Navigation system

• US 20070106469A1
• Filed: 09/21/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ishizaki, Mitsuru
• Granted Patent: US 7,689,352 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3476 using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3685 the POI's being parking facilities
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space

Abstract

When a user turns on an ignition switch at a parking lot so as to restart travel to a destination, a navigation system computes a distance from the parking lot to an intermediate position included in a guide route currently designated. When the computed distance is within a predetermined distance, whether the user has visited the intermediate position or not is inquired of the user. When the user inputs that the intermediate position has been visited, the navigation system re-designates a new guide route to the destination without need to pass by the intermediate position.

Claims

1. A navigation system provided in a vehicle and having a function of designating a guide route from a start position via an intermediate position to a destination and a function of performing a route guidance based on the guide route, the navigation system comprising:

map data obtaining means for obtaining map data;

position obtaining means for obtaining a current position of the vehicle;

distance measuring means for measuring using the map data a distance to the intermediate position included in the guide route from a current position where the vehicle starts;

selecting means for selecting, when the measured distance is within a predetermined distance, the intermediate position as a passed-by intermediate position candidate, which is a candidate of an intermediate position that has been passed by; and

notifying means for notifying a user of the passed-by intermediate position candidate.

2. The navigation system of claim 1, further comprising:

input means for the user to designate the passed-by intermediate position candidate as an intermediate position which the vehicle has passed by; and

re-routing means for re-designating a new guide route from the current position to the destination while excluding, from consideration as an intermediate position, the passed-by intermediate position candidate, which is designated as the intermediate position which the vehicle has passed by.

3. A navigation system provided in a vehicle and having a function of designating a guide route from a start position to a destination and a function of performing a route guidance based on the guide route, the navigation system comprising:

map data obtaining means for obtaining map data;

position obtaining means for obtaining a current position of the vehicle;

distance measuring means for measuring using the map data a distance to the destination included in the guide route from a current position where the vehicle starts;

qualifying means for qualifying the current position, where the vehicle starts, as the destination when the measured distance is within a predetermined distance; and

notifying means for notifying the user that the current position, where the vehicle starts, is qualified as the destination.

4. The navigation system of claim 3, further comprising input means for the user to accept that the current position, where the vehicle starts, is qualified as the destination;

and

guidance ending means for ending a route guidance to the destination when the user accepts that the current position, where the vehicle starts, is qualified as the destination.

5. A navigation system provided in a vehicle, the navigation system comprising:

a map data obtaining unit for obtaining map data;

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

a route designating unit for designating a route from a start position to a target position as a guide route;

a route re-designating unit for re-designating a route from the current position to the target position, when the vehicle departs from the guide route before arriving at the target position, so as to update the guide route;

a guiding unit for guiding the vehicle based on the guide route;

a distance measuring unit for measuring using the map data a distance to the target position, which is included in the guide route and has not been arrived at, from a parked position, where the vehicle is parked and re-starts; and

an inquiring unit for inquiring of a user whether the user accepts an assumption that the vehicle has arrived at the target position, when the measured distance is within a predetermined distance.

6. The navigation system of claim 5,

wherein the target position is included in a plurality of target positions that include a destination and an intermediate position, via which the vehicle is to travel to the destination.

7. The navigation system of claim 6, wherein:

the target position is specified as the intermediate position and the destination;

the route designating unit designates a route from the start position via the intermediate position to the destination as a guide route;

the route re-designating unit re-designates a route from the current position via the intermediate position to the destination, when the vehicle departs from the guide route before the vehicle arrives at the intermediate position and the destination, so as to update the guide route;

the distance measuring unit measures a distance to the intermediate position, which the vehicle has not arrived at, from the parked position;

the inquiring unit inquires of the user whether the user accepts an assumption that the vehicle has arrived at the intermediate position, when the measured distance is within a predetermined distance; and

the route re-designating unit re-designates a route, which goes from the parked position to the destination without passing by the intermediate position when the user accepts the assumption.

8. The navigation system of claim 6, wherein:

the target position is specified as the destination;

the route designating unit designates a route from the start position to the destination as a guide route;

the route re-designating unit re-designates a route from the current position to the destination when the vehicle departs from the guide route before arriving at the destination, so as to update the guide route;

the distance measuring unit measures a distance to the destination, which the vehicle has not arrived at, from the parked position;

the inquiring unit inquires of the user whether the user accepts an assumption that the vehicle has arrived at the destination, when the measured distance is within a predetermined distance; and

the guiding unit ends guiding the vehicle when the user accepts the assumption.

9. A method used in a navigation system provided in a vehicle, the method comprising:

designating a route from a start position to a target position as a guide route;

measuring using map data a distance to the target position, which is included in the guide route and has not been arrived at, from a parked position where the vehicle is parked and re-starts;

inquiring of a user whether the user accepts an assumption that the vehicle has arrived at the target position, when the measured distance is within a predetermined distance;

re-designating a route from the parked position to the target position so as to update the guide route, when the measured distance is not within a predetermined distance or when the user does not accept the assumption; and

re-designating, by eliminating the target position from consideration as a target position, no route from the parked position to the target position when the user accepts the assumption.