Abstract: A navigation system that enables a user to search for points of interest across categories is provided. The user may enter a character string of a desired destination into the navigation system using a user input device. The navigation system will search for points of interest in the database for the character string. The character string may be from the first portion of the name of the point of interest or somewhere in the middle of the name of the point of interest. In this manner, the user will be able to locate a point of interest from the database while having a partially incorrect name. Additionally, the navigation system may relate the points of interest to the vehicle location, such as by vehicle direction or proximity of the points of interest to the vehicle.

Abstract: A route exclusion list system permits the user to designate certain roads or areas that a navigation system should avoid when planning a route between a beginning point and a destination point. The route exclusion list system generally includes a database of road segments and a cost associated with the road segments, such as estimated time of travel across that road segment or estimated length of travel across that road segment. A display displays a map having a plurality of the road segments. A user input device permits a user to encircle and select displayed road segments. The cost associated with each selected road segment is increased thereby making it unlikely that the navigation system will use any of the selected road segments when determining a route between the beginning point and the destination point. The system can be operated independently of the navigation system and the increase in cost for each road segment can be associated with a specific period of time.

Abstract: A vehicle navigation system provides non-voice audible maneuver instructions to a driver immediately prior to an upcoming maneuver. When the vehicle is very near the execution of the upcoming maneuver, it is preferable to provide a non-voice audible maneuver instruction that is always consistent with the upcoming maneuver. After a short familiarization period the driver will intuitively identify a particular tone or series of tones with a particular maneuver. Further, by only providing the non-voice audio maneuver instruction within a relatively short distance prior to the upcoming maneuver the driver will identify the tone(s) with the immediacy of the upcoming maneuver.

Abstract: A navigation system provides multimedia annotations based upon the present location of the vehicle. These presentations may comprise advertising or text or other information entered by the user and associated with a specific location or locations. The navigation system also provides a removable media reader which obtains additional information based upon which the navigation system operates. This additional information may include multimedia annotations which are location-based. The navigation system further includes a wireless communication system which interacts with and provides further location-based multimedia annotations.

Abstract: The improved vehicle navigation system uses a multiple, orthogonal axes accelerometer, such as two or three accelerometers which are mounted orthogonal to one another. The two axes whose acceleration are to be measured are the longitudinal (nose to rear bumper) axis and lateral (left to right side) axis. The tangential or longitudinal axis acceleration is integrated once to obtain longitudinal speed and is integrated again to produce a vehicle displacement. The lateral accelerometer measures the centripetal force that the vehicle is encountering which is used to compute a centripetal or lateral acceleration. The lateral acceleration is used to obtain a heading change derived from the lateral acceleration information and the longitudinal speed. Using the heading change and the longitudinal acceleration, the improved vehicle navigation system propagates a previous position to a current position. This is accomplished without the need for connection to the vehicle speed sensor and the heading sensor.

Abstract: A navigation system includes a driver presence sensor and engine running detection circuitry. When the detection circuitry determines that the engine of the vehicle is not running, the navigation system enters a low power mode. When the presence of the driver is detected, the navigation system begins power up, switching from a low power to a full power operational mode. If the detection circuitry does not determine that the engine is running within a predetermined time period, the navigation system reenters the low power mode. The detection circuitry monitors the vehicle's electrical system and determines that the engine is running when an AC content exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A graphical user interface includes a display having several groups of symbols with each group arranged in a unique pre-determined direction relative to a start position. A user manipulatable directional input device permits a user to select any one of the groups with a single keystroke. Once a group has been selected, the directional input device permits a user to activate any one of the symbols within a group with a single keystroke. If a group does not contains the symbol desired by the user, the user sends a selection signal from the directional input device so that group displays a second plurality of symbols. Preferably, a sequence of the plurality of symbols are shown at a first group, each transmission of the selection signal displaying the next plurality of symbols until the originally displayed first plurality of symbols are again displayed in the first group. Any number of symbols can thus be displayed in a limited viewable area of the first group while maintaining the same selection methodology.

Abstract: A vehicle location display for a navigation or route guidance system is disclosed. The vehicle location display provides information to a user regarding the current location of the vehicle on a map even when the scale of the map is large. In a preferred embodiment, the map includes a current location field that displays a road segment name associated with the current road segment that the vehicle is located on. In an alternative embodiment, the vehicle location display displays a large scale map wherein the current road segment is highlighted by displaying it in a color and the name of the current road segment is displayed in a current location field on the map.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for combining an in-vehicle navigation system with a sound system in a vehicle. The combination permits the navigation system to project audible maneuver instructions to a driver. While projecting the audible maneuver instruction to the driver the vehicle navigation system moves the location of the projection of the maneuver instruction from a first location to a second location. The first location does not coincide with the content of the maneuver instruction and the second location does coincide with the content of the maneuver instruction. Thus, a system is provided wherein the driver perceives the audible maneuver instruction as moving in a direction which coincides with the content of the instruction.

