WO2014067951A1

WO2014067951A1 - Navigation route planning device supporting hand-drawn routes

Info

Publication number: WO2014067951A1
Application number: PCT/EP2013/072618
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yaqin DAI
Original assignee: Continental Automotive Gmbh
Priority date: 2012-10-30
Filing date: 2013-10-29
Publication date: 2014-05-08
Also published as: CN103791912A

Abstract

Disclosed in the present invention is a navigation route planning device, comprising: a display module, configured to display a navigation map; a hand-drawn route acquisition module, configured to acquire a route drawn manually by a user on a navigation map; and a route planning module, configured to plan a navigation route according to the manually drawn route. Also disclosed are a corresponding navigation method and a navigation system. The solution of the present invention can plan a navigation route according to a route drawn manually by a user on a navigation map, its operations are simple, convenient and visual, and it overcomes the failings of existing navigation route planning solutions.

Description

Navigation route planning device supporting hand-drawn routes Technical field

The present invention relates to navigation route planning, and in particular to a navigation route planning device supporting hand-drawn routes.

Background art

Navigation and navigation route planning technologies are currently widely used in such fields as vehicle-mounted nav- igation, handheld device navigation and public information prompt boards, as well as walking, driving and public transport route planning carried out with the aid of electronic maps.

As an example, Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of an illustrative existing vehicle-mounted navigation system. As the figure shows, the illustrative vehicle-mounted navigation system comprises a route planning module, a navigation map database, a navigation module, a positioning system service (e.g. GPS) module, an input module, a display module, an audio output module and a vehicle information collection module. The route planning module is used for planning a navigation route according to relevant information inputted by a user via the input module, such as starting point and destination. The route planning module can acquire a navigation map from the navigation map database, and supply this map to the display module to be displayed; and the route planning module can supply a planned navigation route to the display module to be displayed together with the navigation map. A variety of relevant information about roads, buildings and other map elements, such as name and position (e.g. position expressed as latitude and longitude) , is stored in the navigation map database. The positioning system service module may comprise a positioning system antenna, used for receiving positioning information from a positioning system service satellite (e.g. positioning information expressed as latitude and longitude) , and supplying this to the navigation module. The navigation module can supply positioning information and a navigation map from the navigation map database to the display module, which then displays the positioning information together with the navigation map, so as to carry out navigation. The navigation module may also receive vehicle state information from the vehicle information collection module, such as running speed. The navigation module may supply navigation prompt information (such as current position, running speed, the route ahead) obtained from the navigation map or vehicle information collection module, etc. to the audio output module, to be outputted in audio form. As shown by the box bounded by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the route planning module, input module, display module and navigation map database used in the route planning process may constitute a navigation route planning device.

In existing vehicle-mounted navigation systems, navigation route planning is performed in the following manner: a user selects a starting point and a destination, and the navigation system (i.e. the route planning module therein) plans the route automatically. The user can set a planning strategy, for example to seek the shortest or fastest route, or avoid the highway. The route planned by the navigation systems sometimes falls some way short of the user's actual requirements. Sometimes the user wishes to plan a driving route by himself with the aid of a navigation map. Some systems offer the user methods of adjusting the route, for example by setting points through which the route should pass or specifying that certain roads should be avoided. However, these methods feature complex operations which are time-consuming and are not visual.

In view of the above, there is a need to provide an improved navigation route planning method and device capable of overcoming the above failings, and a corresponding navigation method and system. Content of the invention

According to one aspect of the present invention, a navigation route planning device is provided, comprising: a display module, configured to display a navigation map; a hand-drawn route acquisition module, configured to acquire a route drawn manually by a user on a navigation map; and a route planning module, configured to plan a navigation route according to the manually drawn route.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a navigation route planning device is provided, comprising: a route planning module, configured to plan a navigation route auto- matically; a display module, configured to display the auto^¬ matically planned navigation route on a navigation map; and a hand-drawn route acquisition module, configured to acquire an amendment, drawn manually by a user, to the automatically planned navigation route; and wherein the route planning module is further configured to plan a new navigation route on the basis of the automatically planned navigation route and the amendment.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a navigation system is proposed, comprising: the abovementioned navigation route planning device; and a device configured to navigate using a navigation route planned by the navigation route planning device.

