Abstract: A method and apparatus for a navigation system determines whether an upcoming cross street is meaningful for a user to be displayed. The includes the steps of searching upcoming cross streets that intersect with a current street on which a user's vehicle is running for a predetermined distance range ahead of a current vehicle position, retrieving data concerning the upcoming cross streets from the map data, determining whether a cross street is meaningful for the user to be displayed on a screen of the navigation system by applying predetermined rules to the data concerning the cross street, and displaying information on the cross street that has been determined to be meaningful for the user on the screen.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a navigation system for generating a reminder message by applying predefined validation rule to display and/or voice announce the reminder message associated with a particular location. The method includes the steps of creating reminder message data which include a reminder message, a primary location, a secondary location, and a validation rule; comparing a reference location with the primary location; applying the validation rule in the reminder message data to determine whether a relationship between the primary location and the reference location satisfies the condition in the validation rule; displaying the reminder message when the condition is satisfied; and conducting a route guidance operation to reach a location selected by the user.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a navigation system for inputting a street name allows a user to quickly find a desired street name even when the user inputs an incorrect prefix or suffix of the street name. The navigation system accepts a street name based on either a base name input method or a full name input method in the same input field while performing a street name search mostly based on a base name of the street name. The method and apparatus hints an inexperienced user the distinction between the base name and other components of the street name so that the user knows that non-base name element is unnecessary for finding the correct address of the destination.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a navigation system for generating a reminder message by applying predefined validation rule to display and/or voice announce the reminder message associated with a particular location. The method includes the steps of creating reminder message data which include a reminder message, a primary location, a secondary location, and a validation rule; comparing a reference location with the primary location; applying the validation rule in the reminder message data to determine whether a relationship between the primary location and the reference location satisfies the condition in the validation rule; displaying the reminder message when the condition is satisfied; and conducting a route guidance operation to reach a location selected by the user.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a navigation system determines whether an upcoming cross street is meaningful for a user to be displayed. The includes the steps of searching upcoming cross streets that intersect with a current street on which a user's vehicle is running for a predetermined distance range ahead of a current vehicle position, retrieving data concerning the upcoming cross streets from the map data, determining whether a cross street is meaningful for the user to be displayed on a screen of the navigation system by applying predetermined rules to the data concerning the cross street, and displaying information on the cross street that has been determined to be meaningful for the user on the screen.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a navigation system for inputting a street name allows a user to quickly find a desired street name even when the user inputs an incorrect prefix or suffix of the street name. The navigation system accepts a street name based on either a base name input method or a full name input method in the same input field while performing a street name search mostly based on a base name of the street name. The method and apparatus hints an inexperienced user the distinction between the base name and other components of the street name so that the user knows that non-base name element is unnecessary for finding the correct address of the destination.

Abstract: A display method and apparatus for a navigation system which is capable of easily and quickly specifying a destination in the navigation system when using a “Point of Interest (POI)” method by preventing unwanted POI names or types from appearing on the navigation system. The method includes the steps of displaying a POI name list based on an instruction specified by a user, selecting an unwanted POI name in the POI name list, removing all POIs having the unwanted POI name or having the unwanted POI type from the POI name list, and selecting a destination in the POI name list from which the unwanted POI name is removed for route guidance by the navigation system. If necessary, the above steps of selecting the unwanted POI name and removing the unwanted POI names from the POI name list are repeated.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for searching a point of interest allows a user to input either a name or a phone number in the same field of a monitor screen. The method includes the steps of displaying a screen for searching a POI where the screen includes an input field for accepting a user's input of characters either by a name of POI or by a phone number of POI, comparing the characters provided to the input field by the user with information in a POI database having a POI name table and a POI phone number table, retrieving POI names or POI phone numbers from the corresponding tables that match the characters specified by the user in the input field, and displaying a list of the retrieved POI names or POI phone numbers in a predetermined order.

