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Navigation device and method for early instruction output

The following applications are being filed concurrently with the present application. The entire contents of each of the following applications is hereby incorporated herein by reference: A NAVIGATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ESTABLISHING AND USING PROFILES (Attorney docket number 06P207US02) filed on even date herewith; A NAVIGATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ENHANCED MAP DISPLAY (Attorney docket number 06P207US03) filed on even date herewith; A NAVIGATION DEVICE AND METHOD RELATING TO AN AUDIBLE RECOGNITION MODE (Attorney docket number 06P207US04) filed on even date herewith; NAVIGATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING POINTS OF INTEREST (Attorney docket number 06P207US05) filed on even date herewith; A NAVIGATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR FUEL PRICING DISPLAY (Attorney docket number 06P057US06) filed on even date herewith; A NAVIGATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR INFORMATIONAL SCREEN DISPLAY (Attorney docket number 06P207US06) filed on even date herewith; A NAVIGATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DEALING WITH LIMITED ACCESS ROADS (Attorney docket number 06P057US07) filed on even date herewith; A NAVIGATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR TRAVEL WARNINGS (Attorney docket number 06PO57US07) filed on even date herewith; A NAVIGATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DRIVING BREAK WARNING (Attorney docket number 06PO57US07) filed on even date herewith; A NAVIGATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ISSUING WARNINGS (Attorney docket number 06P207US07) filed on even date herewith; A NAVIGATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DISPLAY OF POSITION IN TEXT READIBLE FORM (Attorney docket number 06P207US08) filed on even date herewith; A NAVIGATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR EMERGENCY SERVICE ACCESS (Attorney docket number 06PO57US08) filed on even date herewith; A NAVIGATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING REGIONAL TRAVEL INFORMATION IN A NAVIGATION DEVICE (Attorney docket number 06P207US09) filed on even date herewith; A NAVIGATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR USING SPECIAL CHARACTERS IN A NAVIGATION DEVICE (Attorney docket number 06P207US09) filed on even date herewith; A NAVIGATION DEVICE AND METHOD USING A PERSONAL AREA NETWORK (Attorney docket number 06P207US10) filed on even date herewith; A NAVIGATION DEVICE AND METHOD USING A LOCATION MESSAGE (Attorney docket number 06P207US10) filed on even date herewith; A NAVIGATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONSERVING POWER (Attorney docket number 06P207US11) filed on even date herewith; A NAVIGATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR USING A TRAFFIC MESSAGE CHANNEL (Attorney docket number 06P207US13) filed on even date herewith; A NAVIGATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR USING A TRAFFIC MESSAGE CHANNEL RESOURCE (Attorney docket number 06P207US13) filed on even date herewith; A NAVIGATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR QUICK OPTION ACCESS (Attorney docket number 06P207US15) filed on even date herewith; A NAVIGATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DISPLAYING A RICH CONTENT DOCUMENT (Attorney docket number 06P207US27) filed on even date herewith.

The present application hereby claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) on each of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. 60/879,523 filed Jan. 10, 2007, 60/879,549 filed Jan. 10, 2007, 60/879,553 filed Jan. 10, 2007, 60/879,577 filed Jan. 10, 2007, and 60/879,599 filed Jan. 10, 2007, the entire contents of each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

The present application generally relates to navigation methods and devices.

Navigation devices were traditionally utilized mainly in the areas of vehicle use, such as on cars, motorcycles, trucks, boats, etc. Alternatively, if such navigation devices were portable, they were further transferable between vehicles and/or useable outside the vehicle, for foot travel for example.

These devices are typically tailored to produce a route of travel based upon an initial position of the navigation device and a selected/input travel destination (end position), noting that the initial position could be entered into the device, but is traditionally calculated via GPS Positioning from a GPS receiver within the navigation device. To aid in navigation of the route, instructions are output along the route to a user of the navigation device. These instructions may be a least one of audible and visual.

The inventors discovered that in certain known areas, or under certain conditions, triggers for output of instructions useable to navigate the travel route may be blocked. Thus, they have discovered that it would be helpful to the user if these areas or conditions can be either anticipated or detected, to permit early output of navigation instructions.

In at least one embodiment of the present application, a method includes determining, during a route of travel of a navigation device, entry of the navigation device into a tunnel; and outputting a navigation instruction to a user of the navigation device within the tunnel, for travel along the travel route, upon determining, subsequent to determining entry of the navigation device into the tunnel, at least one of the tunnel being longer than a first threshold distance, a navigation instruction being due to be output within a second threshold distance of an exit of the tunnel and the navigation instruction being due to be output within the tunnel.

In at least one embodiment of the present application, a navigation device includes a processor to determine, during a route of travel of a navigation device, entry of the navigation device into a tunnel; and an output device to output a navigation instruction to a user of the navigation device within the tunnel, for travel along the travel route, upon the processor determining, subsequent to determining entry of the navigation device into the tunnel, at least one of the tunnel being longer than a first threshold distance, a navigation instruction being due to be output within a second threshold distance of an exit of the tunnel and the navigation instruction being due to be output within the tunnel.

In at least one other embodiment of the present application, a method includes determining, during travel of a navigation device along a travel route, when a GPS signal is received by a navigation device and determining when a GPS signal was not received by the navigation device for a period of time exceeding a threshold; and outputting a navigation instruction to a user of the navigation device, for travel along the route, upon determining that a GPS signal was not received by the navigation device for a period of time exceeding a threshold.

In at least one other embodiment of the present application, a device includes a processor to determine, during travel of a navigation device along a travel route, when a GPS signal is received by a navigation device and to determine when a GPS signal was not received by the navigation device for a period of time exceeding a threshold; and an output device to output a navigation instruction to a user of the navigation device, for travel along the route, upon the processor determining that a GPS signal was not received by the navigation device for a period of time exceeding a threshold.

The present application will be described in more detail below by using example embodiments, which will be explained with the aid of the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an example view of a Global Positioning System (GPS);