile phone, where the mobile phone connection can be used, for example, to establish a TCP/IP connection between the navigation device 200 and the Internet or any other network, and/or for example via the Internet or some other network to establish a connection with the server.

FIG. 2 further illustrates the operative connection between processor 210 and antenna/receiver 250 via connection 255, where antenna/receiver 250 may be, for example, a GPS antenna/receiver. It will be appreciated that the antenna and receiver indicated by reference numeral 250 are schematically combined for illustration, but that the antenna and receiver may be separately located components, and that the antenna may be a GPS patch antenna or a helical antenna, for example.

Furthermore, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the electronic components shown in FIG. 2 are powered in a conventional manner by a power source (not shown). Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that different configurations of the components shown in FIG. 2 are contemplated within the scope of the present application. For example, in one embodiment, the components shown in FIG. 2 may communicate with each other via wired and/or wireless connections and the like. Accordingly, the scope of the navigation device 200 of the present application includes a portable or handheld navigation device 200 .

Furthermore, the portable or handheld navigation device 200 of FIG. 2 may be connected or "docked" to a motor vehicle, such as a car or a boat, for example in known manner. The navigation device 200 can then be removed from the docked position for portable or handheld navigation use.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example block diagram of a server 302 of the present application and a navigation device 200 via a common communication channel 318 of an embodiment of the present application. When a connection via communication channel 318 is established between server 302 and navigation device 200 (note that this connection may be a data connection via a mobile device, a direct connection via the Internet via a personal computer, etc.), the server 302 of the present application It can communicate with the navigation device 200 .

In at least one embodiment, the navigation device 200 may establish a "mobile" network connection with the server 302 via a mobile device 400 (e.g., a mobile phone, a PDA, and/or any device with mobile phone technology) to establish a digital connection (e.g., such as digital connection via known Bluetooth technology). Thereafter, through its network service provider, the mobile device 400 can establish a network connection (eg, via the Internet) with the server 302 . Thus, a "mobile" network connection is established between the navigation device 200 (which can and often is mobile when traveling alone and/or in a vehicle) and the server 302 in order to provide "real-time" information for the information. Or at least a very "latest" gateway. A network connection can be established between the mobile device 400 (via a service provider) and another device, such as the server 302 , in known manner, for example using the Internet 410 . This may involve, for example, the use of the TCP/IP layered protocol. Mobile device 400 may utilize any number of communication standards, such as CDMA, GSM, WAN, and the like. An Internet connection can thus be used, for example via a data connection, via a mobile phone or mobile phone technology within the navigation device 200 . For this connection, an Internet connection is established between the server 302 and the navigation device 200 . This can be done, for example, via a mobile phone or other mobile device and a GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) connection (GPRS connection is a high-speed data connection for mobile devices provided by telecommunications operators; GPRS is a method of connecting to the Internet).

The navigation device 200 may further complete a data connection with the mobile device 400, and ultimately the Internet 410 and the server 302, such as via existing Bluetooth technology in a known manner, wherein the data protocol may utilize any number of standards, such as GSRM, GSM standard data protocol standard.

The navigation device 200 may include its own mobile telephony technology within the navigation device 200 itself, including for example an antenna, wherein an internal antenna of the navigation device 200 may further alternatively be used. The mobile phone technology within the navigation device 200 may include the internal components specified above, and/or may include an insertable card, eg complete with the necessary mobile phone technology and/or antenna. Thus, the mobile telephony technology within the navigation device 200 can similarly establish a network connection between the navigation device 200 and the server 302 via the Internet 410 , for example in a manner similar to that of any mobile device 400 .

For GPRS phone setup, a Bluetooth enabled device can be used to properly work with a changing range of mobile phone models, manufacturers, etc. Model/manufacturer specific settings can be stored on the navigation device 200, for example. The data stored for this information can be updated in the manner discussed in any of the previous and subsequent embodiments.

