ROUTE GUIDANCE DEVICE, ROUTE GUIDANCE METHOD, AND ROUTE GUIDANCE PROCESSING PROGRAM

• US 20090248292A1
• Filed: 03/14/2007
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Terada, Takahiko, Sakamoto, Tsuyoshi, Adachi, Hajime
• Application Number:
  US12/295,455
• Publication Number:
  US 20090248292A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard

Abstract

To reliably avoid a dangerous zone by setting a route from a current position to a temporary destination so as to avoid the dangerous zone while reflecting prediction results of a moving direction even when a route setting is not previously made. A route to a temporary destination is set based on location information obtained and prediction results of a moving direction of a user, so that even when an avoidance scheduled route for avoiding a dangerous zone has not been decided in advance, the route from the current position to the temporary destination can be reliably set so as to avoid the dangerous zone, while reflecting the prediction results of the moving direction. As a result, safe and reliable route guidance while avoiding the dangerous zone can be executed.

Claims

1-12. -12. (canceled)

13. A route guidance device for guiding a route to a moving operator, comprising:

an area information obtaining unit that obtains information on a zone to be avoided associated with map data;

a location information obtaining unit that obtains location information of said operator or said route guidance device;

an avoidance route setting unit that sets a route to a temporary destination while avoiding entering the zone to be avoided obtained by said area information obtaining unit;

based on said location information obtained by said location information obtaining unit and prediction results of a moving direction of said operator or said route guidance device, and

a display signal generating unit that generates a display control signal for displaying the route to said temporary destination set by said avoidance route setting unit, wherein;

said avoidance route setting unit includes;

a moving direction predicting unit that predicts the moving direction of said operator or said route guidance device based on said location information obtained by said location information obtaining unit,

a temporary destination setting unit that sets a temporary destination along the moving direction predicted by said moving direction predicting unit based on the information on the zone to be avoided obtained by said area information obtaining unit and said map data, and corrects said temporary destination thereafter in the case previously defined,

a route determining unit that determines the route from a location concerning said location information to said temporary destination corrected after being set by said temporary destination setting unit based on said map data while avoiding the zone to be avoided obtained by said area information obtaining unit.

14. The route guidance device according to claim 13, wherein:

said moving direction predicting unit includes;

a comparing unit that compares latitude/longitude information included in first location information obtained by said location information obtaining unit in a first period with latitude/longitude information included in second location information obtained by said location information obtaining unit in a second period prior to this first period,

a dominant direction determining unit that determines said dominant moving direction as said northward direction or said southward direction when said latitude difference concerning said first location information and said second location information is larger than said longitude difference and determines said dominant moving direction as said eastward direction or said westward direction when said longitude difference concerning said first location information and said second location information is larger than said latitude difference, based on a comparison result by said comparing unit.

15. The route guidance device according to claim 13, wherein:

said temporary destination setting unit corrects and resets said set temporary destination when the route determination to the temporary destination set by said route determining unit is difficult or impossible, and

said route determining unit determines a route from said location to said reset temporary destination based on said map data while avoiding said zone to be avoided.

16. The route guidance device according to claim 13, further comprising a semi-direction setting unit that sets a direction pursuant to said moving direction predicted by said moving direction predicting unit based on a predetermined correlation in case that the setting of said temporary destination along said moving direction predicted by said moving direction predicting unit, by said temporary destination setting unit is difficult or impossible, wherein:

said temporary destination setting unit resets said temporary destination along the direction pursuant to said moving direction set by said semi-direction setting unit, and

said route determining unit determines a route from said location to said reset temporary destination based on said map data while avoiding said zone to be avoided.

17. The route guidance device according to claim 13, wherein:

said avoidance route setting unit has a prediction setting mode in which said moving direction predicting unit predicts said moving direction, said temporary destination setting unit sets a temporary destination along the predicted moving direction, and said route determining unit determines a route to the set temporary destination, and a scheduled setting mode for setting an avoidance scheduled route previously prepared in order to avoid entering said zone to be avoided, the modes being able to be selectively switched, and said display signal generating unit generates a display control signal for displaying a route including said avoidance scheduled route corresponding to said location information in case that said avoidance route setting unit is switched to said scheduled setting mode.

18. A route guidance method for guiding a route to a moving operator, comprising:

an area information obtaining step for obtaining information on a zone to be avoided associated with map data;

a location information obtaining step for obtaining location information of the operator or the route guidance device;

an avoidance route setting step for setting a route to a tentative destination while avoiding entering the obtained zone to be avoided based on said obtained location information and prediction results of a moving direction of the operator or the route guidance device; and

a display signal generating step for generating a display control signal for displaying the route to said set temporary destination, wherein;

said avoidance route setting step includes;

a moving direction prediction step for predicting a moving direction of said operator or said route guidance device based on said location information obtained by said location information obtaining step,

a temporary destination setting step for setting said temporary destination along the moving direction predicted by said moving direction prediction step based on the information on the zone to be avoided obtained by said area information obtaining step and said map data, and correcting said temporary destination thereafter in the case previously defined, and

a route determining step for determining a route from a location concerning said location information to said temporary destination corrected after being set by said temporary destination setting step based on said map data while avoiding the zone to be avoided obtained by said area information obtaining step.

19. The route guidance method according to claim 18, wherein:

said avoidance route setting step is a step that can selectively switch a prediction setting mode for executing said moving direction prediction step, said temporary destination setting step, and said route determining step, and a scheduled setting mode for setting an avoidance scheduled route previously prepared in order to avoid entering said zone to be avoided, and

said display signal generating step generates a display control signal for displaying a route including said avoidance scheduled route corresponding to said location information, when said avoidance route setting step is switched to said scheduled setting mode.

20. A route guidance processing program for causing a calculating unit provided in the route guidance device to execute:

an area information obtaining step for obtaining information on a zone to be avoided associated with map data;

a location information obtaining step for obtaining location information of an operator or the route guidance device;

an avoidance route setting step for setting a route to a temporary destination while avoiding entering the obtained zone to be avoided based on said obtained location information and prediction results of a moving direction of said operator or said route guidance device; and

a display signal generating step for generating a display control signal for displaying the route to said set temporary destination, wherein;

said avoidance route setting step includes;

a moving direction prediction step for predicting a moving direction of said operator or said route guidance device based on said location information obtained by said location information obtaining step,

a temporary destination setting step for setting said temporary destination along said moving direction predicted by said moving direction prediction step based on the information on the zone to be avoided obtained by said area information obtaining step and said map data and correcting said temporary destination thereafter in the case previously defined, and

a route determining step for determining a route from a location concerning said location information to said temporary destination corrected after being set by said temporary destination setting step based on said map data while avoiding the zone to be avoided obtained by said area information obtaining step.

21. The route guidance processing program according to claim 20, wherein:

said avoidance route setting step is a step that can selectively switch a prediction setting mode for executing said moving direction prediction step, said temporary destination setting step, and said route determining step, and

a scheduled setting mode for setting an avoidance scheduled route previously prepared in order to avoid entering said zone to be avoided, and

said display signal generating step generates a display control signal for displaying a route including said avoidance scheduled route corresponding to said location information, when said avoidance route setting step is switched to said scheduled setting mode.