Abstract: The invention relates to a navigation device comprising a display for displaying a digital map to a user, a processor configured to access digital map data and cause a digital map to be displayed to a user using the display, and a user interface operable by a user to enable the user to interact with the apparatus. The user interface is arranged to allow a user to select a continuous region present in the digital map by providing one or more indications on the digital map displayed to the user. The processor is arranged to determine digital map data relating to the selected continuous region, and to carry out one or more mapping or navigation operations using the determined digital map data. The processor may calculate a route using a path selected on the map by a user.

Abstract: The invention relates to a navigation device comprising a display for displaying a digital map to a user, a processor configured to access digital map data and cause a digital map to be displayed to a user using the display, and a user interface operable by a user to enable the user to interact with the apparatus. The user interface is arranged to allow a user to select a continuous region present in the digital map by providing one or more indications on the digital map displayed to the user. The processor is arranged to determine digital map data relating to the selected continuous region, and to carry out one or more mapping or navigation operations using the determined digital map data. The processor may calculate a route using a path selected on the map by a user.

Abstract: When preparing a representation of map display information for use by a navigation device, a set of source map data (600) is subject to a similarity analysis step (601) to try to identify elements in the source map data (600) that are similar in terms of their shape and/or their appearance when displayed. A classification and transformation parameter generation step (602) then classifies elements in the map into groups of similar elements as determined by the similarity analysis (601) and also determines the parameters and conditions under which the identified map elements can be considered to be similar. This is then used to generate a map database that includes a library of predefined map display elements having parametrable aspects, which map display elements can then be used to construct a desired map for display.

Abstract: In a system that uses tile-based road network rendering for displaying map information to a user, a tile is rendered for display by rendering a tile 10 by using a first texture comprising one or more map features to be displayed for the tile of the map in combination with a second texture to apply a texture to a graphics primitive or primitives representing the tile such that at least one map feature 11, such as a water feature, being displayed on the tile 10 is bordered by a border region 24 that represents a border to that map feature. In this way, a more visually appealing depiction of the map feature 11 can be achieved.

Abstract: The invention relates to a navigation device (200) comprising a display (240) for displaying a digital map to a user, a processor (210) configured to access digital map data and cause a digital map to be displayed to a user using the display, and a user interface operable by a user to enable the user to interact with the apparatus. The user interface is arranged to allow a user to select a continuous region present in the digital map by providing one or more indications on the digital map displayed to the user. The processor (210) is arranged to determine digital map data relating to the selected continuous region, and to carry out one or more mapping or navigation operations using the determined digital map data. The processor may calculate a route using a path selected on the map by a user.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and device 700 for determining an expected usage of the device, determining a charge level of a battery 750 associated with the device, and tuning the charge level of the battery by at least one of charging the battery based on the determined expected usage of the device and the determined charge level of the battery, and discharging the battery by changing an operation of the device based on the determined charge level of the battery and the determined expected usage of the device.

Abstract: When map data is to be processed for display in a mapping or navigation apparatus, the application processor of the apparatus first checks to see whether any existing data in a local cache memory represents a similar map part to the new data that is to be processed. This is done by means of a similarity analysis. If the map data already in the cache is determined to be sufficiently similar to the map data that is to be displayed, new map data from a main map storage is not loaded and processed, but instead the existing data in the cache is processed for display of the map part in question. This has the benefit of a reduced system load, since already processed data does not need to be reloaded and reprocessed.

Abstract: When map data is to be processed for display in a mapping or navigation apparatus, the application processor (705) of the apparatus first checks to see whether any existing data in a local cache memory (706) represents a similar map part to the new data that is to be processed. This is done by means of a similarity analysis (601). If the map data already in the cache (706) is determined to be sufficiently similar to the map data that is to be displayed, new map data from a main map storage (230) is not loaded and processed, but instead the existing data in the cache (706) is processed for display of the map part in question. This has the benefit of a reduced system load, since already processed data does not need to be reloaded and reprocessed.

Abstract: In a system that uses tile-based road network rendering for displaying map information to a user, a tile is rendered for display by rendering a front tile (20) with an appropriate texture to depict, e.g., the “ground” and a see-through shape (22) representing a feature that is below the ground level, and rendering a rear tile (21) that has drawn on it an image region (23) representing the intended below ground level feature, surrounded by a color or texture (24) that represents a border for that feature, to appear behind and slightly offset relative to the front tile (20), such that the image region (23) and its corresponding border (24) on the rear tile (21) can be seen through the see-through shape (22) in the front tile (20). In this way, a more visually appealing depiction of the below ground level feature can be achieved.

Abstract: The invention relates to a navigation device (200) comprising a display (240) for displaying a digital map to a user, a processor (210) configured to access digital map data and cause a digital map to be displayed to a user using the display, and a user interface operable by a user to enable the user to interact with the apparatus. The user interface is arranged to allow a user to provide, on the displayed digital map displayed to the user, an indication of a selected region present in the digital map which the user wishes to include or exclude from a route calculation process. The processor (210) is arranged to determine digital map data relating to the selected region indicated by the user, and to calculate a route including or excluding the region.

