TWI439668B - Navigation device and method thereof - Google Patents

Description

Navigation device and navigation method

The present invention relates to a navigation device and a navigation method, and more particularly to a navigation device and navigation method capable of displaying a route of a mass transit service on a digital map by different display features depending on the operating frequency of the mass transit service.

With the increasing popularity of the Global Positioning System (GPS), more and more consumers like to carry navigation devices to instantly get map information of their current location, or to use navigation.

When a user is traveling, it is sometimes desirable to be able to learn the frequency of operation of the mass transit service near their location in order to select one of the mass transit services. However, conventional navigation devices can only display the location of nearby mass transit services and provide timetables when the user selects a mass transit service.

Referring now to Figure 1, this is a schematic diagram of a display screen of a prior art navigation device. A navigation device displays a digital map 1, and a railway station image 11, a subway station image 12 and three on a digital map. Bus stop image (131, 132 and 133). When the user selects an image thereof, such as image 131, the navigation device displays the timetable 14 of the bus stop corresponding to image 131. However, it is not convenient for the user to view the timetable of the mass transit stop.

In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the inventors of the present invention have developed a navigation device based on years of experience in the related art to overcome the above-mentioned prior art disadvantages.

In view of the above problems of the prior art, an object of the present invention is to provide a navigation device and a navigation method capable of generating different display features according to the operating frequency of the mass transit service to display the route of the mass transit service, thereby improving navigation. The benefits of the device.

According to the purpose of the present invention, the navigation device of the present invention comprises a navigation module and a map database. The map database is used to store at least one digital map, at least one frequency of operation of the mass transit service, and a route constituting the mass transit service. The navigation module is used to provide a navigation function and display a digital map and display the route constituting the mass transit service on a digital map. This route is displayed based on the display characteristics of the route corresponding to the operating frequency of the mass transit service. Thereby, a point, a transit point or an end point can be directly selected on the route for performing the navigation function.

Among them, the mass transit service further includes a bus service, a subway service, a railway service or a high-speed railway service.

Wherein, the display feature further includes a color of the route, an image of the route, or a transparency level of the route.

Among them, the frequency of operation of the mass transit service is further classified into a plurality of levels, and the mass transit service with different operating frequency levels is represented by routes of different colors.

Among them, the operating frequency of the mass transit service is further classified into a plurality of levels, and the mass transit service having different operating frequency levels is represented by routes of different image shapes.

Among them, the frequency of operation of mass transit services is further classified into multiples, etc. The mass transit service with different operating frequency levels is represented by routes of different transparency levels.

Among them, the frequency of operation of mass transit services is further classified into multiple levels, and mass transit services with different operating frequency levels are represented by routes of different characters.

Among them, the operating frequency of the mass transit service further indicates the number of departures of the mass transit service within a period of time.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a navigation method for displaying at least one mass transit service on a digital map, the navigation method comprising the steps of: (i) providing at least one digital map from at least one map database, at least one The frequency of operation of the mass transit service and a route constituting the mass transit service; (ii) displaying a digital map in a navigation module and displaying the route on the digital map according to the display characteristics corresponding to the operating frequency of the mass transit service; Iii) directly select a point, a transit point or an end point on the route, and the navigation module performs the navigation function accordingly.

Among them, the mass transit service further includes a bus service, a subway service, a railway service or a high-speed railway service.

Wherein, the display feature further includes a color of the route, an image of the route, or a transparency level of the route.

The method further includes a step of classifying the operating frequency of the mass transit service into a plurality of levels, wherein the mass transit service having different operating frequency levels is represented by a route of a different color.

Wherein, the method further comprises a step of classifying the operating frequency of the mass transit service into a plurality of levels, wherein the mass transit service having different operating frequency levels is represented by routes of different image shapes.

The method further includes a step of classifying the operating frequency of the mass transit service into a plurality of levels, wherein the mass transit service having different operating frequency levels is represented by a route of different transparency levels.

The method further includes a step of classifying the operating frequency of the mass transit service into a plurality of levels, wherein the mass transit service having different operating frequency levels is represented by a route of different characters.