The server 302 includes, among other possibly unillustrated components, a processor 304 operatively connected to a memory 306 and further operatively connected to a mass data storage device 312 via a wired or wireless connection 314 . The processor 304 is further operatively connected to a transmitter 308 and a receiver 310 for transmitting and transmitting data to and from the navigation device 200 via a communication channel 318 . The transmitted and received signals may comprise data, communication and/or other propagated signals. The transmitter 308 and receiver 310 may be selected or designed according to the communication requirements and the communication technology used in the communication design for the navigation system 200 . Furthermore, it should be noted that the functions of the transmitter 308 and the receiver 310 may be combined into a signal transceiver.

The server 302 is further connected to (or includes) a mass storage device 312 , please note that the mass storage device 312 may be coupled to the server 302 via a communication link 314 . The mass storage device 312 contains large amounts of navigation data and map information, and may also be a separate device from the server 302 or may be incorporated into the server 302 .

The navigation device 200 is adapted to communicate with the server 302 over the communication channel 318 and includes a processor, memory, etc. as previously described with respect to FIG. Receiving signals and/or data, note that these devices may further be used to communicate with devices other than server 302 . In addition, the transmitter 320 and the receiver 322 are selected or designed according to the communication requirements and the communication technology used in the communication design for the navigation device 200, and the functions of the transmitter 320 and the receiver 322 can be combined into a single transceiver.

Software stored in server memory 306 provides instructions to processor 304 and allows server 302 to provide services to navigation device 200 . One service provided by the server 302 involves processing requests from the navigation device 200 and transferring navigation data from the mass data storage device 312 to the navigation device 200 . According to at least one embodiment of the present application, another service provided by the server 302 includes processing the navigation data using various algorithms for the desired application and sending the results of these calculations to the navigation device 200 .

The communication channel 318 generally represents a propagation medium or path connecting the navigation device 200 and the server 302 . According to at least one embodiment of the present application, both the server 302 and the navigation device 200 comprise a transmitter for transmitting data via a communication channel and a receiver for receiving data which has been transmitted via the communication channel.

Communication channel 318 is not limited to a particular communication technology. Furthermore, communication channel 318 is not limited to a single communication technology; that is, channel 318 may include several communication links using various technologies. For example, communication channel 318 may be adapted to provide a path for electrical, optical and/or electromagnetic communication, etc., in accordance with at least one embodiment. Thus, the communication channel 318 includes, but is not limited to, any one or combination of the following: electrical circuits, electrical conductors (such as wires and coaxial cables), fiber optic cables, converters, radio frequency (rf) waves, the atmosphere, Vacuum etc. Additionally, communication channel 318 may include, for example, intermediate devices such as routers, repeaters, buffers, transmitters, and receivers, according to at least one of the various embodiments.

For example, in at least one embodiment of the present application, communication channel 318 includes telephone and computer networks. Additionally, in at least one embodiment, communication channel 318 may be capable of accommodating wireless communications, such as radio frequency, microwave frequency, infrared communications, and the like. Additionally, communication channel 318 may accommodate satellite communications, according to at least one embodiment.

Communication signals transmitted over communication channel 318 include, but are not limited to, signals as may be required or required for a given communication technology. For example, the signals may be suitable for use in cellular communication technologies such as Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), and the like. Both digital and analog signals may be transmitted over communication channel 318 . According to at least one embodiment, these signals may be modulated, encrypted and/or compressed signals as may be required by the communication technology.

Mass data storage 312 contains sufficient memory for the required navigation applications. Examples of mass data storage 312 may include magnetic data storage media such as hard drives, optical storage media such as CD-Rom, electrically charged data storage media such as flash memory, molecular memory, and the like.

According to at least one embodiment of the present application, the server 302 includes a remote server accessible by the navigation device 200 via a wireless channel. According to at least one other embodiment of the present application, the server 302 may include a web server located on a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a virtual private network (VPN), or the like.

