Navigation system to be mounted on vehicles

• US 5,568,390 A
• Filed: 12/29/1995
• Issued: 10/22/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Endo, Norikazu, Kato, Yoshitaka, Hirota, Masaharu, Ito, Toru, Nojima, Akihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US08/580,491
• Time in Patent Office: 298 Days
• Field of Search: 364/443, 364/444, 364/449, 73/178 R, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice

Abstract

A navigation system to be mounted on a vehicle for carrying out a route search and displaying the searched route. Traffic jam information and the like are obtained by an beacon receiver and an input part inputs time as a driving condition. An ECU executes a predetermined calculation based on map data of a CD-ROM and traffic jam data and to obtain a range and routes reachable within the input time and to display the same. In case of residual fuel as a condition, the reachable range by this fuel is displayed. A display of gasoline stands as information for expanding reachability is also executed. Hence, a driver can plan a driving based on these information. Also, a reachable range within 2 hours is displayed and the use of railways is guided when the driver cannot reach the destination within a predetermined time.

Claims

1. A navigation system to be mounted on a vehicle for carrying out a search of reachable destinations on a basis of map information said navigation system comprising:

reachable final destination estimating means for estimating different reachable final destinations reachable from a present position of said vehicle based on a predetermined condition and said map information; and

display means for displaying said estimated different reachable final destinations.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

said predetermined condition in said reachable final destination estimating means is a fixed amount of time; and

said display means displays a range reachable in said fixed amount of time from said present position.

3. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

said predetermined condition in said reachable final destination estimating means is an amount of fuel being carried in said vehicle; and

said display means displays a range reachable from said present position using said amount of fuel carried in said vehicle.

4. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

said predetermined condition in said reachable final destination estimating means is a classification identifying a specific type of destination.

5. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

said display means displays on a map a range reachable by said vehicle based on said predetermined condition.

6. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

said display means displays on a map a route completable by said vehicle based on said predetermined condition.

7. The navigation system according to claim 5, wherein:

said display means changes a reduction scale of a display map of said range reachable by said vehicle based on a distance from said present position of said vehicle to at least one of said different reachable final destinations.

8. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

said display means displays at least one of said different reachable final destinations determined in an order of reachability.

9. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

said reachable final destination estimating means corrects said estimate of said different reachable final destinations at any time on a basis of dynamic information received while driving.

10. A navigation system to be mounted on a vehicle for carrying out a search of reachable destinations on a basis of map information, said navigation system comprising:

reachable final destination estimating means for estimating different reachable final destinations reachable from a present position of said vehicle under a predetermined condition;

reachable final destination expanding information receiving means for receiving reachable final destination expanding information, and for expanding said estimated different reachable final destinations based on said received reachable destination expanding information and a change of said predetermined condition; and

display means for displaying said estimated different reachable final destinations and said received reachable destination expanding information.

11. The navigation system according to claim 10, wherein:

said predetermined condition in said reachable final destination estimating means is time; and

said reachable final destination expanding information in said reachable final destination expanding information receiving means is information about a place for resting.

12. The navigation system according to claim 10, wherein:

said predetermined condition in said reachable final destination estimating means is fuel; and

said reachable final destination expanding information in said reachable final destination expanding information receiving means is information about a refuel station.

13. The navigation system according to claim 11, wherein:

said different reachable final destinations in said reachable final destination estimating means are corrected at any time on a basis of dynamic information changing at all times while driving.

14. A navigation system to be mounted on a vehicle for carrying out a search of reachable destinations on a basis of map information, said navigation system comprising:

input means for inputting a final destination;

reachable final destination estimating means for estimating different reachable final destinations other than said inputted final destination from a present position of said vehicle, said different reachable final destinations being estimated to be reachable based on a predetermined condition and said map information; and

display means for displaying said estimated different reachable final destinations.

15. The navigation system according to claim 14, wherein:

said predetermined condition in said reachable final destination estimating means is a fixed amount of time; and

said display means displays a possibility of said vehicle reaching at least one of said different reachable final destinations from said present position of said vehicle in said fixed amount of time.

16. The navigation system according to claim 14, wherein:

said predetermined condition in said reachable final destination estimating means is an amount of fuel being carried in said vehicle; and

said display means displays a possibility of said vehicle reaching at least one of different reachable final destinations from said present position of said vehicle using said amount of fuel being carried in said vehicle.

17. The navigation system according to claim 14, wherein:

said different reachable final destinations estimated in said reachable final destination estimating means are corrected at any time on a basis of dynamic information changing at all times while driving.

18. A navigation system to be mounted on a vehicle for carrying out a search of reachable destinations on a basis of map information, said navigation system comprising:

input means for inputting a final destination;

reachable final destination estimating means for estimating different reachable destinations other than said inputted final destination from a present position of said vehicle, said different reachable final destinations being estimated to be reachable under a predetermined condition;

reachable final destination expanding information receiving means for receiving reachable final destination expanding information for expanding said estimated different reachable final destinations based on said reachable final destination expanding information; and

display means for displaying said estimated different reachable final destinations and said received reachable final destination expanding information.

19. The navigation system according to claim 18, wherein:

said predetermined condition in said reachable final destination estimating means is time; and

said reachable final destination expanding information in said reachable final destination expanding information receiving means is information about alternative transportation.

20. The navigation system according to claim 18, wherein:

said predetermined condition in said reachable final destination estimating means is fuel; and

said reachable final destination expanding information in said reachable final destination expanding information receiving means is information about a refuel station.

21. The navigation system according to claim 18, wherein:

said predetermined condition in said reachable final destination estimating means is fuel; and

said reachable final destination expanding information in said reachable final destination expanding information receiving means is information about uneconomic driving.

22. The navigation system according to claim 19, wherein:

said different reachable final destinations in said reachable final destination estimating means are corrected at any time on a basis of dynamic information changing at all times while driving.