Among them, the operating frequency of this mass transit service indicates the number of departures of the mass transit service within a certain period of time.

Referring now to FIG. 2, which is a block diagram of a specific embodiment of the navigation device of the present invention, the navigation device 2 includes a navigation module 21 and a map database 22. The map database 22 can be used to store at least one digit map 221, an operating frequency 232 of at least one mass transit service 23, and a route 231 that constitutes the mass transit service 23. Among them, the mass transit service 23 may include a bus service, a subway service, a railway service or a high speed railway service. And the operating frequency 232 of the mass transit service 23 may further indicate the number of departures of the mass transit service 23 within a certain time period.

The navigation module 21 can include a GPS module 211, a memory 212, a processor 213, an LCD monitor 214, and an input module 215. The GPS module 211 can receive GPS signals from GPS satellites, analyze the received GPS signals to determine the current position coordinates, and transmit the information to Processor 213. The processor 213 obtains the digital map 221 of the local neighborhood from a map database 22 based on the current location coordinate information. Processor 213 then drives LCD monitor 214 to display the location of navigation device 2 on the digital map. After the user inputs the destination to be accessed through the input module 215, the processor 213 will calculate an appropriate route to the destination and drive the LCD monitor 214 to display the route and navigation information to guide the user. Lead to the destination. In the process of calculating the appropriate route, the mass transit service can be considered as part of an appropriate route to provide navigational routes to pedestrians, making it easy for pedestrians to use mass transit services. The memory 212 is used to store programs executed by the processor. Therefore, the navigation module 21 can provide a navigation function, wherein the navigation device 2 can be a global positioning device, a portable communication device or a personal digital assistant.

When the processor 213 drives the LCD monitor 214 to display the digital map, the processor 213 can further drive the LCD monitor 214 to display the route constituting the mass transit service on the digital map, wherein the route of the mass transit service can be based on the display characteristics of the route. Display, and this display feature can correspond to the frequency of operation of the mass transit service. The display features may include the color of the route, the image of the route, the transparency level of the route, or a textual description of the route. Wherein, the operating frequency of the mass transit service can be classified into a plurality of levels, and the routes of the mass transit service of different operating frequency levels can be represented by images of different colors, different shapes, or different levels of transparency.

Among them, the route of mass transit service with higher operating frequency can be emphasized with brighter and more obvious colors, such as white, red or yellow, while the route of mass transit service with lower operating frequency can be darker and Less obvious color display, like blue, green or black.

Wherein, the image of the route of the mass transit service with a higher operating frequency may be a wider line or a solid line, and the image of the route of the mass transit service with a lower operating frequency may be a narrower line. Or a dotted line.

Among them, the route of the mass transit service with a higher operating frequency may have a lower transparency level than the mass transit service with a lower operating frequency.

In addition, depending on the frequency of the mass transit service, the bus stations of the mass transit service can be displayed on the digital map with images of different colors, images of different shapes, different levels of transparency or different texts.

In this way, a point, a transit point or an end point can be directly selected on the digital map to perform the navigation function. In more detail, the user can select a target on the route, such as a bus stop or train station with a more frequent departure as the starting point, transit point or destination of the trip.

Referring now to Figure 3, there is shown a schematic diagram of a display screen of a navigation device of the present invention. The navigation device displays a digital map 3, and a railway station image 311, a railway service route 312, and a subway displayed on the digital map 3. The station image 321, the subway service route 322, three bus stop images (331, 332, and 333), and the bus service route 334. In this particular embodiment, mass transit services having different operating frequencies are represented by routes and images of different colors to assist the user in conveniently identifying the frequency of operation of the mass transit service. Since the subway service operates at a higher frequency than the railway service and the frequency of departures at the subway station is higher than that of the railway station, the color of the subway station image 321 and the subway service route 322 can be brighter or more visible. Express, while the railway station map Colors such as 311 and rail service route 312 may be represented, for example, by a darker or less noticeable color. In this embodiment, the subway station operates at approximately every hour, and the bus station operates at approximately six buses per hour, while the railway station operates at approximately two trains per hour. Therefore, in Figure 3, the color of the railway station image 311 and the railway service route 312 will be darker than the three bus stop images (331, 332 and 333) and the bus service route 334, while the latter The color of the subway station image 321 and the subway service route 322 will be darker. For example, the railway station image 311 and the railway service route 312 of the railway service may be black, the three bus stop images (331, 332, and 333), and the bus service route 334 may be blue, and the subway. The color of the served subway station image 321 and the subway service route 322 may be white.

It is worth noting that the display feature may further include coloring the route between the railway station/mass transport stop/subway and the destination (not shown in the figure), thereby clearly showing the navigation path, and Not limited to images or transparency levels.

Therefore, the navigation device allows the user to evaluate the frequency of the mass transit service along or near its route and make the best choice according to the user's request, without the user having to select individual bus/tram routes or Timetable.

Referring now to Figure 4, there is shown a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a display screen of the present invention. The navigation device can display a digital map 4, and display a railway service station image 411 and a railway service route on a digital map. 412. Subway service station image 421 and ground for subway service Take the service route 422, and the bus service bus stop images (431, 432 and 433) and the bus service route 434. In this particular embodiment, mass transit services having different operating frequencies can be represented by station images and routes of different image shapes to assist the user in conveniently identifying the frequency of operation of the mass transit service. The subway service operates at the highest frequency, so the subway service station image 421 is circular in shape and the subway service route 422 is a wider segment. The three bus service stop images (431, 432 and 433) of the bus service are in the shape of an octagon and the bus service route 434 is a solid line. The running frequency of the railway station is the lowest level, so the shape of the railway service station image 411 is quadrangular and the railway service route 412 is a broken line.

Referring now to Figure 5, there is shown a flow chart of the navigation method of the present invention. The navigation method can be used to display at least one mass transit service on a digital map, including the following steps. At step 51, at least one is provided by the map database. Digital maps, at least one frequency of mass transit services, and routes that make up mass transit services. Among them, the mass transit service may include a bus service, a subway service, a railway service or a high-speed railway service. Among them, the frequency of the mass transit service can indicate the number of departures of the mass transit service within a period of time.

At step 52, a digital map is displayed in a navigation module, and based on a display feature to display a route constituting the mass transit service on the digital map, the display feature may correspond to an operating frequency of the mass transit service. Among them, the image of the bus stop of the mass transit service can also be displayed on the digital map. Among them, the frequency of operation of mass transit services can be classified into multiple levels, and the mass transit services of different operating frequency levels can be different. Represented by color, different image shapes, or different levels of transparency. For example, the image of a mass transit service with a higher operating frequency may be brighter, such as red or yellow, while the image of a mass transit service with a lower operating frequency may be darker, like blue or green. .

At step 53, a point, a transit point or an end point is directly selected on the route and the navigation function is performed accordingly. In more detail, the user can select a target on the route, such as a bus stop or train station with more frequent departures, as a starting point, transit point or destination for the trip.

The above is intended to be illustrative only and not limiting. Any equivalent modifications or alterations to the spirit and scope of the invention are intended to be included in the scope of the appended claims.

1‧‧‧Digital Map

11‧‧‧ Railway station image

12‧‧‧ Subway station image

131‧‧‧ bus stop image

132‧‧‧ Bus stop image

133‧‧‧ bus stop image

14‧‧‧Timetable

2‧‧‧Navigation device

21‧‧‧Navigation module

211‧‧‧GPS module

212‧‧‧ memory

213‧‧‧ processor

214‧‧‧LCD monitor

215‧‧‧ input module

22‧‧‧Map Database

221‧‧‧Digital Map

23‧‧‧ Mass Transportation Service

231‧‧‧ route

232‧‧‧Operating frequency

3‧‧‧Digital Map

311‧‧‧ Railway station image

312‧‧‧ Railway service route

321‧‧‧ Subway station image

322‧‧‧Metro service route

331‧‧‧ Bus stop image

332‧‧‧ bus stop image

333‧‧‧ bus stop image

334‧‧‧ Bus service route

4‧‧‧Digital Map

411‧‧‧ Railway service station image

412‧‧‧ Railway service route

421‧‧‧ Subway service station image

422‧‧‧Metro service route

431‧‧‧ Bus service stop image

432‧‧‧ Bus service stop image

433‧‧‧ Bus service stop image

434‧‧‧ Bus service route

51~53‧‧‧Step process

1 is a schematic diagram of a display screen of a navigation device of the prior art; FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a specific embodiment of a navigation device of the present invention; and FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a specific embodiment of a display screen of the navigation device of the present invention; 4 is a schematic view showing another embodiment of a display screen of the navigation device of the present invention; and FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the navigation method of the present invention.

2‧‧‧Navigation device

21‧‧‧Navigation module

211‧‧‧GPS module

212‧‧‧ memory

213‧‧‧ processor

214‧‧‧LCD monitor

215‧‧‧ input module

22‧‧‧Map Database

221‧‧‧Digital Map

23‧‧‧ Mass Transportation Service

231‧‧‧ route

232‧‧‧Operating frequency

Claims (14)

A navigation device includes: a map database storing at least one digital map, at least one operating frequency of the mass transit service, and a mass transit service route constituting the mass transit service; and a navigation module executing the first Calculating a navigation function of the navigation route, and displaying the digital map and the mass transit service route on a screen; wherein the mass transit service route is displayed according to a display feature, the display feature corresponding to the running frequency of the mass transit service, Thereby, a navigation function for a user to directly select a point, a transit point or an end point on the mass transit service route to perform the calculated navigation route is provided. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the mass transit service comprises a bus service, a subway service, a railway service or a high speed railway service. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the display feature comprises a color of the mass transit service route, an image of the mass transit service route, or a transparency level of the mass transit service route. The navigation device of claim 3, wherein the operating frequency of the mass transit service is classified into a plurality of levels, and the mass transit service routes of different colors represent the plurality of levels of the mass transit service. The operating frequency. The navigation device of claim 3, wherein the operating frequency of the mass transit service is classified into a plurality of ranks, and the plurality of ranks of the mass are represented by images of the public transport service route of different shapes. The frequency of operation of the transportation service. The navigation device of claim 3, wherein the operating frequency of the mass transit service is classified into a plurality of levels, and the mass transit service routes of different transparency levels represent the plurality of levels of the mass transit service. The running frequency. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the operating frequency of the mass transit service indicates the number of departures of the mass transit service during a period of time. A navigation method for displaying at least one mass transit service on a digital map, the navigation method comprising the steps of: providing the digital map in a map database, an operating frequency of the mass transit service, and constituting the mass transit service a mass transit service route; displaying the digital map on a screen by a navigation module, and displaying the mass transit service route on the digital map according to a display feature corresponding to the operating frequency of the mass transit service And receiving a user directly selecting a point, a transit point or an end point on the mass transit service route, and performing a navigation function for calculating a navigation route in the navigation module. The navigation method of claim 8, wherein the mass transit service comprises a bus service, a subway service, a railway service or a high speed railway service. The navigation method of claim 8, wherein the display feature comprises a color of the mass transit service route, an image of the mass transit service route, or a transparency level of the mass transit service route. The navigation method of claim 10, further comprising the step of classifying the operating frequency of the mass transit service into a plurality of levels, wherein the plurality of levels are represented by the mass transit service route of different colors. The frequency of operation of the mass transit service. The navigation method of claim 10, further comprising the step of classifying the operating frequency of the mass transit service into a plurality of levels, wherein the plurality of images of the public transportation service route of different shapes represent the plurality of The frequency of the operation of the mass transit service. The navigation method of claim 10, further comprising the step of classifying the operating frequency of the mass transit service into a plurality of levels, wherein the plurality of levels are represented by the mass transit service route of different transparency levels. The frequency of this mass transit service. The navigation method of claim 8, wherein the operating frequency of the mass transit service indicates the number of departures of the mass transit service during a period of time.