GB2414799A

GB2414799A - Visual navigation system

Info

Publication number: GB2414799A
Application number: GB0412263A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Ormson; Donald Power
Original assignee: NEC Technologies UK Ltd
Current assignee: NEC Technologies UK Ltd
Priority date: 2004-06-02
Filing date: 2004-06-02
Publication date: 2005-12-07
Also published as: GB0412263D0

Abstract

An apparatus for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device comprising means for receiving data relating to a user selected destination, means for determining the location of the device, means for determining a route from the location of the device to the destination, means for determining the orientation of the device, means for comparing the location and orientation of the device with the geographical route, and means (see figures 3 and 4) for displaying a visual indication of the direction in which the device must move in order to follow the route in dependence on the comparison.

Description

VISUAL NAVIGATION SYSTEM

The present invention relates to a visual navigation system and in particular to a visual navigation system implemented on a mobile communication device.

Navigation systems and route finders are known in the art. Typically, such systems allow a user to input a starting point and a destination point and, in response, the route finder provides the user with a list of directions to follow in order to reach the destination. Often, the user may request the fastest, shortest or most direct route.

Typically, the directions are presented in the form of a list and may be downloaded onto a PC or a mobile telephone.

Certain systems are also able to provide the directions audibly.

Although such navigation systems provide a user with the directions he requires, problems can arise if the user deviates from the route since he would then have to find his way back onto his designated route undirected. This can be particularly troublesome in cities or busy towns in which roads are close together or one-way and turning around is difficult. In these situations a user may find himself lost on a road which is not indicated on his list of directions.

Other problems can be encountered due to the fact that the user is provided with a single list of directions which is not updated as the user moves along the route. This may lead to the user losing his place on the list of directions.

Embodiments of the present invention overcome these problems by providing a visual navigation system which identifies to the user the direction of the route to his destination. The direction indicator is updated regularly taking into account the location of the user and the bearing on which the device is pointing. Should the user deviate from the designated route the device will automatically indicate the direction the user should take in order to get back onto the designated route.

Preferred embodiments of the invention also include a camera and the view through the camera is shown on the display. Embodiments of the invention superimpose a visual indicator, for example an arrow, onto the displayed camera image in order to identify the direction in which the user should be moving.

Embodiments of the present invention provide the advantages that the device is easy to use and it provides a clear indication to the user when he has deviated from the intended path. Should the user deviate from the route, device identifies this and indicates the direction the user must travel to return to the designated route.

The invention is defined more precisely in its various aspects in the appended claims, to which reference should now be made.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying figures in which: Fig. l is a representation of the mobile communication device in communication with the network and a GPS provider.

Fig. 2 is a flow diagram showing the steps taken to determine and indicate a desired route.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the components within an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a first example of the indicating means.

Fig. 5 is a second example of the indicating means.

Fig. l is a representation of a mobile communication device incorporating the present invention. The communication device lO is able to communicate with a base station 20 and a GPS provider 30. In Figure l, the GPS location of the mobile unit is provided by a satellite system. Further embodiments of this invention may use any known system for providing the location of the mobile unit.

Fig. 2 is a flow diagram showing the steps followed in order to implement the present invention. At 100 the user enters his destination. A destination may be specified in terms of, for example, a road name, a place name, a postal code or a geographical location. At 110 the device determines its current location. Typically, a GPS system is used to determine the location although any suitable system could be used to determine the location of the device. At the device determines a route from the current location to the desired destination. This route may be determined using software stored on the handset or, alternatively, may be downloadable from an external database and transmitted to the device across a communication network. The route is then downloaded onto the handset. Typically, the route follows the road network.

Preferred embodiments identify the route in terms of a series of vectors linking the present location of the device to the desired destination. In this form, the route will comprise a series of straight line vectors where each vector has a specific direction and length for example due north for 100 yards. Typically, the vectors will follow particular roads in order to lead the user to his destination. Alternatively, the route may be specified in terms of a series of way points. A way point is a fixed location, for example a junction on a road. In this case, the route will be specified in terms of straight lines between the way points. Alternative embodiments of the invention may use any known method for specifying a route between two locations.

Once the route has been determined and downloaded onto the handset the handset re-determines its present location using its GPS system at 130. The device then determines its current orientation at 140 (i.e. the direction in which the unit is pointing). The orientation of the unit will usually be determined using a built in orientation determining device, for example a GPS compass located within the handset. However, other methods may be employed to determine the orientation of the handset.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are capable of determining their vertical orientation as well as their horizontal orientation. Such embodiments may calculate vertical orientation by way of a mercury switch inclinometer housed within the handset or by using certain GPS calculations.

