Portable Navigation Refueling Prompt with Fuel Recording

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Solution Overview

Problem

Portable navigation apparatuses lack a refueling prompt function, unlike vehicle computers, which can monitor driving status and fuel capacity, making it difficult for users to determine if they have sufficient fuel for a navigation route.

Innovation Solution

Integration of a refueling prompt function into portable navigation apparatuses, including a driving style table, fuel consumption reference database, fuel recording unit, and refueling prompt unit, which calculates forecasting fuel consumption and alerts users when insufficient fuel is detected, using satellite positioning data and electronic maps to determine navigation routes and nearby gas stations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If a refueling prompt function is integrated into portable navigation apparatus, then users can determine if they have sufficient fuel for navigation route, but the device complexity increases due to additional components like fuel recording unit and refueling prompt unit

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefuel status informationVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the refueling prompt function with the existing portable navigation apparatus by integrating the fuel recording unit and refueling prompt unit into the same device. The fuel recording unit records fuel quantity information, and the refueling prompt unit compares this with navigation route requirements to provide prompts, merging multiple functions (navigation + fuel monitoring) into one device to avoid information loss while managing complexity through functional integration

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The portable navigation apparatus is designed to perform multiple functions: traditional navigation route planning and additionally fuel status monitoring and refueling prompting. By making the device universal, it can handle both navigation tasks and fuel management tasks, ensuring users have complete information about both route and fuel status without requiring separate dedicated devices

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Measurement precision

If fuel consumption calculation is performed based on driving style table and fuel consumption reference database, then fuel consumption rate estimation accuracy is improved, but the processing time and computational resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefuel consumption rate estimation accuracyVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent pre-establishes a driving style table containing multiple road ranks with corresponding average vehicle speeds, and pre-builds a fuel consumption reference database with fuel consumption rates for different velocities. These data structures are prepared in advance before actual navigation use, so during runtime the system only needs to query and compare values rather than perform complex real-time calculations, thus improving estimation accuracy while minimizing processing time

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces complex real-time fuel consumption calculation mechanisms with a lookup-based system using pre-computed tables and databases. Instead of performing mechanical/computational physics-based fuel consumption modeling during navigation, the system substitutes this with data retrieval and comparison operations from pre-prepared reference data, significantly reducing computational burden while maintaining estimation accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Adaptability or versatility

If the refueling prompt function is added to portable navigation apparatus, then the functionality and user benefit are enhanced, but the manufacturing cost and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovefunctionalityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the refueling prompt function with the existing portable navigation apparatus structure, combining multiple functions (navigation, fuel recording, refueling prompting) into a single integrated device. This approach enhances functionality and user benefit while avoiding the need to manufacture and distribute separate dedicated fuel monitoring devices, thereby controlling manufacturing complexity and cost through functional integration rather than proliferation of separate components

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS8280619B2Portable navigation apparatus with refueling prompt function and method thereof

Publication Date: 2012.10.02 MITAC INT CORP

AI summary

This present invention provides a portable navigation apparatus with a refueling prompt function, characterized in that the memory comprises a driving style table and a fuel consumption reference database, and the processing unit comprises a fuel recording unit and a refueling prompt unit. Wherein, while a vehicle approaches a gas station near the navigation route, or while a new route or a re-planned route is generated, the refueling prompt unit is able to automatically calculate forecasting fuel consumption required for traveling from a current location to a next gas station near a navigation route according to the navigation route generated by the route navigation unit, the driving style table and the fuel consumption reference database, and prompting an alarm signal when the forecasting fuel consumption is greater than the fuel quantity to remind a user to refuel firstly.