Portable navigation device with wireless interface

Abstract

A portable navigation device (PND) having software adapted to establish a wireless communication with a third party device having a corresponding wireless signal transceiver and which forms one of a plurality of nodes of a vehicle controller area network (CAN). The PND software includes one or more routines specific to the functionality of one or more of said nodes so as to effectively communicate with said node and utilize its functionality. The invention allows the PND, for example, to interrogate the controller area network and retrieve information from one or more nodes on the network for display on the PND or for improved operation thereof, or to cause control or state change of one or more of the nodes.

1 . A portable navigation device (PND) comprising:
 a processor;   a graphical display;   memory including map data stored in said memory,   user-input device;   signal reception device arranged to receive one or more wireless signals by which a present location of the PND is determined by the processor, in conjunction with user input, desired destination information is determined by the processor, the processor being further capable of performing route calculation and subsequent navigation functions, wherein the location determination, route calculation and navigation functions are performed by software installed on the PND; and   one or more wireless signal transceivers capable of establishing wireless communications with third party devices or systems having corresponding signal transceivers, the software on said PND being adapted to establish a wireless communication with a third party device being a node having a corresponding wireless signal transceiver and being part of a vehicle controller area network including a plurality of nodes, each of said nodes having functionality represented by one or more signals distributed around said controller area network and received by at least said third party device, said PND software further including one or more routines specific to the functionality of one or more of said nodes so as to effectively communicate with said node and utilize its functionality.   
     
     
         2 . The PND according to  claim 1  wherein one of the routines is a vehicle fuel level measurement routine. 
     
     
         3 . The PND according to  claim 2  wherein the route calculation function thereof interacts with the vehicle fuel level measurement routine to provide a modified calculated route based on the fuel remaining in the vehicle. 
     
     
         4 . The PND according to  claim 1  wherein the third party device is a gateway module effecting a protocol translation between that used on said controller area network and that used in the wireless communication with said PND. 
     
     
         5 . The PND according to  claim 1  wherein one routine is specific to a hands free module (HFM) being a node on the controller area network, said routine effectively communicating with said HFM to both receive and act on signals representative of navigation-specific user spoken commands recognized and processed by said HFM, and to transmit audio data from said PND to said HFM. 
     
     
         6 . The PND according to  claim 5  wherein the audio data transmitted by the PND to the HFM are voice navigation instructions generated by the PND, and the HFM causes audible broadcast of such instructions by one or more in-vehicle speakers to which appropriate audio signals are delivered by the HFM. 
     
     
         7 . The PND according to  claim 1  wherein one routine is specific to an audio reproduction system being a node on the controller area network, said routine effectively communicating with said audio reproduction system to allow for the transmission of audio data from said PND thereto for audio playback therethrough. 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The PND according to  claim 1  wherein the wireless communication is a short range wireless link. 
     
     
         10 . The PND of  claim 1  wherein one routine is specific to a voice recognition engine being a node on the controller area network and capable of recognizing PND-specific verbal instructions and conversion thereof into signals distributed on said controller area network, said routine recognizing interpreting said signals as PND-specific instructions and causing an alteration in the current operation of said PND. 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The PND of  claim 1  wherein one routine is specific to a video display device being a node on the controller area network, said routine enabling the streaming of video content extant within the memory of said PND. 
     
     
         13 . The PND of  claim 1  wherein the user input device is embodied in the graphical display, which is a touch sensitive touch screen. 
     
     
         14 . The PND of  claim 13  wherein the establishment of the wireless communication with the third party device, and enablement of the one or more routines specific to the third party device and other nodes on the controller area network is achieved by the user interacting with menu items shown on the touch screen. 
     
     
         15 . The PND according to  claim 1  wherein a software routine within the PND receives signals from a management system being a node on the controller area network, said routine causing the periodic or snapshot storage of one or more parameters representative of at least one of vehicle operation and user control thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The PND according to  claim 15  wherein the management system is a vehicle engine management system and the one or parameters stored by the routine are engine operating characteristics. 
     
     
         17 . The PND according to  claim 15  wherein the routine stores data that uniquely identifies the vehicle. 
     
     
         18 . The PND according to  claim 17  wherein the routine causes the wireless transmission of stored data for at least one of: road pricing, toll road access, and congestion zone access. 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The PND according to  claim 1  wherein the one or more routines utilizes the functionality of one or more of the nodes, and receives information therefrom, such being passed to the route calculation function of the PND to provide enhancement therefor. 
     
     
         21 . The PND according to  claim 20  wherein the information is one of more of:
 relevant to a possible new destination; 
 related to an engine warning; 
 related to engine diagnostic information; 
 related to gyro/speed pulse information, optionally used in a dead reckoning software routine provided as part of at least one of the route calculation and navigation functions of said PND; 
 related to outside air or road temperature; 
 indicative that the vehicle has a major fault and a routine is provided within the PND causes the user to be advised at least one of visibly and audibly that re-routing to a garage is appropriate; and 
 indicative that the external temperature is below a predefined threshold and the PND includes a routine to cause one of (a) recalculation of an estimation of travel time on account of lower speed of travel, (b) recalculation of the route to avoid potentially icy roads, and (c) the wireless transmission of ambient temperature to a remote server. 
 
     
     
         22 - 33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . The PND according to  claim 1  wherein a user profile routine is provided in the PND to interact with a module capable of storing one or more user-specific settings and being a node on the controller area network, the interaction being such that selection of a particular user profile stored in one of the PND and the vehicle user settings module causes one or more of the various settings stored in the profiles on both the PND and the user settings module to be applied. 
     
     
         35 . The PND according to  claim 34  wherein one or more of the following apply:
 a setting in the user settings module profile of the vehicle is a seat position memory function; 
 the module is a biometric user identification function capable of identifying particular users; 
 the module is a key or key fob recognition module; 
 the module is a code entry module; 
 one of user settings in a profile stored in the PND defines a particular map color scheme; 
 one of user settings in a profile stored in the PND defines a particular navigation guidance voice; 
 one of user settings in a profile stored in the PND defines a particular welcome greeting; 
 one of user settings in a profile stored in the PND defines a particular set of user-defined favorite destinations; and 
 the last active user profile is automatically loaded by the device on start-up. 
 
     
     
         36 - 43 . (canceled)