Mobile navigation system

• US 5,892,463 A
• Filed: 03/06/1997
• Issued: 04/06/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Sogawa, Toshio, Hikita, Masayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US08/812,713
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 340/905, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995, 364/449.2, 364/449.3, 364/449.4, 364/449.5, 701/208, 701/209, 701/210
• US Class Current: 340/995.13
• 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: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• 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

In a mobile navigation system, it is possible to judge as to whether or not either a traffic jam region or a traffic restriction region is reduced until a moving object reaches this traffic jam region, or traffic restriction region. The mobile navigation system comprises present position detecting means, map information storage means, route searching means, and traffic information receiving means. Further, the navigation system comprises specific region judging means for judging as to whether or not a traffic jam or restriction region is present within the route searched by the route searching means; arrival time calculating means for calculating time required such that the moving object reaches the traffic jam or restriction region; decreasing time detecting means for detecting time during which the traffic jam or restriction region is decreased based upon the traffic jam or restriction information received by the traffic information receiving means; and re-searching control means for causing the route searching means to re-search the route in accordance with a relationship between the output from the decreasing time detecting means and the output from the arrival time calculating means when the specific region judging means judges that the traffic jam or restriction region is present.

Claims

1. A mobile navigation system comprising:

present position detecting means for detecting a present position of a moving object;

map information storage means for storing map information;

route searching means for searching a route defined from said present position of said moving object detected by said present position detecting means up to a destination place from said map information of said map information storage means;

traffic information receiving means for receiving traffic jam information or traffic restriction information;

specific region judging means for judging whether or not a traffic jam or restriction region is present within said route searched by said route searching means;

degree detection means for detecting a degree of said traffic jam or restriction based upon said traffic jam or restriction information received by said traffic information receiving means;

re-searching control means for causing said route searching means to search again a route in accordance with a detection result of said degree detection means;

arrival time calculating means for calculating time required such that said moving object reaches said traffic jam or restriction region; and

decreasing time detecting means for detecting time during which said traffic jam or restriction region is decreased based upon said traffic jam or restriction information received by said traffic information receiving means; and

wherein said re-searching control means causes said route researching means to search again a route in accordance with a relationship between the output from said decreasing time detecting means and the output from said arrival time calculating means when said specific region judging means judges that the traffic jam or restriction region is present.

2. A mobile navigation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said re-searching control means causes said route searching means to re-search the route when the decreasing time detected by said decreasing time detecting means is longer than the arrival time calculated by said arrival time calculating means.

3. A mobile navigation system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

an operation unit for setting whether or not said re-searching control means executes the re-searching control by manipulating said operation unit; and

wherein said re-searching control means causes the route searching means to re-search the route in response to the manipulation of said operation unit.

4. A mobile navigation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said re-searching control operation automatically causes the route searching means to re-search the route.

5. A mobile navigation system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

control switching means for switching whether said re-searching control means causes the route searching means to re-search the route in response to the manipulation of the operation unit, or to automatically re-search the route.

6. A mobile navigation system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising announcing means for producing a predetermined announce in response to the route re-searching operation by said re-searching control means.

7. A mobile navigation system comprising:

present position detecting means for detecting a present position of a moving object;

map information storage means for storing map information;

route searching means for searching a route defined from said present position of said moving object detected by said present position detecting means up to a destination place from said map information of said map information storage means;

traffic information receiving means for receiving traffic jam information or traffic restriction information;

specific region judging means for judging whether or not a traffic jam or restriction region is present within said route searched by said route searching means;

degree detection means for detecting a degree of said traffic jam or restriction based upon said traffic jam or restriction information received by said traffic information receiving means;

re-searching control means for causing said route searching means to search again a route in accordance with a detection result of said degree detection means; and

decreasing rate calculating means for calculating a rate of decreasing the traffic jam or restriction region based upon the traffic jam or restriction information received by said traffic information receiving means;

wherein said re-searching control means causes said route searching means to re-search the route in accordance with the output from said decreasing rate calculating means when said specific region judging means judges that the traffic jam or restriction region is present.

8. A mobile navigation system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said re-searching control means causes said route searching means to re-search the route when the decrease rate output from said decreasing rate calculating means lower than a predetermined value.

9. A mobile navigation system comprising:

present position detecting means for detecting a present position of a moving object;

map information storage means for storing map information;

route searching means for searching a route defined from the present position of the moving object detected by said present position detecting means up to a destination place from the map information of said map information storage means;

traffic information receiving means for receiving traffic jam information or traffic restriction information;

specific region judging means for judging as to whether or not a traffic jam or restriction region is present within the route searched by said route searching means;

degree detection means for detecting a degree of said traffic jam or restriction based upon said traffic jam or restriction information received by said traffic information receiving means; and

detour route detecting means for detecting a detour route which contains neither a traffic jam region nor a traffic restriction region from the map information of said map information storage means in accordance with the judgement of said specific region judging means;

travel time calculating means for calculating travel time required for the route searched by said route searching means in that a traffic jam or restriction region is contained, and also for calculating travel time required for the detour route detected by said detour route detecting means in that no traffic jam or restriction region is contained, based upon a relationship among the output from said specific region judging means, the output from said degree detecting means, and the output from said detour route detecting means; and

route display control means for controlling a display unit to display thereon one of said route searched by said route searching means and said detour route based on a relationship between the travel time of said route and the travel time of said detour route, calculated by said travel time calculating means;

arrival time calculating means for calculating time required such that said moving object reaches the traffic jam or restriction region;

decreasing time detecting means for detecting time during which said traffic jam or restriction region is decreased based upon the traffic jam or restriction information received by said traffic information receiving means; and

wherein said travel time calculating means calculates travel times based upon a relationship among the output from said specific region judging means, the output from said arrival time calculation means, the output from said decrease time detecting means, and the output from said detour route detecting means.

10. A mobile navigation system as claimed in claim 9 wherein:

said route display control means causes the display unit to display thereon the route required for the short travel time calculated by said travel time calculating means.