Abstract:
To increase safety and convenience of use for navigation devices installed in automobiles, a navigation system includes the navigation device, a remote control, and a wired or wireless transceiver for establishing a data connection between the navigation device and the remote control. The navigation device has a housing, a display for displaying images, a GPS receiver for receiving GPS signals, and a processor coupled to the GPS receiver and the display for determining position according to the GPS signals and processing program code for controlling the display to display a graphical user interface. The remote control is external to the housing.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to navigation systems, and more particularly, to a navigation system with a touchpad remote. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    A number of navigation methods have been employed over the centuries by sailors desiring to go from one place to another without getting lost on the way or passing through dangerous waters. Whereas in the past, navigation was typically of interest to navigators on marine vessels, as more advanced navigation systems are developed, drivers, hikers, and tourists are rapidly adopting Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers as aids in their travels. 
         [0005]    One key to navigation is positioning, or the art of knowing precisely where one is at any given moment. In the past, positioning was accomplished through use of a sextant, which measures angular positions of celestial bodies relative to the horizon. Today, positioning can be accomplished with fair accuracy by GNSS receivers. Currently, only the NAVSTAR Global Positioning System (GPS) developed by the United States Department of Defense offers comprehensive positioning satellite coverage around the globe, though other systems should become operational by the year 2010. 
         [0006]    A typical GPS receiver will include an antenna for receiving electrical signals transmitted by GPS satellites, and positioning circuitry for determining a position of the GPS receiver from the electrical signals, and generating corresponding position data. The antenna can be integrated into the GPS receiver, or can be connected externally through a wire. A GPS device can integrate the GPS receiver and further means for providing functions that use the position data generated by the GPS receiver. 
         [0007]    The GPS device will typically include an internal map, which can be used in conjunction with the position data to determine where the GPS device is located on the map. Based on this information, a navigator function of the GPS device can calculate a route along known roads from the position of the GPS device to another known location. The route can then be displayed on a display of the GPS device, and instructions on upcoming maneuvers can be displayed on the GPS device and played through a speaker of the GPS device to alert the user as to which maneuvers should be taken to reach their destination. As the GPS device travels along the route, the GPS device is also able to determine speed based on how far the GPS device travels over a period of time. 
         [0008]    Please refer to  FIG. 1 , which is a diagram of a GPS device  120  installed in an automobile  100 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the GPS device  120  can be a standalone mobile device. The GPS device  120  could also be integrated into the automobile  100  as another instrument on a dashboard. The standalone mobile device  120  can be adapted for use in the automobile through a mount  130 , which can be attached to the automobile through a suction cup, as shown attached to a windshield, or through other more permanent means. 
         [0009]    One typical problem encountered when utilizing a configuration such as that shown in  FIG. 1 , wherein the GPS device  120  is mounted to the windshield, or integrated in the dashboard, is that a driver sitting in a driver&#39;s seat  140  of the automobile  100  cannot reach the GPS device  120  without posing a safety risk to the driver, any passengers, and other motor vehicles. Thus, if the driver wishes to access functions of the GPS device  120  while driving, the driver must reach over to press small buttons, watching both the GPS device  120  and the road. This could lead to an accident, and also is not practical for the driver to operate the GPS device  120 . It could also be said that, assuming safe driving behavior, the driver is unable to operate the GPS device  120  while driving, which may limit the usefulness of the GPS device  120 , which is supposed to be a driving aid. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    According to the present invention, a navigation system comprises a navigation device, a remote control, and means for establishing a data connection between the navigation device and the remote control. The navigation device comprises a housing, a display for displaying images, a GPS receiver for receiving GPS signals, and a processor coupled to the GPS receiver and the display for determining position according to the GPS signals and processing program code to control the display to display a graphical user interface. The remote control is external to the housing, and the means for establishing the data connection between the remote control and the navigation device are for sending an input signal from the remote control to the navigation device. 
         [0011]    These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a diagram of a GPS device installed in an automobile. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a diagram of a navigation system according to the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a diagram of a remote control of the navigation system of  FIG. 2  installed in a steering wheel. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a table of inputs and corresponding commands for the navigation system according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0016]    In order to allow the driver to drive defensively while accessing useful functions of the navigation device, the present invention discloses a navigation system shown in  FIG. 2 . The navigation system comprises a navigation device  220 , a remote control  210 , and means  230  for establishing a data connection between the remote control  210  and the navigation device  220 . The navigation device  220  comprises a GPS receiver  222  for receiving GPS signals, and a processor  223  coupled to the GPS receiver  222  for determining position according to the GPS signals and processing program code stored in a memory  224  to control a display to display a graphical user interface. The display may show the graphical user interface (GUI), a map, a position on the map, a route along streets of the map, and other types of information. The navigation device  220  also comprises a transceiver  225 , which can be utilized to send and receive data packets to and from other devices. 
