Navigation system and program for navigation system setup

• US 20040039523A1
• Filed: 03/25/2003
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Masato, Umeda, Arihiro, Kainuma, Mamoru
• Granted Patent: US 6,950,743 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/208
• 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: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

In order to simplify the setting of interchanges for getting on and off, a navigation system has an information retrieval processing unit for obtaining map data and interchanges for getting on and off, a display unit which displays a setup screen for displaying a map including the interchanges for getting on and off and, on the same screen, a simple road chart including neighboring interchanges for getting on and off. When the map is scrolled, the simple road chart is renewed so as to correspond to the area to which the map is scrolled, and the setting of the interchanges for getting on and off is simplified.

Claims

1. A navigation system comprising:

an information retrieval unit for obtaining map data and data for interchanges for getting on and off expressways and toll roads;

a display unit; and

a setup screen display processing means for displaying, on the display unit, a map that includes interchanges for getting on and off as one area of a setup screen, and a simple road chart that shows neighboring interchanges for getting on and off as another area of the same setup screen, both which are formed based upon the map data, and for, responsive to scrolling of the map, changing the simple road chart so as to correspond to the area to which the map is scrolled.

2. The navigation system as set forth in claim 1, wherein, when the simple road chart is scrolled, the setup screen display processing means renews the simple road chart and concurrently, renews the map so as to correspond to the simple road chart.

3. The navigation system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the setup screen display processing means displays the neighboring interchanges for getting on and off side-by-side in the simple road chart.

4. The navigation system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the setup screen display processing means displays interchanges for getting on and off which are the closest to the center position of the map, at a fixed place on the simple road chart.

5. The navigation system as set forth in claim 3, wherein the setup screen display processing means displays the interchanges for getting on and off which are the closest to a center position of the map, at a fixed place in the simple road chart.

6. The navigation system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the information obtaining processing means further retrieves service stop data, and further comprising:

a service stop setup processing unit adapted to set locations for service stops, based upon the service stop data.

7. The navigation system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the service stop setup processing unit forms a service stop setup screen on the display unit, and displays the simple road chart including neighboring facilities, on the service stop setup screen.

8. The navigation system as set forth in claim 7, wherein the service stop setup processing unit renews the simple road chart so as to correspond to the map, when the map is scrolled.

9. The navigation system as set forth in claim 7, wherein, when the simple road chart is scrolled, the service stop setup processing unit renews the simple road chart and concurrently, renews the map so as to correspond to the simple road chart.

10. The navigation system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the service stop setup processing unit has facility selection narrowing condition setup means unit for setting a facility narrowing condition for narrowing the selection of one or more service facilities.

11. A method for vehicle navigation comprising:

retrieving map data and data for interchanges for getting on and off expressways and toll roads;

displaying, in one area of a single screen, a map that includes interchanges for getting on and off and a simple road chart that shows neighboring interchanges for getting on and off on the same single screen, both of which are based upon the retrieved map data;

scrolling the map; and

changing the simple road chart so as to correspond to the area to which the map is scrolled.

12. A machine-readable medium having, recorded thereon, a program for the navigation method of claim 11.