Patent Publication Number: US-2009228200-A1

Title: Electronic Device and Navigation Method Using the Same

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION 
     This patent application is based on Taiwan, R.O.C. patent application No. 97107947 filed on Mar. 6, 2008. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an electronic device, and more particularly, to an electronic device and a navigation method using the same. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Previously, when one is located in an unfamiliar environment, printed maps and street nameplates are common means for one to find one&#39;s destination. However, such method is considered rather inconvenient and risky. Suppose when one is located in a foreign country, without proficiency in the foreign language sufficient to fully understand the street nameplates in the foreign language, one may not find the destination according to printed maps and street nameplates. 
     Therefore, printed maps are gradually replaced by navigation devices. Through route planning by built-in maps, a navigation device displays an electronic map and indication directions for turning left or right, so as to guide a user to an intended destination. 
     However, the foregoing navigation device is necessarily equipped with a costly high-level processor serving as a map engine for executing route planning. As a result, it is difficult to reduce the manufacturing costs of such navigation devices. Further, to use the navigation device, a consumer may need to additionally purchase high priced electronic maps, which may again dissuade the consumer from making the purchase. In view of the above reasons, it is an object of the invention to provide an economical electronic device with navigation functions enabling a user to quickly and reliably reach a destination. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments of the present invention provide an electronic device capable of displaying indication directions and a method using the same. Based on the indication directions, a user is more easily able to quickly and accurately reach a destination. Apart from lowering manufacturing costs for higher market competitive strength, the invention also provides a user with enhanced conveniences. 
     The electronic device according to an embodiment of the invention comprises a calculating unit and a display unit. The calculating unit generates an indication direction according to first geographic location information, second geographic location information, and a reference direction. The display unit is coupled to the calculating unit and displays the indication direction and the reference direction simultaneously. 
     An embodiment of the present invention further provides a navigation method comprising steps of generating an indication direction according to first geographic location information, second geographic location information, and a reference direction; and simultaneously displaying the indication direction and the reference direction. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will become more readily apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram according to a first embodiment of the invention. 
         FIGS. 2 to 4  are partial display images of a display unit  120 . 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram of a destination, a current location and a reference direction. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic diagram according to a second embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic diagram according to a third embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a flowchart of a navigation method according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A handheld electronic device capable of displaying indication directions shall be illustrated in the embodiments below. The handheld electronic device comprises a first calculating unit, and a display unit coupled to the calculating unit. The first calculating unit generates an indication direction according to first geographic location information, second geographic information, and a reference direction. Preferably, the handheld electronic device is suitable for use by pedestrians, and, in one preferred embodiment, a linear distance between a first geographic location and a second geographic location does not exceed a distance traveled by a grown person on foot within a day. 
     First Embodiment 
       FIG. 1  shows a schematic diagram according to a first embodiment of the invention. A handheld electronic device  10 , such as a navigation device or a portable electronic device, comprises at least a first calculating unit  110  and a display unit  120 . When the handheld electronic device  10  is a navigation device, the first calculating unit  110  may be a calculating unit of a Global Positioning System (GPS) chip, which further comprises a positioning module  130 . That is, the first calculating unit  110  and the positioning module  130  are simultaneously realized by the GPS chip. When the handheld electronic device  10  is a portable electronic device other than a navigation device, e.g., a mobile phone, a PDA or a music player, the first calculating unit  110  may be a processing unit processing baseband signals in the portable electronic device, and the additional positioning module  130  assists the first calculating unit  110  in acquiring needed information. For purposes of simpler illustration, certain modules in the portable electronic device are not depicted, e.g., a transceiver module of a mobile phone. 
     The first calculating unit  110  controls the positioning module  130  to detect first geographic location information. According to the first geographic location, second geographic location information and a reference direction, the first calculating unit  110  generates an indication direction, which is then displayed on the display unit  120 . 
     The first geographic location information and the second geographic location information are longitude and latitude information of a current location and of a destination, respectively. The second geographic location information may be pre-loaded into a memory (not shown) of the handheld electronic device  10 . The reference direction may be associated or not associated with terrestrial magnetism of the earth. When the reference direction is not associated with terrestrial magnetism of the earth, the first calculating unit  110  obtains the reference direction by analyzing positioning information of the positioning module  130 . More specifically, when the handheld electronic device  10  is in a mobile state, the positioning module  130  constantly/periodically records geographic location information (longitude and latitude information) of the handheld electronic device  10 . The first calculating unit  110  then generates the reference direction by analyzing the geographic location information recorded. 
     When the first calculating unit  110  and the positioning  130  are simultaneously realized by the GPS chip, the first calculating unit  110  may be a processor in the GPS chip, for example. Since the first calculating unit  110  is merely required to control the positioning module  130  in order to generate the indication direction, such functionality may be realized using a low-level processor in the GPS chip, and no additional processor for assisting in controlling the positioning module  130  is needed. 
