Nagivation apparatus

• US 20060152386A1
• Filed: 10/29/2004
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshioka, Shinichi, Ogasawara, Shiro
• Application Number:
  US10/563,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20060152386A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/996
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3644 Landmark guidance, e.g. using POIs or conspicuous other objects

Abstract

An object is to provide a navigation apparatus capable of outputting geographic information without depending on a display. When determining at step ST11 that a destination is assigned, the navigation apparatus interprets geography of an area around the assigned destination at step ST12, and generates geographic information for indicating the geography of the area around the destination as a voice output. Thereafter, the navigation apparatus outputs the voice output indicating the inputted geographic information through a loudspeaker.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus comprising:

a geography interpreting section for at least interpreting, after a destination is assigned by a user, geography of an area around the destination by using map data stored in a storage medium, and at least generating geographic information for indicating a characteristic of the area around the destination as a voice output; and

a voice output section for outputting the voice output in accordance with the geographic information generated at the geography interpreting section.

2. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the geography interpreting section starts interpreting immediately after a destination is assigned by the user, the geography of the area around the destination.

3. The navigation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the geography interpreting section at least acquires map data on the area around the destination, and interprets geography thereof, based on a polygon or a map symbol which comprises the acquired map data.

4. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a route calculating section for calculating a route to a destination assigned by the user, wherein

the geography interpreting section interprets geography of an area around the route calculated by the route calculating section, and generates geographic information for indicating a characteristic of the area around the route as a voice output.

5. The navigation apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the geography interpreting section at least acquires map data on the area around the route calculated at the route calculating section, and interprets geography thereof, based on a polygon or a map symbol which the obtained map data is comprised of, and/or the route calculated by the route calculating section.

6. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a request determination section for determining whether a request to output the geographic information is made by the user or not, wherein

the geography interpreting section starts to interpret the geography of the area around the destination, after the request determination section determines that an output of the geographic information is requested.

7. The navigation apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a request determination section for determining whether a request to output the geographic information is made by the user or not, wherein

the geography interpreting section starts to interpret the geography of the area around the route calculated by the route calculating section after the request determination section determines that an output of the geographic information is requested.

8. The navigation apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a distance determination section for determining whether a distance from a current position to the destination is below a predetermined value or not, wherein

the geography interpreting section interprets, when the distance determination section determines that the distance is below the predetermined value, geography of an area around a section from the current position to the destination of the route calculated by the route calculating section, and generates geographic information for indicating as a voice output, a characteristic of the area around the section to the destination.

9. The navigation apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a route dividing section for dividing the route calculated by the route calculating section into predetermined number of sections, wherein

the geography interpreting section interprets geography of an area around each section generated at the route dividing section, and generates geographic information indicating a characteristic of the area around each section as a voice output.

10. The navigation apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the geography interpreting section outputs to the voice output section, based on a starting point of each divided section from the route dividing section and a current position, geographic information which corresponds to one of the divided sections from the route dividing section, and

the voice output section outputs, when geographic information is inputted from the geography interpreting section, a voice output in accordance with the inputted geographic information.