NAVIGATION DEVICE, NAVIGATION METHOD, NAVIGATION PROGRAM, AND RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20110288766A1
• Filed: 01/29/2008
• Published: 11/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Increment P Corporation, Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Increment P Corporation, Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Sasaki, Satoshi, Nagasawa, Makoto, Ikeda, Kazuo, Shudo, Kumiko, Kikui, Kenji
• Application Number:
  US12/865,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20110288766A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3632 Guidance using simplified or iconic instructions, e.g. using arrows G01C21/365 takes 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: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

A navigation apparatus that provides guidance along a route to a destination using a guidance image on which a plurality of guidance signs, respectively indicative of a guidance direction at a guidance point, are arranged in order of proximity to a current point, includes a setting unit that preliminarily sets a first given distance from the current point; an extracting unit that extracts a given guidance point on the route; a calculating unit that calculates a distance from the current point to the given guidance point extracted by the extracting unit; and a display control unit that when the distance to the given guidance point calculated by the calculating unit becomes equal to or less than the first given distance, changes a color of a guidance sign at the guidance point to a color different from an current display color.

Claims

1-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A navigation apparatus that provides guidance along a route to a destination using a guidance image on which a plurality of guidance signs, respectively indicative of a guidance direction at a guidance point, are arranged in order of proximity to a current point, the navigation apparatus comprising:

a setting unit that preliminarily sets a first given distance from the current point;

an extracting unit that extracts a given guidance point on the route;

a calculating unit that calculates a distance from the current point to the given guidance point extracted by the extracting unit; and

a display control unit that when the distance to the given guidance point calculated by the calculating unit becomes equal to or less than the first given distance, changes a color of a guidance sign at the guidance point to a color different from an current display color.

21. The navigation apparatus according to claim 20, wherein

the setting unit sets a second given distance that is a greater distance from the current point than the first given distance, and

the display control unit changes a display form of the guidance sign corresponding to the guidance point to a display form different from a current display form, when the distance to the guidance point calculated by the calculating unit is equal to or less than the second given distance.

22. The navigation apparatus according to claim 21, wherein

the display control unit controls a display form of the corresponding guidance sign at the time that the distance to the guidance point becomes equal to or less than the second given distance to be different from a display form of the corresponding guidance sign at the time when a distance to the guidance point becomes equal to or less than the first given distance.

23. The navigation apparatus according to claim 22, wherein

the display form of the corresponding guidance sign at the time when the distance to the guidance point becomes equal to or less than the second given distance is such that information indicative of details of the guidance point is added to the corresponding guidance sign to be displayed, and

the display form of the corresponding guidance sign at the time when the distance to the guidance point becomes equal to or less than the first given distance is such that information indicative of details of the guidance point is added to the corresponding guidance sign and a display color of the corresponding guidance sign is changed.

24. The navigation apparatus according to claim 20, wherein

the display control unit arranges all of the guidance signs displayed on the guidance image, on a side corresponding to a direction indicated by the guidance sign located nearest to the current point, a nearest guidance sign.

25. The navigation apparatus according to claim 20, wherein

the display control unit arranges the guidance signs displayed on the guidance image according to directions indicated by the guidance signs, respectively.

26. The navigation apparatus according to claim 20, wherein

the display control unit displays the guidance signs on the guidance image in such a way that a guidance sign is displayed in a size that increases as a distance from the current point to the corresponding guidance point decreases.

27. The navigation apparatus according to claim 20, wherein

the display control unit displays the guidance signs on the guidance image in such a way that a guidance sign is displayed to appear more three-dimensional as a distance from the current point to the corresponding guidance point decreases.

28. The navigation apparatus according to claim 27, wherein

the display control unit displays the guidance signs three-dimensionally as a stack of guidance signs, and increases thickness of a displayed guidance sign as a distance from the current point to the corresponding guidance point decreases.

29. The navigation apparatus according to claim 20, wherein

the display control unit displays the guidance signs on the guidance image together with additional information of respective distances from the current point to the guidance signs.

30. The navigation apparatus according to claim 20, wherein

the display control unit displays the guidance signs on the guidance image together with additional information of arrival times that correspond to the guidance signs.

31. The navigation apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising an acquiring unit that acquires point information concerning traffic signals set on the route to the destination, wherein

the display control unit, using the point information concerning traffic signals acquired by the acquiring unit, displays a quantity of the traffic signals to be passed during travel between guidance points, the quantity being displayed between guide signs corresponding to the guidance points.

32. The navigation apparatus according to claim 20, wherein

the display control unit causes the nearest guidance sign to appear as an animated image in a direction indicated by the nearest guidance sign.

33. The navigation apparatus according to claim 20, wherein

the nearest guidance sign is displayed as a touch panel, and

the display control unit displays on entire area of a display screen, a detailed map screen of a guidance point indicated by the nearest guidance sign, when the nearest guidance sign displayed as a touch panel is selected by a user.

34. The navigation apparatus according to claim 33, wherein

the detailed map screen displayed on the entire area of the display screen is displayed as a touch panel, and

the display control unit displays a screen on which the guidance image is used, when the detailed map screen displayed as a touch panel is selected by the user.

35. The navigation apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising:

a mode setting unit that sets a guidance image mode for guidance along a route, using the guidance image and a normal mode for guidance along a route, using a map screen alone without use of the guidance image; and

a receiving unit that receives selection of a mode set by the mode setting unit.

36. A navigation method of a navigation apparatus that provides guidance along a route to a destination using a guidance image on which a plurality of guidance signs, respectively indicative of a guidance direction at a guidance point, are arranged in order of proximity to a current point, the navigation method comprising:

extracting a given guidance point on the route;

calculating a distance from the current point to the given guidance point extracted at the extracting; and

controlling display, when the distance to the given guidance point calculated at the calculating becomes equal to or less than the first given distance, such that a color of a guidance sign at the guidance point changes to a color different from an current display color.

37. A non-transitory, computer-readable recording medium storing therein a navigation program causing a computer to execute:

extracting a given guidance point on a route along which a navigation apparatus provides guidance to a destination using a guidance image on which a plurality of guidance signs, respectively indicative of a guidance direction at a guidance point, are arranged in order of proximity to a current point;

calculating a distance from the current point to the given guidance point extracted at the extracting; and

controlling display, when the distance to the given guidance point calculated at the calculating becomes equal to or less than the first given distance, such that a color of a guidance sign at the guidance point changes to a color different from an current display color.