Route guidance system and route guidance method

• US 20070124068A1
• Filed: 11/29/2006
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Takeuchi, Kensuke, Nakayama, Takaaki, Oonishi, Shino, Kato, Kiyohide
• Application Number:
  US11/605,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20070124068A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/210
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3655 Timing of guidance instructions

Abstract

A route guidance system includes a current-location detecting unit for detecting the current location of the vehicle; a route-searching unit for searching to determine a route to a destination from the detected vehicle current location; a guidance-intersection setting processing unit for setting a guidance intersection based on the determined route; a route guidance point setting processing unit for setting a route guidance point on the near side of a guidance intersection; a change condition determination processing unit for calculating a route guidance region from the start to the end of route guidance based on the route guidance point and the contents of route guidance, and determining whether or not the route guidance region overlaps a predetermined intersection between the vehicle current location and the guidance intersection; and a route guidance region changing unit for changing the route guidance region when the route guidance region is determined to overlap the predetermined intersection.

Claims

1. A route guidance system for a vehicle comprising:

a current-location detecting unit for detecting the current location of the vehicle;

route-searching means for searching to determine a route to a destination based on the detected vehicle current location;

guidance-intersection setting means for setting a guidance intersection based on the determined route;

route guidance point setting means for setting a route guidance point at a predetermined point on the near side, relative to the vehicle, of the guidance intersection, for initiating route guidance regarding the guidance intersection;

route guidance region determination means for calculating a route guidance region from the start to the end of route guidance based on the position of the set route guidance point and the contents of the route guidance, and for determining whether or not the route guidance region overlaps a predetermined intersection between the detected vehicle current location and the guidance intersection; and

route guidance region changing means for changing the route guidance region in the event that the route guidance region is determined to overlap the predetermined intersection.

2. A route guidance system according to claim 1, wherein, when the length of the route guidance region is equal to or shorter than an inter-intersection distance between the intersection with which the route guidance region overlaps and an adjacent intersection, the route guidance region changing means changes the route guidance region.

3. A route guidance system according to claim 1, further comprising point guidance means for providing route guidance based on the number of branch elements from the detected vehicle current location to the guidance intersection, in the event that the length of the route guidance region is longer than an inter-intersection distance between the intersection with which the route guidance region overlaps and an adjacent intersection.

4. A route guidance system according to claim 3, wherein the number of branch elements is the number of roads intersecting the road which the vehicle will travel from the detected vehicle current location to the guidance intersection.

5. A route guidance system according to claim 3, wherein the number of branch elements is the number of intersections from the detected vehicle current location to the guidance intersection.

6. A method of providing route guidance for a driver of a vehicle comprising:

detecting the current location of the vehicle;

searching to determine a route to a destination based on the detected vehicle current location;

setting a guidance intersection based on the determined route;

setting a route guidance point at a predetermined distance on the near side of a guidance intersection, relative to the detected vehicle current location,

providing route guidance regarding the guidance intersection;

calculating a route guidance region from the start to the end of the route guidance, based on the position of the route guidance point and the contents of route guidance;

determining whether or not the calculated route guidance region overlaps a predetermined intersection between the detected vehicle current location and the guidance intersection; and

changing the route guidance region responsive to a determination that the route guidance region overlaps the predetermined intersection.