Navigation system having optimal destination route setting capability
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A navigation system comprising:
- storage means for storing link information of links which connect nodes of a map and have route costs, and link connection information;
destination setting means for setting a destination in said map;
route determination means, which includes route cost storage means for storing said route costs of said links, for determining a destination route from a starting position to said destination set by said destination setting means by computing route costs based on said link information and said link connection information using a Dijkstra algorithm and by selecting links which form said destination route that have a least cost as determined by calculating an individual route cost, for every link connected to nodes in said destination route, of travel from said node to said link, and for individually updating said route costs for links connected to said nodes in said destination route; and
navigation means for performing cruising navigation based on said navigation route.
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Abstract
Route costs are computed using the Dijkstra algorithm based on link information and connection information and a destination route is set based on a connection of links which has the least route cost. The route cost is set to sub-nodes of each connection link. Therefore, optimal routes can be set even though traffic regulations such as no right turns or the like exist on certain nodes.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A navigation system comprising:
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storage means for storing link information of links which connect nodes of a map and have route costs, and link connection information; destination setting means for setting a destination in said map; route determination means, which includes route cost storage means for storing said route costs of said links, for determining a destination route from a starting position to said destination set by said destination setting means by computing route costs based on said link information and said link connection information using a Dijkstra algorithm and by selecting links which form said destination route that have a least cost as determined by calculating an individual route cost, for every link connected to nodes in said destination route, of travel from said node to said link, and for individually updating said route costs for links connected to said nodes in said destination route; and navigation means for performing cruising navigation based on said navigation route. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A computer program product for determining routes in a map, said computer program product comprising:
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first computer readable program code means for causing a computer to read link information of links that connect nodes and link connection information which includes traffic regulation information from a storage medium; second computer readable program code means for causing said computer to select a node from among nondesignated nodes read by said first computer readable program code means so that a route cost from a starting position to a destination is minimal; third computer readable program code means for causing said computer to compute a cost for passing through specified links connected to nondesignated nodes and for individually computing and storing a route cost of travel from said nodes to each specified link connected to said nodes; and fourth computer readable program code means for causing said computer to repeatedly execute said selection and computation operations and for updating said route costs for links connected to said nodes in said destination route.
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12. A method of navigating a vehicle using a map defined by a plurality of nodes connected by links from a starting position of said vehicle to a destination position of said vehicle, said nodes and links being representative of possible paths of travel of said vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:
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selecting a node most proximate to said vehicle starting position as a vehicle starting node and as a current node; selecting node most proximate to said vehicle destination position as a vehicle destination node; computing route costs from said current node to all target nodes connected to said current node via a single link; for each of said target nodes connected to said current node via a single link, sub-node associating said route cost from said vehicle starting position to a sub-node of said target node and a route from said vehicle starting position to said sub-node of said target node having said route cost with said sub-node of said target node if said route cost is less than a route cost already associated with said sub-node and movement from said current node to said sub-node is permitted along said route; target node associating with each of said target nodes a smallest route cost and a path from said vehicle starting position to said target node providing said smallest route cost of sub-nodes of said target node; selecting a node of said plurality of nodes in said map which has a route cost not greater than route costs of all other nodes in said plurality of nodes as a least cost node; when said least cost node has not been selected as a current node, selecting said least cost node as said current node and repeating said computing and associating steps; when said least cost node has been selected as a current node and a node, other than said vehicle destination node, which has not been selected as a current node has a route cost associated therewith which is less than a route cost of said vehicle destination node, selecting said non-selected node other than said vehicle destination node as said current node and repeating said computing and associating steps; and when said least cost node has been selected as a current node and a node, other than said vehicle destination node, which has not been selected as a current node has a route cost associated therewith which is not less than a route cost of said vehicle destination node, selecting a path associated with said vehicle destination node as a least-cost path from said vehicle starting position to said vehicle destination position. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A vehicle navigation system comprising:
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a storage device storing data representative of a map defined by a plurality of nodes connected by links from a starting position of said vehicle to a destination position of said vehicle, said nodes and links being representative of possible paths of travel of said vehicle; and microprocessor means for; reading said data representative of said map stored in said storage device; selecting a node most proximate to said vehicle starting position as a vehicle starting node and as a current node; selecting node most proximate to said vehicle destination position as a vehicle destination node; computing route costs from said current node to all target nodes connected to said current node via a single link; for each of said target nodes connected to said current node via a single link, sub-node associating said route cost from aid vehicle starting position to a sub-node of said target node and a route from said vehicle starting position to said sub-node of said target node having said route cost with said sub-node of said target node if said route cost is less than a route cost already associated with said sub-node and movement from said current node to said sub-node is permitted alone said route; target node associating with each of said target nodes a smallest route cost and a path from said vehicle starting position to said target node providing said smallest route cost of sub-nodes of said target node; selecting a node of said plurality of nodes in said map which has a route cost not greater than route costs of all other nodes in said plurality of nodes as a least cost node; when said least cost node has not been selected as a current node, selecting said least cost node as said current node and repeating said computing and associating functions; when said least cost node has been selected as a current node and a node, other than said vehicle destination node, which has not been selected as a current node has a route cost associated therewith which is less than a route cost of said vehicle destination node, selecting said non-selected node other than said vehicle destination node as said current node and repeating said computing and associating functions; and when said least cost node has been selected as a current node and a node, other than said vehicle destination node, which has not been selected as a current node has a route cost associated therewith which is not less than a route cost of said vehicle destination node, selecting a path associated with said vehicle destination node as a least-cost path from said vehicle starting position to said vehicle destination position. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification