NAVIGATION DEVICE, NAVIGATION METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20120150432A1
• Filed: 11/29/2011
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: TANIZAKI, Daisuke, KONO, Michitaka
• Application Number:
  US13/306,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20120150432A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/428
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3655 Timing of guidance instructions

Abstract

Navigation devices, methods, and programs acquire a vehicle location, access stored map information including road width information, and set a destination. The devices, methods, and programs search for a route to the set destination based on the stored map information, perform route guidance based on the searched route, and acquire a last branch point on the searched route. The devices, methods, and programs determine a road width of an entering link entering the acquired last branch point, and determine a distance from the last branch point to the destination. Based on the determined road width and the determined distance, the devices, methods, and programs determine a last communication point on the searched route at which last guidance to the destination is to be communicated to a user.

Claims

1. A navigation device comprising:

a controller that;

acquires a vehicle location;

accesses stored map information including road width information;

sets a destination;

searches for a route to the set destination based on the stored map information;

performs route guidance based on the searched route;

acquires a last branch point on the searched route; and

determines a road width of an entering link entering the acquired last branch point;

determines a distance from the last branch point to the destination; and

based on the determined road width and the determined distance, determines a last communication point on the searched route at which last guidance to the destination is to be communicated to a user.

2. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the controller:

when the determined road width is smaller than the determined distance, determines the last branch point as the last communication point.

3. The navigation device according to claim 2, wherein the controller:

when the determined road width is equal to or larger than the determined distance, determines a branch point before the last branch point in the direction of travel along the searched route as the last communication point.

4. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein:

the last guidance includes guidance that provides a traveling direction at a branch point on the route.

5. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein:

the last guidance includes guidance indicating that the vehicle has arrived at the destination.

6. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein:

the stored map information includes road sign information on a road sign located on the entering link and a road sign located on an exiting link exiting from the last branch point; and

the controller uses a distance from the last branch point to the road sign on the exiting link as the road width.

7. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the controller:

determines whether the entering ling is one-way; and

when the entering link is one-way, determines whether half of the determined read width is smaller than the determined distance; and

when half of the determined road width is smaller than the determined distance, determines the last branch point as the last communication point.

8. The navigation device according to claim 7, wherein the controller:

when half of the determined road width is equal to or larger than the determined distance, determines a branch point before the last branch point in the direction of travel along the searched route as the last communication point.

9. A navigation method comprising:

acquiring a vehicle location;

accessing stored map information including road width information;

setting a destination;

searching for a route to the set destination based on the stored map information;

performing route guidance based on the searched route;

acquiring a last branch point on the searched route; and

determining a road width of an entering link entering the acquired last branch point;

determining a distance from the last branch point to the destination; and

based on the determined road width and the determined distance, determining a last communication point on the searched route at which last guidance to the destination is to be communicated to a user.

10. The navigation method according to claim 9, further comprising:

when the determined road width is smaller than the determined distance, determining the last branch point as the last communication point.

11. The navigation method according to claim 10, further comprising:

when the determined road width is equal to or larger than the determined distance, determining a branch point before the last branch point in the direction of travel along the searched route as the last communication point.

12. The navigation method according to claim 9, wherein:

the last guidance includes guidance that provides a traveling direction at a branch point on the route.

13. The navigation method according to claim 9, wherein:

the last guidance includes guidance indicating that the vehicle has arrived at the destination.

14. The navigation method according to claim 9, wherein:

the stored map information includes road sign information on a road sign located on the entering link and a road sign located on an exiting link exiting from the last branch point; and

the method further comprises using a distance from the last branch point to the road sign on the exiting link as the road width.

15. The navigation method according to claim 9, further comprising:

determining whether the entering ling is one-way; and

when the entering link is one-way, determining whether half of the determined read width is smaller than the determined distance; and

when half of the determined road width is smaller than the determined distance, determines the last branch point as the last communication point.

16. The navigation method according to claim 15, further comprising:

when half of the determined road width is equal to or larger than the determined distance, determining a branch point before the last branch point in the direction of travel along the searched route as the last communication point.

18. The storage medium according to claim 9, the program further comprising:

instructions for, when the determined road width is smaller than the determined distance, determining the last branch point as the last communication point.

19. The storage medium according to claim 18, the program further comprising:

instructions for, when the determined road width is equal to or larger than the determined distance, determining a branch point before the last branch point in the direction of travel along the searched route as the last communication point.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable navigation program, the program comprising:

instructions for acquiring a vehicle location;

instructions for accessing stored map information including road width information;

instructions for setting a destination;

instructions for searching for a route to the set destination based on the stored map information;

instructions for performing route guidance based on the searched route;

instructions for acquiring a last branch point on the searched route; and

instructions for determining a road width of an entering link entering the acquired last branch point;

instructions for determining a distance from the last branch point to the destination; and

instructions for, based on the determined road width and the determined distance, determining a last communication point on the searched route at which last guidance to the destination is to be communicated to a user.