Navigation method and system for selecting and visiting scenic places on selected scenic byway

摘要

A navigation method and apparatus is designed to efficiently retrieve the information on the scenic byways and to visit such scenic byways through calculated routes. The navigation method and system performs a scenic byway mode in which operations and screen displays are specially designed for efficiently retrieving and selecting a desired scenic byway and scenic places to visit. The navigation method and system allows the user to efficiently search the information and select the scenic byway and scenic places to visit. The navigation method and system stores the information on the scenic byways in the map database and facilitates retrieval thereof in response to the request by the user. Alternatively, the information on the scenic byways and scenic places can be retrieved from the remote data server through wireless communication.

主权项

1. A navigation method for selecting and visiting scenic places on a selected scenic byway, comprising the following steps of:
storing data concerning scenic byways throughout a country in a map database of a navigation system or a map database of a remote data server; displaying a menu screen which includes a scenic byway menu; selecting the scenic byway menu thereby setting an operation of the navigation system to a scenic byway mode; checking the map database, by using a processor, to retrieve the data concerning scenic byways within a predetermined distance range from a current position or other specified position; displaying a scenic byway list which lists scenic byways within the predetermined distance range; selecting a scenic byway from the scenic byway list; displaying a first scenic place list which lists scenic places on the selected scenic byway; selecting one or more scenic places from the first scenic place list; disabling further selection of the scenic place when a number of scenic places already selected has reached to a predetermined maximum number; calculating a route to the selected scenic places and guiding a user to the selected scenic places through the calculated route; and issuing a warning on a display if a waypoint, which is one of the selected scenic places on the route before arriving at a final selected scenic place, is located in an area where turn by turn guidance cannot be provided; wherein after turning on the navigation system again, the method further includes a step of checking whether there exists an unfinished selected scenic place at which a user has not yet arrived, and a step of directly starting the scenic byway mode when there exists the unfinished selected scenic place, a step of displaying a second scenic place list which lists the unfinished scenic places, and a step of allowing a user to select a desired scenic place by highlighting the name in the second scenic place list; and wherein said step of calculating the route to the selected scenic places includes a step of using a combination of a conventional routing method for determining a quickest route to the scenic place and a scenic byway routing method for determining a route to stay on the scenic byway as long as possible or reasonably long enough.