The navigation route planning solution of the present invention can plan a navigation route according to a route drawn manually on a navigation map by a user, features simple, convenient and visual operation, and overcomes the failings of existing navigation route planning solutions. Description of the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of an il^¬ lustrative existing vehicle-mounted navigation system;

Fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a navigation route planning device 200 according to certain embodiments of the present invention;

Fig. 3 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a navigation route planning device 300 according to certain other embodiments of the present invention;

Fig. 4 shows a schematic flow chart of a navigation route planning method according to certain embodiments of the present invention; and

Fig. 5 shows a schematic flow chart of a navigation route planning method according to certain other embodiments of the present invention . Particular embodiments

Navigation planning methods and devices according to embodiments of the present invention, as well as corresponding navigation methods and systems, are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, many specific details are elaborated, to give those skilled in the art a more comprehensive understanding of the present invention. However, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that some of these specific details may be omitted in the implementation of the present invention. In addition, it should be appreciated that the present invention is not restricted to the specific embodiments presented. On the contrary, one could consider using any combination of the features and key elements below to realize the present invention, regardless of whether they relate to different embodiments. Thus the following aspects, features and embodiments serve only for illustration, and should not be regarded as key elements or definitions of the attached claims, unless set out clearly in the claims.

Navigation route planning devices and navigation systems ac- cording to embodiments of the present invention

Fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a navigation route planning device 200 according to certain embodiments of the present invention. The navigation route planning device 200 may for example be included in a vehicle-mounted navigation system, thereby turning the vehicle-mounted navigation system into a vehicle-mounted navigation system according to embodiments of the present invention. The vehicle-mounted navigation system may be similar to the vehicle-mounted navigation system shown in Fig. 1, with the only difference being that the existing navigation route planning device shown in the box bounded by dotted lines in Fig. 1 is replaced by the navigation route planning device 200 according to the embodiments of the present invention; the remaining parts of the vehicle-mounted navigation system may be the same as the vehicle-mounted navigation system shown in Fig. 1.

It should be noted that the navigation route planning device 200 can not only be included in a vehicle-mounted navigation system, but also be included in other navigation systems or used in other scenarios. For example, the navigation route planning device could be included in a navigation system of a handheld device such as a mobile phone, to be used for planning or navigating along a route taken by a car or other vehicle; or the navigation route planning device could be included in a public information prompt board in a public area such as a shopping mall or park, to be used for planning routes for visitors to walk along; or the navigation route planning device could be included in route planning systems using electronic maps in a variety of computing devices, to be used for planning routes for walking, driving or public transport journeys, and so on. As shown in Fig. 2, the navigation route planning device comprises: a display module 201, configured to display a navigation map; a hand-drawn route acquisition module 202, configured to acquire a route drawn manually by a user on a navigation map; and a route planning module 203, configured to plan a navigation route according to the manually drawn route. Fig. 2 also shows a navigation map database 204, used to store navigation maps. The navigation map database may be regarded as being either included or not included in the navigation route planning device.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the display module 201 may comprise a touch screen, in which case a user can draw a route manually on the touch screen displaying the navigation map, the route then being acquired by the hand-drawn route acquisition module 202. The route drawn manually by the user on the touch screen may be displayed on the touch screen by the display module 201 as it is being drawn, so that it is superimposed on the navigation map; this allows the user to have a more visual grasp of the route he has manually drawn. The manually drawn route may for example be displayed until the navigation route planning process ends, or until a command is received from the user to cancel the manually drawn route (this command may for example be generated by the user clicking on a button or menu on the touch screen) . Of course, it is also possible for the route drawn manually by the user not to be displayed on the touch screen.

