SEARCHING

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a vehicle navigation system and a corresponding method with improved destination searching function.

BACKGROUND ART

In a conventional vehicle navigation system, destination input is generally performed by means of a human machine interface (HMI) wherein one of inputting approaches is direct picking-up a position point from the map shown on a screen of a display of the navigation system. By scrolling and zooming in/out the map, the desired destination point can be determined directly by means of a pointer or a crosshair which is located on a map point in the map. Generally, a section of the screen of the display, for example, half of the screen, is used for displaying the information related with the map point. The remaining area of the screen for showing the map, in which the crosshair is located on a map point, is thus limited, which results in difficulty in searching a desired destination point.

Further, in a conventional vehicle navigation system, when a destination point searched out is not on a road or is not on a point of interest (POI), an expression or a name without semantics to the user is generally assigned and shown. For example, the geometric coordinates of the crosshair are shown as output name information.

In practice, when searching a desired destination point using such an HMI of a conventional vehicle navigation system, the desired destination point is generally difficult to be searched out or even cannot be got. Thus, HMIs of conventional vehicle navigation systems cannot provide sufficient support to a user in searching a desired destination point.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle navigation system and a corresponding method to overcome the above defects existed in the prior art.

To achieve the above object, the present invention in a first aspect provides a vehicle navigation system comprising: a navigation engine; and a display unit, a digital map unit, a sensor data gathering unit and a human machine interface containing a destination memory, all coupled with the navigation engine; wherein the display unit has a screen on which a map and a crosshair are shown, at least one edge bar is formed by an area of the screen along an edge of the screen, information on the map area visible in the screen as well as on the map point hit by the crosshair is shown in the edge bar; and wherein the edge bar can be transparent or translucent, so that the map area under the edge bar is visible.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the edge bar comprises a pair of edge bars formed along the upper and lower edges of the screen respectively, or along the left and right edges of the screen respectively.

In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the invention, one of the pair of edge bars shows the name or names of the country and/or the province or state and/or the city and/or the city district of the map area shown on the screen; and, in the condition that the crosshair is on a point of the map which is related with a point of interest or a road, the other of the pair of edge bars shows the name of the point of interest or the name of the road; and, in the condition that the crosshair is on a point of the map which is related neither with a point of interest nor with a road, the other of the pair of edge bars shows the name of the map area or landuse where the map point is located or a name like "near of certain road (or roads)" or "near of certain POI (or POIs)", wherein the certain road or certain POI is nearest to the map point and possesses a name.

In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the invention, the human machine interface comprises a text- to- speech system for further outputting the information shown by the edge bar in voice.

In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the invention, the human machine interface comprises a voice control system for performing some or all of the operations of the system.

In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the invention, the human machine interface comprises a mechanism to start a pop-up window to show related information and/or map cutout of the roads and POIs surrounding the map point indicated by the crosshair, wherein text information can be read out by the text- to- speech system.

In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the invention, the human machine interface comprises a mechanism, which can be initiated for example by a button or by the voice control system, for the user to input the to be searched country/state and/or the to be searched province and/or the to be searched city/ city district and/or the to be searched road and/or the to be searched POI, where the input can take place by Initial-Letter- Input method, voice control or handwriting recognition method. Then the map area of the input country/state and/or province and/or city/city district is showed where the crosshair is located in the center of the country/state and/or the province and/or the city/city district or pointed to the input road or POI.

In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the invention, the human machine interface comprises softkeys, and/or menus, and/or buttons, and/or a character inputting program.

In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the invention, the human machine interface comprises a similar functionality described above which assigns the start point of last route navigation or the last vehicle parking location with a name with semantics, which can then be used as navigation destinations.

