ROUTE GUIDANCE SYSTEM AND PROGRAM

• US 20100223002A1
• Filed: 10/25/2007
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakayama, Takaaki, Oonichi, Shino
• Granted Patent: US 8,234,064 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3658 Lane guidance

Abstract

It is possible to display a lane guide map that takes into consideration connections between each of the lanes (m1 to m.8) and reduction in the visibility of the lane guide map is prevented. The invention includes a current position detecting unit; a lane list setting processing means that produces a lane list (LsI 1) that takes into consideration connections between each of the lanes for lane groups (LkI 1 to LkI 3) in road links that are present in a lane list display section; a rendering range determination processing means that determines whether or not the number of lanes in the lane list (LsI 1) is larger than the number of lanes that has been set in a display unit (35); and a display range adjustment processing means that selects predetermined lanes in the lane list (LsI 1) and displays only the selected lanes. Lanes that have a low display necessity can be removed.

Claims

1. A route guidance system characterized by comprising:

a current position detecting unit that detects the current position of a vehicle as the position of a guided vehicle;

a lane list setting processing means that produces a lane list that takes into account the connections between each of the lanes for a lane group of a road link that is present in a lane list display section that has been set ahead of the position of the guided vehicle;

a rendering range determination processing means that determines whether or not the number of lanes in the lane list is larger than the number of lanes that has been set in a display unit; and

a display range adjustment processing means that, in the case in which the number of lanes in the lane list is larger than the number of lanes that has been set in the display unit, selects a predetermined lane in the lane list, and displays only the selected lane.

2. The route guidance system according to claim 1, further comprising a route search processing means that searches for a retrieved route to a destination based on the position of the guided vehicle;

and

a recommended lane setting processing means that sets a recommended lane along which travel is recommended for each of the road links on the retrieved route,

wherein the display range adjustment processing means comprises a recommended lane position determination processing means that determines the position of the recommended lane in a road link ahead of a guided intersection, for which guidance is provided about a route in the lane list display section, and a display range determination processing means that determines the display range of the lane list based on the position of the recommended lane.

3. The route guidance system according to claim 1, further comprising a route search processing means that searches for a retrieved route to a destination based on the position of the guided vehicle, wherein the display range adjustment processing means comprises an exit direction determination processing means that determines the exit direction in a guided intersection, for which guidance is provided about a route in the lane list display section, and a display range determination processing means that determines the display range of the lane list based on the exit direction in the guided intersection.

4. A program that is characterized in causing a computer to function as a lane list setting processing means that produces a lane list that takes into consideration connections between each of the lanes for a lane group of road links that is present in a lane list display section that has been set ahead of the position of the guided vehicle;

a rendering range determination processing means that determines whether or not the number of lanes in the lane list is larger than the number of lanes that has been set in a display unit; and

a display range adjustment processing means that, in the case in which the number of lanes in the lane list is larger than the number of lanes that has been set in the display unit, selects a predetermined lane in the lane list, and displays only the selected lane.