Fig. 2 also shows sub-modules included in the route planning module 203 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As Fig. 2 shows, the route planning module 203 may comprise: a format conversion sub-module 213, configured to convert the manually drawn route to a data format of a route in the navigation map database; a matching sub-module 223, configured to search the navigation map database for a route which best matches the manually drawn route; and a planning sub-module 233, configured to plan the route which best matches the manually drawn route as a navigation route. As can be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the route drawn manually by the user on the touch screen and acquired by the hand-drawn route acquisition module 202 is a set of screen coordinates, while the route format in the navigation map database is generally a set of longitude and latitude coor^¬ dinates, and so the route drawn manually by the user must be converted from screen coordinate format to longitude/latitude coordinate format by the format conversion sub-module 213. In fact, when the navigation map is displayed by the display module 201, a mapping between longitude/latitude coordinates in the navigation map and screen coordinates on the touch screen has already been established. Thus, the format conversion sub-module 213 may use the same mapping to convert the route drawn manually by the user from screen coordinate format to longitude/latitude coordinate format. As can be appreciated, although the format conversion sub-module 213 is shown as being included in the route planning module 203, it may also be included in the hand-drawn map acquisition module 202, or may be a separate module in the navigation route planning device 200.

The matching sub-module 223 may search for a route which best matches the manually drawn map by comparing and matching the route drawn manually by the user and converted to the route format in the navigation map database with routes in the navigation map database. The matching sub-module 223 may use any method of judging the degree of match between two routes to carry out said comparing and matching. For example, curve fitting methods such as the well-known method of least squares may be used to judge the degree of match between two routes.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the display module 201 can display the route found by the matching sub-module as best matching the manually drawn route. The display module 201 may use different colors to display the route drawn manually by the user and the best matching route found, to allow the user to distinguish between them. The display module 201 may also display these two routes using other different external features, or the same external features. The navigation route planning device 200 may receive the user's acceptance or refusal of the best matching route found by means of a dialogue box containing accept and refuse buttons displayed by the display module 201, or in some other way. In response to an acceptance of the best matching route found being received from the user, the route planning module 203 (or planning sub-module 233 therein) may plan this route as a navigation route. In response to a refusal of the best matching route found being received from the user, the route planning module 203 (or planning sub-module 233 therein) does not plan this route as a navigation route, and the display module 210 may cancel the displaying of this route and the route drawn manually by the user, so that the user can begin drawing a route manually afresh. In another embodiment of the present invention, the route found as best matching the manually drawn route may also be planned as a navigation route directly, without the display module 201 displaying the dialogue box. The route found by the matching sub-module 223 as best matching the route drawn manually by the user may not only be a single route, but also multiple routes. When the matching sub-module 223 finds multiple best matching routes, the display module 201 may display the multiple best matching routes. In response to the user's selection of one of the multiple best matching routes being received, the route planning module 203 (or planning sub-module 233 therein) may plan the route selected by the user as a navigation route. The user's selection of one of the multiple best matching routes can be received in several ways, for example by displaying a dialogue box allowing the user to select one of the multiple routes, or by the user clicking on one of the multiple routes displayed, etc.

In the embodiments of the present invention described above, the planning of navigation routes by the navigation route planning device 200 is based completely on routes drawn manually by the _n

user; such a mode may be called fully hand-drawn mode. In certain other embodiments of the present invention, the navigation route planning device 200 first automatically plans and displays a navigation route as in the prior art, and then allows the user to draw an amendment to the navigation route manually, planning a new navigation route on the basis of the automatically planned navigation route and the amendment drawn manually by the user; such a mode may be called semi-hand-drawn mode. In other embodiments of the present invention, the navigation route planning device 200 may operate not only by the fully hand-drawn mode, but also by the semi-hand-drawn mode; in such an embodiment, the navigation route planning device 200 may switch between these two modes. Switching may be performed on the basis of a user command (e.g. by a command inputted by button or a menu option in the navigation system) . Switching may also be performed automat^¬ ically by the device on the basis of the occurrence of a specific event: for example, when the user draws by hand directly on a displayed navigation map, the fully hand-drawn mode is being used; when the user draws by hand after activating automatic planning and display of navigation maps by the device, the semi-hand-drawn mode is being used.

In embodiments where the device 200 operates in semi-hand-drawn mode, or when the device 200 operates in semi-hand-drawn mode in an embodiment including both operating modes, the route planning module 203 (or a separate automatic route planning module) automatically plans a navigation route, which is then displayed in a navigation map by the display module 201. The navigation route may be planned automatically by a method from the prior art, for example on the basis of a starting point and destination selected by the user and a default or user-selected planning strategy. Next, the user makes a manual amendment to the au^¬ tomatically planned navigation route displayed on the navigation map. The user may amend one or more road sections in the navigation route (in this text, "road section" refers to any section of the navigation route generated automatically by the system, or to a route section drawn by the user to replace any section of the navigation route generated automatically by the system) . For example, the user can draw a new road section manually between any two points on the navigation route, to indicate that he wishes to replace the original road section between the two points in the navigation route with the new road section. The hand-drawn route acquisition module 202 can acquire one or more new road sections (which may be called amended road sections) drawn manually by the user. The format conversion sub-module 213 can convert the one or more amended road sections to the data format in the navigation map database. The matching sub-module 223 can then search the navigation map database for one or more road sections which best match the one or more amended road sections, respectively. Furthermore, the planning sub-module 233 can replace the at least one road section in the automatically planned navigation route with the one or more best matching road sections, respectively, so as to obtain a new planned navigation route.

In the embodiments described above, the user draws a route manually on a touch screen. In other embodiments which are described below, the route manually drawn by the user is obtained by capturing a gesture of the user. Fig. 3 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a navigation route planning device according to other embodiments of the present invention. As Fig. 3 shows, the navigation route planning device 300 comprises: a display module 301, configured to display a navigation map on a display screen; a capture module 303, configured to capture the path of a user's gesture; a hand-drawn route acquisition module 302, configured to map the path of the user's gesture to a path displayed on the display screen, to serve as a route drawn manually by the user on the navigation map; and a route planning module 203, configured to plan a navigation route according to the manually drawn route. Also shown in Fig. 3 is a navigation map database 204, which can be regarded as being either included or not included in the navigation route planning device. The capture module 303 may be a device of any type, including for example a camera, capable of capturing the path of a user's gesture. The capture module 303 may be linked in wired or wireless communication with the hand-drawn route acquisition module 302, and can transfer the captured path of a user's gesture to the hand-drawn path acquisition module 302. A mapping between coordinates of spatial regions where user gestures are located and coordinates on the display screen may be stored in the hand-drawn route acquisition module 302 in advance, so that the path of a user's gesture can be mapped to a path displayed on the display screen according to this mapping. The capture module 303 can transfer the captured gesture path to the hand-drawn route acquisition module 302 in real time, to be mapped to a path on the display screen by the hand-drawn route acquisition module 302 and displayed in real time by the display module 301. For example, a fingertip of the user can be mapped to a cursor on the display screen in real time, the cursor moving as the user's fingertip moves. Thus the user can draw the desired route manually in a visual way on the navigation map displayed on the display screen by moving his fingertip, regardless of the distance between the display screen and the user.

The display screen may be a display screen of any type, for example a personal computer display screen, or a public information prompt board in a public place, etc. In a further embodiment of the present invention, the display screen is the windshield of a vehicle; and further, head-up display technology may be applied to realize display in the windshield. As is already known in the art, the windshield of a vehicle such as a car may be turned into a display screen by implanting an LED display film therein, or by another method. In addition, as is already known in the art, head-up display technology is capable of making an image displayed in the windshield appear to be located directly in front of the vehicle from the point of view of people inside the vehicle. Using the windshield allows a bigger display area to be provided for the navigation map, and thus makes it more convenient for the user to draw a route manually on the navigation map. Furthermore, if the windshield utilizes head-up display technology, the adverse effect of windshield inclination on navigation map display can be overcome, further facilitating the manual drawing of routes on the navigation map by the user.

