Vehicle navigation apparatus and a program for controlling vehicle navigation apparatus

• US 20040148095A1
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Published: 07/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Katou, Kiyohide
• Granted Patent: US 7,219,010 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096866 where the complete route is shown to the driver
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096888 where input information is obtained using learning systems, e.g. history databases

Abstract

A navigation apparatus for a vehicle comprising a registration means for registering a place of departure, a destination, a route traveled by the vehicle, a time of day that the route was traveled, and/or a day of the week that the route was traveled; a determination means for determining whether an input place of departure and input destination are respectively substantially the same as a place of departure and destination of a registered route; a route search means for reading out a particular registered route from registered route information, the particular registered route having substantially the same place of departure and destination as the respective input place of departure and input destination, a registered day of the week that is the same as a day of the week for which route guidance between the input place of departure and input destination is requested, and/or a registered time of day that is nearest to a time of day for which route guidance between the input place of departure and input destination is requested; and a control means for performing route guidance based on a route returned by the search means.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a registration means for registering a place of departure, a destination, a route traveled by the vehicle, and a time of day that the route was traveled;

a determination means for determining whether an input place of departure and input destination are respectively substantially the same as a place of departure and destination of a registered route;

a route search means for reading out a particular registered route from registered route information, the particular registered route having substantially the same place of departure and destination as the respective input place of departure and input destination and having a registered time of day that is nearest to a time of day for which route guidance between the input place of departure and input destination is requested; and

a control means for performing route guidance based on a route returned by the search means.

2. The navigation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the route search means:

reduces a search cost for the read out registered route;

searches for a route between the input place of departure and input destination with a smallest search cost; and

returns the route with the smallest search cost.

3. The navigation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the route search means returns the read out route without performing a search.

4. The navigation apparatus of claim 3, wherein when it is determined that it is impossible to travel a portion of the read out route, the route search means only searches for a route around the impossible portion of the read out route.

5. The navigation apparatus of claim 1, wherein both of the input destination and input place of departure are defined by a user.

6. The navigation apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a present position detector, wherein the input destination is defined by a user and the input place of departure is automatically defined as a current position of the vehicle as determined by the present position detector of the navigation apparatus.

7. The navigation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the registration means is usable to record the duration of a route traveled.

8. The navigation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the registration means is usable to update the registered time of day that a route traveled for a registered route.

9. The navigation apparatus of claim 8, wherein the registration means updates the time of day that a route was traveled for a registered route when a traveled route has substantially the same place of departure and destination as a respective place of departure and destination of a registered route and the time of day that the traveled route was traveled is within a predetermined time of the registered time of day that a route was traveled for the registered route.

10. The navigation apparatus of claim 9, wherein the registration means only updates the time of day that a route was traveled for a registered route when an user input is received requesting that the time of day that a route was traveled for the registered route is received.

11. A navigation apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a registration means for registering a place of departure, a destination, a route traveled by the vehicle, and a day of the week that the route was traveled;

a determination means for determining whether an input place of departure and input destination are respectively substantially the same as a place of departure and destination of a registered route;

a route search means for reading out a particular registered route from registered route information, the particular registered route having substantially the same place of departure and destination as the respective input place of departure and input destination and having a registered day of the week that is the same as a day of the week for which route guidance between the input place of departure and input destination is requested; and

a control means for performing route guidance based on a route returned by the search means.

12. The navigation apparatus of claim 11, wherein the route search means:

reduces a search cost for the read out registered route;

searches for a route between the input place of departure and input destination with a smallest search cost; and

returns the route with the smallest search cost.

13. The navigation apparatus of claim 11, wherein the route search means returns the read out route without performing a search.

14. The navigation apparatus of claim 13, wherein when it is determined that it is impossible to travel a portion of the read out route, the route search means only searches for a route around the impossible portion of the read out route.

15. The navigation apparatus of claim 11, wherein both of the input destination and input place of departure are defined by a user.

16. The navigation apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a present position detector, wherein the input destination is defined by a user and the input place of departure is automatically defined as a current position of the vehicle as determined by the present position detector of the navigation apparatus.

17. The navigation apparatus of claim 11, wherein the registration means is usable to record the duration of a route traveled.

18. A navigation apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a registration means for registering a place of departure, a destination, a route traveled by the vehicle, a time of day that the route was traveled, and a day of the week that the route was traveled;

a determination means for determining whether an input place of departure and input destination are respectively substantially the same as a place of departure and destination of a registered route;

a route search means for reading out a particular registered route from registered route information, the particular registered route having substantially the same place of departure and destination as the respective input place of departure and input destination, a registered day of the week that is the same as a day of the week for which route guidance between the input place of departure and input destination is requested, and a registered time of day that is nearest to a time of day for which route guidance between the input place of departure and input destination is requested; and

a control means for performing route guidance based on a route returned by the search means.

19. A method for providing guidance based on a registered route comprising:

inputting a place of departure;

inputting a destination;

comparing the input place of departure and input destination to respective places of departure and destinations of registered routes;

determining if the input place of departure and input destination are substantially the same as respective places of departure and destinations of registered routes of one or more registered routes;

reading out a registered route whose registered time of day is nearest to a time of day for which the guidance is requested; and

providing guidance.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

lowering a search cost for the read out registered route; and

searching for a route between the input place of departure and input destination with a lowest search cost;

wherein providing guidance comprises providing guidance based on the route between the input place of departure and input destination with a lowest search cost.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein providing guidance comprises providing guidance based on the read out registered route.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

searching, if it is determined that it is impossible to travel a portion of the read out registered route, for a route around the impossible portion of the read out route.

23. A method for providing guidance based on a registered route comprising:

inputting a place of departure;

inputting a destination;

comparing the input place of departure and input destination to respective places of departure and destinations of registered routes;

determining if the input place of departure and input destination are substantially the same as respective places of departure and destinations of registered routes of one or more registered routes;

reading out a registered route whose registered day of the week is the same as a day of the week for which the guidance is requested; and

providing guidance.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

lowering a search cost for the read out registered route; and

searching for a route between the input place of departure and input destination with a lowest search cost;

wherein providing guidance comprises providing guidance based on the route between the input place of departure and input destination with a lowest search cost.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein providing guidance comprises providing guidance based on the read out registered route.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

searching, if it is determined that it is impossible to travel a portion of the read out registered route, for a route around the impossible portion of the read out route.

27. A method for providing guidance based on a registered route comprising:

inputting a place of departure;

inputting a destination;

comparing the input place of departure and input destination to respective places of departure and destinations of registered routes;

determining if the input place of departure and input destination are substantially the same as respective places of departure and destinations of registered routes of one or more registered routes;

reading out a registered route whose registered day of the week is the same as a day of the week for which the guidance is requested and whose registered time of day is nearest to a time of day for which the guidance is requested; and

providing guidance.