         [0017]    The remote control  210  may comprise a touchpad  211  for receiving touch inputs, and a touchpad processor  212  for processing the touch inputs. The touchpad may be strictly an input device, or the touchpad may display images. The remote control  210  may be mounted in a steering wheel of an automobile, in an armrest of a driver&#39;s seat, or in a center column between the driver&#39;s seat and a passenger seat. In each case, the remote control  210  would be easily accessible to the user. In addition to the touchpad  211 , the remote control  210  may also comprise a button, or buttons, corresponding to functions of the navigation device  220 . The button or buttons could be customizable, i.e. the user could map the buttons to functions of the navigation device  220  depending on their requirements. The remote control  210  may also comprise other types of input mechanisms, such as a roller button, a trackball, a joystick, etc. The remote control  210  may receive user inputs, and generate a corresponding input signal, which may be sent to the navigation device  220 . 
         [0018]    The navigation system further comprises means  230  for establishing a data connection between the remote control  210  and the navigation device  220  for sending the input signal mentioned above to the navigation device  220 . The remote control  210 , like the navigation device  220 , may further comprise a transceiver  213  for sending and receiving data to and from another device, such as the navigation device  220 . The means  230  for establishing the data connection between the remote control  210  and the navigation device  220  could comprise a cable or wire, or a wireless connection. The cable could be a serial cable, a universal serial bus (USB) cable, or another type of data cable. On the other hand, if the data connection were the wireless connection, then the means  230  could be a Bluetooth connection, wherein the transceiver  225  of the navigation device and the transceiver  213  of the navigation device both conform to the Bluetooth standard, and can be paired to each other. The means  230  could also be an 802.11-type wireless connection, or any other type of radio frequency (RF) connection. Use of the wireless connection would make the navigation system much easier to implement in the automobile, as installation would not require running the cable from the steering wheel, the armrest, or the column to a dedicated port, or to the navigation device  220  directly if the navigation device  220  were built into the dashboard of the automobile. Instead, by using the wireless connection, the remote control  210  and the navigation device  220  could be paired, and no wiring would be required. 
         [0019]    Please refer to  FIG. 3 , which is a diagram of a remote control  300  installed in a steering wheel. The remote control  300  can be considered a practical implementation of the remote control  210  shown in  FIG. 2 . The remote control  300  comprises a button region  310  and a gesture input region  320 . As mentioned above, the remote control  300  could be implemented completely as a touchpad, or the remote control  300  could be implemented as a touchpad with display capability. The button region  310  comprises a home region  311  for commanding the navigation device  220  to navigate a route to a predetermined home address. The button region  310  also comprises a menu region  312  for commanding the navigation device  220  to display a menu. The button region  310  further comprises an establish link region  313  for activating or deactivating the wireless connection between the remote control  300  and the navigation device  220 . Finally, the button region  310  may also comprise a power region for turning the remote control  300  on or off. Other button regions are also available, such as a push-to-talk region for activating a push-to-talk function, which could take a voice input from a microphone installed in either the remote control  300  or the navigation device  220 . A search button region could also be included to allow the user to utilize the gesture input region  320  to input a string for search in the navigation device  220 . The button region  310  could be implemented as a graphic display if the touchpad  211  were capable of displaying images, else the button region  310  could be implemented with standard buttons. 
         [0020]    The gesture input region  320  may be utilized to input various types of gesture inputs, such as combinations of points, lines, and curves. Please refer to  FIG. 4 , which is a table of various possible gesture inputs as applied to the present invention navigation system. If the user were to depress a single point for at least one second anywhere on the gesture input region  320  of the remote control  300 , the push-to-talk function could be activated. Or, if the user were to make a straight line from left to right on the gesture input region  320 , a view mode of the navigation device  220  could be switched, for example from displaying a navigational map to displaying an input menu. Finally, if the user were to make a straight line from right to left, the navigation device  220  could be commanded to repeat a last navigational voice instruction. Of course, these various types of inputs, and other types of gesture inputs, could be customized by the user, or could be preset in the remote control  300 . For example, the gesture input may be a circle drawn clockwise or counterclockwise from any point along a circumference of the circle, e.g. a top of the circle or a bottom of the circle. Also, the gesture input may be a question mark, which may correspond to a help function. Of course, other shapes and symbols may also be utilized by the present invention. 
         [0021]    In summary, the present invention makes controlling the navigation device  220  while driving more convenient and safe through addition of the remote control  210  (or  300 ) and the means  230  for establishing the data connection between the remote control  210  and the navigation device  220 . The remote control  210  can be installed conveniently in the steering wheel, armrest, or center column of the automobile, providing quick access, without requiring line of sight, to many commands and functions of the navigation device  220 . This increases safety, and also makes it easier for the user to access the navigation device  220  whether driving or at a stop, without having to remove their seatbelt, or reach to find small buttons on the navigation device  220  itself. 
         [0022]    Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention.