Navigation system and a route guidance data storage program

• US 20030236617A1
• Filed: 06/05/2003
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited ANJO Japan
• Inventors: Ogawa, Satoshi, Yamada, Kunihiro
• Granted Patent: US 6,931,321 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance

Abstract

A navigation system including a controller that defines a first search criterion concerning travel routes and a second search criterion concerning travel time, searches for a route in accordance with the first search criterion and the second search criterion, and stores route guidance data concerning a searched route onto a storage medium.

Claims

1. A navigation system, comprising:

a controller that;

defines a first search criterion concerning travel routes and a second search criterion concerning travel time;

searches for a route in accordance with the first search criterion and the second search criterion; and

stores route guidance data concerning a searched route onto a storage medium.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the controller provides a user with route guidance derived from the route guidance data.

3. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the route guidance data includes route data concerning searched routes and time data concerning a specified search time in which the travel time are included.

4. The navigation system according to claim 3, wherein the time data contains statistical data that is derived from traffic information.

5. The navigation system according to claim 3, wherein the time data contains transportation timetable data.

6. A method for re-searching a route, comprising:

defining a first search criterion concerning travel routes;

defining a second search criterion concerning travel time;

searching for a first route in accordance with the first search criterion and the second search criterion;

storing route guidance data onto the storage medium;

re-defining either one or both of the first search criterion and the second search criterion; and

searching a second route based on the first search criterion and the second search criterion, either one or both being re-defined, and the route guidance data.

7. The method for re-searching the route according to claim 6, wherein updated route guidance data is automatically stored in a navigation apparatus whenever the navigation apparatus is within a wireless transmission range.

8. The method for re-searching the route according to claim 6, wherein the route guidance data is updated by replacing a removable storage medium containing the route guidance data.

9. A route guidance data storage program, comprising:

a routine that defines a first search criterion concerning travel routes and a second search criterion concerning travel time;

a routine that searches for a route according to the first search criterion and the second search criterion; and

a routine that stores route guidance data concerning a searched route onto a storage medium.

10. A program embedded in a recording medium or dedicated circuit, comprising:

a subroutine that defines a first search criterion concerning travel routes;

a subroutine that defines a second search criterion concerning travel time;

a subroutine that searches a route according to the first search criterion and the second search criterion; and

a subroutine that stores route guidance data concerning the searched route onto a storage medium.

11. The program according to claim 10, further comprising:

a subroutine that redefines either one or both of the first search criterion and the second search criterion; and

a subroutine that re-searches a route based on the redefined either one or both of the first search criterion and the second search criterion and the route guidance data stored on the storage medium.