Navigation system for motor vehicles
First Claim
1. A navigation system for a vehicle including display means for displaying a road map, map data storage means for storing map data to provide the road map and a predetermined route to be taken on the road map, position detecting means for detecting a current position of the vehicle, and display control means for controlling said display means to display the road map according to the map data and for recognizably indicating the predetermined route to be taken and the current position of vehicle on the displayed road map,wherein said navigation system further includes:
- zoning means for determining, according to the predetermined route and the current position of the vehicle, a next intersection on the route to be taken, and for determining, according to a course of the vehicle as the vehicle approaches the next intersection, a plurality of sector-shaped guidance zones defined by sectors of circles having the next intersection at their center and having different approach determination distances to the next intersection as their radii, each said guidance zone having a chord of equal length and the approach course of the vehicle dividing each guidance zone in half,velocity detecting means for detecting the velocity of the vehicle,position determination means for determining, according to the detected vehicle position, whether the vehicle enters a range of a predetermined distance from the next intersection,zone selection means for selecting, when it is determined by said position determination means that the vehicle entered the range of a predetermined distance from the next intersection, one of the plurality of guidance zones according to the current vehicle velocity detected by said velocity detecting means, and said guidance zone being selected such that the greater the vehicle velocity, the larger the approach determination distance of said selected guidance zone, androute intersection guidance means for determining whether the currently detected vehicle position is within said selected guidance zone, and, when it is determined that the vehicle position is within the selected guidance zone, for announcing that the vehicle is approaching the next intersection.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A navigation system for motor vehicles determines a plurality of zones for determining the approach of the vehicle to a route intersection. The zones are pie-shaped sectors of circles having the next intersection at its center and having radii that vary with respect to the vehicle velocity. The zones lie along an approach course the vehicle takes in approaching the next intersection. When the vehicle enters any one of the zones thus determined, one of the zones is selected according to the current velocity of the vehicle such that the higher the vehicle velocity is, the larger the radius of the circle corresponding to the selected zone is. The driver is then informed that the vehicle is approaching the intersection and is informed of the direction to take at the intersection.
55 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A navigation system for a vehicle including display means for displaying a road map, map data storage means for storing map data to provide the road map and a predetermined route to be taken on the road map, position detecting means for detecting a current position of the vehicle, and display control means for controlling said display means to display the road map according to the map data and for recognizably indicating the predetermined route to be taken and the current position of vehicle on the displayed road map,
wherein said navigation system further includes: -
zoning means for determining, according to the predetermined route and the current position of the vehicle, a next intersection on the route to be taken, and for determining, according to a course of the vehicle as the vehicle approaches the next intersection, a plurality of sector-shaped guidance zones defined by sectors of circles having the next intersection at their center and having different approach determination distances to the next intersection as their radii, each said guidance zone having a chord of equal length and the approach course of the vehicle dividing each guidance zone in half, velocity detecting means for detecting the velocity of the vehicle, position determination means for determining, according to the detected vehicle position, whether the vehicle enters a range of a predetermined distance from the next intersection, zone selection means for selecting, when it is determined by said position determination means that the vehicle entered the range of a predetermined distance from the next intersection, one of the plurality of guidance zones according to the current vehicle velocity detected by said velocity detecting means, and said guidance zone being selected such that the greater the vehicle velocity, the larger the approach determination distance of said selected guidance zone, and route intersection guidance means for determining whether the currently detected vehicle position is within said selected guidance zone, and, when it is determined that the vehicle position is within the selected guidance zone, for announcing that the vehicle is approaching the next intersection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of navigating a motor vehicle comprising the step of:
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displaying a road map and a predetermined route to be taken on a display device, detecting the current position of the vehicle, determining, according to the predetermined route and the currently detected position of the vehicle, a next intersection on the route to be taken, determining, according to an approach course of the vehicle as the vehicle approaches the next intersection, a plurality of guidance zones defined by sectors of circles having the next intersection at their center and having different approach determination distances as their radii, and the approach course of the vehicle dividing each guidance zone in half, detecting the velocity of the vehicle, determining, according to the current vehicle position, whether the vehicle entered a range of a predetermined distance from the next intersection, selecting, when it is determined that the vehicle entered the range of the predetermined distance from the next intersection, one of the plurality of guidance zones according to the vehicle velocity, with said guidance zone being selected so that the greater the vehicle velocity the larger the approach determination distance of said selected guidance zone, and determining, with route intersection guidance means, whether the currently detected vehicle position is within said selected guidance zone, and, when it is determined that the vehicle position is within the selected guidance zone, announcing that the vehicle is approaching the next intersection. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification