WO2009098030A2

WO2009098030A2 - Navigation device having time-dependant poi display

Info

Publication number: WO2009098030A2
Application number: PCT/EP2009/000722
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michael Oliver; Joachim Steffen
Original assignee: Navigon Ag
Priority date: 2008-02-04
Filing date: 2009-02-04
Publication date: 2009-08-13
Also published as: WO2009098030A3; DE102008007642A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a navigation device, comprising a data output unit, particularly a display, for transmitting navigation information to a user, a data source, which provides several POI data sets, wherein each POI data set describes a POI and comprises at least the following data: category information, indicating the category of the POI, and geographic information, indicating the geographic location of the POI, a time specification unit, indicating a time, particularly a clock indicating the current time, and a data processing device, configured for reading POI data sets from the data source and transmitting them to the data output unit for output to a user. At least one, preferably several of the POI data sets are configured as time-dependant POI data sets.

Description

Navigation device with time-dependent POI display

The invention relates to a navigation device comprising a data output unit, in particular a display, for transmitting navigation information to a user, a data source from which a plurality of POI data sets are provided, each POI data set describing a POI and comprising at least the following data: a category Information indicating which category the POI is, and geographical information indicating where the POI is geographically, a timing unit indicating a time, in particular a clock indicating the current time, and a Data processing device, which is designed to read POI data records from the data source and to transmit them to the data output unit for output to a user. Another aspect of the invention is a method of issuing POIs to a user and a computer program product for performing such a method on a computer.

Navigation devices of the aforementioned type are known and are used for example in vehicles for mobile navigation. The invention is particularly concerned with an additional function of such navigation devices, which consists in outputting points of interest (POI) to the user. The terms "POI" (singular) and "POIs" (plural) are used in this description and in the claims. used in terms of such interesting points. POIs may describe a point target, such as an idealized one-dimensional display of a building, or an area target, such as an airport, hospital or business park, or a park that has a geographically larger extent, such as multiple inlets or exits and typically also characterized by inner paths. In addition, within a POI describing a surface target, further POIs may be defined, which in turn describe point or area targets. POIs are, for example, vehicle-related destinations, such as petrol stations, car parks, motor vehicle workshops or the like. However, other, in the broadest sense, tourist destinations, such as hotels, restaurants, sights and the like, are also stored as POIs in digital maps and can thus be used by one Users of a navigation device are output.

As a result, digital maps today have a plethora of high density geographic POIs, and their output to the user is a specific challenge in seeking clear and understandable output for the user. A common output to the user is graphically displayed on a display, with a POI represented by a symbol (icon). The symbol often allows a conclusion to be drawn on a category to which the respective POI is assigned, for example by a symbolic illustration of a petrol pump or a house on a category "petrol station" or "hotel". However, depending on the reduction scale of the graphic map display, many POIs need to be displayed to the user, and depending on the number of POIs per geographical area unit, differentiation by individual POIs may become impossible for the user.

There is therefore basically a need for a navigation device which achieves an optimized output of the POIs to the user in order to achieve a clear and differentiated output of the POIs even at large reduction scales. For this purpose, it is known to group the POIs into individual categories as described above and to sort these categories according to their relevance. For example, vehicle-specific categories can be given a higher priority than, for example, tourist POIs. By such a sorting can be displayed in an existing excess of displayed POIs, for example, when graphing on a high reduction scale, only high-priority POIs and consequently filtering can be achieved. A disadvantage of this procedure, however, is that possibly relevant categories for the user are not displayed, since the sorting of the Categories must not correspond to the current need of the user of the navigation device.

Furthermore, it is known to require the user to enter a category and then display only one or more categories specifically selected by the user. Although a clearer output of the POIs can be achieved with this method, but this requires a user input, which is undesirable in particular when using the navigation device while driving.

US Pat. Nos. 7,076,741 B2, EP 1378723 B1 and US Pat. No. 6,405,129 B1 disclose navigation devices in which POI symbols that would overlap one another in the representation are represented by a multiple symbol in the case of a graphical representation of POIs by symbols. While this may improve clarity and reduce symbol density, the user can no longer exclude the symbol from the icon in the POI category, resulting in degraded information delivery.

From DE 10 2007 037386 it is also known to display symbols that lie over one another or overlapping in a repeating, time-staggered manner, so that the user of the navigation device can recognize which POI categories are behind such a multiple area occupied by POI, geographical area are located. Although this can already be significantly improved clarity without having to accept a loss of information, but this approach may require a longer observation of the display, for example, if the user wants to know with a three or four times occupancy of a geographical area with POIs, which three or There are four POI categories, or whether the category he is looking for is located there. However, such a longer observation of a display is undesirable, especially in driving situations.

The invention is therefore based on the problem of enabling an improved in the clarity and detection ability output of POIs, especially at high POI density.

This object is achieved in a navigation device of the type mentioned above by at least one, preferably more of the POI records is designed as a time-dependent POI record, wherein a time-dependent POI record additionally includes: an opening time information indicating in which Periods of the POI is available to a user, and that the data processing device is adapted to transmit the time-dependent POI data sets taking into account the opening time information and the time to the data output unit.

According to the invention, open-time information is kept available for some, preferably the vast majority, in particular for all POIs. This opening time information indicates when the POI can be used by a user at all and consequently it makes sense to control this POI. The opening time information typically includes the opening time of the destination, which designates the POI, such as the opening time of a gas station, a restaurant or museum and the like. The opening time information can be provided both after days and weeks or months and in particular as a specific time or as a composite time become. By accessing such an opening time information, the navigation device according to the invention is able to perform a meaningful filtering of the POIs for the user by taking into account this opening time information and a time when the POIs are output on the data output unit. Here, the time can be understood as a time entered by the user, for example when using the navigation device for planning an upcoming trip, in order to display via the navigation device POIs that are available taking into account their opening time information, taking into account a specific day and time. In this case, the timing unit is designed, for example, as a user interface for entering a time. In particular, however, a time clock is to be understood as a clock which indicates the current time and which is correspondingly taken into account in the output of the POI by means of the data processing device and the data output unit.

It is to be understood that the filtering of the POIs can be combined by taking into account the opening time information with one or more filtering methods according to other criteria by means of logic operations such as "AND", "OR", "NOT" and the like, such as the additional one. AND "linked filtering according to the POIs located within a certain geographic point (eg of one's own location) and the additional" AND "linked filtering for POIs of a certain category Alternatively, a search for POIs can be done by their name and opening time information an "AND", "OR", "NOT" link and the like can be combined in the same way. te filtering based on components of such a name, gfs. supplemented by placeholders.

The navigation device can be used in particular as a stand-alone information technology

Device be formed, i. The data required for the output of the POIs are available locally on the navigation device, the data source is in this

Case represented by a data storage arranged in the navigation device.

In other embodiments, it is also advantageous to transmit the POI data records from a spaced memory unit to the navigation device, which in the

Navigation device formed data source is represented in this case by a corresponding data transmission interface.

The data output unit may in particular be a graphic output unit such as a display, a screen or the like, in particular a touch screen. For example, the data may be output to the user as icons in a map representation. Alternatively or additionally, the data can be output to the user as a listing, with or without symbols and with written information and description of the POIs, for example in a selection dialog or after processing a selection dialog. In other embodiments, it is also conceivable that an acoustic data output device for the acoustic output of the POI information is provided as the data output unit.

In particular, the data processing device may comprise a CPU which is embodied locally in the navigation device in order to carry out the corresponding operations for filtering the time-dependent POI data sets taking into account the opening time information and the time and to transmit the correspondingly filtered time-dependent POI data sets to the data output unit.

A consideration of the opening time information and the time is to be understood in particular that the time-dependent POI data sets are checked to see whether they are available to the user at the time or not. The transmission to the data output unit can then take place after this respective consideration so that only certain time-dependent POI data sets are transmitted, for example those which are available at the time of day. On the other hand, in certain embodiments it is also advantageous to transmit all time-dependent POI data sets to the data output unit and to provide them with an identifier which indicates their availability taking into account the time of day. So is in the interplay between Data processing device and data output unit achieved that, for example, only certain POIs are output or that a sorting of the POIs is based on their availability or that POIs ₁ which are not available, are issued differently than those that are available.

According to a first preferred embodiment, the data processing device is designed to display time-dependent POIs, whose opening time information indicates that they are available to the user at different times on the data output unit, as time-dependent POIs whose opening time information indicates that they are available to the user at the time of day not available. In this embodiment, the user of the navigation device only those POIs are displayed, which are still available at the respective time, i. their opening time information indicates that they are open and can be used by the user. This makes it possible for a user to be displayed in a very clear manner such POIs which are still open at the time he has specified or at the current time. The different representation may, for example, be such that POIs that are not available to the user at the time are not displayed at all in order to achieve a meaningful filtering of the relevant POIs in this way, or, for example, that POIs that do not belong to the POIs Available, in other colors, grayed, shaded or the like can be mapped.

According to a further preferred embodiment, it is provided that a location determining device is provided for determining the user location and the data processing device is designed to calculate a distance between the user location and at least one, preferably a plurality of time-dependent POIs and an arrival time for this POI along this route, and in that the data processing device is furthermore designed to display time-dependent POIs, whose opening time information indicates that they are available to the user at the respective time of arrival, in different representation on the data output unit, as time-dependent POIs whose opening time information indicates that they are available to the user at the respective time of arrival not available.

This embodiment, in some respects, continues the foregoing preferred embodiment. Thus, although it is essential for the user to know if a POI is still available to him at the appropriate time, especially if it is about POIs in his immediate vicinity, ie directly accessible to him POIs. However, in a number of use cases for the user too Be meaningful to get POIs at a greater distance from a particular location, such as its own location issued. For this application, the navigation device is trained by a location determination device. The location determining means may in the simplest case be a user interface for querying a location to allow the user to base a calculation on a particular location. In particular, however, the location determination device can be designed such that it determines the location of the navigation device itself by means of navigation aids, such as, for example, satellite-supported navigation, such as the GPS available at the time of registration, and is based on the calculation.

In this case, the data processing device can calculate a route to the POIs from the specific location. In this case, it should be understood that this distance does not have to be calculated for all POIs available from the data source, but, for example, only for those POIs which could be output to the user in the currently selected data output form, for example in the scope of the map section depicted on a display , The distance calculated by the data processing device may in the simplest case be the airline distance between the particular location and the POI and the arrival time then based on this airline distance on the basis of an empirical value needed to cover such an airliner distance with a vehicle, on foot or the like , be calculated. In other cases, in particular when high computing power is available in the data processing device, it is also possible to calculate an actually navigable or accessible distance from the particular location to any POI that may be issued and then calculate the arrival time taking into account the usual travel speeds on this route. Due to this training, it is possible for the navigation device to display to the user only those POIs that he can actually still reach during their opening hours. Other POIs which could no longer be reached within their opening hours can be completely hidden, rendered in different colors, grayed out, shaded or the like, in order to make the output of the POIs clearer.

According to a further preferred embodiment, it is provided that a user interface is present for inputting at least one destination and optionally a departure point, the data source further provides route information, the data processing device is designed to use the route information to determine a route or a route tree between the user and the user. or to calculate the travel start point and the destination point and the data processing device is further configured to transmit in particular such POI and / or time-dependent POI to the data output unit, which are along this path or this route tree.

With this embodiment, it is possible to use the navigation device to guide to a destination. This can for example be done so that according to the previous embodiment, first a location determination by means of a location determination device and then from this location the distance or the distance tree is calculated to the destination and the user is output by means of the data output unit by visual and / or audible cues, Especially during the driving of the route hints are issued optically or acoustically, which are required to follow the route. In this case, a route tree is to be understood as meaning a number of parallel routes that fumble from the starting point and that represent alternative routes to the destination point and in turn bundle up to the destination point. In the case of navigation devices, it is known to calculate such a route tree in the calculation of the preferred optimal route between starting point and destination point, on the one hand with required path changes, for example due to a traffic jam or blockage or if the route initially left out as optimal for the user without extensive recalculation to be able to continue the route guidance. Typically, such a path tree consists of parallel paths to the optimal path.

This preferred embodiment is particularly advantageous to connect with the different display of the POIs as a function of the respective arrival time at the POI, since for all lying along the route or the route tree POIs a relatively accurate arrival time of the data processing device without significant bill additional expenditure will be calculated and consequently the availability can be ascertained in a simple and reliable manner on the basis of the thus calculated arrival time and the respective opening time information of the POI. In particular, in this training, a combined calculation can be made in such a way that for all POIs along the route or the route tree based on the relatively accurately calculated time of arrival, the different representation is selected depending on availability and for other, off the route or the route tree lying POIs a representation in different ways depending on the availability is determined, which is determined as a function of the time itself or on the basis of an airline distance calculated, so approximated in a more coarse way arrival time.

According to yet another preferred embodiment, it is provided that at least one, preferably several, of the time-dependent POI data sets represents a section of the road that can only be driven at certain times and that the data processing device is designed to take into account the time of arrival at this section and its timeability to calculate the distance or the route tree. As previously explained, it is known to display POIs in particular tourist and vehicle related categories. According to this embodiment, however, the provision of time-dependent POIs may in particular also refer to certain sections of the route, such as marketplaces, cemeteries, theme parks, roads with winter blocks or other periods of suspension and the like, which are only passable at certain times. Furthermore, it is also possible to store route sections which are subject to time-dependent directional binding as a time-dependent POI. This extension of the time-dependent POIs to corresponding route sections enables differentiated calculation of routes or route trees, since the trafficability of temporarily blocked or direction-bound route sections can be taken into account in the calculation of the optimal route or the route tree.

According to another preferred embodiment, it is preferred if the data processing device is designed to execute a specific output for POIs whose category, although having a time-dependent usability, to which no opening time information from the data source is provided. Alternatively or additionally, it can also be provided that the data processing device is designed to execute a specific output for POIs whose category has no time-dependent usability.

In principle, besides the time-dependent POIs, there may also exist POIs which describe a destination which is subject to an opening time and for which consequently an opening time information could be defined, but this opening time information is not available for this POI, if not in the POI. Record or because it is otherwise unavailable. According to the invention, in such a case the POIs are nevertheless displayed, but it is preferable to output such a POI in a specific manner to signal the user of the navigation device that could not be determined for lack of opening time information, whether it is available or not for this POI. In addition, POIs may also be stored in the POI record for which opening time information would not be meaningful, since the POIs are of a type or belong to a category that is not subject to opening hours. This often applies, for example, to parking lots, parks or attractions such as monuments, public sculptures or the like. Also, for POIs of this type or category, it would be preferable to have a specific output to the user to allow them to distinguish those POIs from those whose availability has been positively or negatively determined from open time information or for which no open time information is available, although one such would be useful for the POI. In a preferred graphic output of the POIs to the user, such a differentiated output of the POIs without available opening time information or without meaningful opening time information, in particular by issuing the POIs in a particular color.

According to a further preferred embodiment it is provided that the opening time information comprises an inlet time information which indicates in which periods the POI can be entered by a user and a residence time information which indicates in which periods a user can stay in the POI wherein the data processing device is designed to transmit the time-dependent POI data sets to the data output unit taking into account the inlet time information and the current time, and the residence time information can additionally be output via the data output unit. In this embodiment, a more sophisticated consideration of the opening time information is possible, which is particularly useful for those POIs that should not be sensibly displayed to the user as available within a few minutes of closure. For example, a museum may have specific entrance times that differ from the museum's opening hours, and the availability of such a museum can be determined, in particular, by the times of admission. The user can be provided in this way a differentiated output of the POIs, which is based on the access options to the respective POIs. If both mandatory admission times and times of stay to a POI are available, availability can be determined on the basis of these entry times and the residence times after entering the POI may be additionally issued or retrievable to allow the user to estimate how long he can still use the POI after access.