According to at least one embodiment of the present application, the server 302 may comprise a personal computer, such as a desktop or laptop computer, and the communication channel 318 may be a cable connected between the personal computer and the navigation device 200 . Alternatively, a personal computer may be connected between the navigation device 200 and the server 302 to establish an Internet connection between the server 302 and the navigation device 200 . Alternatively, a mobile phone or other handheld device may establish a wireless connection to the Internet for connecting the navigation device 200 to the server 302 via the Internet.

The navigation device 200 may be equipped with information from the server 302 via information download, the information download may be updated periodically after the user connects the navigation device 200 to the server 302, and/or the information download may be communicated between the server 302 and the navigation device 200, for example, via wireless communication. More dynamic information downloads are based on more constant or frequent connections made by mobile connected devices and TCP/IP connections. For many dynamic calculations, the processor 304 in the server 302 can be used to handle the bulk processing needs, however, the processor 210 of the navigation device 200 can also often handle large amounts of processing and calculations independently of the connection to the server 302 .

The mass storage device 312 connected to the server 302 may contain much more cartographic and routing data than can be maintained on the navigation device 200 itself (including maps, etc.). The server 302 may use a set of processing algorithms to process most of the devices traveling along the route, such as the navigation device 200 . Additionally, the cartographic and routing data stored in the memory 312 may operate on signals originally received by the navigation device 200, such as GPS signals.

FIG. 4 provides an illustration of an example embodiment of a display screen of the present application. FIG. 4 illustrates the display of the display screen 240 of the navigation device 200 . The display screen 240 includes a plurality of point-of-interest position markers for the user to select. Selection of any of these markers establishes a relative position from which points of interest can be measured, relative ranked in terms of distance, for example. As shown in FIG. 4 , the display screen 240 prompts on the navigation device 200 to select a point of interest marker. Example markers shown in FIG. 4 may include "POIs Near You" 410 (e.g., to establish a relative marker based on the current location of the navigation device 200), "POIs in the City" 420 (eg, based on the position of markers in the current city you are in). to establish relative markers, such as within the Empire State Building in New York City), "POIs Near Home" 430 (e.g., to establish relative markers based on the location of the home registered by the user of the navigation device 200), and (if a route has been selected) " "POI's along the way" 440 (eg, establish relative markers based on points along a selected route) and "POIs near destination" 450 (eg, establish relative markers based on an entered trip destination). It should be understood and appreciated that the indicia shown in FIG. 4 are examples only and not all possible indicia, and it is noted that the embodiments of the present application should not be limited by the words shown used to describe the particular indicia in FIG. 4 limit.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4 , the navigation device 200 is prompted to select a point of interest mark (for example, a plurality of point of interest mark). As shown in FIG. 4 , the optional point-of-interest location markers may include a plurality of location markers including, for example, at least two of the following: an optional marker for the location of the navigation device, an optional marker for the location of the home of the user of the navigation device. check mark, and an optional mark for entering the location of the route destination. Once a particular point of interest marker is selected, a number of selectable point of interest entries are then displayed on the navigation device 200 shown in FIG. 5 .

These selectable point-of-interest entries displayed on the navigation device 200 shown in FIG. 5 are related to the selected point-of-interest location marker and are based on the position associated with the selected point-of-interest location marker and the position of each of the selectable point-of-interest entries. The relative positions are displayed in a certain order (or a portion thereof, note that other entries may be scrolled through, for example, and/or restrictions may be included to limit the display to not displaying all, such as the first ten, for example). For example, if the tag "POIs near you" is selected (410 of Figure 4), then the selectable point of interest entries are displayed in a certain order based on their relative location relative to the current location of the navigation device itself. The order may eg be ascending and/or descending.

It should be understood and appreciated that the point of interest locations are pre-stored in the memory 230 of the navigation device 200 or may be downloaded and subsequently stored in the memory 230 of the navigation device 200 . Furthermore, the location of the navigation device 200 is easily retrieved via GPS fix location, and other indicia such as home location, route destination, etc. may be pre-stored or input/selected by the user of the navigation device in known manner and subsequently stored in memory 230 in. Thus, after storing/inputting/selecting the points of interest and marker locations, the processor 200 can easily perform, for example, distance or other calculations, or any other calculations for relative ranking/display, including (but not limited to) reaching POIs Travel time, total detour time, flags showing if a minor detour is required or if the POI is indeed along the route, etc. are organized by the processor 200 and display 420 by descending/ascending and/or displaying distances.

