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Running control device mounted in a vehicle

  • US 5,899,953 A
  • Filed: 10/01/1996
  • Issued: 05/04/1999
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1996
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A control device mounted in a vehicle comprising:

  • a navigation system controlling unit for controllinga memory unit for storing map information including position information of a vehicle,a position detecting unit for detecting a present position of the vehicle,a course determining unit having road information of a scheduled running course of the vehicle for determining an estimated running course of the vehicle wherein the road information includes location of known impediments on the road,a display unit for displaying map information, a present position and a scheduled running course of the vehicle, anda voice message informing unit for outputting a voice message;

    wherein the navigation system controlling unit includes position information calculating means for calculating and outputting position information of a present position of the vehicle on the basis both of position information detected from said position detecting unit and map information read out from said memory unit;

    a central control unit for totally managing a plurality of control units provided to the vehicle, on the basis of information of a plurality of sensors mounted in the vehicle; and

    a terminal device connected to said navigation system controlling unit and said central control unit, for processing information from both of said navigation system controlling unit and said central control unit, and transmitting information to at least one of said navigation system controlling unit and said central control unit;

    wherein said terminal device includes;

    moving distance calculating means for calculating a moving distance of the vehicle in a certain time interval on the basis of position information at a present vehicle position transmitted from said navigation system controlling unit and position information at a present vehicle position after said certain time interval;

    low speed condition determining means for deciding whether or not the vehicle is in a low speed condition by determining whether or not calculated vehicle moving distance is a predetermined value or below;

    running course determining means for determining on the basis of road information of a scheduled vehicle running course transmitted from said navigation system controlling unit whether or not the vehicle will change a running course in future, when said low speed condition determining means determines that the vehicle is in a low speed condition; and

    traffic jam determining means for determining that the vehicle is not in a traffic jam condition when said running course determining means determines that the vehicle will change a running course in future, and determining that the vehicle is in a traffic jam condition when said running course determining means determines that the vehicle will not change a running course in future.

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