Similarly to the embodiments described above in which a touch screen is used, embodiments in which a user's manual drawing is obtained by capturing a user's gesture may include embodiments where operation proceeds in a semi-hand-drawn mode, and em- bodiments in which switching can be performed between fully hand-drawn mode and semi-hand-drawn mode. In embodiments where the device 300 operates in semi-hand-drawn mode, or when the device 300 operates in semi-hand-drawn mode in an embodiment including both operating modes, similarly, the route planning module 203 (or a separate automatic route planning module) first automatically plans a navigation route, which is then displayed in a navigation map on the display screen by the display module 301. The user then makes a manual amendment by means of a gesture to the automatically planned navigation route displayed on the navigation map on the display screen. The hand-drawn route acquisition module 302 can acquire one or more amended road sections drawn manually by the user by means of gestures. The various sub-modules in the route planning module 203 can perform the same operations on the automatically planned route and the one or more amended road sections as in the embodiments described above, so as to obtain a new navigation route.

The capture module 303, hand-drawn route acquisition module 302 and display module 301 in the navigation route planning device 300 according to said other embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to Fig. 3. The remaining modules in the navigation route planning device 300, such as the route planning module 203 and the various sub-modules therein, may be the same as the corresponding modules in the navigation route planning device 200 according to said embodiments of the present invention described with reference to Fig. 2, and so are not described superfluously here. Navigation route planning devices 200 and 300 according to various embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings; it should be pointed out that the above descriptions and drawings are merely examples, and do not constitute a limitation on the present invention. In other embodiments of the present invention, the navigation route planning device can have more, fewer or different modules, while relationships among modules with regard to connection, inclusion and function, etc. may be different from those described and drawn. For example, in general, a function performed by one module may also be performed by another module; a module performing multiple functions may be split into multiple modules performing the multiple functions separately; multiple modules may be combined to form a module performing multiple corresponding functions; certain modules can not only be included in the device, but also be excluded from the device, and so on. As can be appreciated by those skilled in the art, all these changes fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention. Furthermore, it should be noted that the names of the various devices, modules and sub-modules in the above descriptions and drawings and in the attached claims have been chosen purely for the sake of convenience of presentation and understanding, and do not limit the present invention in any way.

Furthermore, as can be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the navigation route planning device and modules therein ac^¬ cording to the embodiments of the present invention may be realized using software, hardware or a combination of software and hardware. When the device and modules therein are realized using software, computer-executable commands specifying the functions of the device and the modules therein are contained in a computer-readable storage medium or transfer medium; when loaded into the computer and executed therein, the comput- er-executable commands guide the computer and/or additional equipment to perform the functions of the device and the modules therein, thereby constituting the device and the modules therein. When realized using hardware, the device and the modules therein are embodied as dedicated equipment used to perform their functions. The combination of software and hardware may include not only the combination of computer software with universal computer hardware such as a processor and memory, but also the combination of computer software with dedicated computer hardware or other dedicated equipment, or the combination of computer program software with universal computer hardware and dedicated computer hardware or other dedicated equipment. When the navigation route planning device and the modules therein according to the embodiments of the present invention are realized using a combination of computer software with universal computer hardware, computer-executable commands specifying the functions of the device and the modules therein are loaded into a memory of the computer, and executed by the processor, so as to guide the computer and/or additional equipment to execute the functions of the device and the modules therein, thus con^¬ stituting the device and the modules therein. For example, in one implementation, the hand-drawn route acquisition modules 202 and 302 and the route planning module 203 in the navigation route planning device 200 can be realized by the combination of computer-executable commands for executing corresponding functions with universal computer hardware such as a processor and memory; the display modules 201 and 301 can be realized by the combination of computer-executable commands for executing specified functions with universal computer hardware such as a processor and memory and additional equipment such as a display adapter and display (and programs for driving the additional equipment); the capture module 303 can be realized by a camera connected to the computer and by an associated communication interface, adapter and driver, and so on. As those skilled in the art should readily appreciate, the navigation route planning devices 200 and 300 and the various modules therein according to the present invention are by no means limited to any specific implementation; on the contrary, any possible implementation thereof shall fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention . According to another aspect of the present invention, a navigation system is provided, comprising a navigation route planning device 200 or 300 according to any embodiment of the present invention as described above, and a device for using a navigation route planned by the navigation route planning device 200 or 300 to perform navigation. The device for performing navigation on the basis of the planned navigation route may be the same as corresponding devices in existing navigation systems . For example, in one embodiment, it may include the navigation module and positioning system service module as well as the optional audio output module and vehicle information collection module shown in Fig. 1, etc.; details will not be repeated here.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the navigation system is a vehicle-mounted navigation system, and as stated above, the vehicle windshield is used as a display screen. According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the display modes of the navigation map in the windshield include a full-screen display mode and a non-full-screen display mode. In full-screen display mode, the navigation map is displayed across the whole of the windshield. In non-full-screen display mode, the navigation map is displayed on part of the windshield; for instance, it may be displayed at the top left, bottom left, top right, bottom right, left half or right half of the windshield, or simultaneously at two parts of the windshield, such as the bottom left and bottom right, or may even be displayed on a side window of the vehicle (of course, in this case, an LED display film etc. should be implanted in the side window) .

