Navigation apparatus and computer program

• US 20090171570A1
• Filed: 11/17/2008
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Chiba, Wataru
• Granted Patent: US 8,090,528 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence

Abstract

When a map image in the periphery of a vehicle position is displayed on a liquid crystal display in 3D, POIs existing in a first searching region within a first searching distance from a current position of the vehicle are searched in an area in the vicinity of the vehicle position by setting all types of points as search targets, POIs existing in a second searching region within a second searching distance from a second searching point are searched in an area distant from the vehicle position by setting only specific types of points as search targets, and icon symbols indicating types and positions of the points are displayed on the map image while being overlapped therewith based on the searched POIs.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus, comprising:

a reference position obtaining unit that obtains a reference position;

a searching region setting unit that sets a plurality of searching regions with different shapes in the periphery of the reference position obtained by the reference position obtaining unit;

a point information obtaining unit that obtains information regarding points located in the plurality of searching regions set by the searching region setting unit; and

a guidance unit that provides guidance regarding the information related to the points obtained by the point information obtaining unit.

2. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the searching region setting unit, comprising:

a searching point specifying unit that specifies a plurality of searching points located in the periphery of the reference position; and

a distance associating unit that associates, with the plurality of searching points specified by the searching point specifying unit, searching distances that are different for the respective searching points, and

a region having the searching point as a center and being within the searching distance associated with the searching point is set as the searching region.

3. The navigation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the distance associating unit associates a first searching distance with a first searching point having a distance from the reference position that corresponds to a first distance, and associates a second searching distance shorter than the first searching distance with a second searching point having a distance from the reference position that corresponds to a second distance which is longer than the first distance.

4. The navigation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the point information obtaining unit obtains, in a second searching region having the second searching point as a center, only information regarding specific types of points among the information regarding the points.

5. The navigation apparatus according to any one of claims 4, further comprising

a traveling direction predicting unit that predicts a traveling direction of a vehicle, wherein

the point information obtaining unit preferentially obtains information regarding points existing in the searching region located in the traveling direction of the vehicle predicted by the traveling direction predicting unit among the plurality of searching regions.

6. The navigation apparatus according to any one of claims 5, wherein

the guidance unit displays an icon specifying a position and a type of the point obtained by the point information obtaining unit on a map image.

7. The navigation apparatus according to any one of claims 1, further comprising

a traveling direction predicting unit that predicts a traveling direction of a vehicle, wherein

the point information obtaining unit preferentially obtains information regarding points existing in the searching region located in the traveling direction of the vehicle predicted by the traveling direction predicting unit among the plurality of searching regions.

8. The navigation apparatus according to any one of claims 1, wherein

the guidance unit displays an icon specifying a position and a type of the point obtained by the point information obtaining unit on a map image.

9. A computer program installed in a computer, the computer program causing the computer to execute the functions of:

obtaining a reference position;

setting a plurality of searching regions with different shapes in the periphery of the reference position obtained by the reference position obtaining function;

obtaining information regarding points located in the plurality of searching regions set by the searching region setting function; and

providing guidance regarding the information related to the points obtained by the point information obtaining function.