In-vehicle navigation device

• US 20060116815A1
• Filed: 11/17/2005
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Nomura, Tomoo
• Granted Patent: US 7,623,963 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/210
• 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 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles

Abstract

When a vehicle deviates from an initial route, a deviation route is memorized. Thereafter, when the vehicle comes back to the initial route, a cost is compared between the deviation route and a non-traveled route included in the initial route. When the cost of the deviation route is larger, the non-traveled route is supposed to be impassable due to road traffic closure or the like and then a detour coefficient is assigned to links included in the non-traveled route. When a route retrieval is conducted next, a cost of a link to which the detour coefficient is assigned is increased based on the detour coefficient. The detour coefficient is increased depending on a frequency of detouring.

Claims

1. A navigation device provided in a vehicle, the navigation device comprising:

a position detector for detecting a current position of the vehicle;

a map data storing unit for storing road map data indicating a road using links;

a setting unit for setting a starting position and a destination;

a route retrieving unit for giving a cost to each of links included in routes from the starting position to the destination to obtain a total cost of costs of links included in each of the routes from the starting position to the destination and retrieving a route whose total cost is minimum among the routes from the starting position to the destination;

a guiding unit for guiding the vehicle to the destination along the retrieved route;

a determining unit for determining based on the current position whether the vehicle travels the retrieved route;

a deviation route storing unit for storing (i) a deviation route that the vehicle travels after deviating from the retrieved route, (ii) a deviating position at which the vehicle deviates from the retrieved route to the deviation route and (iii) a returning position at which the vehicle comes back from the deviation route to the retrieved route, when the vehicle is determined to travel the deviation route;

a comparing unit for extracting a route included in the retrieved route from the deviating position to the returning position and comparing a cost of the extracted route and a cost of the deviation route; and

a detour coefficient assigning unit for assigning a detour coefficient to each of links included in the extracted route when the cost of the deviation route is larger than the cost of the extracted route, the detour coefficient indicating that the vehicle detoured around the links included in the extracted route, wherein

the route retrieving unit increases a cost of a link to which the detour coefficient is assigned when retrieving a route.

2. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein

when the detour coefficient is assigned to a link corresponding to the current position of the vehicle, the detour coefficient is deleted.

3. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein

when a link to which the detour coefficient is to be assigned is already assigned the detour coefficient, the detour coefficient already assigned is updated to be increased.

4. The navigation device of claim 3, wherein

the detour coefficient already assigned is updated to be increased by being multiplied by a given coefficient.

5. The navigation device of claim 1, further comprising:

an objective determining unit for determining, when the vehicle deviates from the retrieved route, whether the vehicle deviates for a given purpose, wherein

when the vehicle is determined to deviate for the given purpose, assigning of the detour coefficient to each of the links included in the extracted route is stopped.

6. The navigation device of claim 5, wherein

the objective determining unit determines that the vehicle deviates for the given purpose when an engine of the vehicle stops.

7. The navigation device of claim 5, wherein:

the objective determining unit includes a stop determining unit that the vehicle stops and a stop time computing unit that computes a stop time period of the vehicle when the vehicle is determined to stop; and

when the computed stop time period is a given time period or more, it is determined that the vehicle stops for the given purpose.

8. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein:

the detour coefficient assigning unit identifies a direction corresponding to a traffic direction of a link to which the detour coefficient is to be assigned, and then assigns the detour coefficient to the link with the assigned detour coefficient associated with the direction, and

the route retrieving unit gives the cost to the link to which the detour coefficient is assigned in consideration of the direction of the link.