On-vehicle route guidance device and route guidance method

• US 20030216860A1
• Filed: 05/12/2003
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kikuchi, Yasushi, Shitamatsu, Ryota, Futami, Tohru, Nakazawa, Takuji
• Granted Patent: US 6,829,533 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3685 the POI's being parking facilities
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096894 where input is assisted by the navigation device, i.e. the user does not type the complete name of the destination, e.g. using zip codes, telephone numbers, progressively selecting from initial letters

Abstract

Information is stored relating to zones in which there are a plurality of POIs including at least one parking lot, a parking lot in a zone which has been selected from among these zones which are stored in memory is set as a destination point, a route is searched out to that parking lot based upon a road map, and the driver is guided to that parking lot based upon the route which has been found.

Claims

1. An on-vehicle route guidance device, comprising:

a map storage device which stores a road map;

a zone storage device which stores information related to zones in which there are a plurality of point of interests (POIs) including at least one parking lot;

a zone selection device which selects any zone from among the zones which are stored in the zone storage device;

a route search device which sets a parking lot within a zone which has been selected by the zone selection device as a destination point, and which searches out a route to that parking lot based upon a road map which is stored in the map storage device, and

a route guidance device which guides the vehicle driver to that parking lot based upon the route which has been searched by the route search device.

2. An on-vehicle route guidance device according to claim 1, wherein:

the information related to the zones which is stored in the zone storage device includes information related to POIs in the zones; and

further comprising;

an information provision device which, when any one of the zones is selected by the zone selection device, provides information stored in the zone storage device related to POIs in the selected zone.

3. An on-vehicle route guidance device which performs wireless communication with an information center which comprises a map storage device which stores a road map, a zone storage device which stores information related to zones in which there are a plurality of POIs including at least one parking lot and a route search device which sets a parking lot in a zone as a destination point and searches out a route to that parking lot based upon a road map which is stored in the map storage device, comprising:

a zone selection device which selects any zone from among the zones which are stored in the zone storage device; and

a route guidance device which commands the information center to search for a route to a parking lot which has been selected by the zone selection device, and which guides the vehicle driver to that parking lot based upon a route which has been searched by the information center.

4. An on-vehicle route guidance device according to claim 3, wherein:

the information related to the zones which is stored in the zone storage device includes information related to POIs in the zones; and

further comprising;

an information provision device which, when any one of the zones is selected by the zone selection device, provides information stored in the zone storage device related to POIs in the selected zone.

5. An on-vehicle route guidance device, comprising:

a map storage means for storing a road map;

a zone storage means for storing information related to zones in which there are a plurality of POIs including at least one parking lot;

a zone selection means for selecting any zone from among the zones which are stored in the zone storage means;

a route search means for setting a parking lot within a zone which has been selected by the zone selection means as a destination point, and for searching out a route to that parking lot based upon a road map which is stored in the map storage means, and

a route guidance means for guiding the vehicle driver to that parking lot based upon the route which has been searched by the route search means.

6. An on-vehicle route guidance device which performs wireless communication with an information center outside the vehicle which comprises a map storage means for storing a road map, a zone storage means for storing information related to zones in which there are a plurality of POIs including at least one parking lot, and a route search means for setting a parking lot in a zone as a destination point and searches out a route to that parking lot based upon a road map which is stored in the map storage means, comprising:

a zone selection means for selecting any zone from among the zones which are stored in the zone storage means; and

a route guidance means for commanding the information center to search for a route to a parking lot which has been selected by the zone selection means, and for guiding the vehicle driver to that parking lot based upon a route which has been searched by the information center.

7. A route guidance method, comprising:

setting as a destination point a parking lot in a zone which has been selected from among these zones which are stored, based upon information stored in a memory related to zones in which there are a plurality of POIs including at least one parking lot;

searching out a route to that parking lot which has been set as the destination point based upon a road map; and

guiding the driver to that parking lot based upon the route which has been searched.

8. A route guidance method, comprising:

selecting a zone selected from among the zones in which there are a plurality of POIs including at least one parking lot,

commanding a information center to search for a route to the parking lot within the zone which has been selected,

receiving a route which has been searched from the information center; and

guiding the vehicle driver to that parking lot based upon the route which has been received.