Navigation devices, methods and programs

• US 20090171566A1
• Filed: 12/23/2008
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Saitou, Yutaka, Hayashi, Seiji, Burguet, Frederic, Petti, Stephane, Morimoto, Kyomi
• Granted Patent: US 9,026,351 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/204
• 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 1/096827 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 set a destination, find an on-street parking zone that is in the vicinity of the destination, and find a route, by modifying a search cost for a road, that will arrive at the destination by way of a road having the on-street parking zone. The devices, methods, and programs acquire parking information that pertains to the on-street parking zone and find the route by modifying the search cost based on the parking information. The devices, methods, and programs find the route when the vehicle has reached a specified distance from the destination.

Claims

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

a memory; and

a controller specifically configured to;

set a destination;

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

find a route that will arrive at the destination by way of a road having the on-street parking zone.

2. 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; and

find the route by modifying a search cost based on the parking information.

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

find the route when the vehicle has reached a specified distance from the destination.

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

predict a time of arrival at the destination; and

modify the search cost based on the parking information and on the time of arrival.

5. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein

the parking information is information that pertains to at least one of a time period when the on-street parking zone can be used, a use fee, a distance from the on-street parking zone to the destination, a distance over which parking is possible, a continuousness of the on-street parking zone, a vacant space probability, and a user restriction.

6. The navigation device according to claim 5, wherein

the controller lowers a link cost for a link on which an on-street parking zone is provided to the extent that the distance from the on-street parking zone to the destination is short.

7. The navigation device according to claim 5, wherein

the controller lowers a link cost for a link on which an on-street parking zone is provided to the extent that the use fee for the on-street parking zone is low.

8. The navigation device according to claim 5, wherein

the controller lowers a link cost for a link on which an on-street parking zone is provided to the extent that the distance over which parking is possible in the on-street parking zone is long.

9. The navigation device according to claim 5, wherein

the controller, in a case where an on-street parking zone is provided that extends over two or more connected links, lowers a link cost for each of the connected links.

10. The navigation device according to claim 5, wherein

the controller lowers a link cost for a link on which an on-street parking zone is provided to the extent that the vacant space probability for the on-street parking zone is high.

11. 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; and

specify an on-street parking zone that satisfies a specified condition; and

find another route by way of another road having the on-street parking zone that satisfies the specified condition.

12. A navigation method, comprising:

setting a destination;

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

finding a route that will arrive at the destination by way of a road having the on-street parking zone.

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

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

finding the route by modifying a search cost based on the parking information.

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

finding the route when the vehicle has reached a specified distance from the destination.

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

predicting a time of arrival at the destination; and

modifying the search cost based on the parking information and on the time of arrival.

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

instructions for setting a destination;

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

instructions for finding a route that will arrive at the destination by way of a road having the on-street parking zone.

17. The computer readable medium storing a computer-executable program usable to find on-street parking according to claim 16, the program further comprising:

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

instructions for finding the route by modifying a search cost based on the parking information.