Route search method in navigation system

• US 20050071080A1
• Filed: 08/11/2004
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Original Assignee: Xanavi Informatics Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sano, Katsumi
• Granted Patent: US 7,194,356 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• 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 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A navigation system comprises a storage device which stores link data of each of links constituting roads on a map. As for a carpool link defined as a link allowing only a vehicle in which a plurality of persons are riding to pass through, the link data contains information indicative thereof. The navigation system searches for a recommended route from a departure place to a destination by use of the link data. If the links constituting the recommended route includes a carpool link, the navigation system receives an input of the number of person-on-board. The navigation system searches for a recommended route once again by use of the link data, from the departure place to the destination comprising the links passable with the number of person-on-board received by the receive step.

Claims

1. A route search method in an in-vehicle type navigation system, comprising a storage device which stores link data of each of links constituting roads on a map, wherein,

as for a carpool link defined as a link allowing only a vehicle in which a plurality of persons are riding to pass through, said link data contains information indicative thereof, and

said navigation system carries out:

a search step which searches for a recommended route from a departure place to a destination by use of said link data,

a receive step which receives an input of the number of person-on-board when said carpool link is included in links constituting said recommended route, and

a renewed search step which searches for a recommended route once again by use of said link data, from said departure place to said destination comprising links passable with said number of person-on-board received in said receive step.

2. A route search method in an in-vehicle type navigation system according to claim 1, wherein,

if the input of said number of person-on-board is not received in said receive step, said navigation system searches for a recommended route once again from said departure place to said destination, by use of said link data excluding said carpool link.

3. A route search method in an in-vehicle type navigation system according to claim 1, wherein,

if the links constituting said recommended route include a carpool link, said navigation system outputs a message informing a user that the links constituting said recommended route include the carpool link.

4. A route search method in an in-vehicle type navigation system according to claim 1, wherein,

if the links constituting said recommended route include a carpool link, a mode for displaying said carpool link is differentiated from other links.

5. A route search method in an in-vehicle type navigation system according to claim 1, wherein,

said navigation system,

comprises a current position detecting function,

on the basis of current position information detected by said current position detecting function,

displays said recommended route on a map surrounding said current position, and

if said carpool link is included in the links constituting said recommended route thus displayed, outputs a message informing the user that there exists a carpool link in the recommended route, prior to reaching to said carpool link.

6. A route search method in an in-vehicle type navigation system, wherein,

said navigation system comprises a storage device which stores link data of each of links constituting roads on a map, and information as to the number of person-on-board by day and time,

as for a carpool link defined as a link allowing only a vehicle in which a plurality of persons are riding to pass through, said link data contains information regarding the number of person-on-board allowing the vehicle to pass through the carpool link, and

said navigation system carries out,

a number of person-on-board setting step which selects a number of person-on-board corresponding to a current day and time out of the information as to number of person-on-board stored in said storage device, and

a search step which searches for a recommended route from a departure place to a destination, comprising the links passable with the number of person-on-board set in said number of person-on-board setting step.

7. An in-vehicle type navigation system comprising,

a storage device which stores link data of each of links constituting roads on a map, and as for a carpool link defined as a link allowing only a vehicle in which a plurality of persons are riding to pass through, said link data containing information indicative thereof,

a search means which searches for a recommended route from a departure place to a destination by use of said link data,

a receive means which receives an input of the number of person-on-board, if said carpool link is included in said links constituting said recommended route, and

a renewed search means which searches for a recommended route once again by use of said link data, from the departure place to the destination comprising links passable with the number of person-on-board received by said receive means.

8. An in-vehicle type navigation system, comprising,

a storage device which stores link data of each of links constituting roads on a map, and as for a carpool link defined as a link allowing only a vehicle in which a plurality of persons are riding to pass through, said link data containing information indicative thereof and information as to the number of person-on-board by day and time,

a number of person-on-board setting means which selects a number of person-on-board corresponding to a current day and time out of the information as to the number of person-on-board stored in said storage device and sets the number thus selected as the number of person-on-board and

a search means which searches for a recommended route, by use of said link data, from a departure place to a destination comprising the links passable with the number of person-on-board set in said number of person-on-board setting means.