Method for operating a navigation system

A computer program product for a vehicle navigation system, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon program code that, when executed, causes a processor to:

• provide a first set of route options, wherein route options are constraints according to which routes may be optimized;
• transmit a first signal requesting additional route options to a vehicle-external data processing device;
• receive a second signal from the vehicle-external data processing device, wherein the second signal identifies a second set of route options;
• contemporaneously output to a user, by an output unit of the navigation system, at least one of the first set of route options and at least one route option of the second set of route options;
• detect user input identifying a selected route option from among the outputted route options;
• in response to the selected route option being of the second set of route options:
• transmit a third signal that identifies said selected route option to the vehicle-external data processing device, and
• receive a fourth signal from the vehicle-external data processing device identifying a route assigned to the selected route option and calculated by the vehicle-external data processing device;
• and
• in response to the selected route option being of the first set of route options:
• calculate a route assigned to the selected route option, and
• output, by the output unit of the navigation system, the calculated route.

A navigation system for a motor vehicle, comprising:

• an output unit;
• an input unit;
• and
• a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to:
• provide a first set of route options, wherein route options are constraints according to which routes may be optimized;
• transmit a first signal requesting additional route options to a vehicle-external data processing device;
• receive a second signal from the vehicle-external data processing device, wherein the second signal identifies a second set of route options;
• contemporaneously output to a user, by the output unit, at least one of the first set of route options and at least one route option of the second set of route options;
• detect user input, by the input unit, identifying a selected route option from among the outputted route options;
• in response to the selected route option being of the second set of route options:
• transmit a third signal that identifies said selected route option to the vehicle-external data processing device, and
• receive a fourth signal from the vehicle-external data processing device identifying a route assigned to the selected route option and calculated by the vehicle-external data processing device;
• and
• in response to the selected route option being of the first set of route options:
• calculate a route assigned to the selected route option, and
• output, by the output unit of the navigation system, the calculated route.