Abstract: A method of generating a route across an electronic map representative of an area, the method comprising using a processing circuitry 302 to generate a set of cost functions 607 associated with at least one route planning profiles 602 and comprising the steps of: ) collecting information relating to at least one example route associated with the at least one route planning profile 607; 2) processing, with a cost function generating process 716, the information relating to the at least one example route to generate one or more cost functions 607 to be used with the at least one route planning profile 607; and 3) using the or each cost function 607 to generate a route across the electronic map for that route planning profile 602.

Abstract: In a system that uses tile-based road network rendering for displaying map information to a user, a tile is rendered for display by rendering a tile 10 by using a first texture comprising one or more map features to be displayed for the tile of the map in combination with a second texture to apply a texture to a graphics primitive or primitives representing the tile such that at least one map feature 11, such as a water feature, being displayed on the tile 10 is bordered by a border region 24 that represents a border to that map feature. In this way, a more visually appealing depiction of the map feature 11 can be achieved.

Abstract: The invention relates to a navigation device (200) comprising a display (240) for displaying a digital map to a user, a processor (210) configured to access digital map data and cause a digital map to be displayed to a user using the display, and a user interface operable by a user to enable the user to interact with the apparatus. The user interface is arranged to allow a user to provide, on the displayed digital map displayed to the user, an indication of a selected region present in the digital map. The processor (210) is arranged to determine digital map data relating to the selected region indicated by the user, and to carry out one or more operations relating to the selected region using the determined digital map data.

Abstract: The invention relates to a navigation device (200) comprising a display (240) for displaying a digital map to a user, a processor (210) configured to access digital map data and cause a digital map to be displayed to a user using the display, and a user interface operable by a user to enable the user to interact with the apparatus. The user interface is arranged to allow a user to select a continuous region present in the digital map by providing one or more indications on the digital map displayed to the user. The processor (210) is arranged to determine digital map data relating to the selected continuous region, and to carry out one or more mapping or navigation operations using the determined digital map data. The processor may calculate a route using a path selected on the map by a user.

Abstract: A method of generating a route across an electronic map representative of an area, the method comprising using a processing circuitry 302 to generate a set of cost functions 607 associated with at least one route planning profiles 602 and comprising the steps of:) collecting information relating to at least one example route associated with the at least one route planning profile 607; 2) processing, with a cost function generating process 716, the information relating to the at least one example route to generate one or more cost functions 607 to be used with the at least one route planning profile 607; and 3) using the or each cost function 607 to generate a route across the electronic map for that route planning profile 602.

Abstract: There is provided a navigation device, the navigation device operable to calculate routes to one or more destinations, the device further operable to provide a navigation instruction together with an alternative navigation instruction. There is also provided a method of providing navigation instructions for a navigation device, the method comprising the steps of (i) calculating routes to one or more destinations, (ii) providing a navigation instruction together with an alternative navigation instruction. There is also provided a computer program product operable to execute on a navigation device, the computer program product operable to calculate routes to one or more destinations, the computer program product further operable to provide a navigation instruction together with an alternative navigation instruction.

Abstract: In a system that uses tile-based road network rendering for displaying map information to a user, a tile is rendered for display by rendering a front tile (20) with an appropriate texture to depict, e.g., the “ground” and a see-through shape (22) representing a feature that is below the ground level, and rendering a rear tile (21) that has drawn on it an image region (23) representing the intended below ground level feature, surrounded by a colour or texture (24) that represents a border for that feature, to appear behind and slightly offset relative to the front tile (20), such that the image region (23) and its corresponding border (24) on the rear tile (21) can be seen through the see-through shape (22) in the front tile (20). In this way, a more visually appealing depiction of the below ground level feature can be achieved.

Abstract: The invention relates to a navigation device (200) comprising a display (240) for displaying a digital map to a user, a processor (210) configured to access digital map data and cause a digital map to be displayed to a user using the display, and a user interface operable by a user to enable the user to interact with the apparatus. The user interface is arranged to allow a user to provide, on the displayed digital map displayed to the user, an indication of a selected region present in the digital map which the user wishes to include or exclude from a route calculation process. The processor (210) is arranged to determine digital map data relating to the selected region indicated by the user, and to calculate a route including or excluding the region.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and device 700 for determining an expected usage of the device, determining a charge level of a battery 750 associated with the device, and tuning the charge level of the battery by at least one of charging the battery based on the determined expected usage of the device and the determined charge level of the battery, and discharging the battery by changing an operation of the device based on the determined charge level of the battery and the determined expected usage of the device.

Abstract: A mobile computing apparatus comprises a processing resource arranged to support, when in use, an operational environment, the operational environment supporting receipt of textual content, a workload estimator arranged to estimate a cognitive workload for a user, and a text-to-speech engine. The text-to-speech engine is arranged to translate at least part of the received textual content to a signal reproducible as audible speech in accordance with a predetermined relationship between the amount of the textual content to be translated and a cognitive workload level in a range of cognitive workload levels, the range of cognitive workload levels comprising at least one cognitive workload level between end values.