CAR NAVIGATION APPARATUS

• US 20100256904A1
• Filed: 06/21/2010
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hiroshi Machino, Masaki Ishibashi
• Original Assignee: Hiroshi Machino, Masaki Ishibashi
• Inventors: Ishibashi, Masaki, Machino, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,649,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• 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 1/096894 where input is assisted by the navigation device, i.e. the user does not type the complete name of the destination, e.g. using zip codes, telephone numbers, progressively selecting from initial letters

Abstract

A car navigation apparatus includes an intersection searching means 14 for searching for intersections in a vicinity of the current position of a vehicle from intersections which exist on a searched route and which exist between the current position and a destination, an intersection name outputting means 15 for outputting the names of the searched intersections, an intersection selecting means 17 for selecting an intersection from the intersection names outputted, an facility searching means 18 for searching for facilities which exist in a vicinity of the intersection selected through the map data, a facility name outputting means 19 for outputting the names of the searched facilities, a facility selecting means 20 for selecting a facility from the facility names outputted, and a facility information outputting means 21 for extracting facility information about the selected facility from the map data, and for outputting the facility information.

Claims

1. A car navigation method, implemented using a car navigation apparatus, for searching facilities in a vicinity of an intersection which exists on a route comprising:

detecting a current position of a car;

determining a route to a destination based on map data including road data, intersection information and facility information, or an expected route to be followed by the car from the current position based on a traveling direction of the car and the map data;

searching intersections in a vicinity of the current position from among intersections which exist on the route between the current position and the destination or the expected route;

outputting intersection names which identify the intersections in a vicinity of the current position, in order to allow an user to designate at least one of the intersection names;

selecting an intersection by specifying an intersection name designated by the user;

searching for facilities which exist in a vicinity of the intersection designated by the user by referring to the map data; and

outputting facility names which identify the facilities.

2. The car navigation method according to claim 1, characterized in that the facilities which exist in a vicinity of the intersection are searched according to a facility searching conditions specifying facilities to be searched designated by the user.

3. The car navigation method according to claim 2, characterized in that the facility searching conditions includes at least one of a distance from the intersection, a direction in which the car is allowed to go from the intersection and types of facilities and functions provided by facilities.

4. The car navigation method according to claim 1, characterized in that the intersections in a vicinity of the current position are searched according to intersection search conditions specifying intersections to be searched designated by the user.