Navigation apparatus

• US 20060161342A1
• Filed: 12/23/2005
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Original Assignee: Xanavi Informatics Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tomoda, Takahisa
• Granted Patent: US 7,477,989 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• 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

Abstract

A navigation apparatus includes: a numerical conversion unit that converts information related to a specific suggestion to a numerical value; a suggestion unit that makes the specific suggestion to a user when the numerical value resulting from numerical conversion executed by the numerical conversion unit is greater than a threshold value; an input unit through which a user response to the specific suggestion is input; and an adjustment unit that changes the threshold value in correspondence to contents of the user response input through the input unit.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus comprising:

a numerical conversion unit that converts information related to a specific suggestion to a numerical value;

a suggestion unit that makes the specific suggestion to a user when the numerical value resulting from numerical conversion executed by the numerical conversion unit is greater than a threshold value;

an input unit through which a user response to the specific suggestion is input; and

an adjustment unit that changes the threshold value in correspondence to contents of the user response input through the input unit.

2. A navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the adjustment unit adjusts the threshold value to different values in correspondence to an affirmative user response and a negative user response to the specific suggestion.

3. A navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the specific suggestion includes a first suggestion and a second suggestion that is more specific than the first suggestion; and

the suggestion unit first makes the first suggestion and makes the second suggestion following the first suggestion.

4. A navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the information related to the specific suggestion is at least either of vehicle traveling information and external information transmitted from an external source.

5. A navigation apparatus according to claim 4, wherein:

the vehicle traveling information indicates at least either of a distance between the current vehicle position and a specific geographical position and a length of required traveling time to the geographical position.

6. A navigation apparatus according to claim 4, wherein:

the external information transmitted from the external source is traffic information, shop information or facility information.

7. A navigation apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a route search unit that searches for a recommended route from a start point or a current position to a destination, wherein;

the external information is information related to a congested block on the recommended route;

the numerical value resulting from the numerical conversion executed by the numerical conversion unit indicates a ratio of the congested block to the recommended route; and

the specific suggestion relates to a traffic jam information display providing traffic jam information along the recommended route.

8. A navigation apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a route search unit that searches for a recommended route from a start point or a current position to a destination, wherein;

the vehicle traveling information indicates a length of time over which the user, who is a driver, has been driving the vehicle;

the numerical value resulting from the numerical conversion executed by the numerical conversion unit indicates the length of time over which the driver has been driving the vehicle; and

the specific suggestion is a suggestion related to a rest stop on the recommended route.

9. A navigation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

the threshold value is adjusted to different values in correspondence to the user response to the first suggestion and the user response to the second suggestion.

10. A navigation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

in case that the user gives an affirmative response to the specific suggestion, the adjustment unit changes the threshold value to a smaller value and in case that the user gives a negative response to the specific suggestion, the adjustment unit changes the threshold value to a greater value.

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

a response recognition unit that recognizes an extent of rejection when the user gives a negative response to the specific suggestion, wherein;

the adjustment unit changes the threshold value to a greater value when the extent of rejection recognized by the response recognition unit is greater.

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

a manual adjustment unit that allows the user to adjust the threshold value.