Navigation system, server, method, and program

• US 20090043488A1
• Filed: 07/25/2008
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakayama, Takaaki
• Application Number:
  US12/219,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20090043488A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles

Abstract

Navigation systems, servers, methods, and programs for a vehicle store a plurality of nodes representing branch points and guide the vehicle along a travel route. The systems, servers, methods, and programs detect, at a branch point where the travel route branches off into another route, that the vehicle abandoned advancing along the travel route after trying to advance, and store a result of the detection in the memory.

Claims

1. A navigation system for a vehicle, comprising:

a memory storing a plurality of nodes representing branch points; and

a controller configured to;

guide the vehicle along a travel route;

detect, at a branch point where the travel route branches off into another route, that the vehicle abandoned advancing along the travel route after trying to advance; and

store a result of the detection in the memory.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to restrict the use of a route extending from the detected branch point to the travel route in a subsequent route search by using the stored detection result.

3. The navigation system according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to:

search for another travel route to a destination based on the stored plurality of nodes;

guide the vehicle along the other searched travel route; and

exclude the restricted route from the search for the other travel route.

4. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to transmit the stored detection result to a predetermined server.

5. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

receive a signal from a blinker sensor indicating that a first blinker was lighted in the direction of the travel route at the detected branch point and then a second blinker was lighted in a direction opposite of the first blinker at the detected branch point; and

detect the detected branch point based on the received signal.

6. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

receive a signal from a steering sensor indicating that a steering wheel was turned in the direction of the travel route at the detected branch point and then the steering wheel was turned in a direction away from the travel route at the detected branch point; and

detect the detected branch point based on the received signal.

7. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

receive a signal from a sight line sensor indicating that a driver moved his/her sight line in a direction of the travel route at the detected branch point and then the driver moved his/her sight line in a direction away from the travel route at the detected branch point; and

detect the detected branch point based on the received signal.

8. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

receive a signal indicating that the vehicle has made a u-turn or paused for a predetermined amount of time at the detected branch point; and

detect the detected branch point based on the received signal.

9. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

receive from a predetermined server a notification indicating that, at a branch point where a travel route, along which another vehicle was guided, branches off into another route, the other vehicle abandoned advancing to the travel route shown in the guidance after trying to advance; and

restricts guiding the vehicle along a route extending from the notified branch point to the notified travel route.

10. A server for transmitting information to a navigation system, comprising:

a controller configured to;

receive, from the navigation system, a detection result indicating that a vehicle abandoned advancing to a travel route at a branch point where the travel route of the vehicle branches off into another route after trying to advance;

based on the received detection result, generate a notification indicating that the vehicle abandoned advancing to the travel route after trying to advance at the branch point; and

transmit the generated notification to a plurality of navigation systems.

11. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable navigation program usable with a navigation system storing a plurality of nodes representing branch points, the program comprising:

instructions for guiding a vehicle along a travel route;

instructions for detecting, at a branch point where the travel route branches off into another route, that the vehicle abandoned advancing along the travel route after trying to advance; and

instructions for storing a result of the detection in the memory.

12. The storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the program further comprises instructions for restricting the use of a route extending from the detected branch point to the travel route in a subsequent route search by using the stored detection result.

13. The storage medium according to claim 12, wherein the program further comprises:

instructions for searching for another travel route to a destination based on the stored plurality of nodes;

instructions for guiding the vehicle along the other searched travel route; and

instructions for excluding the restricted route from the search for the other travel route.

14. The storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the program further comprises instructions for transmitting the stored detection result to a predetermined server.

15. The storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the program further comprises:

instructions for receiving a signal from a blinker sensor indicating that a first blinker was lighted in the direction of the travel route at the detected branch point and then a second blinker was lighted in a direction opposite of the first blinker at the detected branch point; and

instructions for detecting the detected branch point based on the received signal.

16. The storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the program further comprises:

instructions for receiving a signal from a steering sensor indicating that a steering wheel was turned in the direction of the travel route at the detected branch point and then the steering wheel was turned in a direction away from the travel route at the detected branch point; and

instructions for detecting the detected branch point based on the received signal.

17. The storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the program further comprises:

instructions for receiving a signal from a sight line sensor indicating that a driver moved his/her sight line in a direction of the travel route at the detected branch point and then the driver moved his/her sight line in a direction away from the travel route at the detected branch point; and

instructions for detecting the detected branch point based on the received signal.

18. The storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the program further comprises:

instructions for receiving a signal indicating that the vehicle has made a u-turn or paused for a predetermined amount of time at the detected branch point; and

instructions for detecting the detected branch point based on the received signal.

19. The storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the program further comprises:

instructions for receiving from a predetermined server a notification indicating that, at a branch point where a travel route, along which another vehicle was guided, branches off into other route, the another vehicle abandoned advancing to the travel route shown in the guidance after trying to advance; and

instructions for restricting guiding the vehicle along a route extending from the notified branch point to the notified travel route.