Route guide system and method

• US 5,731,766 A
• Filed: 08/16/1996
• Issued: 03/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Agency for Industrial Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: Agency for Industrial Science and Technology
• Inventors: Akamatsu, Motoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C.
• Application Number:
  US08/698,988
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 340/488, 340/990, 340/995, 340/905, 340/980, 340/461, 345/7, 345/9, 359/530, 359/531, 359/532, 359/537, 359/547, 359/552, 359/568, 359/436, 349/1, 349/11, 349/13, 349/15
• US Class Current: 340/988
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0194 with combiner of laminated type, for optical or mechanical aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/30 Polarising elements light-modulating devices with active elements G02F1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors

Abstract

A route guide system for making guidance of the traveling direction in the sight field of the driver during traveling. The road guide plate is provided in front of a turning point. This road guide plate emits light differing in flash timing according to the branching direction. The liquid crystal shutter is provided on the front glass of the vehicle equipped with the navigation system. When making road guidance, ON/OFF operation of the liquid crystal shutter is controlled by an MPU so that only the light of the light-emitting pattern corresponding to the traveling direction according to the traveling direction information of the turning point obtained from route searching toward the targeted location.

Claims

1. A route guide system in which a route guide apparatus is set on a vehicle, and when said vehicle reaches around a turning point during traveling, said route guide apparatus displays the traveling direction of said vehicle to make guidance to the targeted destination,

wherein a road guide plate indicating branching directions of a road and emitting light of types differing in light-emitting pattern according to the branching directions is provided in the vicinity of the turning point so that it is visible by a driver of the running vehicle;

the route guide apparatus comprising optical means which selectively passes through light of one of the different light-emitting patterns so that it is visible by the driver of said vehicle traveling in the traveling direction of said vehicle; and

instruction means for instructing a type of light-emitting pattern to be selectively passed through said optical means.

2. A route guide system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a synchronizing signal is transmitted from a ground station for controlling said road guide plate to said route guide apparatus, whereby a light pass timing of said optical means is controlled by said synchronizing signal.

3. A route guide system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, with respect to the light pass timing of said optical means, a ground station for controlling said road guide plate and said route guide apparatus individually have clocks for achieving synchronism.

4. A route guide system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said optical means is a liquid crystal shutter, the light-emitting pattern is light-emitting timing, and said liquid crystal shutter passes through a specific light according to the light emitting timing instructed by said instruction means.

5. A route guide system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said liquid crystal shutter is disposed on a front glass of said vehicle.

6. A route guide system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said liquid crystal shutter is formed in the form of sunglasses wearable by said driver of said vehicle.

7. A route guide system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said optical means is a polarizing filter capable of varying the polarization direction, said route guide plate emits light of different polarization direction as light of different light emitting pattern, and said polarizing filter passes through a specific light having a polarization direction instructed by said instruction means.

8. A route guide system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said polarizing filter is disposed on the front glass of said vehicle.

9. A route guide system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said polarizing filter is formed in the form of sunglasses wearable by said driver of said vehicle.

10. A route guide method in which a route guide apparatus is set on a vehicle, and when the vehicle reaches nearby a turning point during traveling, said route guide apparatus displays the traveling direction of said vehicle to make guidance to the targeted destination, comprising the steps of:

providing a road guide plate indicating branching directions of the road and emitting light of different types of light-emitting pattern according to the branching directions in the vicinity of the turning point so that it is visible by a driver of the traveling vehicle; and

providing optical means on the vehicle which selectively passes through light of one of the different light-emitting patterns so that it is visible by the driver of said vehicle traveling in the traveling direction of said vehicle;

whereby the route guide apparatus instructs the optical means of a type of light-emitting pattern to be selectively passed through.