Navigation system

• US 20030191585A1
• Filed: 04/02/2003
• Published: 10/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kubota, Shinji, Sakamoto, Kiyomi, Nomura, Noboru
• Granted Patent: US 6,859,728 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 21/3641 Personalized guidance, e.g. limited guidance on previously travelled routes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3655 Timing of guidance instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3673 Labelling using text of road map data items, e.g. road names, POI names

Abstract

A navigation system for providing different modes of navigation guidance to drivers is provided. A smart card 2 stores user information. In a main apparatus 3, a parameter table storage section 33 stores parameters which are used for controlling the outputting of navigation guidance to an entity. A control section 37 acquires at least one parameter from the parameter table storage section 33 based on the user information stored in the smart card 2, and thereafter generates information necessary for providing navigation guidance for the entity in accordance with the acquired parameter(s). A display section 38 or an audio output section 39 outputs various information generated by the control section 37.

Claims

1. A navigation system comprising:

a storage medium for storing user information;

a parameter storage section for storing one or more parameters used for controlling outputting of information necessary for providing navigation guidance for an entity;

a parameter acquisition section for acquiring at least one parameter from the parameter storage section based on the user information stored in the storage medium;

an information generation section for generating information necessary for providing the navigation guidance for the entity in accordance with the at least one parameter acquired by the parameter acquisition section; and

an output section for outputting the information generated by the information output section.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1,

wherein,

the storage medium is comprised in a smart card, and

the parameter storage section, the parameter acquisition section, the information generation section, and the output section are comprised in a main apparatus.

3. The navigation system according to claim 2,

wherein,

the entity is a vehicle,

the smart card is an electronic driver'"'"'s license for driving the vehicle,

the user information stored in the storage medium is an age of a bearer of the electronic driver'"'"'s license or a date of issue of the electronic driver'"'"'s license,

the parameter storage section stores one or more parameters for each of a number of predetermined ranges of age or driving career, and

the parameter acquisition section acquires, from the parameter storage section, a set of parameters associated with the age stored in the storage medium or a driving career calculable from the date of issue stored in the storage medium.

4. The navigation system according to claim 3, further comprising a cartographic data storage section for storing a plurality of objects and road network data necessary for drawing a map image which is substantially rectangular-shaped, the road network data representing interconnections between roads on a map,

wherein,

the parameter storage section stores, for each of the number of predetermined ranges of age or driving career, a combination of X-direction and Y-direction distances in the map image to be drawn, and

the parameter acquisition section acquires, from the parameter storage section, a combination of X-direction and Y-direction distances associated with the age stored in the storage medium or a driving career calculable from the date of issue stored in the storage medium,

the information generation section comprising:

an object/road network data acquisition section for acquiring, from the cartographic data storage section, necessary objects and road network data for the combination of X-direction and Y-direction distances acquired by the parameter acquisition section; and

a map image generation section for generating a map image by using the objects and road network data acquired by the object/road network data acquisition section,

wherein the information output section outputs the map image generated by the map image generation section as information.

5. The navigation system according to claim 4,

wherein,

the cartographic data storage section further stores, for each of a number of predetermined degrees of importance, information superimposable on the map image to be drawn,

the parameter storage section further stores, for each of the number of predetermined ranges of age or driving career, a degree of importance assigned to information to be superimposed on the map image to be drawn,

the parameter acquisition section further acquires, from the parameter storage section, a degree of importance associated with the age stored in the storage medium or a driving career calculable from the date of issue stored in the storage medium,

the information generation section further comprises an information acquisition section for acquiring, from the cartographic data storage section, information associated with the degree of importance acquired by the parameter acquisition section, and

the map image generation section generates the map image by further using the information acquired by the information acquisition section.

6. The navigation system according to claim 3, further comprising a traffic information receiving section for receiving traffic information representing a current traffic situation in the road network,

wherein,

the parameter storage section stores, for each of the number of predetermined ranges of age or driving career, a switching period for switching the traffic information received by the traffic information receiving section,

the parameter acquisition section acquires, from the parameter storage section, a switching period associated with the age stored in the storage medium or a driving career calculable from the date of issue stored in the storage medium,

the information generation section comprises a display timing determination section for determining whether a time to display information has been reached or not based on the switching period acquired by the parameter acquisition section, and

if the display timing determination section determines that the time to display information has been reached, the information output section displays the traffic information received by the traffic information receiving section as information.

7. The navigation system according to claim 3, further comprising:

a cartographic data storage section for at least storing road network data representing interconnections between roads on a map,

a route search section for searching for a route from a designated start point to an designated end point by using the road network data stored in the cartographic data storage section,

wherein,

the parameter storage section further stores, for each of the number of predetermined ranges of age or driving career, a sound volume level at which to provide a voice navigation guidance for the entity in accordance with the route searched for by the route search section, and an outputting distance at which the voice guidance is outputted, and

the parameter acquisition section further acquires, from the parameter storage section, a sound volume level and an outputting distance associated with the age stored in the storage medium or a driving career calculable from the date of issue stored in the storage medium,

the information generation section comprising;

a voice guidance determination section for determining whether a time to output the voice guidance has been reached or not based on the outputting distance acquired by the parameter acquisition section, and

a voice guidance generation section for generating the voice guidance when the voice guidance determination section determines that the time to output the voice guidance has been reached,

wherein the information output section outputs the voice guidance generated by the voice guidance generation section as information in accordance with the sound volume level acquired by the parameter acquisition section.

8. A navigation method for providing navigation guidance for an entity, by using user information and one or more parameters used for controlling outputting of information necessary for providing the navigation guidance, comprising:

a user information acquisition step of acquiring user information;

a parameter acquisition step of acquiring at least one parameter based on the user information acquired by the user information acquisition step;

an information generation step of generating information necessary for providing the navigation guidance for the entity in accordance with the at least one parameter acquired by the parameter acquisition step; and

an outputting step of outputting information generated by the information outputting step.

9. The navigation method according to claim 8, wherein the method is implemented by a computer program.

10. The navigation method according to claim 9, wherein the computer program is recorded in a storage medium.