Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Navigation – Employing position determining equipment
Reexamination Certificate
1996-09-17
2001-07-24
Chin, Gary (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Navigation
Employing position determining equipment
C701S209000, C340S990000, C340S995190
Reexamination Certificate
active
06266613
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a navigation apparatus for a vehicle which determines a route to a destination, and which provides route guidance while the vehicle travels.
The invention also relates to a navigation apparatus for a vehicle which determines the shortest route from a start point to a destination, and to a method of displaying intersections which promotes smooth traveling in the vicinity of the intersections.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, there has been proposed a navigation apparatus which determines a route to a destination from either a start point or the present position of a vehicle, and which guides the vehicle to the destination in accordance with the determined route (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open (kokai) No. 2-75909).
Also, there has been proposed an improved navigation apparatus in which there is designated at least one enroute point between a start point and a destination, and in which route-determination is performed while taking the enroute point(s) into consideration. For example, when points A and B between a start point and a destination are designated as enroute points, a route between the start point and the enroute point A, a route between the enroute points A and B, and a route between the enroute point B and the destination are determined. As a result, the user is provided with a single continuous route which starts from the start point and reaches the destination via the enroute points A and B (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open (kokai) No. 23899).
However, the possibility exists that the user is not satisfied with a route which is provided by the system based on the enroute points designated in the above-described manner. To overcome this drawback, there has been proposed a technique as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open (kokai) No. 5-165407. In this technique, if the user is not satisfied with a route which is provided by the system based on costs of the routes, there is performed a processing for increasing the apparent segment cost of the system chosen route and then determining a route which has the smallest segment cost so as to provide a route different from the previously determined route.
However, even when the route different from the previously determined route is calculated, it is not necessarily possible to obtain a route which satisfies the user with only one recalculation. Also, since the recalculation is performed for the entire route from the start point to the destination, a prolonged period of time is required to complete the route determination. In the above-described case, even when the user is satisfied with the entire route except for the route between the enroute points A and B, for example, the system changes the entire route including the route between the start point to the enroute point A and the route between the enroute point B and the destination with which the user is satisfied. This occurs because the system performs route determining processing after increasing the apparent segment cost of the previously determined route. Accordingly, it is impossible to provide a route with which the user is satisfied. This is especially true in an initial route determination in which the entire route from a starting point to a destination is determined, the calculation time increases as the distance to the destination increases. This, obviously, is not a preferable characteristic of a navigation system.
Also, there has been known a method of guiding a vehicle at each intersection, according to which an enlarged map of the vicinity of each intersection is stored in the form of graphic data, and the enlarged map of the vicinity of the intersection is displayed together with an arrow.
Moreover, various kinds of navigation apparatuses for vehicles have recently been proposed (e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) Nos. 1-173298 and 2-75909).
However, the intersection displays provided by these navigation apparatuses are not satisfactory, because their displays are not changed in fine increments as the vehicle proceeds.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems in the conventional navigation apparatus, and to provide a navigation apparatus which can provide an optimal route to a user through simple operation performed within a shortened calculation time.
Another object of the invention is to provide a method of displaying each intersection which can change the display of each intersection in accordance with actual progress of the vehicle toward the intersection, thereby providing fine guidance, which promotes comfortable and smooth travel.
To achieve the above objects, the invention provides a navigation apparatus for a vehicle in which an entire route from a start point to a destination is determined and the vehicle is guided to the destination in accordance with the determined route. The navigation apparatus comprises means for determining an entire route from a start point to a destination, means for performing route determination for a part of the entire route in accordance with a request of a user, and means for newly determining the entire route to the destination based on the result of the determination performed for the part of the entire-route.
The invention also provides a navigation apparatus for a vehicle, which comprises information storage means for storing information regarding roads and intersections, present position detecting means for detecting the present position of the vehicle, destination setting means for setting a destination, enroute point setting means for setting enroute points to be passed through, route calculating means for calculating a route to the destination set by the destination setting means based on the information stored in the information storage means and the enroute points set by the enroute point setting means, route storage means for storing the route calculated by the route calculating means, and route guidance means for providing route guidance based on the route calculated by the route calculating means and the present position detected by the present position detecting means. The route storage means stores a route for each section between enroute points, and the route calculating means is capable of performing partial route calculation for each section between the enroute points.
The invention further provides a navigation apparatus for a vehicle, which comprises information storage means for storing information regarding roads and intersections, present position detecting means for detecting the present position of the vehicle, destination setting means for setting a destination, enroute point setting means for setting enroute points to be passed through, route calculating means for calculating, based on information stored in the information storage means, a route for each of sections between the present position of the vehicle detected by the present position detecting means, the enroute points set by the enroute point setting means and the destination set by the destination setting means, route storage means for storing the routes calculated by the route calculating means, and route change directing means for directing to change the route for each of the sections. The route calculation means is provided with route recalculation means for performing recalculation for a section which is designated to be changed, and route editing means for editing the entire route from the present position of the vehicle to the destination based on the route stored in the route storage means and the route obtained through the recalculation performed by the route recalculation means. The route storage means stores the route edited by the route editing means and is provided with route guidance means for providing route guidance based on the route stored in the route storage means and the present position of the vehicle detected by the present position detecting means.
The invention further provides a navigation apparatus for a vehicle, w
Ito Yasunobu
Masuda Hiroyoshi
Nimura Mitsuhiro
Yano Takeshi
Aisin Aw Co. Ltd.
Chin Gary
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
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