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, when the vehicle is in a state of motion, the navigation map display mode is non-full-screen display. For example, the navigation map could be displayed in front of the front passenger to allow the latter to plan a route by manual drawing; the navigation map may also be simultaneously displayed in a corner of the windscreen in front of the driver, for the purpose of navigation. When the vehicle is stationary, the navigation map display mode may be full-screen display, to facilitate route planning; of course, at this time it may also be non-full-screen display (for example, based on a user command) . In such an embodiment, a vehicle moving state acquisition module (not shown) should also be present; this module may be realized by the vehicle information collection module in the existing navigation system shown in Fig. 1. In other words, when it is determined on the basis of information collected by the vehicle information collection module that the vehicle is in a state of motion, the display module 301 can display the navigation map in a non-full-screen display mode; and when it is determined on the basis of information collected by the vehicle information collection module that the vehicle is stationary, the display module 301 can display the navigation map in a full-screen display mode, or in a non-full-screen display mode according to a user command.

Navigation route planning methods and navigation methods ac- cording to embodiments of the present invention

Navigation route planning methods according to embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. As can be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the navigation route planning methods may be performed by the navigation route planning devices according to embodiments of the present invention as described above, but may of course be performed by any other device. For the sake of conciseness, the following descriptions omit those details which overlap with the above descriptions; thus those skilled in the art can gain a more detailed understanding of the navigation route planning methods by referring to the above descriptions.

Fig. 4 shows a schematic flow chart of a navigation route planning method according to certain embodiments of the present invention. This method corresponds to the fully hand-drawn mode described above. As the figure shows, the method comprises the following steps : in step 401, displaying a navigation map; in step 402, acquiring a route drawn manually by a user on the navigation map; in step 403, planning a navigation route according to the manually drawn route.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, step 403 - planning a navigation route according to the manually drawn route - comprises the following sub-steps: converting the manually drawn route to a route format in a navigation map database; searching the navigation map database for a route which best matches the manually drawn route; planning the route which best matches the manually drawn route as a navigation route. According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the method optionally further comprises the following step: dis^¬ playing the route found as best matching the manually drawn route; and the sub-step of planning the route which best matches the manually drawn route as a navigation route is performed in response to an acceptance of the route displayed as best matching the manually drawn route being received from the user.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the route which best matches the manually drawn route is multiple routes, and the method further comprises the following sub-step: displaying the multiple routes; and the sub-step of planning the route which best matches the manually drawn route as a navigation route comprises: in response to the user's selection of one of the multiple routes being received, planning the route selected by the user as a navigation route. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the navigation map is displayed on a touch screen, and the route drawn manually by the user on the navigation map is a route drawn manually by the user on the touch screen displaying the navigation map .

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the navigation map is displayed on a display screen, and the method further comprises the following optional step: in step 404, capturing the path of a user's gesture; and step 402 - acquiring a route drawn manually by the user on the navigation map - comprises: mapping the path of a user's gesture to a path displayed on the display screen, to serve as the route drawn manually by the user on the navigation map.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the display screen is the windshield of a vehicle.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the display modes of the navigation map include a full-screen display mode and a non-full-screen display mode, and when the vehicle is in a state of motion, the display mode of the navigation map is non-full-screen display.

According to the embodiments of the present invention, the method is used for any one of the following: planning of or navigation along a route taken by a vehicle; planning of or navigation along a walking route; and route planning for a journey on public transport .

Now refer to Fig. 5, which shows a schematic flow chart of a navigation route planning method according to certain other embodiments of the present invention. The method corresponds to the semi-hand-drawn mode described above. As the figure shows, the method comprises the following steps: in step 501, planning a navigation route automatically; in step 502, displaying the automatically planned navigation route in a navigation map; in step 503, acquiring an amendment, drawn manually by a user, to the automatically planned navigation route; and in step 504, planning a new navigation route on the basis of the automatically planned navigation route and the amendment.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the amendment, drawn manually by the user, to the automatically planned navigation route comprises at least one amended road section, drawn manually by the user, to replace at least one road section in the automatically planned navigation route; and step 504 - planning a new navigation route on the basis of the automatically planned navigation route and the amendment - comprises the following sub-steps: converting the at least one manually drawn amended road section to a route format in a navigation map database; searching the navigation map database for at least one road section which best matches the at least one manually drawn amended road section, respectively; and replacing the at least one road section in the automatically planned navigation route with the at least one best matching road section, respectively, so as to obtain the new planned navigation route. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the navigation map is displayed on a touch screen, and the route drawn manually by the user on the navigation map is a route drawn manually by the user on the touch screen displaying the navigation map . According to another embodiment of the present invention, the navigation map is displayed on a display screen, and the method further comprises the following steps: in optional step 404, capturing the path of a user's gesture; and step 503 - acquiring a route drawn manually by the user on the navigation map - comprises: mapping the path of the user's gesture to a path displayed on the display screen, to serve as the route drawn manually by the user on the navigation map.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the display screen is a vehicle windshield. According to a further embodiment, the display modes of the navigation map include a full-screen display mode and a non-full-screen display mode, and when the vehicle is in a state of motion, the display mode of the navigation map is

non-full-screen display.

According to the embodiments of the present invention, the method is used for any one of the following: planning of or navigation along a route taken by a vehicle; planning of or navigation along a walking route; and route planning for a journey on public transport.

Navigation route planning methods according to various embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings; it should be pointed out that the above descriptions and drawings are merely examples, and do not constitute a limitation on the present invention. In other embodiments of the present invention, the navigation route planning method can have more, fewer or different steps, while relationships among steps with regard to order, inclusion and function, etc. may be different from those described and drawn. For example, in general, a step performing multiple operations may be split into multiple steps performing the multiple op^¬ erations separately; multiple steps may be combined to form a step performing multiple corresponding operations; certain steps can not only be included in the method, but also be excluded from the method; certain steps can, rather than being performed in the order given in the description and drawings, be performed in the opposite order or in parallel, and so on. All these changes fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention. Furthermore, as can be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the navigation route planning method and the steps therein according to the embodiments of the present invention may be realized using software, hardware or a combination of software and hardware. When the method and the steps therein are realized using software, computer-executable commands specifying the method and the steps therein are contained in a computer-readable storage medium or transfer medium; when loaded into the computer and executed therein, the computer-executable commands guide the computer and/or additional equipment to perform the method and the steps therein. When realized using hardware, the method and the steps therein are performed by dedicated equipment. The combination of software and hardware may include not only the combination of computer software with universal computer hardware such as a processor and memory, but also the combination of computer software with dedicated computer hardware or other dedicated equipment, or the combination of computer program software with universal computer hardware and dedicated computer hardware or other dedicated equipment. When the navigation route planning method and the steps therein according to the em- bodiments of the present invention are realized using a com^¬ bination of computer software with universal computer hardware, computer-executable commands specifying the method and the steps therein are loaded into a memory of the computer, and executed by the processor, so as to guide the computer and/or additional equipment to execute the method and the steps therein. As those skilled in the art should readily appreciate, the navigation route planning method and the various steps therein according to the present invention are by no means limited to any specific implementation; on the contrary, any possible implementation thereof shall fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention .

According to another aspect of the present invention, a navigation method is also proposed, comprising: using a navigation route planned by a navigation route planning method according to any one of the above embodiments to perform navigation.

Although the present invention has been presented and explained in detail with reference to embodiments, those skilled in the art can appreciate that various changes in form or detail could be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. The scope of the present invention is defined by the attached claims alone.

Claims

Patent claims

A navigation route planning device, comprising:

a display module, configured to display a navigation map; a hand-drawn route acquisition module, configured to acquire a route drawn manually by a user on a navigation map; and a route planning module, configured to plan a navigation route according to the manually drawn route.

The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the route planning module comprises:

a format conversion sub-module, configured to convert the manually drawn route to a data format of a navigation map; a matching sub-module, configured to search for a navigation map route which best matches a manually drawn route; and a planning sub-module, configured to plan a navigation map route which best matches a manually drawn route as a navigation route.

The device as claimed in claim 2,

wherein the display module is further configured to display a navigation map route found as best matching a manually drawn route;

and wherein the route planning module is further configured to plan a navigation map route which best matches a manually drawn route as a navigation route, in response to an ac^¬ ceptance of the navigation map route displayed as best matching the manually drawn route being received from a user.

The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the navigation route planning device further comprises a navigation map database; and the matching sub-module configured to search for a navigation map route which best matches a manually drawn route is further configured to search the navigation map database for a navigation map route which best matches a manually drawn route. The device as claimed in any one of claims 1 - 4, wherein the navigation map is displayed on a touch screen, and wherein the route drawn manually by the user on the navigation map is a route drawn manually by the user on the touch screen displaying the navigation map.

The device as claimed in any one of claims 1 - 4, wherein the navigation map is displayed on a display screen, and the device further comprises:

a capture module, configured to capture the path of a user's gesture ;

and wherein the hand-drawn route acquisition module configured to acquire a route drawn manually by a user on a navigation map is configured to:

map the path of the user's gesture to a path displayed on the display screen, to serve as the route drawn manually by the user .

The device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the display screen is a vehicle windshield.

A navigation route planning device, comprising:

a route planning module, configured to plan a navigation route automatically;

a display module, configured to display the automatically planned navigation route in a navigation map;

a hand-drawn route acquisition module, configured to acquire an amendment, drawn manually by a user, to the automatically planned navigation route;

and wherein the route planning module is further configured to plan a new navigation route on the basis of the auto^¬ matically planned navigation route and the amendment.

The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the amendment, drawn manually by the user, to the automatically planned navigation route comprises at least one amended road section, drawn manually by the user, to replace at least one road section in the automatically planned navigation route;

and wherein the route planning module comprises:

a format conversion sub-module, configured to convert the manually drawn amended road section to a data format of a navigation map;

a matching sub-module, configured to search for a navigation map road section which best matches the manually drawn amended road section;

a planning sub-module, configured to replace the appropriate road section in the automatically planned navigation route with the best matching navigation map road section, so as to acquire the new planned navigation route.

The device as claimed in any one of claims 8 - 9, wherein the navigation map is displayed on a touch screen, and wherein the route drawn manually by the user on the navigation map is a route drawn manually by the user on the touch screen displaying the navigation map.

The device as claimed in any one of claims 8 - 9, wherein the navigation map is displayed on a display screen, and the device further comprises:

a capture module, configured to capture the path of a user's gesture ;

The device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the display screen is a vehicle windshield.

The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the navigation route planning device further comprises a navigation map database; and the matching sub-module configured to search for a navigation map road section which best matches a manually drawn amended road section is further configured to search the navigation map database for a navigation map road section which best matches a manually drawn amended route.

14. A navigation system, comprising:

a navigation route planning device according to any one of claims 1 - 13; and

a device which uses a navigation route planned by the navigation route planning device to perform navigation.

15. The navigation system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the display modes of the navigation map include a full-screen display mode and a non-full-screen display mode, and when the vehicle is in a state of motion, the display mode of the navigation map is the non-full-screen display mode.