Navigation system for use with an automobile and reading unit for the system

• US 4,502,123 A
• Filed: 07/06/1982
• Issued: 02/26/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Akutsu, Kazushi, Ohyama, Shinji, Miura, Kunio, Minami, Kazuaki, Totani, Shinzo
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US06/395,338
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424, 364/443, 364/444, 364/449, 364/521, 353/11, 353/12, 343/450-453, 340/988-990, 340/992, 340/995, 340/996, 73/178 R, 358/104, 360/61, 360/79, 360/94, 360/132, 360/134
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635

Abstract

In a navigation system arranged to display a road map in accordance with road map information from a cassette tape, and the present location of a motor vehicle equipped with the navigation system, a cassette tape distinguishing circuit is provided to a cassette tape player which picks up the road map information from a predetermined cassette having a window at given portion of the cassette housing. A switching circuit is responsive to the cassette tape distinguishing circuit so that the output data of the cassette tape is processed to display a given map only when a cassette carrying road map information is loaded in the cassette tape player. In the case a normal cassette carrying audio signals, such as music, is loaded the picked up audio signal is transmitted to an amplifier so that sound reproduction is effected. Thus, a single cassette player can be used in common as both a part of the navigation system and a part of a sound reproduction system.

Claims

1. A navigation system for use with an automobile, comprising:

(a) reading means for deriving either road map data or audio information from a detachable recording medium;

(b) circuitry for producing a signal indicative of the present location of said automobile;

(c) display means, responsive to said reading means and to said present location circuitry, for displaying a road map derived from said road map data and the present location when road map data is supplied thereto;

(d) audio information reproducing means, responsive to said reading means, for providing audio signals when audio information is applied thereto;

(e) first means for detecting whether the contents of said recording medium is road map data or audio information so as to distinguish recording medium carrying said road map data from other recording medium carrying audio information; and

(f) second means, responsive to said first means, for supplying said display means with road map data read from said recording medium only when said recording medium has been determined by said first means, as carrying said road map data and for supplying said audio information reproducing means with audio information read out from said recording medium only when said recording medium has been determined as carrying said audio information by said first means.

2. A navigation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reading means is a cassette tape player.

3. A navigation system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said first means comprises a window detector which produces an output signal when detecting a window at a predetermined position of the cassette loaded in said cassette player.

4. A reading unit for use with a vehicle-mounted navigation system and an audio information reproducing circuit, for deriving either road map data or audio information from a detachable recording medium, which navigation system includes a display means for displaying a road map derived from said recording medium, said reading unit comprising:

first means for driving said recording medium;

second means for reading information from said recording medium;

third means for detecting whether the contents of said recording medium is road map data or audio information so as to distinguish recording medium carrying said road map data from other recording medium carrying audio information; and

fourth means responsive to said third means for supplying said display means with road map data read from said recording medium only when said recording medium has been determined as carrying said road map data by said third means, and for supplying said audio information reproducing circuit with audio information read from said recording medium only when said recording medium has been determined as carrying said audio information by said third means.

5. A reading unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein said first and second means constitute a cassette player for reproducing data from a cassette tape.

6. A reading unit as claimed in claim 5, wherein said third means comprises a window detector which produces an output signal when detecting a window at a predetermined position of the cassette loaded in said cassette player.

7. A reading unit as claimed in claim 4, further comprising an amplifier for amplifying audio signals, said amplifier being arranged to receive, from said fourth means, audio signals picked up by said first means when a casstte tape carrying other than road map data is loaded into said cassette player.

8. A navigation system for use with an automobile, comprising:

(a) a direction detector for producing an output signal indicative of the travelling direction of said autombile;

(b) a distance sensor for producing a signal each time said automobile travels a predetermined unit distance;

(c) a reading unit for deriving either road map information or audio information from a detachable recording medium, said reading unit including first means for driving said recording medium, a second means for detecting whether the contents of said recording medium is road map data or audio information so as to distinguish recording medium carrying said road map data from other recording medium carrying audio information; and

fifth third means for outputting, via a first output terminal, road map data read out from said recording medium only when said recording medium has been determined by said second means as carrying said road map data, and for outputting, via a second output terminal, audio information read out from said recording medium only when said recording medium has been determined by said second means as carrying said audio information;

(d) a microcomputer, responsive to the road map information from said first output terminal of said third means for producing first output data, and to the output signals from said direction detector and said distance sensor for producing second output data;

(e) a display controller, responsive to said first and second output data, for producing a video signal; and

(f) a display unit responsive to said video signal for displaying said road map data as well as the present location of the automobile.

9. A navigation system as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a touch-panel unit attached to the display surface of said display unit, said touch-panel unit having a plurality of transparent switches for accepting various commands of the user, which commands are fed to said microcomputer to control said reading unit as well as said display unit.