Once the location, orientation and inclination of the handset are determined, these parameters are compared with the first leg of the route at 150. On the basis of the comparison of the location and bearing of the handset with the first leg of the route, the device determines in which direction the handset needs to move in order to stay on the desired route and follow the route to the desired destination. The direction is indicated visually on the unit.

Preferred embodiments of the invention include a camera and the view from the camera lens is displayed on the display screen of the unit. Preferred embodiments of the invention superimpose the direction indicator on the display image. Examples of the preferred indicators are shown in Figs. 3a, 3b and 3c and 4a, 4b, 4c. Therefore, by pointing the handset in the direction in which the user is facing, the device will indicate to the user the way in which he should be moving in order to follow his designated route to his destination.

The device regularly updates its location and bearing and compares this with the desired route in order that the user is able to follow the route. As the route is followed and vectors expire (or way points are reached) the indicator overlaid on the screen image is automatically updated to identify the direction in which the user must proceed next.

If the user should deviate from the selected route, the comparison of the current location and bearing of the device with the route will determine that the user has taken an erroneous path. Therefore, the device will indicate that the user must turn around in order to make his way back on to the required path.

Once the destination has been reached, preferred embodiments of the device provide a further visual indication that the route is now complete. The indication may be given in the form of a symbol.

Preferred embodiments of the invention may incorporate a visual means of indicating the target location. A suitable apparatus has previously been described in our co pending British application No. 0406503.3 in which a system uses the location of the device and the bearing on which the device is pointing to determine the field of view of a camera on the device. Therefore, the system is able to determine what the camera is pointing at. If, for example, the user has selected a landmark as his destination for which a bearing is known from the route finding software using the location and angle at which the device is pointing the device can determine when the target building is in sight of the camera and appears on the viewer's display. The device will then indicate either the target building itself or that the target building is in line of sight.

Fig. 3 shows examples of the indicator that could be displayed on the mobile communication device. Preferred embodiments of the invention indicate the direction of the route using arrows superimposed onto the display. Ideally, the arrow will exhibit perspective. If the phone is equipped with a means to determine its inclination, the arrow angled to take into account the vertical orientation of the mobile communication device.

Figure 4 shows a more basic indicator which does not exhibit a perspective. However, the indicator conveys direction to the user in order that he can continue on his path to his desired destination. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the indicators of Fig. 3 and 4 are merely examples of indication means and, in fact, any visual indication could be used to convey direction information to the user.

Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing the components of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The device 500 includes a GPS system 520, the GPS system is able to communicate with surrounding satellites in order to determine the location of the handset. The device also includes a compass 530 in order to determine in which direction the device is pointing. Preferred embodiments of the invention also include an inclination-measuring device 540. The device includes a memory 550. The memory stores the vector and way points which define the selected route in order to define the selected route. The device may include software and data bases that enable it to determine the route itself or, alternately, the device may download the route from an external database. The GPS system 520, compass 530 and inclination-measurer 540 are all linked to the memory to enable the device to compare its current location and orientation with that of the specified route stored in the memory 550.

The device includes a means for data entry 560 to enable the user to select his destination. Examples of data input means may be keyboards on the mobile communication device. The device further includes a screen 570 which is linked to the memory and data input means. The screen is used to display the directions to the user. A camera 580 is linked to the screen in order that the view through the lens of the camera is displayed on the screen itself.

It will be clear to those skilled in the art that the present invention provides a useful and easy to use navigation system. The invention removes the need for a user to manually follow a map or a series of instructions provided on a single list. Instead, the present invention provides a visual indication of the direction in which the user should be moving at a particular time in order to reach his destination. Since the location and orientation of the device are monitored regularly, the indicator is regularly updated to identify the direction in which the user must travel. The regular updates and comparison of the location of the device with the designated route provide a useful and up-to-date directional guide to any user travailing on a journey.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that an important advantage provided by this invention is seen when the user deviates from his designated route. The device will identify that the user has deviated from the route and will indicate the required direction to enable him to return to the route.

Claims

Claims 1. A method for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile

communication device comprising the steps of: receiving data relating to a user selected destination; determining the location of the mobile communication device; determining a route from the location of the mobile communication device to the destination; determining the orientation of the device; comparing the location and orientation of the device with the route; presenting a visual indicator on the device to identify the direction in which the device must move in order to follow the route in dependence on the comparison of the location and orientation of the device with the route.
2. A method for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device according to claim 1 including the step of displaying an image from a camera on the mobile communication device.
3. A method for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device according to claim 2 comprising the further step of superimposing the visual indicator on the displayed camera image.
4. A method for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device according to claims 1, 2 or 3 further comprising the step of determining the inclination of the mobile communication device.
5. A method for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device according to claims 1, 2, 3 or 4 comprising the further step of downloading route from an external database.
6. A method for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device according to claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 comprising the further step of retrieving the route from an internal database.
7. A method for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device according to claims 1, 2, 3, 4, or 6 wherein the route is defined in terms of at least one vector.
8. A method for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device according to claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 wherein the route is defined in terms of at least one way point.
9. A method for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device according to claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 including the further step of determining whether the destination is displayed on the screen in dependence on the location and orientation of the device.
10. A method for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device according to claim 9 including the further step of identifying the destination on the screen.
11. A method for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying Figures.
12. An apparatus for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device comprising: means for receiving data relating to a user selected destination; means for determining the location of the device; means for determining a route from the location of the device to the destination; means for determining the orientation of the device; means for comparing the location and orientation of the device with the geographical route, and means for displaying a visual indication of the direction in which the device must move in order to follow the route in dependence on the comparison.
13. An apparatus for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device according to claims 10, 11 or 12 wherein the route is defined in terms of at least one vector.

14 An apparatus for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device according to claims 10, 11, 12 or 13 wherein the route is defined in terms of at least one way point.

IS. An apparatus for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device according to claims 10, 11, 12, 13 or 14 further comprising a means for determining whether the destination is displayed on the display screen. 1:

13. An apparatus for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device according to claim 12 further comprising a camera.

14. An application for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device according to claim 13, further comprising a means for displaying the image from the camera on display screen on the device.

15. An apparatus for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device according to claim 14 further comprising a means for superimposing the visual indicator onto the displayed image from the camera.

16. An apparatus for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device according to claims 12, 13, 14 or 15 further comprising a means for determining the inclination of the device.

17. An apparatus for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device according to claims 12, 13, 14, 15 or 16 further comprising a means for storing the route.

18. An apparatus for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device according to claims 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 or 17 wherein the route is defined in terms of at least one vector.

19. An apparatus for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device according to claims 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 or 18 wherein the route is defined in terms of at least one way point.

20. An apparatus for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device according to claims 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 or 19 further comprising a means for determining whether the destination is displayed on the screen.

21. An apparatus for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device according to claims 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 or 20 further comprising a means for identifying the destloatlon on the screen.

22. An apparatus for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying Flqures.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows: Claims 1. A method for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device comprising the steps of: receiving data relating to a user selected destination; determining the location of the mobile communication device; determining a route from the location of the mobile communication device to the destination; determining the orientation of the device; comparing the location and orientation of the device with the route; displaying an image from a camera positioned on the mobile communication device on a display screen on the device; and I,, superimposing a visual indicator on the displayed I, , camera image to identify the direction in which the device must move in order to follow the route in dependence on the,'' 4, comparison of the location and orientation of the device, with the route; 2. A method for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device according to claim 1 further comprising the step of determining the inclination of the mobile communication device.

3. A method for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device according to claims 1 or 2, comprising the further step of downloading a route from an external database.

4. A method for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device according to claims 1, 2 or 3, lL comprising the further step of retrieving the route from an internal database.

5. A method for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device according to claims 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the route is defined in terms of at least one vector.

6. A method for providing a visual navigation system on a lO mobile communication device according to claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, wherein the route is defined in terms of at least one way point.

7. A method for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device according to claims l, 2, 3, 4, or 6, including the further step of determining whether the destination is displayed on the display screen in dependence on the location and orientation of the devices 8. A method for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device according to claim 7 including the further step of identifying the destination on the screen.

9. A method for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying Figures.

10. An apparatus for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device comprising: means for receiving data relating to a user selected destination; means for determining the location of the device; means for determining a route from the location of the device to the destination; l; means for determining the orientation of the device; means for comparing the location and orientation of the device with the geographical route, and a camera; means for displaying the image from the camera on a display screen on the device; and means for superimposing a visual indicator on the displayed image from the camera which indicates the direction in which the device must move in order to follow the route in dependence on the comparison.

11. An apparatus for provldlug a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device according to claim 10 further comprising a means for determining the lncllnatlon of the device.

12. An apparatus for providing a visual navigation system on a mobile communication device according to claims 10 or 11 further comprising a means for storing the route.