NAVIGATION APPARATUS

• US 20100070164A1
• Filed: 10/03/2007
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Machino, Hiroshi
• Application Number:
  US12/513,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20100070164A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• 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: G01C 21/3658 Lane guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence

Abstract

A navigation apparatus includes a map data acquiring means 11a, 11, 12, and 5 for acquiring map data including car pool lane data, a current position determining means 13, 14, 15, and 10 for determining a current position, and a display unit 2 for generating and displaying a map of an area surrounding the current position determined by the current position determining means on the basis of the map data acquired by the map data acquiring means. The navigation apparatus further includes a control unit 10 for, when moving close to a predetermined location during travel along a road, on a basis of the car pool lane data included in the map data acquired by the map data acquiring means, automatically causing the display unit to display a detailed drawing showing lane information and a car pool lane in distinction from other lanes while enlarging the lane information and the car pool lane.

Claims

1-12. -12. (canceled)

13. A navigation apparatus including a map data acquiring means for acquiring map data including car pool lane data from a map recording medium, a current position determining means for determining a current position of a vehicle, a display unit for generating and displaying a map of an area surrounding the current position determined by said current position determining means on a basis of the map data acquired by said map data acquiring means, and a control unit for, when it is judged on a basis of the map data acquired by said map data acquiring means that either the current position determined by said current position determining means or a destination set up on the map displayed by said display unit is on a car pool lane, causing said display unit to display a warning indicating that a car pool lane avoidance route cannot be searched for, characterized in that:

when moving close to a predetermined location during travel along a road, on a basis of the car pool lane data included in the map data acquired by the map data acquiring means, said control unit automatically causes the display unit to display a detailed drawing showing lane information and a car pool lane in distinction from other lanes while enlarging the lane information and the car pool lane.

14. The navigation apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that when entering the road including the car pool lane, on a basis of the car pool lane data included in the map data acquired by the map data acquiring means, the control unit always causes the display unit to display a detailed drawing showing lane information and the car pool lane in distinction from other lanes while enlarging the lane information and the car pool lane.

15. The navigation apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that the navigation apparatus includes an input unit for setting up whether or not a guidance on a car pool lane is enabled, and, in a case in which said input unit has set up that a guidance on a car pool lane should be carried out, when entering the road including the car pool lane, on a basis of the car pool lane data included in the map data acquired by the map data acquiring means, the control unit automatically causes the display unit to display a detailed drawing showing lane information and the car pool lane in distinction from other lanes while enlarging the lane information and the car pool lane.

16. The navigation apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that on a basis of the car pool lane data included in the map data acquired by the map data acquiring means, the control unit causes the display unit to display a position of the car pool lane in a plurality of lanes provided in the road.

17. The navigation apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that on a basis of the car pool lane data included in the map data acquired by the map data acquiring means, the control unit causes the display unit to display the type of a car which can use the car pool lane.

18. The navigation apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that on a basis of the car pool lane data included in the map data acquired by the map data acquiring means, the control unit causes the display unit to display a number of passengers which is required to use the car pool lane.

19. The navigation apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that on a basis of the car pool lane data included in the map data acquired by the map data acquiring means, the control unit causes the display unit to display dates or days of the week on which the car pool lane can be used and a time zone in which the car pool lane can be used.

20. The navigation apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that on a basis of the car pool lane data included in the map data acquired by the map data acquiring means, the control unit causes the display unit to display a toll of the car pool lane.

21. The navigation apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that the navigation apparatus includes a changing means for, when a graphic is displayed on the display unit as the information about the car pool lane, changing at least one of a color, a line type, and a shape of the graphic.

22. The navigation apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that the map data acquiring means acquires the map data including the car pool lane data from a road information receiver which receives road information sent thereto from outside the road information receiver.

23. The navigation apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that the navigation apparatus includes a voice output unit for, when judging from the car pool lane data included in the map data that a car pool lane exists on a road in a traveling direction, the road being detected on a basis of both the map data acquired by the map data acquiring means and the current position determined by the current position determining means, outputting a guidance about the car pool lane by voice.