Navigation apparatus based on present position calculating system

• US 4,943,925 A
• Filed: 10/20/1988
• Issued: 07/24/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Yokoyama, Shouji, Nimura, Mitsuhiro, Sumiya, Koji, Nanba, Akimasa, Moroto, Shuzo
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US07/260,213
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 364/443, 364/444, 364/449, 73/178 R, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network

Abstract

A navigation apparatus having road system data 6 which represents information of connections and coordinates of intersections and roads between intersections, a travel distance sensor 2, steering angle sensor 3, a present position calculating module 4 for calculating the present position with a unit distance between an intersection and the terminal intersection of a going-out road selected at the former intersection. The apparatus is further provided with a module 15 for generating data on the direction of traveling to a destination point at respective intersections, and a guidance outputting module 5. Traveling direction data is made in response to inputting of the destination point, the present position is determined by selecting a going-out road with the present position calculating module with respect to each intersection, and guidance data on the traveling direction at the terminal intersection of the present road is thereafter output. When a present position is input, the present position is calculated from data on the corresponding road, the travel distance, and the steering angle. Similarly, at the terminal intersection of this road, another road extending in the traveling direction is selected from the road system data. The present position is also calculated with respect to this road.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus having a present vehicle position locating system comprising:

storage means for storing road system data including information about coordinates of intersections and roads between said intersections,

means for detecting travel distance,

means for detecting steering angle,

output means for outputting guidance information to a driver of said vehicle, and

navigation means for selecting a road of travel from a first intersection to a second intersection at said first intersection;

determining a present position of a vehicle based on said detected steering angle and a remaining distance to said second intersection based upon length of said selected road and said detected travel distance; and

outputting said guidance information corresponding to said present position to said output means.

2. A navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said remaining distance is updated each time said detected travel distance equals a predetermined unit distance.

3. A navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said navigation means determines an orientation and coordinates of said vehicle from said detected travel distance and said detected steering angle and determines said present position based on said orientation and coordinates.

4. A navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said navigation means determines a turning angle of said vehicle and then said present position by a comparison of said turning angle and a position obtained from said road system data.

5. A navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said navigation means includes turning point detecting means for detecting turning of said vehicle at said first intersection and distance error correcting means for correcting distance to said second intersection based upon said detected turning of said vehicle.

6. A navigation apparatus having a present vehicle position locating and tracking system comprising:

storage means for storing road system data including information about roads and terminal intersections at ends of said roads,

navigation means for setting a plurality of courses to an input destination point from said terminal intersections of said road system data, and outputting guidance information by an output means, said navigation means including;

present position means for selecting a road to said destination point and determining a present position of a vehicle based on said selected road,

turning point detection means for determining turning of said vehicle at any of said terminal intersections and said present position means determines said present position based on said turning of said vehicle, and

guide means for providing said guidance information at each terminal intersection to said output means while traveling to said destination point.

7. A navigation apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said navigation means includes distance error correcting means for correcting distance to said destination point based upon said detected turning of said vehicle.

8. A navigation apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said navigation means initially sets a course to said destination point from each said terminal intersection of said road system data.

9. A navigation apparatus having a present vehicle position locating and tracking system comprising:

storage means for storing road system data including information about terminal intersections and roads between said intersections,

navigation means for setting a plurality of courses to an input destination point from said terminal intersections of said road system data, and providing guidance information along a selected one of said plurality of courses while tracking a present position of a vehicle, said navigation means including;

guide means for outputting said guidance information at each said terminal intersection while traveling to said destination point,

road selecting means for selecting a road in a direction to said destination point, and

tracking means for tracking said present vehicle position on said selected road and detecting a terminal intersection of said selected road, and

means for performing course guidance when said present position is within a predetermined area within said terminal intersection along said selected road and selecting another road to said destination point at said terminal intersection.

10. A navigation apparatus having a present vehicle position locating and tracking system comprising:

storage means for storing road system data including information about terminal intersections and roads between said terminal intersections,

input means for inputting a destination point,

output means for outputting guidance information,

navigation means connected to said storage means and said input means for, setting a course to said destination point at any of said terminal intersections from said road system data, selecting a road to said destination point, and providing guidance information to said output means, said navigation means including;

guide means for providing said guidance information to said output means at each said terminal intersection while traveling to said destination point,

tracking means for tracking said present vehicle position on said selected road and for detecting a terminal intersection of said selected road, and

road recognition means for recognizing a road in a direction to said destination point from said terminal intersection of said selected road, and

means for performing course guidance when said terminal intersection along said selected road is detected, selecting another road to said destination point at said terminal intersection, providing guidance information corresponding to a terminal intersection of said another selected road, and repeating said course guidance for each subsequent terminal intersection up to said destination point.

11. A navigation apparatus having a present vehicle position locating system comprising:

storage means for storing road system data including intersection data about roads having starting and terminal points respectively leaving and entering each intersection;

road data including information about a starting intersection and a terminal intersection for each road and a node data about nodes along each road; and

node series data having information corresponding to coordinates of points along said roads between intersections; and

navigation means for setting a course leading to an input destination point at each said terminal intersection based on said road system data and selecting one of said set courses based on a present position of a vehicle, tracking said present position of said vehicle, and outputting by an output means guidance information corresponding to said selected course while tracking said present position.