Alpine Electronics, Inc.

Andrew S De Silva

Alex Panganiban

Tatsuo Yokota

David T Schaaf

Jianning Zhuang

Jose Mazas

Hikaru P Wako

Maung Han

Linh Doan

Joey Pascual

A map scrolling method and apparatus for a navigation system prevents from displaying certain icons while displaying other icons based on conditions and settings of the navigation system during a transition period of a map scrolling operation. The map scrolling method includes the steps of: detecting activation of a map scrolling operation; checking whether there is any limit condition attached to icons as to remove them from a map image; scrolling the map image while removing the icons to which the limit condition is attached from the map image during a transition period of the map scrolling operation; and displaying all of the icons when the map scrolling operation is completed.

Map scrolling method and apparatus for navigation system for selectively displaying icons

A method and apparatus for improving efficiency and accuracy in event information exchange among users of navigation systems or other devices through wireless communication. The method includes the steps of: receiving information indicating an upcoming event, an event location, and participants thereof input by a user; checking a database storing data regarding types of event in response to the information input by the user to determine a type of the event; retrieving information regarding items required for the type of event determined and generating a template including a list of what items to bring by the participants of the event; and sending the template to the participants of the event through wireless communication.

Method and apparatus for improving efficiency in event information exchange among parties of event

A method and apparatus to optimize energy consumption in a mobile phone having a navigation system is disclosed. The navigation-based method and apparatus efficiently use a smartphone battery to provide the highest possible location accuracy to the driver. When the driver is travelling from a complex route segment to a less complex route segment, current location sensor is switched to another location sensor with lower location accuracy which consumes less battery power. When the driver is travelling from a less complex route segment to a complex route segment, the navigation system continues to use a location sensor with lower accuracy until the navigation system determines that switching to higher accuracy location sensor is necessary to conserve more battery power. The navigation system can determine a best timing to switch according to the driver's familiarity with the route segment or geographical area.

Method and apparatus for efficiently using a battery in a smartphone having a navigation system

A method and apparatus for automatically updating information on favorite places upon change of home address. The method includes the steps of: checking data received by the navigation system to detect whether the old home address of a user has been changed to the new home address; searching for favorite places around the new home address equivalent to that around the old home address; determining whether the updating of the favorite places should be conducted automatically or upon instruction by the user; updating the favorite places by replacing the favorite places for the old home address with the equivalent favorite places for the new home address; and repeating the above steps every time when there is a change in the home address.

Automatic updating of favorite places for navigation system upon change of home address

An apparatus and method diverts navigation guidance provided by a phone when an incoming call occurs to achieve uninterrupted route guidance. In one aspect, a communication system is integrated with the phone to divert the route guidance to a vehicle audio system or display screen when there is an incoming call. The communication system can also be integrated with a cradle, a haptic commander or a radio head unit, which can be communicatively connected with the phone and the vehicle, such that when the incoming call occurs, the route guidance information is transmitted from the phone to the vehicle audio system or display screen through the cradle, etc. Furthermore, the communication system can continuously track the vehicle location to restart the navigation system in the phone when the call is ended.

Method and apparatus to enhance navigation user experience for a smart phone device

A method and apparatus for use with a navigation system to search specified type of information along a calculated route to a destination by incorporating search criteria based on city or other regional zones. The method includes the steps of building one or more zones to be traversed in travelling on the calculated route to the destination based on map data, displaying a list of zones on the calculated route to prompt a user to select a zone, displaying a list of types of information to prompt the user to select a type of information to be searched, searching information along the calculated route within the selected zone within a predetermined search range of the calculated route, and displaying the information of the selected type within the selected zone resulted from the search.

Method and apparatus for navigation system for searching selected type of information along route to destination

A navigation system is designed to scale a map image such that a redrawn map image shows an icon of the most relevant object at a center of a cursor when the scale of the map image is changed so that the user will not lose sight of the most relevant object such as an icon showing a destination. The navigation system prioritizes an icon representing a particular object based on a predetermined priority order and changes the position of the map image so that the icon of the highest priority comes to the center of the cursor when the map scale is changed. Thus, the icon of the highest priority always remains at the center of the cursor, thereby preventing from loosing the sight of the icon of the highest priority when zooming in the map image.

Display method and apparatus for navigation system

A navigation method and system determines a more accurate position of a street address number with use of building footprint information or latitude/longitude information of POI (point of interest), thereby accurately defining a position of a destination. When a user specifies a street address number as his destination, the navigation system retrieves the street segment that should include the location of the specified address number therein. The navigation system also checks the map data as to whether there is any building footprint data or POI position data associated with the street segment. The navigation system selects absolute locations on the street segment based on the building footprint data or the POI position data and determines the location of the specified address number by interpolating between two absolute locations.

Navigation method and system for accurately estimating positions of street address numbers

An off-road trail recording method and apparatus for use with a navigation system for recording an off-road trail when a vehicle travels in an off-road area to safely return to the original road. The off-road trail recording is achieved without regard to on/off settings of the off-road trail recording function by the user. The navigation system automatically detects that the vehicle has left the road and starts recording the off-road trail in a background mode without display the off-road trail. When the user turns on the off-road trail recording function later, the navigation system prompts the user to decide whether the off-road trail recorded in the background should be recovered in a normal mode. The navigation system provides various means for recording the off-road trail with reduced resolution when the memory capacity is exhausted or insufficient.

Off-road trail recording method and apparatus for navigation system

A navigation method and system having a unique key arrangement in which a minimum number of keys is incorporated for operations of a navigation system such as map scroll or map zoom in/out. Such key arrangement is configured by three buttons and is formed on a steering wheel of a vehicle or on a panel of a portable navigation system. The key arrangement performs at least an enter key function and an up/down key function. The key arrangement changes a current status of the navigation system to either a map scroll mode or a map zoom mode and scrolls a map image in a selected direction or sets a zoom scale of the map image.

Navigation method and system

A display method and apparatus for navigation system for specifying the destination easily and quickly. The navigation system is designed to enable a user to quickly select a street name and easily specify the street number of the destination. The navigation system includes a menu for changing a street number of the displayed address through numeric keys. After selecting the street name on the map screen by pointing a cursor on a street image, the street number on the cursor point can be easily and quickly changed to match the destination because it is not necessary to input the street name through the key board.

Growing community of inventors

Torrance, CA, United States of America

Andrew S De Silva