Car navigation device

• US 20040044464A1
• Filed: 06/20/2003
• Published: 03/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Sugiura, Wataru, Manabe, Daisuke
• Granted Patent: US 6,826,475 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096822 where the segments of the route are transmitted to the vehicle at different locations and times
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice

Abstract

When in a guide route a vehicle has strayed from a route r1 of before passing through an en-route stop W and moved onto a route r2 leading to a destination E of after passing through the en-route stop, if a distance L from a present position of the vehicle to the en-route stop W is below a predetermined value d, travel guidance to the destination E without passing through the en-route stop W is carried out. Conversely, if the distance L from the present position to the en-route stop W is above the predetermined value d, a guide route leading to the destination via the en-route stop W is reset. By this means, the guide route can to the utmost be prevented from being switched to the route r2 of after passing through the en-route stop W, and even if it has been switched to the route r2 of after passing through the en-route stop, it is easy to go to the en-route stop W.

Claims

1. A car navigation unit having a function for carrying out travel guidance of a vehicle according to a guide route which reaches a destination through a set en-route stop, the car navigation unit comprising:

determining means for determining whether or not said vehicle has strayed from a guide route of before passing through said en-route stop and moved onto a guide route leading to a destination of after passing through said en-route stop; and

guiding means for carrying out travel guidance to said destination without passing through said en-route stop if a distance from a present position of said vehicle to said en-route stop is below a predetermined value, when said determining means determines that said vehicle has strayed from said guide route of before passing through said en-route stop and moved onto said guide route leading to said destination of after passing through said en-route stop.

5. A car navigation unit recited in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, in said guide route, there is a point where guide routes of before and after passing through said en-route stop intersect with each other, said determining means determines whether or not the vehicle strays from the guide route of before passing through the en-route stop and moved onto the guide route leading to the destination of after passing through said en-route stop at said intersection point.

6. A car navigation unit recited in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said predetermined value is a straight-line distance from the present position of said vehicle to said en-route stop.

7. A car navigation unit recited in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said en-route stop can be set by selecting from at least a telephone number, an address, a name of an establishment, and any point on a map displayed on display means, and size of said predetermined value is set in correspondence with the en-route stop selection means.

2. A car navigation unit having a function for carrying out travel guidance of a vehicle according to a guide route which reaches a destination through a set en-route stop, the car navigation unit comprising:

determining means for determining whether or not said vehicle has strayed from a guide route of before passing through said en-route stop and moved onto a guide route leading to a destination of after passing through said en-route stop; and

guiding means for carrying out travel guidance according to a guide route reset to lead to said destination via said en-route stop if a distance from a present position of said vehicle to said en-route stop is above a predetermined value, when said determining means determines that said vehicle has strayed from said guide route of before passing through said en-route stop and moved onto said guide route leading to said destination of after passing through said en-route stop.

3. A car navigation unit having a function for carrying out travel guidance of a vehicle according to a guide route which reaches a destination through a set en-route stop, the car navigation unit comprising:

determining means for determining whether or not said vehicle has strayed from a guide route of before passing through said en-route stop and moved onto a guide route leading to a destination of after passing through said en-route stop; and

guiding means for carrying out travel guidance to said destination without passing through said en-route stop if a distance from a present position of said vehicle to said en-route stop is below a predetermined value, and carrying out travel guidance according to a guide route reset to lead to said destination via said en-route stop if a distance from a present position of said vehicle to said en-route stop is above a predetermined value, when said determining means determines that said vehicle has strayed from said guide route of before passing through said en-route stop and moved onto said guide route leading to said destination of after passing through said en-route stop.

4. A car navigation unit comprising:

map data storing means for storing map data;

destination setting means for setting a desired destination;

en-route stop setting means for setting a desired en-route stop in a route leading to said destination;

searching means for searching, on a basis of said map data, for a guide route which reaches said destination through said set en-route stop;

present position detecting means for detecting a present position of a vehicle;

control means for determining that the guide route is changed after passing through said en-route stop and switching guidance to a route of after passing through said en-route stop if a distance from the present position of said vehicle to said en-route stop is below a predetermined value, and for determining that the vehicle does not pass through said en-route stop and newly setting a guide route from said present position to said en-route stop without switching said guidance to the route of after passing through said en-route stop if the distance from the present position of said vehicle to said en-route stop is above the predetermined value, when, in said guide route, said vehicle strays from part-way along a route leading to said en-route stop and moves onto a route of after passing through said en-route stop.