Route guidance systems, methods, and programs

• US 20100026804A1
• Filed: 04/25/2008
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Tanizaki, Daisuke, Kato, Kiyohide
• Application Number:
  US12/149,066
• Publication Number:
  US 20100026804A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00

Abstract

Route guidance systems, methods, and programs detect a current position of a vehicle and search for a route to a destination based on the detected current position. The systems, methods, and programs identify a guide intersection along the route and set a route guide point at a predetermined point on the route before the guide intersection. The systems, methods, and programs calculate a number of intersections along the route from the route guide point to the guide intersection having both a traffic signal and a road feature and perform a voice output based on the calculated number of intersections when the vehicle arrives at the route guide point.

Claims

1. A route guidance system for a vehicle, comprising:

a controller that;

detects a current position of the vehicle;

searches for a route to a destination based on the detected current position;

identifies a guide intersection along the route;

sets a route guide point at a predetermined point on the route before the guide intersection;

calculates a number of intersections along the route from the route guide point to the guide intersection having both a traffic signal and a road feature; and

performs a voice output based on the calculated number of intersections when the vehicle arrives at the route guide point.

2. The route guidance system according to claim 1, wherein the controller:

calculates a number of intersections that have roads to enter and roads to exit on the searched route from the route guide point to the guide intersection.

3. The route guidance system according to claim 1, wherein the controller:

identifies an integrated intersection including two or more intersections as one intersection.

4. The route guidance system according to claim 1, wherein the road feature is a stop line.

5. The route guidance system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a memory storing traffic signal data and road feature data;

wherein the controller calculates the number of intersections along the route from the route guide point to the guide intersection having both a traffic signal and a road feature based on the stored traffic signal data and road feature data.

6. The route guidance system according to claim 5, further comprising:

a camera mounted on the vehicle that captures image data of a road surface;

wherein the controller;

performs image recognition on the image data to recognize road features;

based on the image recognition, if a road feature is recognized on the road surface which is not included in the stored road feature data, performs a voice output that notifies a user of the recognized road feature; and

stores the recognized road feature in the road feature data.

7. A navigation device comprising the route guidance system of claim 1.

8. A route guidance method, comprising:

detecting a current position of the vehicle;

searching for a route to a destination based on the detected current position;

identifying a guide intersection along the route;

setting a route guide point at a predetermined point on the route before the guide intersection;

calculating a number of intersections along the route from the route guide point to the guide intersection having both a traffic signal and a road feature; and

performing a voice output based on the calculated number of intersections when the vehicle arrives at the route guide point.

9. The route guidance method according to claim 8, further comprising:

calculating a number of intersections that have roads to enter and roads to exit on the searched route from the route guide point to the guide intersection.

10. The route guidance method according to claim 8, further comprising:

identifying an integrated intersection including two or more intersections as one intersection.

11. The route guidance method according to claim 8, wherein the road feature is a stop line.

12. The route guidance method according to claim 8, further comprising:

storing traffic signal data and road feature data; and

calculating the number of intersections along the route from the route guide point to the guide intersection having both a traffic signal and a road feature based on the stored traffic signal data and road feature data.

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

capturing image data of a road surface;

performing image recognition on the image data to recognize road features;

based on the image recognition, if a road feature is recognized on the road surface which is not included in the stored road feature data, performing a voice output that notifies a user of the recognized road feature; and

storing the recognized road feature in the road feature data.

14. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program usable to provide route guidance, the program comprising instructions that cause a computer to:

detect a current position of the vehicle;

search for a route to a destination based on the detected current position;

identify a guide intersection along the route;

set a route guide point at a predetermined point on the route before the guide intersection;

calculate a number of intersections along the route from the route guide point to the guide intersection having both a traffic signal and a road feature; and

perform a voice output based on the calculated number of intersections when the vehicle arrives at the route guide point.

15. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 14, further comprising instructions that cause the computer to:

calculate a number of intersections that have roads to enter and roads to exit on the searched route from the route guide point to the guide intersection.

16. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 14, further comprising instructions that cause the computer to:

identify an integrated intersection including two or more intersections as one intersection.

17. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the road feature is a stop line.

18. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 14, further comprising instructions that cause the computer to:

calculate the number of intersections along the route from the route guide point to the guide intersection having both a traffic signal and a road feature based on stored traffic signal data and road feature data.

19. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 18, further comprising instructions that cause the computer to:

performs image recognition on captured image data to recognize road features;

based on the image recognition, if a road feature is recognized on the road surface which is not included in the stored road feature data, perform a voice output that notifies a user of the recognized road feature; and

store the recognized road feature in the road feature data.