Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Navigation – Employing position determining equipment
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-12
2003-06-17
Louis-Jacques, Jacques H. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Navigation
Employing position determining equipment
C701S201000, C701S202000, C701S204000, C340S994000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06581001
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle-mounted navigation system for guiding a vehicle to a destination. More particularly, the present invention relates to a vehicle-mounted navigation system which enables calculation of a precise arrival time even when a commercial vehicle travels to a destination by way of a number of en route points and which enables fast travel to a destination by way of en route points. Further, the present invention relates to a recording medium, such as a computer readable medium, having recorded thereon a processing program for use with the vehicle-mounted navigation system.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. Hei. 11-292536, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a case where a vehicle travels to a destination by way of number of en route points, a related vehicle-mounted navigation system (as developed by Yazaki corporation of Japan) computes an arrival time in accordance with a flowchart shown in FIG.
10
.
As can be seen from the flowchart shown in
FIG. 10
, conventional computation of an arrival time involves a driver entering a start point, a destination, and en route points (S
1001
). At this time, a driver enters these items by utilizing a map or address search function or by selecting these items from a registration list and entering the selected items.
Entry (S
1001
) of a destination, i.e., a desired location, will now be described by reference to a flowchart shown in FIG.
11
.
A determination is made as to whether or not a desired location is registered in a registration list (S
1111
). If the desired location is registered in the registration list, the desired location is selected from the registration list and entered (S
1102
). In contrast, if the desired location is not registered in the registration list, it is retrieved by utilizing a map or address search function (S
1103
). When the desired location is retrieved, a determination is made as to whether or not the location is to be registered in the registration list (S
1104
). If the location is to be registered, a registration operation is performed (S
1105
), and the driver selects the thus-registered location (S
1102
), wherewith entry of a desired location is finished. In contrast, if the location is not to be registered, the driver selects the location (S
1102
) without the system performing a registration operation (S
1105
), wherewith entry of the desired location is finished.
Turning again to the flowchart shown in
FIG. 10
, a destination and en route points are entered (S
1001
). At step
1002
, it is decided whether or not to start retrieval of a route. If the thus-entered locations are correct, retrieval of a guide route is commenced (S
1002
). If one or more of the thus-entered points are incorrect, processing returns to step S
1001
, wherein a destination and en route points are re-entered. When retrieval of a guide route is commenced, the current time is determined (S
1003
). The guide route is then retrieved (S
1004
) and, subsequently, there is computed an arrival time (
1005
) at which a vehicle is to arrive after having started travel along the guide route from the thus-determined current time.
However, computation of an arrival time performed by the related vehicle-mounted navigation system does not allow entry of period of stopping at each of en route points. Therefore, when arrival time is computed, errors inevitably arise in the arrival time. Further, in a case where a vehicle does not depart at a current time, but is to depart several hours later, an error arises in a computed arrival time because the related vehicle-mounted navigation system does not allow for entry of a departure time. Therefore, when arrival time is thus computed, it is incorrect.
In the related vehicle-mounted navigation system, the driver must enter a destination and an en route point. The driver retrieves a destination by retrieving such a destination from a registration list or by using a map or location retrieval function. Next, the driver retrieves the en route points by using a map or location retrieval function. The driver then enters the thus-retrieved destination and en route points. In connection with destinations which are frequently used, the destinations may be registered in a registration list. However, in connection with destinations which are less frequently used, registration of all such destinations is burdensome. Further, even in the case of a destination which has already been registered, a driver must retrieve the en route points again by using a map search function and must then enter the thus-retrieved locations. Therefore, wasteful iteration of operations is required, which results in low operation efficiency. A route retrieval function of a related vehicle-mounted navigation system (as developed by Yazaki corporation of Japan) searches for a route without taking into consideration a direction in which a vehicle approaches a destination or an en route point. There may arise a case where a destination is located on the right side with respect to the travel direction of a vehicle. In countries where vehicles travel on the left side, a median strip may hinder the vehicle's approach to the destination. Further, since a commercial vehicle requires loading or unloading of freight into or from the vehicle, the vehicle must be parked parallel to the destination. Even in the case of a road without a median strip, the vehicle must be parked on the left side with respect to the travel direction of the vehicle. However, in a case where a positional relationship shown in
FIG. 12
exists between a starting location and a destination, the related vehicle-mounted navigation system retrieves a destination in preference to minimizing time and distance, as a result of which a route R is retrieved. Thus, the related vehicle-mounted navigation system is incapable of searching for a route such that a destination is located on the left side with respect to the travel direction of the vehicle.
The related vehicle-mounted navigation system has only a time-prioritized search function and a distance-prioritized search function so that it chooses a route which minimizes time and distance. Therefore, the related system cannot reflect a driver's desire in the route to be retrieved. For instance, every driver knows his own familiar roads which he uses everyday. However, the related vehicle-mounted navigation system searches for a route without taking into consideration such roads. Hence, even in a case where a driver desires to use his familiar road, a related vehicle-mounted navigation system (as developed by Yazaki corporation of Japan) encounters difficulty in retrieving such a road. Hence, if a driver desires to set a familiar route, he must perform a wasteful operation for setting an en route point.
A commercial vehicle may have a large body. In such a case, a driver may desire to perform detailed settings in order to prohibit a U-turn, in order to decrease the number of turns, and in order to make right turns in preference to left turns. However, a related vehicle-mounted navigation system (as developed by Yazaki corporation of Japan) has only a retrieval function which prioritizes straight-ahead driving, and is incapable of performing a search in consideration of straight-ahead travel, right turns, left turns, and U-turns. Even when a driver desires to have right turns in preference to left turns—to make driving his large vehicle easier—the navigation system searches a route R
1
which is shown in FIG.
13
and minimizes a distance to the destination. If another route R
2
is taken, the number of left turns may be diminished. However, the related vehicle-mounted navigation system does not search such a route.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been conceived in light of the foregoing background and is aimed at providing a vehicle-mounted navigation system which enables a commercial vehicle quickly to reach a destination by way of a
Katsuka Keiichiro
Suzuki Takumi
LandOfFree
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