Route guidance systems, methods, and programs

• US 20070124069A1
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Tanizaki, Daisuke, Takeuchi, Kensuke, Oonishi, Shino, Kato, Kiyohide, Nakayama, Takaaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,949,468 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/210
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3644 Landmark guidance, e.g. using POIs or conspicuous other objects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3655 Timing of guidance instructions

Abstract

Route guidance systems, methods, and programs detect a current position of a vehicle and search for a route to a destination on the basis of the vehicle position. The systems, methods, and programs set a guidance point at a predetermined distance before a target point on the searched route. If a guidance condition is met, the systems, methods, and programs provide route guidance about the target point when the vehicle reaches the guidance point, the guidance condition being met on the basis of the presence or absence of traffic lights at each of at least one intersection between the guidance point and the target point. If the guidance condition is met, the systems, methods, and programs output route guidance, the content of the route guidance being preset based on the guidance condition.

Claims

1. A route guidance system for a vehicle, comprising:

a current position detector that detects a current position of the vehicle; and

a controller that;

searches for a route to a destination on the basis of the vehicle position;

sets a guidance point at a predetermined distance before a target point on the searched route;

provides route guidance about the target point when the vehicle reaches the guidance point if a guidance condition is met, the guidance condition being met on the basis of the presence or absence of traffic lights at each of at least one intersection between the guidance point and the target point; and

outputs route guidance if the guidance condition is met, the content of the route guidance being preset based on the guidance condition.

2. The route guidance system of claim 1, wherein:

the guidance condition is met if the target point has no traffic lights;

the controller calculates a number of intersections between the vehicle position and the target point; and

the content of the route guidance is based on the calculated number of intersections.

3. The route guidance system of claim 2, wherein the route guidance instructs a user to turn at an intersection the calculated number of intersections away from the vehicle position.

4. The route guidance system of claim 1, wherein:

the guidance condition is met if only the target point has traffic lights; and

the content of the route guidance is based on a number of intersections with traffic lights between the vehicle position and the target point.

5. The route guidance system of claim 4, wherein the route guidance instructs a user to turn at a next intersection having traffic lights.

6. The route guidance system of claim 1, wherein:

the guidance condition is met if all intersections between the vehicle position and the target point have traffic lights; and

the content of the route guidance is based on a number of intersections with traffic lights between the vehicle position and the target point.

7. The route guidance system of claim 6, wherein the route guidance instructs a user to turn at an intersection the calculated number of intersections away from the vehicle position.

8. The route guidance system of claim 1, wherein the controller:

delays the output of the route guidance when the guidance condition is not met; and

allows the vehicle to go through a nearest intersection, without the output of the route guidance.

9. The route guidance system of claim 8, wherein:

the guidance condition is met if only the target point has traffic lights;

the content of the route guidance is based on a number of intersections with traffic lights between the vehicle position and the target point; and

the controller delays the output of the route guidance until the guidance condition is met.

10. The route guidance system of claim 8, wherein:

the guidance condition is met if all intersections between the vehicle position and the target point have traffic lights;

the content of the route guidance is based on a number of intersections with traffic lights between the vehicle position and the target point; and

the controller delays the output of the route guidance until the guidance condition is met.

11. A route guidance method for a vehicle, comprising:

detecting a current position of the vehicle;

searching for a route to a destination on the basis of the vehicle position;

setting a guidance point at a predetermined distance before a target point on the searched route;

providing route guidance about the target point when the vehicle reaches the guidance point if a guidance condition is met, the guidance condition being met on the basis of the presence or absence of traffic lights at each of at least one intersection between the guidance point and the target point; and

outputting route guidance if the guidance condition is met, the content of the route guidance being preset based on the guidance condition.

12. The route guidance method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining that the guidance condition is met if the target point has no traffic lights; and

calculating a number of intersections between the vehicle position and the target point;

wherein the content of the route guidance is based on the calculated number of intersections.

13. The route guidance method of claim 12, further comprising instructing a user to turn at an intersection the calculated number of intersections away from the vehicle position.

14. The route guidance method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining that the guidance condition is met if only the target point has traffic lights;

wherein the content of the route guidance is based on a number of intersections with traffic lights between the vehicle position and the target point.

15. The route guidance method of claim 14, further comprising instructing a user to turn at a next intersection having traffic lights.

16. The route guidance method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining that the guidance condition is met if all intersections between the vehicle position and the target point have traffic lights;

wherein the content of the route guidance is based on a number of intersections with traffic lights between the vehicle position and the target point.

17. The route guidance method of claim 16, further comprising instructing a user to turn at an intersection the calculated number of intersections away from the vehicle position.

18. The route guidance method of claim 11, wherein the controller:

delays the output of the route guidance when the guidance condition is not met; and

allows the vehicle to go through a nearest intersection, without the output of the route guidance.

19. A storage medium storing a set of program instructions executable on a data processing device, the instructions usable to implement the method of claim 11.

20. A route guidance system for a vehicle, comprising:

means for detecting a current position of the vehicle;

means for searching for a route to a destination on the basis of the vehicle position;

means for setting a guidance point at a predetermined distance before a target point on the searched route;

means for providing route guidance about the target point when the vehicle reaches the guidance point if a guidance condition is met, the guidance condition being met on the basis of the presence or absence of traffic lights at each of at least one intersection between the guidance point and the target point; and

means for outputting route guidance if the guidance condition is met, the content of the route guidance being preset based on the guidance condition.