Abstract: A navigation system includes a display displaying a map of roads from a road database. The navigation system utilizes a palette of colors to display the road and background on the display. The palette preferably includes a plurality of shades for each of a plurality of colors to be displayed including the background color and the road color. The roads on the display are preferably anti-aliased by indexing a different intensity of the shade of the object based upon the relative position of the pixel and an ideal object area.

Abstract: A vehicle assistance request system includes methodology for accurately and specifically identifying the vehicle location when a request is made. A written, textual description of the vehicle location, identifying streets, addresses, and other available information is provided to enhance the ability of the service provider to locate the vehicle. Further, response time is reduced and accuracy in locating a vehicle is increased. The method of this invention includes a multi-tiered decision process for determining where the vehicle is located.

Abstract: A navigation system includes a positions network having a plurality of nodes, each corresponding to a segment in a road segments network. A branch is propagated from each node in the positions network based upon a dead reckon path of position vectors. Each of the branches in the positions network represents a potential current position of the vehicle. The branches in the positions network are compared to the segment in the segments network to determine a current position of the vehicle.

Abstract: A navigation system is used to assist a user in proceeding from a current location to a desired destination. The navigation system includes an input device for selecting a desired destination from a database of roads. The input device can also be used to specify a vehicle type, such as a truck, car, or bus, for example. The navigation system also includes a processor for determining a route from a current vehicle position to the desired destination in the database, where the route includes a plurality of maneuvers. An output device indicates a maneuver instruction to a driver at an interval before an upcoming maneuver along the route. The interval is determined based upon vehicle type such that the maneuver instruction will be communicated to the driver sooner for a larger vehicle than for a smaller vehicle. This allows the driver to have an adequate amount of time to position the vehicle to perform the upcoming maneuver.

Abstract: A navigation system includes a driver presence sensor and engine running detection circuitry. When the detection circuitry determines that the engine of the vehicle is not running, the navigation system enters a low power mode. When the presence of the driver is detected, the navigation system begins power up, switching from a low power to a full power operational mode. If the detection circuitry does not determine that the engine is running within a predetermined time period, the navigation system reenters the low power mode. The detection circuitry monitors the vehicle's electrical system and determines that the engine is running when an AC content exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A navigation system includes a driver presence sensor and engine running detection circuitry. When the detection circuitry determines that the engine of the vehicle is not running, the navigation system enters a low power mode. When the presence of the driver is detected, the navigation system begins power up, switching from a low power to a full power operational mode. If the detection circuitry does not determine that the engine is running within a predetermined time period, the navigation system reenters the low power mode. The detection circuitry monitors the vehicle's electrical system and determines that the engine is running when an AC content exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A navigation system includes a driver presence sensor and engine running detection circuitry. When the detection circuitry determines that the engine of the vehicle is not running, the navigation system enters a low power mode. When the presence of the driver is detected, the navigation system begins power up, switching from a low power to a full power operational mode. If the detection circuitry does not determine that the engine is running within a predetermined time period, the navigation system reenters the low power mode. The detection circuitry monitors the vehicle's electrical system and determines that the engine is running when an AC content exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle location display for a navigation system. The vehicle location display operates in either a graphical display mode or a textual display mode. In the graphical display mode the vehicle location display automatically scales the display to display the current location of the vehicle on the street currently being traveled, the previous cross street, the next cross street, and other vehicle information. When traveling on a freeway, the graphical display mode displays the current location of the vehicle on the freeway being traveled, the previous cross street and the next cross street. In the textual display mode the vehicle location display provides the current vehicle location by street or freeway name, city, county, state, latitude and longitude coordinates. In addition, the current compass heading, the previous cross street and the next cross street are provided.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for a graphical user interface for a navigation system. The graphical user interface includes a display having several groups of symbols with each group arranged in a unique pre-determined direction relative to a start position. A user manipulatable directional input device permits a user to select any one of the groups with a single keystroke. Once a group has been selected, the directional input device permits a user to activate any one of the symbols within a group with a single keystroke. An activated symbol can be selected with one keystroke by the user. Selection of a symbol then re-activates the start position.

Abstract: The improved vehicle navigation system can take advantage of the recent availability of low cost micro-machined and piezoelectric sensors, and partially overcomes the low dynamics and line of sight limitations of GPS receivers without resorting to the hard wired approach described above. The low cost sensors introduce system level errors due to their inherent DC offset and drift rates. The improved vehicle navigation system minimizes both the sensor induced errors and GPS low dynamic limitations by using a zero motion detection system as a self contained (within the navigation system), vehicle independent device.