Navigation system for automotive vehicle including feature of updating vehicle position at every intersection along preset course
First Claim
1. A navigation system for an automobile vehicle comprising:
- first means for monitoring vehicle motion and deriving first data indicative of vehicle position;
second means for monitoring the direction of travel of the vehicle and deriving second data indicative of the vehicle travel direction;
third means for storing a map which includes a plurality of known points;
fourth means for selecting a route for the vehicle, said fourth means including data storage means for storing the selected routine, storing third data indicative of designated known points along said route, and fourth data indicative of a given direction related to each of said designated known points;
fifth means for displaying said map stored in said third means, and a symbol representing the vehicle position on said map; and
sixth means for deriving instantaneous position of said symbol on the displayed map on the basis of said first data, said sixth means monitoring vehicle position within a travelling zone between successive designated known points for detecting the approach of the vehicle to the next designated known point on the basis of said first data, and detecting when the distance from said vehicle position to said next designated known point is less than a given distance for defining an area centered at said next designated known point, detecting when the vehicle enters said defined area and checking said second data against said given direction so as to detect when the vehicle travel direction matches said given direction and thereby detecting that the vehicle has reached said next designated known point, said sixth means deriving the vehicle travel distance between the last two designated known points, comparing said derived travel distance with the known distance between said last two designated known points so as to derive an error value, and varying the size of said defined area in accordance with said error value.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A navigation system comprises a vehicle position sensor for monitoring and updating vehicle position, a travel distance sensor monitoring vehicle travel distance, a memory means for storing position data of update points, distances between successive update points, and preset direction of travel of the vehicle at update points, an update zone setting means, responsive to a signal from the vehicle position sensor indicating that the vehicle has reached an update point to within a given range depending upon the distance between the last two update points, for comparing travel distance measured by the travel distance sensor and the distance between said two update points to derive the difference therebetween, and setting an update zone around the next update point based on the derived difference, and a detector means responsive to said signal from the vehicle position sensor for monitoring the direction of travel of the vehicle within the update zone and recognizing that the vehicle is at the update point when the vehicle direction of travel matches the preset direction at the corresponding update point.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A navigation system for an automobile vehicle comprising:
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first means for monitoring vehicle motion and deriving first data indicative of vehicle position; second means for monitoring the direction of travel of the vehicle and deriving second data indicative of the vehicle travel direction; third means for storing a map which includes a plurality of known points; fourth means for selecting a route for the vehicle, said fourth means including data storage means for storing the selected routine, storing third data indicative of designated known points along said route, and fourth data indicative of a given direction related to each of said designated known points; fifth means for displaying said map stored in said third means, and a symbol representing the vehicle position on said map; and sixth means for deriving instantaneous position of said symbol on the displayed map on the basis of said first data, said sixth means monitoring vehicle position within a travelling zone between successive designated known points for detecting the approach of the vehicle to the next designated known point on the basis of said first data, and detecting when the distance from said vehicle position to said next designated known point is less than a given distance for defining an area centered at said next designated known point, detecting when the vehicle enters said defined area and checking said second data against said given direction so as to detect when the vehicle travel direction matches said given direction and thereby detecting that the vehicle has reached said next designated known point, said sixth means deriving the vehicle travel distance between the last two designated known points, comparing said derived travel distance with the known distance between said last two designated known points so as to derive an error value, and varying the size of said defined area in accordance with said error value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A process for navigation of a vehicle along a preset route comprising the steps of:
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providing a road map with data for a plurality of known points along a route; displaying said road map on a visual display screen; presetting a route across said map and designated known points along the preset route; defining a travelling zone between a first starting designated known point and a second designated known point along said route; monitoring vehicle travel distance within said travelling zone and detecting when the vehicle approaches to within a first given area of said second designated known point; displaying a symbol indicative of the instantaneous vehicle position; defining a second given area centered at said second designated known point, the radius of said second area varying with the difference between the monitored travel distance and the known distance between said first and second designated points; monitoring vehicle position within said second given area for comparison with a predetermined criterion for detecting when the vehicle coincides with said second designated known point; and redefining said travelling zone by taking the second designated known point which currently coincides with said vehicle as said first designated known point and selecting a neighboring designated known point as said second desingated known point. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification