Navigation system for a vehicle and method therefor
First Claim
1. A system for navigating a vehicle, comprising:
- (a) first means for monitoring a distance travelled by the vehicle and vehicle direction and deriving the present position of the vehicle from the monitored distance and direction;
(b) second means for storing roadmap data including data on a plurality of known branching points;
(c) third means for designating a route of travel from a first known branching point through which the vehicle first passes en route to a final destination;
(d) fourth means for searching through the known branching points present on the designated route of travel for the known branching point which is nearest to the present position of the vehicle derived by said first means; and
(e) fifth means responsive to a start command for initiating navigation for guiding the vehicle along the designated route of travel from the known branching point found by said fourth means to the destination.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A navigation system and method for guiding a vehicle along a selected route of travel to a destination from a start point using a display unit. In the navigation system, a registered intersection nearest to the present position of the vehicle, present on the set route of travel and registered in a roadmap data, is used as the first intersection on the route of travel through which the vehicle is to pass. The vehicle can be guided toward the first intersection and if the driver manually triggers the system upon reaching the first intersection, the guidance process for the selected route can begin. Otherwise, the system again checks to see which of the registered intersections is closest to the vehicle, and the above process is repeated.
58 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A system for navigating a vehicle, comprising:
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(a) first means for monitoring a distance travelled by the vehicle and vehicle direction and deriving the present position of the vehicle from the monitored distance and direction; (b) second means for storing roadmap data including data on a plurality of known branching points; (c) third means for designating a route of travel from a first known branching point through which the vehicle first passes en route to a final destination; (d) fourth means for searching through the known branching points present on the designated route of travel for the known branching point which is nearest to the present position of the vehicle derived by said first means; and (e) fifth means responsive to a start command for initiating navigation for guiding the vehicle along the designated route of travel from the known branching point found by said fourth means to the destination. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for navigating a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
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(a) monitoring a distance travelled by the vehicle and vehicle direction and deriving the present position of the vehicle from the monitored distance; (b) storing roadmap data in storing means, the roadmap data including a plurality of known branching points; (c) designating a route of travel from a first known branching point through which the vehicle first passes en route to a final destination; (d) searching through the known branching points present on the designated route of travel for the known branching point which is nearest to the present position of the vehicle derived in said step (a); (e) determining whether a start command for initiating navigation for the vehicle along the designated route of travel is issued; and (f) guiding the vehicle from the known branching point found in said step (d) to the destination when determining in said step (e) that the start command has issued. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. In a system for guiding operation of a vehicle from a first intersection of roadmap data to a destination intersection of the roadmap data, the improvement comprising:
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first means for searching for a known intersection nearest to a current position of the vehicle than said first intersection and for guiding operation of the vehicle to said nearest intersection, second means for indicating arrival of the vehicle within a predetermined zone associated with said nearest intersection, and third means responsive to a start command for initiating guidance of the vehicle from said nearest intersection to said destination intersection. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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Specification