According to a further preferred embodiment, it is provided that the data processing device is designed to determine whether the time of day or arrival lies in a predetermined time interval before the end of an opening period defined in the opening time information and in such a case taking into account the time-dependent POI data sets the category of the respective POI to the data output unit. This embodiment allows a consideration of meaningful time intervals between time and arrival time and the time at which a POI is no longer available to the user. Thus, it usually will not be useful to output a POI as fully available, if it has been calculated that the time of day or arrival for that POI is only a few minutes before it is closed, i. The user may still be allowed access to the POI, but no more meaningful use of the POI. In this case, provision may in particular be made for taking account of the type or category of the POI in addition to the aforementioned time interval. Thus, it is quite useful for certain POIs, such as fast foods or gas stations, to issue a characterization of the POI as fully available if the time of day or arrival for this POI is only a short time interval, for example a few minutes from its closure spaced. For other types or categories of POIs, such as museums, car parks or restaurants, however, it does not make sense to indicate availability in such a case of a short time interval. Therefore, considering the category or type of the POI in the time interval-dependent output mode is another useful information extension for the user of the navigation device.

Finally, it is further preferred if the data processing device is designed to transmit to the user a supplementary warning signal to a POI, to which the time of arrival or arrival in the predetermined time interval before the end of an opening period or opening period defined in the opening time information especially if the user has previously selected this POI as the destination. This preferred embodiment takes into account in particular the need of a user to know whether a particular POI is at a reasonable distance from its closure or is just barely reachable. This is of particular interest to the user if he has selected the particular POI as the destination of his trip and thus should learn if hurry is needed. The warning signal can be visual or auditory be outputted table, for example by flashing the symbol and / or indication of the available remaining period between estimated time of arrival and the end of the intake or opening period, by a corresponding voice output, a warning sound or the like.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a method of outputting POIs to a user, comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of POI records from a data source, each POI record describing a POI and comprising at least the following data: category information indicates which category the POI is, as well as geographic information indicating where the POI is geographically located, determining a time, in particular the current time, reading the POI records from the data source and transmitting the POI records a data output unit, outputting the POI by means of the data output unit to a user, in particular by means of a display, which is developed according to the invention in that the data source provides at least one, preferably several POI data records as time-dependent POI data record, wherein a time-dependent POI data record additionally an opening time information includes which indicates in which periods of time the POI is available to a user, and that the time-dependent POI data sets are transmitted to the data output unit taking into account the opening time information and the current time.

However, the method according to the invention is particularly suitable for running on a navigation device of the aforementioned type. However, the method according to the invention can also serve as a planning aid on a navigation computer or another computer with correspondingly installed software in order to pre-plan routes and POI availabilities for a user enable. The provision of the POI data sets can take place from a local memory or via a data interface with cable-bound or wireless data transmission. The determination of the time can be done for example by entering a time by a user, but in particular by reading a current time from an internal clock. The output of the POIs by means of the data output unit can be effected in particular in an optical manner, for example on a screen in the form of symbols for each individual POI.

The method according to the invention can be developed according to claims 11-18. Another aspect of the invention is a computer program product according to claim 19 adapted to perform a method according to any of claims 10-18 when running on a computer. In this case, a computer is to be understood as meaning a PC or a laptop in the true sense, but in particular also a specifically designed computer unit, such as, for example, a mobile navigation device with corresponding computer performance. The computer program product can in particular be designed as programmed hardware or software.

Finally, another aspect of the invention is a server-client installation, comprising: a client having a data output unit and a communication interface for receiving and sending data to / from a server; a server having a data source from which a plurality of time-dependent POI data sets each time-dependent POI record describing a POI and comprising at least the following data: category information indicating which category the POI is and geographic information indicating where the POI is geographically located, an opening time information indicating in which periods the POI is available to a user, as well as a transmission interface for receiving and sending data to / from a client, a clock indicating the current time, and a data processing device which is designed to time-dependent POI records from the data source too read and to transmit the time-dependent POI data sets taking into account the opening time information and the current time to the data output unit for output to a user.

This aspect of the invention provides for the implementation of the inventive concept in a server-client installation, which is particularly useful for applications in which relevant data are stored on a server and are queried by a client in order to be based on the client perform this data corresponding data outputs. For example, complete POI records may be stored on the server or portions of a POI record, such as opening time information, stored on the server and retrieved by a client, such as a mobile navigation device, over a preferably wireless data link to consider the corresponding data information in the further calculation. Furthermore, the server-client installation can be designed such that all calculation executions take place on the server and only the data packet calculated for transmission to the data output unit is sent to the client. Accordingly, the clock can and / or the data processing device may be provided locally in the client or in the server in order to carry out the calculation and output of the POIs according to the invention taking into account the opening time information.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will be explained with reference to the attached figures. Show it:

1 is a representation of a map section with a plurality of POIs according to the prior art,

2 shows a representation of the map detail according to FIG. 1 on a navigation device according to the invention at a first point in time, FIG.

Fig. 3 shows a map detail of FIG. 1 on a navigation device according to the invention at a second time, and

4 shows a map detail according to FIG. 3 in an alternative representation.

Fig. 1 shows a map of a city area with a plurality of streets, which are shown as solid lines. The roads are shown as thin, bold or double-lined, depending on their actual size.

A distance 30 is calculated from a starting point 10 to a destination point 20 and entered as a dotted line along the roads used in the map display.

A multiplicity of points of interest (POI) are entered in the map representation according to FIG. 1 as symbols. For example, two gas stations 40, 41 registered in the lower right area of the map section and made recognizable by a symbol with a gas pump the user. A variety of restaurants, such as the restaurants 50, 51, 52 are registered and marked by a knife-plus-fork symbol the user. In the same way, for example, a registered cinema 60, symbolized by a filmstrip symbol, two bars 70, 71, symbolized by a symbol with a cocktail glass and a post 80 are shown. It can be seen from the representation in FIG. 1 that, in particular in the city center located in the upper central area of the map section, a multiplicity of POIs is shown which no longer provide the user with a clearly arranged representation.

Fig. 2 shows the same map detail as Fig. 1, but after application of the method according to the invention to the POI representation, i. the same map detail as FIG. 1 is shown on a navigation device according to the invention.

For the purposes of describing the invention with reference to FIG. 2, it is assumed that the user is at the starting point 10 and it is 10:30.

In this case, the method according to the invention initially reads all POI data records from an internal memory within the navigation device according to the invention, provided that these POIs have geographical coordinates which lie within the map section shown. In a next step, an arrival time is determined for all read-out POI data sets. For this purpose, starting from the starting point 10, for all POIs for which opening time information is present and which lie along the calculated distance 30, the arrival time is calculated on the basis of the available travel times along the distance 30, so that for these POIs, such as the Post 80 and the restaurant 51 a precise arrival time can be determined.

For all other POIs, the arrival time is determined by the airline distance between see the starting point 10 and the respective POI is determined and then determines an estimated time of arrival based on an empirically determined time value per air distance. This procedure prevents an excessive amount of computation and makes it possible to carry out the time of arrival calculation for all relevant POIs within the map section shown within a short computing time, in particular in quasi-real time.

The calculation based on the airline distance is shown symbolically for the two filling stations 40, 41 by a dot-dashed double line.

After this calculation of the arrival times has been carried out, the arrival time is compared with the available opening time information for each individual POI. If the calculated time of arrival is at least one hour before the time When the restaurant is located at the end of the opening hours for restaurants, the respective restaurant is shown in the map. In the same way, the need for presentation is decided for other categories, whereby, for example, for POIs of the gas station category it is assumed that the calculated time of arrival lies at least 5 minutes before the opening time end readable from the opening time information.

If it is determined in this comparison between arrival time and opening time information that the POI can not be reached starting from 10:30 starting at 10:30 clock within the set opening time, taking into account the corresponding time intervals at the end of opening time, such a POI in the map display is no longer shown. As can be seen from FIG. 2, in the map representation according to FIG. 2, in particular, for example, the cinema 60 and the bars 70, 71 as well as some restaurants, such as the restaurant 51, are omitted.

FIG. 3 shows the same map detail as FIG. 2, but in this map section it is assumed that the user is at starting point 10 at 11 pm. As before, the expected arrival times are calculated by analyzing the travel times for all POIs along the calculated distance 30 and for all other POIs by approximating them using the airline distance. This calculation and the subsequent comparison with the respective opening time information of each individual time-dependent POI then yields, for example, that the filling station 41 can no longer be reached within its opening hours, taking into account a 5-minute time interval before the end of the opening time, and therefore this filling station will be shown not shown in FIG. 3. Likewise, the postal service 80 is still open at the calculated time of arrival and is therefore not shown.

It can be seen that, on the one hand, a much clearer representation is achieved by the representation according to the invention, since the user does not have to pay attention to the illustration of the POIs which are not relevant since they are not available.

In addition, the navigation device according to the invention allows a user to selectively control a POI available for him. For example, a user who has to approach a gas station starting from the starting point 10, in the representation according to the prior art in Fig. 1 would probably first head for the gas station 41, which, however, only reaches a start time of 11 pm at a time would make it unavailable to the user. This is avoided in the navigation device according to the invention, in that the user can immediately recognize in the map display that occurs at a start time that only the gas station 40 can be reached by him at an available point in time, and he can consequently immediately drive to the actual POI available.

FIG. 4 shows an alternative representation to FIG. 3, which also starts from a start time of 11 pm at the starting point 10. In the illustration according to FIG. 4, however, not only are the POIs available at the time of arrival displayed and all other POIs hidden, but instead all the POIs are shown, although those POIs that are not available at the calculated arrival time according to their opening time information are grayed out , Also in this representation, the user is offered a better clarity and crucial additional information.

As can further be seen from FIGS. 2-4, POIs that are permanently open and therefore have no opening time information, such as, for example, the parking spaces marked with a P, are highlighted in blue and can thus be recognized by the user as time-independent POIs.

Claims

A navigation device, comprising:

a data output unit for transmitting navigation information to a user, in particular a display,

a data source from which several POI data records are provided, each POI data record describing a POI and comprising at least the following data:

• category information indicating which category the POI is, as well as

• geographic information indicating where the POI is located geographically,

a timing unit indicating a time, in particular a clock indicating the current time, and a data processing means adapted to read POI records from the data source and transmit them to the data output unit for output to a user in that at least one of, preferably a plurality of the POI data records is designed as a time-dependent POI data record, wherein a time-dependent POI data record additionally comprises:

An opening time information indicating in which periods the POI is available to a user, and in that the data processing device is designed to transmit the time-dependent POI data records to the data output unit, taking into account the opening time information and the time of day.

2. Navigation device according to claim 1, characterized in that the data processing device is designed to output time-dependent POI whose opening time information indicates that they are available to the user at the time in different representation on the data output unit, as a time-dependent POI whose opening time information indicates that they are not available to the user at the time of day.

3. Navigation device according to claim 1, characterized in that a location determination device for determining the user location is present and the data processing device is configured to calculate a distance between the user location and at least one, preferably a plurality of time-dependent POI and an arrival time for this POI along this route, and that the data processing device is adapted to time-dependent POI whose opening time information indicates that they at the respective arrival time Users are available to output in different representation on the data output unit, as a time-dependent POI whose opening time information indicates that they are not available to the user at the respective time of arrival.

4. Navigation device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a user interface for inputting at least one destination and optionally a journey start point is present and the data source further provides distance information, the data processing device is designed to use the distance information route path or a distance tree between the user location or the travel start point and the destination of the journey, the data processing device is further configured to transmit, in particular, such POI and / or time-dependent POI to the data output unit, which along this path or this

Route tree lying.

5. Navigation device according to one of the two preceding claims, characterized in that at least one, preferably more of the time-dependent POI data sets represents only a certain times passable section and that the data processing device is designed to take into account the arrival time at this section and whose temporal trafficability the route or the route tree to calculate.

6. Navigation device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the data processing device is designed to perform a specific output for POIs whose category has a time-dependent usability, but to which no opening time information is provided from the data source.

7. Navigation device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the data processing means is adapted to perform a specific output for POIs whose category has no time-dependent usability.

8. Navigation device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the opening time information, an inlet time information includes, which indicates in which periods the POI can be entered by a user, and a residence time information, which indicates in which periods a user in the POI, wherein the data processing device is designed to transmit the time-dependent POI data sets taking into account the inlet time information and the current time to the data output unit and the residence time information can be output via the data output unit.

9. Navigation device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the data processing device is designed to determine whether the time or arrival time lies in a predetermined time interval before the end of an opening period defined in the opening time information opening period or inlet period and the time-dependent POI In such a case, transfer data records to the data output unit taking into account the category of the respective POI.

10. Navigation device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the data processing device is adapted to a POI, to which the time or arrival time in the predetermined time interval before the end of an opening time defined in the opening time or opening period is a supplementary warning signal to deliver the user, especially if the user has previously selected that POI as the destination.

11. Method of outputting POI to a user, comprising the steps of:

Providing a plurality of POI data records from a data source, each POI data record describing a POI and comprising at least the following data:

• category information indicating which category the POI is, as well as • geographic information indicating where the POI is located geographically,

Determining a time, in particular the current time,

Reading out the POI data records from the data source and transmitting the POI data records to a data output unit,

Outputting the POI by means of the data output unit to a user, in particular by means of a display, characterized in that the data source provides at least one, preferably several, of the POI data records which is designed as a time-dependent POI data record, wherein a time-dependent POI data record additionally comprises:

An opening time information indicating in which periods the POI is available to a user, and that the time-dependent POI data records are transmitted to the data output unit, taking into account the opening time information and the current time.

12. The method of claim 1 1, characterized in that time-dependent POI whose opening time information indicates that they are available to the user at the current time are output in different representation on the data output unit, as time-dependent POI whose opening time information indicates that they are not available to the user at the current time.

13. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that the user location is determined and a distance between the user location and at least one, preferably a plurality of time-dependent POI and an arrival time for this POI along this distance is calculated, and that time-dependent POI whose opening time information indicates that they are available to the user at the respective arrival time are output in different ways on the data output unit as time-dependent POIs whose opening time information indicates that they are not available to the user at the respective time of arrival.

14. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 1 1 -13, characterized in that a destination of the journey and, if appropriate, a departure point is queried by the user and the data source further provides route information, based on the route information, a route or a route tree is calculated between the user location or the travel start point and the destination point, - only those POI and / or time-dependent POI are issued, which are along this route or this route tree.

15. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 11-14, characterized in that at least one, preferably more of the time-dependent POI data sets represents a traversable only at certain times section and that the route or the route tree, taking into account the arrival time at this section and whose temporal trafficability is calculated.

16. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 11-15, characterized in that POIs whose category has a time-dependent usability, but to which no opening time information is provided from the data source, are specifically represented.

17. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 11-16, characterized in that POIs whose category has no time-dependent usability, are specifically represented.

18. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 11-17, characterized in that the opening time information, an inlet time information includes, which indicates in which periods the POI can be entered by a user, and a residence time information, which indicates in what periods of time Users can stop in the POI, the time-dependent POI records taking into account the inlet time information and the current

Time are output and the residence time information is additionally output via the data output unit.

19. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 11-18, characterized by the steps: Determining whether the time of day or time of arrival is within a predetermined time interval before the end of an opening period or inlet period defined in the opening time information is different output those time-dependent POI data sets for which the time or arrival time in a predetermined time interval before the end is an opening period or inlet period defined in the opening time information, wherein preferably each time a category-specific time interval has been set for one or more categories.

20. Method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that a complementary warning signal is transmitted to the user at a POI to which the time of day or arrival lies in the predetermined time interval before the end of an opening time or opening period defined in the opening time information. especially if the user has previously selected this POI as the destination.

A computer program product for executing on a computer adapted to perform a method according to any one of the preceding claims 11-20 when running on a computer.

22. A server-client installation, comprising: a client having a data output unit and a communication interface for receiving and sending data to / from a server, a server having i. a data source from which several time-dependent POI data records are provided, each time-dependent POI data record describing a POI and comprising at least the following data:

1. Category information indicating which category the POI is, as well as

2. geographic information indicating where the POI is located geographically, 3. opening time information indicating in which

Periods of the POI is available to a user, ii. and a communication interface for receiving and sending data to / from a client, a clock indicating the current time, and a data processing device configured to read time-dependent POI data sets from the data source and the time-dependent POI data sets taking into account the opening time information and the current time to the data output unit for output to a user to submit.