Navigation devices, methods and programs

• US 20090171563A1
• Filed: 12/23/2008
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Morimoto, Kyomi, Saitou, Yutaka, Hayashi, Seiji, Burguet, Frederic, Petti, Stephane
• Application Number:
  US12/318,222
• Publication Number:
  US 20090171563A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3453 Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3685 the POI's being parking facilities
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/143 inside the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/147 where the parking area is within an open public zone, e.g. city centre

Abstract

Navigation devices, methods, and programs acquire a reference position, find an on-street parking zone that is in the vicinity of the reference position, and find a route to a road having the on-street parking zone. The navigation devices, methods, and programs find a route from the reference position to the road having the on-street parking zone.

Claims

1. A navigation device installed in a vehicle, comprising:

a memory; and

a controller specifically configured to;

acquire a reference position;

find an on-street parking zone that is in the vicinity of the reference position; and

find a route to a road having the on-street parking zone.

2. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is specifically configured to:

find a route from the reference position to the road having the on-street parking zone.

3. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is specifically configured to:

acquire parking information that pertains to the on-street parking zone;

select a specified number of the on-street parking zones in a case where a plurality of the on-street parking zones are found, based on the parking information;

find a route to roads having the on-street parking zones.

4. The navigation device according to claim 3, wherein the controller is specifically configured to:

select the on-street parking zones based on the distances from the reference position to the on-street parking zones.

5. The navigation device according to claim 3, wherein the controller is specifically configured to:

select the on-street parking zones based on the use fees for the on-street parking zones.

6. The navigation device according to claim 3, wherein the controller is specifically configured to:

select the on-street parking zones based on the distances over which parking is possible in the on-street parking zones.

7. The navigation device according to claim 3, wherein the controller is specifically configured to:

select the on-street parking zones based on the continuousness of the on-street parking zones.

8. The navigation device according to claim 3, wherein the controller is specifically configured to:

select the on-street parking zones based on the vacant space probabilities for the on-street parking zones.

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

specify, from among the on-street parking zones that are located on the route, an on-street parking zone that is located on the first road along the route; and

find a route from the current position of the vehicle to the on-street parking zone.

10. The navigation device according to claim 3, wherein the controller is specifically configured to:

specify, from among the on-street parking zones that are located on the route, an on-street parking zone that is located on the first road along the route; and

find a route from the current position of the vehicle to the on-street parking zone.

11. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program usable to find on-street parking, the program comprising:

instructions for acquiring a reference position;

instructions for finding an on-street parking zone that is in the vicinity of the reference position; and

instructions for finding a route to a road having the on-street parking zone.

12. A navigation method installed in a vehicle, comprising:

acquiring a reference position;

finding an on-street parking zone that is in the vicinity of the reference position; and

finding a route to a road having the on-street parking zone.

13. The navigation method according to claim 12, further comprising:

finding a route from the reference position to the road having the on-street parking zone.

14. The navigation method according to claim 12, further comprising:

acquiring parking information that pertains to the on-street parking zone;

selecting a specified number of the on-street parking zones in a case where a plurality of the on-street parking zones are found, based on the parking information;

finding a route to roads having the on-street parking zones.

15. The navigation method according to claim 14, further comprising:

selecting the on-street parking zones based on the distances from the reference position to the on-street parking zones.

16. The navigation method according to claim 14, further comprising the controller being specifically designed to:

selecting the on-street parking zones based on the use fees for the on-street parking zones.

17. The navigation method according to claim 14, further comprising:

selecting the on-street parking zones based on the distances over which parking is possible in the on-street parking zones.

18. The navigation method according to claim 14, further comprising:

selecting the on-street parking zones based on the continuousness of the on-street parking zones.

19. The navigation method according to claim 12, further comprising:

specifying, from among the on-street parking zones that are located on the route, an on-street parking zone that is located on the first road along the route; and

finding a route from the current position of the vehicle to the on-street parking zone.

20. The navigation method according to claim 14, further comprising:

specifying, from among the on-street parking zones that are located on the route, an on-street parking zone that is located on the first road along the route; and

finding a route from the current position of the vehicle to the on-street parking zone.