     The first calculating unit  110  may also be realized by a processor in the handheld electronic device  10 . Being merely required to control the positioning module  130  in order to generate the indication direction, the first calculating unit  110  can be realized using a low-level processor, and no additional processor for assisting in controlling the positioning module  130  is needed. 
     The handheld electronic device  10  only needs to generate the indication direction for enabling a user to quickly and accurately reach a destination. Therefore, a costly high-level processor is not necessarily provided in the handheld electronic device  10  to serve as the map engine, thereby significantly lowering manufacturing costs as well as increasing market competitive strength of the handheld electronic device  10 . Further, a consumer is not forced to make additional purchases of high priced electronic maps, thereby promoting a consumer&#39;s purchase inclination. 
       FIGS. 2 to 4  show partial display images of the display unit  120 . The indication direction and the reference direction may be presented in different forms. For instance, an indication direction  210  and a reference direction  220  are represented by arrows in  FIG. 2 , by straight lines in  FIG. 3 , or by dots in  FIG. 4 . Or, the indication direction  210  and the reference direction  220  may be represented by a combination of the three patterns above, such as the indication direction  210  is represented by an arrow, and the reference direction  220  is represented by a dot. 
       FIG. 5  shows a schematic diagram of a destination, a current location of the handheld electronic device  10 , and a reference direction. To go to a destination  540  from a current location  530 , the calculating unit  110  as shown in  FIG. 1  generates a virtual dotted connecting line according to the longitude and latitude information of the current location  530  and of the destination  540 . The virtual dotted connecting line corresponds with a connecting line  510  between the current location  530  and the destination  540 . The first calculating unit  110  calculates an included angle θ between the connecting line  510  and the reference direction  220 , and then generates the indication direction  210  according to the included angle θ and the reference direction  220  as shown in  FIGS. 2 to 4 . 
     In practice, the display images in  FIGS. 2 to 4  may be even more simplified. Since a user may obtain bearings of the destination based solely on the indication direction  210 , the display images need only show the indication direction  210  but not the reference direction  220 . The reference direction  220  is then shown when the user needs. 
     Second Embodiment 
       FIG. 6  shows a schematic diagram according to a second embodiment of the invention. A difference between the present embodiment and the first embodiment is that, a handheld electronic device  60  according to the present embodiment further comprises an electronic compass  640 . Associated principles and operations of a first calculating unit  610 , a display unit  620  and a positioning module  630  of the handheld electronic device  60  are similar to those of the first calculating unit  110 , the display unit  120  and the positioning module  130  in the first embodiment, and shall not be unnecessarily further described. 
     In this embodiment, the reference direction is associated with terrestrial magnetism of the earth; that is, the reference direction of the handheld electronic device  60  is provided by the electronic compass  640 . The electronic compass  640  detects the north of the earth, and sends information corresponding to the north (reference direction) to the first calculating unit  610 . The first calculating unit  610  then generates the indication direction according to the first geographic information, the second geographic information and the reference direction. 
     Third Embodiment 
       FIG. 7  shows a schematic diagram according to a third embodiment of the invention. A handheld electronic device  70  further comprises a second calculating unit  740 , and may be an electronic device such as a mobile phone, a PDA or a music player. For purposes of simpler illustration, certain modules are not depicted, e.g., a transceiver module in a mobile phone. In the handheld electronic device  70 , a first calculating unit  710  serves as a processor for processing baseband signals. Associated principles and operations of other components such as a display unit  720  and a positioning module  730  are similar to those of the aforesaid display unit  120  and the positioning module  130 , and shall not be unnecessarily further described. A difference between the third embodiment and the first embodiment is that, the handheld electronic device  70  further comprises a second calculating unit  740  for controlling the positioning module  730  in order to detect first geographic information. Preferably, the positioning module  730  and the second calculating unit  710  are realized by a GPS chip. Since the first calculating unit  710  is not required to control the positioning module  730 , this embodiment further reduces operation loading of the first calculating unit  710  compared to that in the first embodiment. 
     Navigation Method 
     Embodiments of the invention further provide a navigation method.  FIG. 8  shows a flowchart of a navigation method according to an embodiment of the invention. The navigation method may be implemented on the handheld electronic device according to the first to the third embodiments described previously, and the handheld electronic device  10  in the first embodiment shall be used for illustration. The navigation method according to the invention comprises steps of the first calculating unit  110  ( FIG. 1 ) generating the indication direction  210  according to the first geographic location information, the second geographic location information and the reference direction  220  ( FIGS. 2 to 4 ) in Step  810 ; and the display unit  120  (in  FIG. 1 ) displaying the indication direction  210  and the reference direction  220  simultaneously in Step  820 . 
     The electronic device and navigation method according to the various embodiments of the invention at least provide advantages of: a) providing convenience by enabling a user to quickly and accurately reach a destination; b) significantly lowering manufacturing costs and increasing market competitive strength by not necessarily providing a costly high-level processor serving as a map engine; and c) substantially promoting consumer purchase inclination by eliminating additional purchases of high priced electronic maps. 
     While the invention has been described in terms of what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention needs not to be limited to the above embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.