Navigation system for vehicles

• US 5,825,306 A
• Filed: 08/22/1996
• Issued: 10/20/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Nimura, Mitsuhiro, Hiyokawa, Toyoji, Ito, Yasunobu
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US08/701,704
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 340/995, 340/988, 340/990, 340/825.19, 341/23, 341/26, 364/449.2, 364/449.3, 364/449.5, 395/796
• US Class Current: 340/988
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3611 using character input or menus, e.g. menus of POIs character input methods in general G06F3/0233

Abstract

According to the invention, when a target name is inputted using characters such as alphabet and numerics, strings of characters or numerics are compared with data of registered places each time one character is inputted, names of registered places including the inputted string of characters or numerics is listed, and the number of registered target names remaining on the list is displayed.

When the target name is inputted in characters, the inputted data is compared with a list of the registered names having word components arranged in different orders with respect to a single official name by a forward match comparison, and the number of registered target names remaining on the list with forward match is displayed.

When the number of the inputted characters or numerics increases and the number of registered target names remaining on the list decreases, a list of the registered place names is displayed. The target name is selected from this list. When the number registered target names remaining on the list is one, the target name is selected. A map of the vicinity of the target name thus selected is displayed.

Claims

1. A navigation system for vehicles for providing route guidance to a user to aid in determining an optimal route from the present position or from a starting point of a vehicle by inputting a target name of a destination, comprising:

input means for inputting characters or numerics of the target name sequentially;

memory means for storing at least data of registered places;

searching means for comparing inputted data with the data of the registered places stored in said memory means each time a character or numeric in the target name is inputted by said input means and for searching for target names including the characters or numerics input by the input means and a number of the target names;

list preparing means for preparing a list of registered places based on searching done by the searching means; and

display means for displaying information to the user, wherein a number corresponding to the amount of registered places having target names including the characters or numerics of the target names as searched by said searching means based on the inputted data and on the prepared list is displayed by said display means, and when a number of registered places remaining on the list of registered places prepared by the list preparing means is decreased to a predetermined number the list is displayed by the display means so that the target name can be selected from the displayed list of registered places, the selected target name is set as the destination, and a map of the destination'"'"'s vicinity is displayed.

2. The navigation system for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein, when the number of the registered places having the characters or numerics of the target name as inputted is one, said target name is set as the destination, and a map of the destinations vicinity is displayed.

3. The navigation system for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein input to the input means is alphabetical or numeric input, and said searching means searches the registered place data by comparing the inputted data with the registered place data by forward match comparison.

4. The navigation system for vehicles according to claim 3, wherein all alphabetical characters or numerics to be selected and inputted are displayed on a screen in a recognizable manner.

5. The navigation system for vehicles according to claim 2, wherein input to the input means is alphabetical or numeric input, and said searching means searches the registered place data by comparing the inputted data with the registered place data by forward match comparison.

6. The navigation system for vehicles according to claim 5, wherein all alphabetical characters or numerics to be selected and inputted are displayed on a screen in a recognizable manner.

7. The navigation system for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein a list of registered places that have the characters or numerics of the target name as inputted are displayed on the display means each time a character or numeric is inputted.

8. A navigation system for vehicles for providing route guidance to a user to aid in determining an optimal route from the present position or from a starting point of a vehicle by inputting a target name of a destination, comprising:

input means for inputting characters or numerics;

memory means for storing at least data of registered places;

searching means for searching for target names having the inputted characters or numerics and a number of target names by comparing inputted data with the data of the registered places stored in said memory means each time a character or numeric in the target name is inputted by said input means;

list preparing means for preparing a list of registered places based on searching done by the searching means; and

display means for displaying information to the user, wherein a number corresponds to the amount of the registered places including target names having the characters or numerics of the target names searched by said searching means based on the inputted data is displayed the list of registered places prepared by the list preparing means is displayed on the display means when the number is decreased to a predetermined number so that the target name can be selected from the displayed list of registered places the selected target name is set to the destination, and a map of the destination'"'"'s vicinity is displayed.

9. The navigation system for vehicles according to claim 8, wherein, when the number of registered names having characters or numerics of the inputted target name is one, the target name is set to the destination and a map of the destination'"'"'s vicinity is displayed.

10. The navigation system for vehicles according to claim 8, wherein input to the input means is alphabetical or numeric, and said searching means searches the registered place data by comparing the inputted data with the registered place data by forward match comparison.

11. The navigation system for vehicles according to claim 10, wherein all alphabetical characters or numerics to be selected and inputted are displayed on a screen in a recognizable manner.

12. The navigation system for vehicles according to claim 9, wherein input to the input means is alphabetical or numeric, and said searching means searches the registered place data by comparing the inputted data with the registered place data by forward match comparison.

13. The navigation system for vehicles according to claim 12, wherein all alphabetical characters or numerics to be selected and inputted are displayed on a screen in a recognizable manner.