System for searching intersections and method thereof

• US 20080040032A1
• Filed: 04/10/2007
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ohashi, Katsumi
• Application Number:
  US11/783,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20080040032A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3611 using character input or menus, e.g. menus of POIs character input methods in general G06F3/0233
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence

Abstract

A system for searching an intersection according to a user'"'"'s request is included in a navigation system mounted on an automotive vehicle. An intersection is searched from an intersection database stored in an on-board memory medium based on an intersection pattern designated by the user. The intersection pattern includes the number of branches included in an intersection and a shape of the intersection. To make the search more precise, the user may additionally input a location of the intersection and buildings located around the intersection, if those are known to the user. After the intersection search is completed, the intersection is shown on a display panel together with a map showing the vicinity of the intersection. According to the present invention, the desired intersection can be searched even if the name of the intersection is unknown to the user.

Claims

1. A system, mounted on an automotive vehicle, for searching intersections, the system comprising:

means for selecting patterns of intersections according to a user'"'"'s request;

means for searching intersections corresponding to the selected patterns from an intersection database stored in a memory medium; and

means for displaying information regarding the intersections searched.

2. The searching system as in claim 1, further including means for retrieving the information regarding the intersections from the memory medium.

3. The searching system as in claim 1, wherein:

the selecting means displays a plurality of intersection patterns from which the user chooses one.

4. The searching system as in claim 1, wherein:

the selecting means displays the intersection patterns classified according to the number of branches included in an intersection.

5. The searching system as in claim 1, wherein:

the memory medium also stores map data; and

the display means displays the searched intersection together with a map showing the vicinity of the intersection.

6. The searching system as in claim 1, wherein:

the selecting means further includes means for designating a location of the intersection; and

the searching means searches the intersections having the selected pattern and being located at the designated location.

7. The searching system as in claim 1, wherein:

the memory medium includes information regarding buildings located in the vicinity of the intersections; and

searching means searches the intersections having the selected pattern, in the vicinity of which a building designated by the user is located.

8. A method of searching an intersection, comprising:

selecting an intersection having an intersection pattern designated by a user;

searching the selected intersection from a database stored in a memory medium; and

displaying the searched intersection on a display panel.

9. The method as in claim 8, wherein:

the intersection pattern includes the number of branches included in an intersection and a shape of the intersection.