Navigation system

• US 20010029428A1
• Filed: 03/12/2001
• Published: 10/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Kersken, Ulrich, Huertgen, Bernd
• Granted Patent: US 6,535,814 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments

Abstract

A navigation system has a map storage containing map informations, a route suggesting device which with consideration of the map information from such map storage provides route suggestions, and a device which produces an image of an environment of a navigation system, so that the route suggesting device also considers the image of the environment of the navigation system produced by the image producing device.

Claims

1. A navigation system, comprising a map storage containing map informations;

a route suggesting device which with consideration of the map information from said map storage provides route suggestions; and

a device which produces an image of an environment of a navigation system, so that said route suggesting device also considers the image of the environment of the navigation system produced by said image producing device.

2. A navigation system as defined in

claim 1

, wherein said image producing device operates so as to recognize an image of objects in the environment of the navigation system, said route suggesting device considering the image of the objects and the environment of the navigation system.

3. A navigation system as defined in

claim 2

, wherein said image producing device is formed so that when said route suggesting device evaluates the image and determines movement or position of the navigation system relative to the recognized objects.

4. A navigation system as defined in

claim 1

, wherein said route suggesting device is formed so that it compares the recognized objects with the map information to the objects.

5. A navigation system as defined in

claim 1

, wherein said route suggesting device is formed so that it can takes into consideration informations of further navigation components, for producing the route suggestions.

6. A navigation system as defined in

claim 1

;

and further comprising means for evaluating the image and performing a self calibration of navigation components or compensation of inaccuracies of the navigation components.

7. A navigation system as defined in

claim 5

, wherein said further navigation components include movement sensors.

8. A navigation system as defined in

claim 5

, wherein said further navigation components include a positioning system.

9. A navigation system as defined in

claim 1

, wherein said image producing device has a video camera.

10. A navigation system as defined in

claim 1

, wherein said image producing device has an infrared camera.

11. A navigation system as defined in

claim 1

, wherein said image producing device has a radar antenna.

12. A navigation system as defined in

claim 1

, wherein said route suggestions device is formed so that it considers the image of the image producing device at a time of an outputting of a route suggestion.