Destination selection support device, methods, and programs

• US 20090228203A1
• Filed: 02/13/2009
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Kawauchi, Hiroshi
• Application Number:
  US12/379,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20090228203A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3611 using character input or menus, e.g. menus of POIs character input methods in general G06F3/0233

Abstract

A navigation device uses a group display to display destination candidates that are chain stores as a group on a candidate display screen. However, where a destination candidate satisfies a specified extraction condition, such as being within a specified distance from a current position of a vehicle, being closest to a current position of a vehicle, or the like, the destination candidate is selected and displayed by an ordinary display, even though it would otherwise be displayed by a group display. Thus for example, the navigation device displays chain stores as a group, but also individually displays stores that satisfy a specified extraction condition without being grouped.

Claims

1. A destination selection support device usable in a navigation device, comprising:

an information storage unit that stores a plurality of destination candidates and stores a plurality of destination candidate groups; and

a controller that;

inputs a search term that is used to search for the destination candidates;

searches among the destination candidates that are stored for the destination candidates that correspond to the search term; and

displays the destination candidates as a group when they belong to a group,

displays the destination candidates individually when they do not belong to a group, and

displays the destination candidates individually when they belong to a group and satisfy a specified condition.

2. The destination selection support device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a current position detector that detects a current position, wherein the specified condition is defined by using a positional relationship between the detected current position of the destination selection support device and a position of the destination candidate.

3. The destination selection support device according to claim 1, wherein the specified condition is defined based on a position of the destination candidate.

4. The destination selection support device according to claim 1, wherein the controller selects a group that is displayed and displays individually the destination candidates that belong to the selected group.

5. The destination support device according to claim 1, wherein the specified condition is the destination candidate that is the closest in distance from the destination support device.

6. The destination support device according to claim 1, wherein the controller inputs a search term via a touch panel display.

7. The destination support device according to claim 1, wherein the specified condition is a specified distance from the destination support device.

8. The destination support device according to claim 7, wherein the specified distance is 2 km.

9. The destination selection support device according to claim 4, further comprising:

a current position detector that detects a current position of the destination selection support device, wherein the specified condition is defined by using a positional relationship between the detected current position of the destination selection support device and a position of the destination candidate.

10. The destination selection support device according to claim 4, wherein the specified condition is defined based on a position of the destination candidate.

11. A method of selecting a destination, usable in a navigation device, comprising:

storing a plurality of destination candidates and a plurality of destination candidate groups in an information storage unit;

inputting a search term that is used to search for the destination candidate;

searching among the stored destination candidates for destination candidates that correspond to the search term;

displaying the destination candidates as a group when they belong to a destination candidate group;

displaying the destination candidates individually when they do not belong to a destination candidate group; and

displaying the destination candidates individually when they belong to a destination candidate group and satisfy a specified condition,

wherein the inputting, searching, and displaying is performed by a controller.

12. The method of selecting a destination according to claim 11, further comprising:

detecting a current position, wherein the specified condition is defined by using a positional relationship between the detected current position of the destination selection support device and a position of the destination candidate.

13. The method of selecting a destination according to claim 11, wherein the specified condition is defined based on a position of the destination candidate.

14. The method of selecting a destination according to claim 11, further comprising:

selecting a group that is displayed, and

displaying individually the destination candidates that belong to the group that is selected.

15. The method of selecting a destination according to claim 11, wherein the specified condition is the destination candidate that is the closest in distance from the destination support device.

16. The method of selecting a destination according to claim 11, further comprising:

inputting a search term via a touch panel display.

17. The method of selecting a destination according to claim 11, wherein the specified condition is a specified distance from the destination support device.

18. The method of selecting a destination according to claim 17, wherein the specified distance is 2 km.

19. The method of selecting a destination according to claim 14, further comprising:

detecting a current position of the destination selection support device, wherein the specified condition is defined by using a positional relationship between the detected current position of the destination selection support device and a position of the destination candidate.

20. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program usable to control a destination selection support device, the program comprising:

instructions for inputting a search term that is used to search for destination candidates;

instructions for searching for the destination candidates that correspond to the search term among the destination candidates that are stored in a destination candidate storage unit that stores a plurality of the destination candidates grouped destination candidates;

instructions for displaying the destination candidates such that they are represented by a group when the destination candidates that are found by the search belong to the group;

instructions for displaying the destination candidates individually when the destination candidates that were found by the search do not belong to a group; and

instructions for displaying individually the destination candidates that belong to the group and that satisfy a specified condition.