Navigation Device Camera Overlay for Driver Interpretation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing navigation devices based on GPS struggle to provide user-friendly navigation directions, as they often require users to interpret abstract map representations, which can be difficult and time-consuming, especially for drivers who need to focus on the road.

Innovation Solution

A navigation device that combines a camera feed with navigation directions on the display, allowing for easy interpretation by superimposing or alternating the display of navigation instructions over a real-time camera image, using positioning and orientation sensors, and pattern recognition techniques to ensure accurate spatial alignment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If abstract map representations are used for navigation directions, then information can be displayed in a compact format, but user interpretation becomes difficult and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenavigation information deliveryVSAvoiduser interpretation

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a camera to capture a real-time optical copy of the road scene and superimposes navigation directions onto this visual copy. This allows users to see navigation instructions (arrows, text) directly overlaid on the actual road view, eliminating the need to interpret abstract map representations while maintaining compact information delivery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Loss of information

If drivers spend more time interpreting navigation directions, then understanding improves, but attention on the road decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenavigation understandingVSAvoiddriving safety

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the camera feed (real-time road view) with navigation directions into a single composite display. By combining these two separate information streams, drivers can understand navigation instructions without shifting their attention between separate displays, as the directions are integrated directly onto the road view they are already observing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Illumination intensity

If a (semi) three dimensional projection of the map is displayed, then visual perception correspondence improves, but interpretation difficulty remains relatively high

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevisual perception correspondenceVSAvoidinterpretation ease

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of projecting map data onto a display and asking users to interpret it, the patent inverts the approach by capturing the real-world view through a camera and overlaying simplified navigation symbols onto it. This reversal transforms the problem from interpreting abstract representations to recognizing familiar real-world scenes with added guidance elements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS8180567B2Navigation device with camera-info

Publication Date: 2012.05.15 TOMTOM NAVIGATION BV

AI summary

The present invention relates to a navigation device (10). The navigation device (10) is arranged to display navigation directions (3, 4, 5) on a display (18). The navigation device (10) is further arranged to receive a feed from a camera (24). The navigation device (10) is further arranged to display a combination of a camera image fr>m the feed fr>m the camera (24) and the navigation directions (3, 4, 5) on the display (18).