NAVIGATION DEVICE, NAVIGATION METHOD, AND NAVIGATION PROGRAM

• US 20120035843A1
• Filed: 07/15/2011
• Published: 02/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Miura, Naoki, Nonomura, Junichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,972,160 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/123
• 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 device apparatus and method are provided. The apparatus includes a fuel consumption determination unit that determines a fuel consumption during a travel of a vehicle. Also included is a fuel consumption information storage unit that stores point information identifying a departing point and a destination in the travel of the vehicle and fuel consumption information identifying the fuel consumption during a previous travel A display unit is included that acquires previous fuel consumption information identifying the fuel consumption during the previous travel corresponding to the departing point and the destination during a current travel of the vehicle, and controls the display of the fuel consumption during the previous travel based on the acquired previous fuel consumption information and the fuel consumption during the current travel determined by the fuel consumption determination unit.

Claims

1. A navigation device comprising:

a fuel consumption determination unit that determines a fuel consumption during a travel of a vehicle;

a fuel consumption information storage unit that stores point information identifying a departing point and a destination in the travel of the vehicle and fuel consumption information identifying a fuel consumption during a previous travel from the departing point to the destination such that the point information and the fuel consumption information are mutually associated; and

a display control unit that acquires previous fuel consumption information identifying the fuel consumption during the previous travel among the fuel consumption information associated with the point information corresponding to the departing point and the destination during a current travel of the vehicle from the fuel consumption information storage unit, and controls a display of the fuel consumption during the previous travel based on the acquired previous fuel consumption information and the fuel consumption during the current travel determined by the fuel consumption determination unit.

2. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein

the display control unit acquires best fuel consumption information identifying a most efficient fuel consumption among the fuel consumption information associated with the point information corresponding to the current travel departing point and destination of the vehicle from the fuel consumption information storage unit, and controls a display of the most efficient fuel consumption based on the acquired best fuel consumption information.

3. The navigation device according to claim 2, wherein

the display control unit, after the vehicle has arrived at the destination, controls a display of an evaluated result of the fuel consumption during the current travel on the basis of a comparison among the fuel consumption during the previous travel based on the acquired previous fuel consumption information, the most efficient fuel consumption based on the acquired best fuel consumption information, and the fuel consumption during the current travel determined by the fuel consumption determination unit.

4. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein

the display control unit acquires average fuel consumption information identifying an average fuel consumption during the past travel among the fuel consumption information associated with the point information corresponding to the departing point and the current travel destination of the vehicle from the fuel consumption information storage unit, and controls a display of the average fuel consumption based on the acquired average fuel consumption information.

5. The navigation device according to claim 4, wherein

the display control unit, after the vehicle has arrived at the destination, controls a display of an evaluated result of the fuel consumption during the current travel on the basis of a comparison among the fuel consumption during the previous travel based on the acquired previous fuel consumption information, the average fuel consumption based on the acquired average fuel consumption information, and the fuel consumption during the current travel determined by the fuel consumption determination unit.

6. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein

the fuel consumption information storage unit further stores travel route information identifying an attribute of a travel route from the departing point to the destination, and

the display control unit acquires the previous fuel consumption information associated with the travel route information corresponding to the attribute of a current travel route of the vehicle from the fuel consumption information storage unit, and controls a display of the fuel consumption during the previous travel based on the acquired previous fuel consumption information and the fuel consumption in the current travel determined by the fuel consumption determination unit.

7. A navigation method comprising the steps of:

determining a fuel consumption during a travel of a vehicle;

storing, in a recording unit, point information identifying a departing point and a destination during the travel of the vehicle and fuel consumption information identifying a fuel consumption during a previous travel from the departing point to the destination such that the point information and the fuel consumption information are mutually associated; and

acquiring previous fuel consumption information identifying the fuel consumption during the previous travel among the fuel consumption information associated with the point information corresponding to the departing point and the destination during a current travel of the vehicle from the recording unit, and controlling a display of the fuel consumption during the previous travel based on the acquired previous fuel consumption information and the fuel consumption during the current travel determined at the fuel consumption determination step.

8. A navigation program causing a computer to execute the method of claim 7.