NAVIGATION APPARATUS

• US 20100161208A1
• Filed: 03/22/2007
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kudoh, Takahiro, Akita, Takashi, Kindo, Tsuyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,352,177 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096861 where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B

Abstract

Provided is a navigation apparatus operable to, in route guidance using a photographed image, dynamically set a frequency of updating a guide arrow in accordance with circumstances. The navigation apparatus performs the route guidance by displaying the photographed image, comprising: a searching section (7) for searching a route from a current position to a destination; and a drawing section (11) for displaying the guide arrow which indicates the route searched by the searching section (7) such that the guide arrow is superimposed on the photographed image, wherein the drawing section (11) dynamically sets a frequency of updating a display of the guide arrow based on a predetermined condition.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus operable to perform route guidance by displaying a photographed image, comprising:

a searching section for searching a route from a current position to a destination; and

a drawing section for displaying a guide arrow which indicates the route searched by the searching section such that the guide arrow is superimposed on the photographed image,

wherein the drawing section dynamically sets a frequency of updating a display of the guide arrow based on a predetermined condition.

2. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drawing section sets the frequency of updating the display of the guide arrow in accordance with a distance from a self-position of a vehicle to a point to which the vehicle is to be guided.

3. The navigation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the drawing section increases the frequency of updating the display of the guide arrow in accordance with an increase in the distance from the self-position of the vehicle to the point to which the vehicle is to be guided.

4. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drawing section sets the frequency of updating the display of the guide arrow in accordance with a rudder angle of a steering wheel.

5. The navigation apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the drawing section increases the frequency of updating the display of the guide arrow in accordance with an increase in the rudder angle of the steering wheel.

6. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drawing section sets the frequency of updating the display of the guide arrow in accordance with a change amount per unit time of the rudder angle of the steering wheel.

7. The navigation apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the drawing section increases the frequency of updating the display of the guide arrow in accordance with an increase in the change amount per unit time of the rudder angle of the steering wheel.

8. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drawing section sets the frequency of updating the display of the guide arrow in accordance with a shape of a road ahead of the vehicle.

9. The navigation apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the drawing section increases the frequency of updating the display of the guide arrow in accordance with an increase in a discrepancy between the shape of the road ahead of the vehicle and a shape of a course which would be taken if the vehicle proceeded along a traveling direction of the vehicle.

10. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drawing section sets the frequency of updating the display of the guide arrow in accordance with weather.

11. The navigation apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the drawing section sets the frequency of updating the display of the guide arrow to be higher in rainy weather than in fine weather.

12. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drawing section sets the frequency of updating the display of the guide arrow in accordance with a time of day.

13. The navigation apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the drawing section sets the frequency of updating the display of the guide arrow to be higher in nighttime than in daytime.

14. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drawing section sets the frequency of updating the display of the guide arrow in accordance with a CPU load.

15. The navigation apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the drawing section decreases the frequency of updating the display of the guide arrow during data ripping on a CPU.

16. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drawing section sets the frequency of updating the display of the guide arrow in accordance with a condition of positioning performed by a GPS (Global Positioning System).

17. The navigation apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the drawing section decreases the frequency of updating the display of the guide arrow when the GPS has received nothing.

18. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drawing section sets the frequency of updating the display of the guide arrow in accordance with a condition of a road ahead of the vehicle.

19. The navigation apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the drawing section decreases the frequency of updating the display of the guide arrow when another vehicle is ahead of the vehicle.

20. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drawing section dynamically sets the frequency of updating the display of the photographed image in accordance with a predetermined condition.