Abstract: A navigation method and apparatus finds a location and a route to a plurality of destinations with the minimum number of stops or the shortest overall distance. The navigation method includes the steps of: specifying a plurality of destinations in a navigation system; searching a one-stop location where two or more specified destinations exist or searching a location of each destination; displaying results of search for prompting a user to decide whether recommended locations of the destinations in the search result is acceptable; repeating the above steps of searching locations and displaying the search results until the user accepts recommended locations of the destinations; and guiding the user to the destinations accepted by the user.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: In an apparatus, menu items are displayed on a screen, and when a predetermined menu item is selected, a function corresponding to the selected menu item is executed. The menu item displaying method comprises the steps of determining whether a function corresponding to a menu item displayed on the screen can be executed, and when it is determined that the function cannot be executed, disabling the menu item corresponding to the function from being selected and displaying a reason why the menu item cannot be selected.

Abstract: A navigation method and apparatus finds a location and a route to a plurality of destinations with the minimum number of stops or the shortest overall distance. The navigation method includes the steps of: specifying a plurality of destinations in a navigation system; searching a one-stop location where two or more specified destinations exist or searching a location of each destination; displaying results of search for prompting a user to decide whether recommended locations of the destinations in the search result is acceptable; repeating the above steps of searching locations and displaying the search results until the user accepts recommended locations of the destinations; and guiding the user to the destinations accepted by the user.

Abstract: A guest data management method and apparatus for a navigation system is capable of creating, editing and using a guest database storing various types of information regarding guests, tour destinations associated with the guests, and comments by guests or user regarding the destinations, etc., for use with a navigation system. The guest data management method includes the steps of creating a guest database which stores at least information on guests and information on destinations associated with the guests; editing the guest database by modifying the information stored in the database or adding new information to the database; and retrieving information from the guest database for determining a destination for a travel with one of the guests whose information is stored in the database.

Abstract: A display method and apparatus for a navigation system calculates and displays an estimated time of arrival (ETA) by a standard time at the destination and a POI (Point of Interest) open/close status at arrival, and a time zone change notice when a user crosses a boundary of the time zones. The display method includes the steps of: examining a position of a destination and monitoring a current position of a user during a travel to the destination; retrieving information on time zones and observation of daylight saving time at the current user position and the destination; calculating the ETA at the destination based on a local time and daylight saving time of the destination using the retrieved information; and displaying the ETA at the destination and a current time.

Abstract: An arrival detection method for automatically detecting arrival of a current destination based on various conditions and proceeding to route guidance for the next destination when two or more destinations are specified. The method includes the steps of guiding a vehicle of the user to a current destination, detecting whether a current vehicle position is within a predetermined distance from the current destination, applying a primary condition when the vehicle is within the predetermined distance, applying a secondary condition when the primary condition is met, and determining arrival at the current destination when the secondary condition is met and proceeding to a route guidance operation for the next destination. The primary condition is a time length during which the vehicle is stationary within the predetermined distance from the current destination.

Abstract: A navigation method and system allows dynamic access to different degrees of navigation functions while a vehicle is in motion based on the surrounding vehicles or obstacles as detected by sensors provided on the vehicle. The navigation method includes the steps of detecting whether the user vehicle is in motion or stationary, detecting other vehicles or obstacles surrounding the user vehicle by a sensor and measuring distances therefrom when the vehicle is in motion, evaluating resultant data from the sensor and determining a range of driving conditions, and changing a degree of accessibility to navigation functions based on the range of the driving conditions and displaying entries on a monitor of the navigation system where the maximum number of the entries that can be selected by a user is limited by the degree of accessibility.

Abstract: A display method and apparatus for a navigation system which is capable of easily and quickly specifying a destination in the navigation system when using a “Point of Interest (POI)” method by preventing unwanted POI names or types from appearing on the navigation system. The method includes the steps of displaying a POI name list based on an instruction specified by a user, selecting an unwanted POI name in the POI name list, and removing all POIs having the unwanted POI name or having the unwanted POI type from the POI name list. If necessary, the above steps of selecting the unwanted POI name and removing the unwanted POI names from the POI name list are repeated.

Abstract: 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 address number of the destination through a map image of the selected street. The navigation system includes a menu for changing a keyboard screen or other input screen to a map screen showing the image of the selected street. A user can find a location of the destination on the image of the selected street. Various display methods are provided to promote quick and easy operations for finding the location on the selected street. When there are two or more streets having same street name with different street types or street prefixes, the navigation system displays selection means for a user to select one of the streets.