Navigation apparatus

• US 20050021227A1
• Filed: 06/01/2004
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Shuichi, Ogino, Takayuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,395,149 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/207
• 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: G01C 21/3423 Multimodal routing, i.e. combining two or more modes of transportation, where the modes can be any of, e.g. driving, walking, cycling, public transport
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3605 Destination input or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3685 the POI's being parking facilities
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 indicating individual free spaces in parking areas

Abstract

When a vehicle is traveling along a route toward a parking lot located near a destination facility, if traffic congestion along the route is detected, the navigation apparatus searches for an alternative parking lot that allows a user to reach the destination facility earlier than can by using the original parking lot. If such an alternative parking lot is detected, the predicted driving time and the predicted walking time are displayed together with a route to the parking lot. When traffic congestion is encountered when transporting a passenger by vehicle, the navigation apparatus determines a quicker way for the passenger to reach the destination facility. If the navigation apparatus detects that the passenger can reach the destination facility earlier if the passenger disembarks the vehicle and walks to the destination facility, the navigation apparatus presents information indicating a best point at which the passenger should disembark the vehicle.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus comprising:

a storage unit for storing the location of a destination;

a route setting unit for determining a route to a parking lot located near the destination;

a time calculation unit for calculating the predicted driving time needed to drive to the parking lot, the predicted walking time needed to walk from the parking lot to the destination, and the predicted total time, the predicted total time being the sum of the predicted driving time and the predicted walking time;

a congestion information unit for detecting current traffic congestion along the route in an area near the destination; and

a search unit for searching for an alternative parking lot having a shorter predicted total time when the congestion information unit detects traffic congestion in the area near the destination,

wherein the route setting unit determines a route to the alternative parking lot.

2. A navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the congestion information unit detects traffic congestion that develops as a vehicle is traveling.

3. A navigation apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a route selection unit, wherein the route setting unit determines a detour route for avoiding traffic congestion and the route selection unit presents to a user the detour route and the route to the alternative parking lot.

4. A navigation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the route to the alternative parking lot has a shorter predicted total time than the predicted total time for a detour route to an originally targeted parking lot.

5. A navigation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a congestion monitor for monitoring, when traveling along the route to the alternatively selected parking lot, whether traffic congestion along the route originally planned to be used has dissipated,

wherein the navigation apparatus provides route guidance along the original route if the congestion monitor detects that the traffic congestion has dissipated.

6. A navigation apparatus according to claim 5, wherein if a vehicle has passed through a point at which the route to the alternatively selected parking lot is branched from the route originally planned to be used, the congestion monitor stops monitoring.

7. A navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the traffic congestion information is obtained by means of a vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

8. A navigation apparatus comprising:

a storage unit for storing the location of a destination;

a route setting unit for determining a route to at least one parking lot located near the destination facility;

a time calculation unit for calculating the predicted driving time needed to drive to each parking lot, the predicted walking time needed to walk from each parking lot to the destination, and the predicted total time for each parking lot, the predicted total time being the sum of the predicted driving time and the predicted walking time; and

a selection unit for selecting a parking lot that has the shortest predicted total time.

9. A navigation apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a predicted congestion unit for acquiring information associated with traffic congestion predicted to occur,

wherein when the traffic congestion information acquired by the predicted congestion unit indicates that traffic congestion will probably occur in an area near the destination, the selection unit selects a parking lot having the shortest predicted total time calculated taking into account the predicted traffic congestion.

10. A navigation apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the route setting unit determines a route from the current destination to a next destination;

and

when the traffic congestion information acquired by the predicted congestion unit indicates that traffic congestion will probably occur along the route from the current destination to the next destination at the current destination departure time, the selection unit selects a parking lot having the shortest predicted total time calculated for traveling to the next destination taking into account the predicted traffic congestion.

11. A navigation apparatus comprising:

a storage unit for storing the location of a destination;

a route setting unit for determining a route to the destination;

a time calculation unit for calculating the predicted driving time needed to drive to an arbitrary point on the route and the predicted walking time needed to walk from the arbitrary point to the destination; and

a guidance unit for presenting information indicating a disembark point suitable for a passenger to disembark a vehicle,

wherein the guidance unit detects a point such that the predicted walking time for that point is shorter than the predicted driving time from that point to the destination, and the guidance unit presents the detected point as the disembark point.

12. A navigation apparatus comprising:

a storage unit for storing the location of a destination;

a route setting unit for determining a route to the destination;

a time calculation unit for calculating the predicted driving time needed to drive to an arbitrary point on the route, the predicted walking time needed to walk from the arbitrary point to the destination, and the predicted total time, the predicted total time being the sum of the predicted driving time and the predicted walking time; and

a guidance unit for presenting information indicating a disembark point suitable for a passenger to disembark a vehicle,

wherein the guidance unit detects and presents a disembark point such that the predicted walking time for that disembark point is shorter than the predicted total time including the predicted driving time from the disembark point to the arbitrary point and the predicted walking time from the arbitrary point to the destination.

13. A navigation apparatus according to claim 12, wherein when the guidance unit detects that the destination is located close to a point on the route, if the guidance unit detects that the predicted walking time from the current position to the destination is shorter than the predicted driving time from the current position to the point close to the destination, the guidance unit presents the current position as the disembark point.

14. A navigation apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising:

an arrival time predictor for calculating the predicted arrival time at the destination; and

a checking unit for checking a schedule to determine whether the current route allows arrival by the specified time by which a user has to arrive at the destination by comparing the predicted arrival time with the time specified in the schedule data.

15. A navigation apparatus according to claim 14, wherein if the current route does not allow arrival by the time specified by the schedule, the checking unit acquires information about alternate transportation available from a disembark point to the destination and searches for a point that allows arrival at the destination by the specified time if the passenger disembarks the vehicle at the point and gets on alternate transportation.

16. A navigation apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the route setting unit determines a route including a walking route from a disembark point to the destination, and displays the walking route on the navigation apparatus.

17. A navigation apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the route setting unit determines a route including a walking route from a disembark point to the destination, and transmits the walking route to a portable information device.

18. A navigation apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a guidance request unit for transmitting an electronic mail address and point information about a disembark point and the destination to an information center,

wherein, the information center transmits guidance information on a route from the disembark point to the destination to a portable information device.

19. A navigation apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising a mail address unit for acquiring the electronic mail address.

20. A navigation apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the guidance information on the route from the disembark point to the destination includes guidance information on usage of a train.