In either case, the method and navigation device 200 of embodiments of the present application provide the user with the ability to view multiple Optional point of interest entry. Therefore, if the user is looking for points of interest that are close to the current location of the navigation device 200, the user can find the points of interest that are relatively closest to the navigation device 200 and relatively farthest from the navigation device 200 after selecting the "POI near you" location marker . Thereafter, the selectable point of interest entries will be displayed in a certain order based on the current GPS location of the navigation device 200 and the relative location of each of the selectable point of interest entries. In a similar manner, if the location tag "POI near home" (430 of FIG. 4 ) is selected, then the location will be based on the location of the user's home (eg, entered or determined when the navigation device 200 is registered) and an optional point of interest entry. The relative positions of each of the to display the optional items in a certain order.

Also, in a similar manner, if the location marker "POI Near Destination" is selected (450 of FIG. 4 ), then based on the user's selected/input travel destination (e.g., previously entered/selected for route calculation) and the relative positions of each of the optional point-of-interest items to display the optional items in a certain order. It should be noted that a similar operation occurs upon selection of any point of interest location marker, including but not limited to those shown in FIG. 4 . As shown in FIG. 5 , the selectable items may also be displayed in conjunction with distance information indicating the distance between the location associated with the selected point-of-interest marker and the location of each of the selectable items. Thus, assuming, for example, that the label "POIs Near Home" 430 is selected, then "Pit Bull" is displayed as being relatively closest to the home of the user/owner of the navigation device 200 (based on the registered home location), e.g. The location is 45 meters from the user/owner's home, relative to the selected point-of-interest location marker to display distance information. Similar to the display of the 45 meter distance for the bulldog of FIG. 5 , the selectable point of interest entries may be displayed on the display 240 of the navigation device 200 according to their distance from each of the selected markers. This display may be in an order of increasing distance, decreasing distance, etc., such that a user of the navigation device 200 is then able to view each of the multiple point-of-interest entries relative to selectable marker locations.

Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 4 , prompting may include prompting one of a plurality of point-of-interest location markers, and prompting may include displaying a plurality of point-of-interest location markers. Upon selection of a point of interest location marker associated with the current navigation device 200 location, the selectable items are displayed in an order based on the current GPS fix of the navigation device 200 and the relative location of the selectable point of interest entries. After selecting a point-of-interest location marker related to the location of the home of the user of the navigation device 200, based on the stored location of the home of the user of the navigation device 200 and the location of at least a portion of the selectable items, displayed in a certain order Optional entry. Similarly, upon selection of a point of interest location marker associated with a route destination input (via input/selection/etc.) to the navigation device 200, based on the stored location of the route destination and the location of at least a portion of the selectable entries , to display the optional items in a certain order. A similar operation occurs upon selection of any point of interest location markers, including but not limited to those shown in FIG. 4 .

It should be appreciated that embodiments of the present application may encompass implementing the method into the navigation device itself. In addition, embodiments of the present application also include a navigation device 200 that includes an integrated input and display device for prompting selection of a point of interest location marker on the navigation device, and based on the location and availability associated with the selected point of interest location marker. The relative positions of each of the selected point of interest entries, the optional point of interest entries are displayed in a certain order.

In addition, it should be further understood and appreciated that embodiments of the present application may include prompting and/or displaying selection of a general point of interest category from a general menu prior to the display in FIG. 4 . For example, on a general menu display, a prompt for a "point of interest" 600 may be displayed on the display 240, such as shown in FIG. 6 . In addition, it should be further understood and appreciated that embodiments of the present application may include prompting and/or displaying a selection of a point of interest category after selecting a point of interest location marker, including displaying a plurality of different categories, the categories including (but Without limitation) restaurants, city locations, museums, sports venues, etc., where points of interest in these categories can then be displayed relatively relative to the selected point of interest location marker.

