Navigation Device and Method of Searching Route by the Same

• US 20130013203A1
• Filed: 12/27/2010
• Published: 01/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Original Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Inventors: Sumizawa, Akio, Hayashi, Arata, Fujiwara, Hideo, Kurihara, Satoshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,816,825 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/533
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3453 Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3658 Lane guidance

Abstract

Provided are navigation technologies capable of preferentially guiding a vehicle to a route of a driving lane that can be available if given conditions are met. A navigation device is provided with a storage unit adapted to store lane information including the presence or absence of a driving lane that can be available if given conditions are met (hereinafter referred to as a conditional lane), a conditional-lane determining unit adapted to determine whether a vehicle equipped with the navigation device meets the conditions for driving in the conditional lane, and a route searching unit adapted to search a recommended route to a destination, wherein said route searching unit uses lane information to preferentially search for a route which utilizes a road including the conditional lane, when the conditional-lane determining unit determines that the aforementioned conditions are met.

Claims

1. A navigation device, comprising:

a storage unit adapted to store lane information including information on a setting-up state of a lane (hereinafter, referred to as conditional lane) that is available for traveling when prescribed conditions are satisfied;

a conditional-lane traveling possibility judgment unit adapted to judge whether a vehicle mounted with the navigation device satisfies the conditions for traveling in the conditional lane; and

a route search unit adapted to search for a recommended route to a destination; and

when the conditional-lane traveling possibility judgment unit judges that the conditions are satisfied, the route search unit uses the lane information to search for a route using preferentially a road including the conditional lane.

2. A navigation device according to claim 1, wherein:

the route search unit sets a cost of a road including the conditional lane to a lower value, and performs a route search to the destination on a basis of a total cost necessary to reach the destination.

3. A navigation device according to claim 2, wherein:

the route search unit sets the cost of a road including the conditional lane to a lower value according to previously-determined criteria.

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

the conditional-lane traveling possibility judgment unit identifies a number of passengers on board in the vehicle mounted with the navigation device and a type of the vehicle, and judges whether the conditions for traveling in the conditional lane are each satisfied.

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

the navigation device further comprises a door opening-closing detection unit that detects opening and closing of a door of the vehicle mounted with the navigation device; and

the conditional-lane traveling possibility judgment unit makes again a judgment about allowableness of traveling in the conditional lane, if the door opening-closing detection unit detects opening-closing of a door; and

the route search unit searches again for a route on a basis of a judgment result of the judgment about allowableness of traveling in the conditional lane.

6. A method of route search of a navigation device, wherein:

the navigation device comprises;

a storage unit adapted to store lane information including information on a setting-up state of a lane (hereinafter, referred to as conditional lane) that is available for traveling when prescribed conditions are satisfied; and

a route search unit adapted to search for a recommended route to a destination; and

the method of route search carries out;

a conditional-lane traveling possibility judgment step, in which it is judged whether a vehicle mounted with the navigation device satisfies the conditions for traveling in the conditional lane; and

a search step, in which when it is judged in the conditional-lane traveling possibility judgment step that the conditions are satisfied, the lane information is used to search for a route using preferentially a road including the conditional lane.