The present invention in a second aspect provides a vehicle navigation method using the vehicle navigation system described above, comprising the steps of: a) using one or combination of the means described above to locate the crosshair quickly to the map area interested; and/or moving the crosshair or scrolling the map and/or zooming in/out the map, by means of the human machine interface which can be the voice control system, to a point on the map shown on the screen, which is interested or looked for by the user; and then b) if the crosshair is on a point which is related with a road or a point of interest, one of the edge bars shows the name of the road or the point of interest; or if the crosshair is on a point which is related neither with a point of interest nor with a road, the edge bar shows the name of the map area or landuse where the map point is located or a name like "near of certain road (or roads)" or "near of certain POI (or POIs)", wherein the certain road or certain POI is nearest to the map point and possesses a name; and then c) on the remaining edge bars information on the administrative hierarchy, which the current map point belongs to, is showed; and then d) when the user confirms that the map point is his navigation destination he is now looking for, the destination obtains the geo-coordinates of the map point as its position and the information showed in the edge bar as its name. Additionally the administrative hierarchy which the map point belongs to can also be acquired as part of destination information. This destination can be used for start of navigation route guidance and/or stored in the destination memory of the navigation system.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the information shown by the edge bar is further output in voice.

In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the invention, the start point of last route navigation or the last vehicle parking location can be similarly assigned with a name with semantics, which can then be used as navigation destinations.

According to the present invention, a vehicle navigation system is provided with an intelligent HMI, additional useful information on the visible map areas is shown in edge bars and/or pop-up windows, and conveniently controllable means is provided to a user for locating a crosshair to his interested map area easily and quickly. As a result, the user can easily and quickly find the desired destination point.

Further, when the destination point searched out is not related with a road or is not a point of interest, an expression or a name having semantics to the user will be shown.

Furthermore, the map is shown nearly on the full screen area, which renders the searching procedure quick and simple.

BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described in details with reference to the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram showing a vehicle navigation system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic view of a display screen of vehicle navigation system according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

Figure 3 is a schematic view of a display screen of vehicle navigation system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Now some preferred embodiments of the system and method of the invention will be described.

Figure 1 schematically shows a vehicle navigation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle navigation system mainly comprises a navigation engine 1, and a display unit 2, a digital map unit 3, a sensor data gathering unit 4 and a human machine interface (HMI) 5 all coupled with the navigation engine 1.

The navigation engine 1, as a central controller of the vehicle navigation system, provides functionalities like destination handling, routing, vehicle positioning, map matching and route guidance..

The digital map unit 3 receives and stores a digital map and can be updated automatically or manually.

The display unit 2 shows various information of the vehicle navigation system, including a local section of the digital map.

The sensor data gathering unit 4 acquires various sensor data representing parameters of the vehicle, including the satellite positioning data such as GPS, the velocity, angular position of the vehicle and the like. The sensor data gathering unit 4 may comprise satellite positioning system, speed sensors, gyro sensors, etc.

The HMI 5 contains a destination memory and is an input-output interface between a user or an operator and the navigation engine 1.

Figure 2 schematically shows a screen 20 of the display unit 2. The full area of the screen 20 is used for displaying the map and related information, which is in contrast to the traditional technique where a section of the screen is used for displaying information while only the remaining part of the screen, for example, half of the screen, is used for displaying the map. A crosshair 10 is shown on the screen 20 and can by controlled to move to a desired point in the screen area by means of the HMI 5. The screen 20 has an upper edge bar 12 and a lower edge bar 14, which are two areas of the screen, for displaying supplementary information on visible map area and crosshair position.

Figure 3 schematically shows another screen 20 of the display unit 2. The screen 20 shown in Figure 3 is different with that of Figure 2 in that the upper and lower edge bars 12 and 14 are replaced by left and right edge bars 16 and 18 for displaying supplementary information on visible map area and crosshair position. Other aspects of the 20 shown in Figure 3 are similar to that shown in Figure 2.

The upper edge bar 12 (or the left edge bar 16) may be used to show the name or names of the country and/or the province or state and/or the city and/or the city district of the visible map area, and the lower edge bar 14 (or the right edge bar 18) may be used to show the name of a road or the names of POIs at the position of the crosshair 10, and vice versa.

The upper and lower edge bars 12 and 14 and the left and right edge bars 16 and 18 are transparent or translucent, so that the map areas under them are also visible.

If the crosshair at current position relates neither a road nor a POI, then the lower edge bar 14 (or the right edge bar 18) shows the occupying information of the map area or the landuse around this point, and/or one or more roads or one or more POIs which are nearest to the crosshair and have names.

Optionally, the information shown in either of the edge bars can be also output in voice by means of a text- to- speech system.

The crosshair 10 is movable by a user using the HMI 5.

Further, the HMI 5 may comprise a mechanism to start a pop-up window to show related information and/or map cutout of the roads and POIs surrounding the map point indicated by the crosshair, wherein text information can be read out by the text- to- speech system.

The pop-up window may occupy a fraction of the screen area, for example, half of the screen area or smaller. Alternatively, several pop-up windows may be popped up for showing different information.

The HMI 5 may also has a button or a voice control feature which allows the user to input the name or names of a country and/or a province or state and/or a city or a district of the city and/or a road and/or a POI which is(are) desired to search. For example, the user may select one of alphabetic input, voice input, handwriting input, and the like. Then the map on the screen 20 turns to the input country and/or the input province or state and/or the input city or district of the city, while the crosshair 10 is presented inside the country and/or the province or state and/or the city or district of the city which is shown, or is presented at the input road and/or the input POI.

The map shown on the screen can be scrolled and zoomed out/in, so that the desired destination point or area can be clearly found. The scrolling and zoom out/in functions can be controlled by voice.

Then the user may input a confirmation order by means of the HMI 5 to confirm whether the map point or area indicated by the crosshair 10 is his wished destination or not. If it is, then the information of the map point or area including its geometric coordinates and its name, which is shown in the edge bars, is assigned to this destination and stored for navigation guidance purpose. Additionally the administrative hierarchy which the map point or area belongs to can also be acquired and stored as part of the destination information.

In a further preferred embodiment, the HMI 5 comprises a functionality which assigns the start point of last route navigation or the last vehicle parking location with a name with semantics, which can then be used as navigation destinations. In other words, the start point of last route navigation or the last vehicle parking location may be used as navigation destination.

Specifically, if the start point of last route navigation or the last vehicle parking location used as navigation destination hits a road or a POI in the map, then the name of the road or the POI is obtained as its destination name. If this point hits neither a road nor a POI, the occupying information of the map area or the landuse around this point, and/or one or more roads or one or more POIs which are nearest to this point and have names is obtained as its destination name. Additionally the administrative hierarchy which the point belongs to can also be acquired as part of the destination information.

Thus, the name of the start point of last route navigation or the name of the last vehicle parking location may be provided to the user as a selectable item for route navigation.

The system is operated by means of the HMI 5 which may have softkeys / menus / buttons carried by itself, as well as an character inputting interface (including a Chinese character inputting interface), pop-up windows, icons, and other supplementary information shown on the screen 20.

Thus, the HMI 5 of the invention incorporates some useful features for facilitating the operation of the user and helping the user to find the desired destination quickly and directly in the screen map. These features include: text-to-speech, for output the text in voice; softkeys / menus / buttons and character inputting program, for performing the name input operation as described above; and voice control, for performing some or all of the operations of the system.

By using the vehicle navigation system described above, a vehicle navigation method according to the invention comprises the steps of: a) using one or combination of the means described above to locate the crosshair quickly to the map area interested; and/or moving the crosshair or scrolling the map and/or zooming in/out the map, by means of the human machine interface which can be the voice control system, to a point on the map shown on the screen, which is interested or looked for by the user; and then b) if the crosshair is on a point which is related with a road or a point of interest, one of the edge bars shows the name of the road or the point of interest; or if the crosshair is on a point which is related neither with a point of interest nor with a road, the edge bar shows the name of the map area or landuse where the map point is located or a name like "near of certain road (or roads)" or "near of certain POI (or POIs)", wherein the certain road or certain POI is nearest to the map point and possesses a name; and then c) on the remaining edge bars information on the administrative hierarchy, which the current map point belongs to, is showed; and then d) when the user confirms that the map point is his navigation destination he is now looking for, the destination obtains the geo-coordinates of the map point as its position and the information showed in the edge bar as its name; additionally the administrative hierarchy which the map point belongs to can also be acquired as part of destination information. This destination can be used for start of navigation route guidance and/or stored in the destination memory of the navigation system. It should be understood that the foregoing description is only illustrative of the invention. Various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances which fall within the scope of the appended claims.