Navigation apparatus

• US 20020082773A1
• Filed: 11/29/2001
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimotani, Mitsuo, Umezu, Masaharu, Mikuriya, Makoto, Ikeuchi, Tomoya
• Granted Patent: US 6,549,847 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3859 Differential updating map data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3878 Hierarchical structures, e.g. layering
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B

Abstract

The navigation apparatus includes a map database that records map data in a fixed storage medium, a map data read section for reading map data from the map database, and a navigation section for detecting the location of local apparatus, calculating a proper route to a destination specified by the user, and giving guidance to the destination according to the route, characterized in that the navigation apparatus comprises a map information acquisition section for acquiring map information from outside the navigation apparatus and a map information update section for updating the map database with the map information acquired by the map information acquisition section and that the navigation section comprises an emphasis display section for displaying the data detected in a difference data detecting section in an emphasized way and an emphasis voice guidance section for giving emphasis guidance of the data detected in the difference data detecting section.

Claims

1. Navigation apparatus comprising:

a map database that records map data in a fixed storage medium;

a map data read section for reading the map data from the map database;

a navigation section for detecting the location of a local apparatus, calculating a proper route to a destination specified by the user, and giving guidance to the destination according to the route;

a map information acquisition section for acquiring map information from outside the navigation apparatus;

a map information update section for updating the map database with the map information acquired by the map information acquisition section,

wherein the map information update section comprises a difference data detecting section for detecting modified data from the map data read by the map data read section in the map information acquired by the map information acquisition section; and

a map information merging section for merging map data read by the map data read section and map information acquired by the map information acquisition section to generate updated map data,

wherein the navigation section comprises an emphasis display section for displaying the data detected in the difference data detecting section in an emphasized way; and

an emphasis voice guidance section for giving emphasis guidance of the data detected in the difference data detecting section.

2. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the map information acquisition section comprises:

an acquirable information presenting section for presenting map information to the user that is acquirable from outside; and

a target information selecting section for the user to select target map information from the acquirable map information presented to the user.

3. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the map information acquisition section comprises a target information specification section for the user to specify target map information to be acquired from outside.

4. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the map information acquisition section comprises:

a target information unspecification section for canceling user specification to limit target information on the geographical area necessary for a route search and maintaining the unspecification when information on the geographical area where specification is canceled is subsequently acquired.

5. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an emphasis management section for performing emphasis display and emphasis voice guidance,

wherein the emphasis management section comprises:

an emphasis start determination section for determining timing of starting emphasis display or emphasis voice guidance;

an emphasis display end determination section for determining timing of ending emphasis display; and

an emphasis display level determination section for determining emphasis level of each item to be displayed emphatically.

6. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an emphasis management section for managing the emphasis method,

wherein the emphasis management section comprises:

an emphasis unit determination section for determining to emphasize emphasis unit information that stores the types of items preselected by the user and data corresponding to the emphasis unit information.

7. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an emphasis management section for managing the emphasis method,

wherein the navigation section comprises a map data usage characteristics learning section for learning the map data usage characteristics of the user,

wherein the emphasis management section comprises an emphasis detail level determination section for determining the detail level of the contents to be displayed emphatically or to undergo emphasis voice guidance in accordance with the map data usage characteristics learned by the map data usage characteristics learning section.

8. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an emphasis management section for managing the emphasis method,

wherein the emphasis management section comprises a period information detecting section for detecting period information in case period information is included in the difference data detected in the difference data detecting section;

and

a period emphasis instructing section for instructing period emphasis to the emphasis display section or an emphasis voice guidance section according to the period described in the due date information detected by the period information detecting section.

9. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, comprising an emphasis management section for managing the emphasis method,

wherein the emphasis management section comprises:

an emphasis characteristics learning section for learning the emphasis characteristics of the user.

10. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the emphasis display section, recognizing an item to be displayed emphatically, emphasizes the item in a way different from the emphasis of the current items displayed emphatically.

11. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the difference data detecting section comprises:

a difference area calculating section for calculating the geographical area where difference data is present and that the emphasis display section shows that difference data is present in the lower-layer map data in case the geographical area calculated by the difference area calculating section is contained in the lower layer of the displayed map data.