The method of at least one embodiment described above may be implemented as a computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave or propagated signal representing a sequence of instructions executed by a processor (e.g., processor 304 such as server 302 and/or or the processor 210) of the navigation device 200, causing the processor to execute the corresponding method. In at least one other embodiment, at least one of the methods provided above can be implemented as a set of instructions contained on a computer-readable or computer-accessible medium (eg, such as one of the aforementioned memory devices) to The corresponding method is executed when executed by a processor or other computer device. In various embodiments, the media may be magnetic media, electronic media, optical media, and the like.

Furthermore, any of the aforementioned methods can be implemented in the form of a program. The program may be stored on a computer readable medium and is adapted to perform any of the preceding methods when run on a computer device (a device comprising a processor). Hence, a storage medium or a computer readable medium is suitable for storing information and for interacting with data processing facilities or computer means in order to perform the method of any of the above mentioned embodiments.

The storage medium may be a built-in medium installed inside the main body of the computer device or a removable medium provided so as to be detachable from the main body of the computer device. Examples of built-in media include, but are not limited to, rewritable non-volatile memory such as ROM and flash memory and hard disks. Examples of removable media include, but are not limited to, optical storage media such as CD-ROM and DVD; magneto-optical storage media such as MO; magnetic storage media, including but not limited to floppy disks (trademark), cassette tapes and removable hard disks; media with built-in rewritable non-volatile memory, including (but not limited to) memory cards; and media with built-in ROM, including (but not limited to) ROM cartridges and the like. Furthermore, various information related to stored images, such as ownership information, may be stored in any other form, or it may be provided in other ways.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate after reading the disclosure that the electronic components of the navigation device 200 and/or the components of the server 302 can be implemented as computer hardware circuits or as computer readable programs or as a combination of both.

The systems and methods of embodiments of the present application include software operable on a processor to perform at least one method in accordance with the teachings of the present application. The manner in which a software program may be launched from a computer-readable medium in a computer-based system to perform the functions established in the software program will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, after reading and understanding this disclosure. Those of ordinary skill in the art will further appreciate the various programming languages that can be used to create software programs designed to implement and perform at least one of the methods of the present application.

Programs can be constructed with object orientation using object-oriented languages, including but not limited to JAVA, Smalltalk, C++, etc., and with procedural orientation using procedural languages, including (but not limited to) COBAL, C, etc. Software components may communicate in any number of ways well known to those of ordinary skill in the art, including but not limited to through application programming interfaces (APIs), inter-procedural communication techniques including but not limited to reporting procedure calls (RPC), Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA), Component Object Model (COM), Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM), Distributed System Object Model (DSOM), and Remote Method Invocation (RMI). However, as will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading this disclosure, the teachings of this application are not limited to a particular programming language or environment.

The above systems, devices and methods have been described with respect to improving accuracy, processor speed and ease of user interaction with the navigation device 200, etc. by way of example and not limitation. Furthermore, elements and/or features of different example embodiments may be combined with each other and/or substituted for each other within the scope of this disclosure and appended claims.

Still further, any of the above and other example features of the invention may be implemented in the form of apparatuses, methods, systems, computer programs and computer program products. For example, the foregoing methods may be implemented in the form of a system or apparatus including, but not limited to, any structure for performing the methods illustrated in the figures.

Having thus described example embodiments, it will be apparent that the same may be varied in many ways. Such modifications are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to a person skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (33)

1. A navigation method comprising: prompting for selection of a point of interest location marker displayed on the navigation device, the selectable point of interest location marker being one of a plurality of point of interest location markers (410, 430 and 450), each of the plurality of point of interest location markers having a different location dependent; and displaying the selectable points of interest entries on the navigation device in an order according to the selected point of interest location markers based on the location associated with the selected point of interest location markers and the relative position of each of the selectable point of interest entries entry, wherein the selectable point of interest entry is displayed on the navigation device in conjunction with distance information indicating the distance between the location associated with the selected point of interest location marker and the selectable point of interest entry the distance between the locations for each. 2. The navigation method according to claim 1, wherein the prompting comprises prompting to select one of a plurality of point-of-interest location markers. 3. The navigation method of claim 1, wherein the prompt comprises displaying a plurality of point-of-interest location markers. 4. The navigation method according to claim 1, wherein after selecting the selectable marker for the position of the navigation device, based on the current GPS position of the navigation device and the selectable point of interest The relative position of each of the entries, the selectable point of interest entries are displayed in a certain order. 5. The navigation method according to claim 1, wherein after selecting the selectable marker for the location of the user's home of the navigation device, based on the location of the user's home of the navigation device The stored position and the relative position of each of the selectable point of interest entries, displaying the selectable point of interest entries in a certain order. 6. The navigation method according to claim 1, wherein after selecting the selectable marker for the position of the input route destination, based on the position of the input route destination and the The relative position of each of the selectable point of interest entries, the selectable point of interest entries are displayed in a certain order. 7. The navigation method according to claim 1, further comprising prompting to select a point of interest category after selecting the suggested point of interest location mark, wherein said displaying includes displaying selectable points of interest within the selected point of interest category entry. 8. The navigation method according to any one of claims 1-7, further comprising prompting to select a point of interest from a general menu before selecting the suggested point of interest location marker. 9. The navigation method according to claim 8, further comprising prompting to select a point of interest category after selecting the suggested point of interest location marker, wherein said displaying includes displaying selectable points of interest within the selected point of interest category entry. 10. A navigation device comprising: Prompting means, for prompting to select a point of interest position mark displayed on the navigation device, the optional point of interest position mark is one of a plurality of point of interest position marks (410, 430 and 450), and the plurality of point of interest position marks Each of the is associated with a different location; and display means for displaying, on said navigation means, all selected point-of-interest location markers in an order based on the location associated with the selected point-of-interest location marker and the relative position of each of the selectable point-of-interest entries. The optional attention point entry, wherein the display device is further configured to display the optional attention point entry in combination with distance information indicating that the position related to the selected attention point position mark is different from the optional The distance between the locations of each of the point of interest entries. 11. The navigation device according to claim 10, wherein the prompting means is further used for prompting to select one of a plurality of point-of-interest position markers. 12. The navigation device according to claim 11, wherein the prompting device and the display device are integrated. 13. The navigation device of claim 10 , wherein upon selection of the selectable marker for the location of the navigation device, the display device is based on the current GPS location of the navigation device and the The relative position of each of the selectable point of interest entries, the selectable point of interest entries are displayed in a certain order. 14. The navigation device of claim 10, wherein upon selection of the selectable marker for the location of the home of the user of the navigation device, the display device is based on the The stored location of the user's home and the relative location of each of the selectable point of interest entries, the selectable point of interest entries being displayed in a certain order. 15. The navigation device of claim 10, wherein upon selection of the selectable marker for the location of the input route destination, the display device is based on the A position and a relative position of each of the selectable point of interest entries, with the selectable point of interest entries displayed in a certain order. 16. The navigation device according to claim 13, wherein said display means is further configured to display said selectable point of interest entry in conjunction with distance information for each selectable point of interest entry, said for each selectable point of interest entry. Distance information for a point of interest entry indicates a relative distance between the current GPS location of the navigation device and the location of each of the selectable point of interest entries. 17. The navigation device according to claim 14, wherein said display means is further configured to display said selectable point of interest entry in conjunction with distance information for each selectable point of interest entry, said for each selectable point of interest entry. Distance information for a point of interest entry indicates a relative distance between the stored location of the user's home of the navigation device and the location of each of the selectable point of interest entries. 18. The navigation device according to claim 15, wherein said display means is further configured to display said selectable point of interest entry in conjunction with distance information for each selectable point of interest entry, said for each selectable point of interest entry. The distance information for a point of interest entry indicates a relative distance between the location of the input route destination and the location of each of the selectable point of interest entries. 19. The navigation device according to claim 10, wherein said prompting means includes prompting to select a point of interest category after selecting the suggested point of interest position mark, wherein said display means includes displaying the selected point of interest category. Optional point of interest entry. 20. The navigation device according to claim 10, wherein said prompting means comprises prompting to select a point of interest from a general menu prior to selecting the suggested point of interest location marker. 21. The navigation device according to claim 20, wherein said prompting means includes prompting to select a point of interest category after selecting the suggested point of interest position mark, wherein said display means includes displaying the selected point of interest category. Optional point of interest entry. 22. A navigation device comprising: An integrated input and display device for prompting selection of a point of interest location marker displayed on the navigation device, the selectable point of interest location marker being one of a plurality of point of interest location markers (410, 430 and 450), the plurality of Each of the point-of-interest location markers is associated with a different location, and based on the location associated with the selected point-of-interest location marker and the relative position of each of the selectable point-of-interest entries, the selected point-of-interest a location marker displays said selectable point of interest entry, wherein said selectable point of interest entry is displayable by said integrated input and display device in conjunction with distance information indicative of a relationship to said selected point of interest location marker The distance between the location of and the location of each of the selectable point of interest entries. 23. The navigation device of claim 22, wherein the prompt comprises a prompt to select one of a plurality of point-of-interest location markers. 24. The navigation device of claim 22, wherein the prompt comprises displaying a plurality of point-of-interest location markers. 25. A navigation device according to claim 22, wherein upon selection of said selectable marker for said position of said navigation device, said integrated input and display device is used for The current GPS location and the relative location of each of the selectable point of interest entries, the selectable point of interest entries being displayed in a certain order. 26. The navigation device of claim 22, wherein upon selection of the selectable marker for the location of the home of a user of the navigation device, the integrated input and display device is adapted to The stored location of the user's home of the navigation device and the relative location of each of the selectable point of interest entries are displayed in an order. 27. The navigation device of claim 22, wherein upon selection of the selectable marker for the location of the inputted route destination, the integrated input and display device is used to The location of the route destination and the relative location of each of the selectable point of interest entries, displaying the selectable point of interest entries in a certain order. 28. A navigation device according to claim 25, wherein said selectable point of interest entries are displayable by said integrated input and display device in conjunction with distance information for each selectable point of interest entry, said for each selectable point of interest entry The distance information for each selectable point of interest entry indicates a relative distance between the current GPS location of the navigation device and the location of each of the selectable point of interest entries. 29. A navigation device according to claim 26, wherein said selectable point of interest entries are displayable by said integrated input and display device in conjunction with distance information for each selectable point of interest entry, said for each selectable point of interest entry The distance information for each selectable point of interest entry indicates a relative distance between the stored location of the user's home of the navigation device and the location of each of the selectable point of interest entries. 30. The navigation device according to claim 27, wherein said selectable point of interest entries are displayable by said integrated input and display device in conjunction with distance information for each selectable point of interest entry, said for each selectable point of interest entry The distance information for each selectable point of interest entry indicates a relative distance between a location of the input route destination and the location of each of the selectable point of interest entries. 31. The navigation device according to any one of claims 22-30, wherein the integrated input and display device is further used for prompting to select a point of interest category after selecting the suggested point of interest position mark, and Further used to display optional point of interest entries within the selected point of interest category. 32. A navigation device according to any one of claims 22-30, wherein said integrated input and display means is further operable to prompt for selection of a point of interest from a general menu prior to selection of a suggested point of interest location marker . 33. The navigation device according to claim 31 , wherein said integrated input and display device is further used for prompting selection of a point of interest category after selection of the suggested point of interest location marker, and further for displaying the selected point of interest An optional point of interest entry within the point class.