Car navigation system

• US 5,935,193 A
• Filed: 09/06/1996
• Issued: 08/10/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Saiki, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US08/711,334
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/207, 701/208, 701/209, 701/211, 73/178 R, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096861 where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice

Abstract

A car navigation system comprises a sound output means for selectively changing the voice sent to a speaker between male voice and female voice in accordance with the advancing direction of the vehicle. In addition, using a plurality of speakers, the voice guidance is given from a direction identical with the advancing direction of the vehicle. Furthermore, stereo sound generated from the speakers can be selectively attenuated in accordance with the advancing direction of the vehicle, so that the driver of a vehicle can intuitionally perceive or grasp the correct advancing direction of his/her driving vehicle, while listening stereo sounds.

Claims

1. A car navigation system comprising:

a present position detecting means for calculating a present locational information of a vehicle;

a navigation control means for receiving a required map information from an information recording medium through a recording medium reproducing means based on the present locational information obtained from said present position detecting means and for displaying said map information on a display means together with said present locational information;

a route retrieving means responding to a user'"'"'s request entered through an operating means for calculating a route connecting a departure point to a destination based on information relating to the departure point and the destination obtained from said navigation control means as well as said map information obtained from said recording medium reproducing means;

a route guiding means for calculating an advancing direction of the vehicle at a next-coming intersection based on the route calculated by said route retrieving means and the present locational information; and

a sound output means for selectively changing voice data sent to a speaker in accordance with said advancing direction of the vehicle calculated by said route guiding means,

wherein said sound output means outputs a female voice guidance when said advancing direction calculated by said route guiding means is a left direction, while said sound output means outputs a male voice guidance when said advancing direction calculated by said route guiding means is a right direction.

2. A car navigation system comprising:

a present position detecting means for calculating a present locational information of a vehicle;

a navigation control means for receiving a required map information from an information recording medium through a recording medium reproducing means based on the present locational information obtained from said present position detecting means and for displaying said map information on a display means together with said present locational information;

a route retrieving means responding to a user'"'"'s request entered through an operating means for calculating a route connecting a departure point to a destination based on information relating to the departure point and the destination obtained from said navigation control means as well as said map information obtained from said recording medium reproducing means;

a route guiding means for calculating an advancing direction of the vehicle at a next-coming intersection based on the route calculated by said route retrieving means and the present locational information; and

a sound output means for selectively changing voice data sent to a speaker in accordance with said advancing direction of the vehicle calculated by said route guiding means,

wherein said sound output means outputs a female voice guidance when said advancing direction calculated by said route guiding means is a right direction, while said sound output means outputs a male voice guidance when said advancing direction calculated by said route guiding means is a left direction.

3. A car navigation system comprising:

a present position detecting means for calculating a present locational information of a vehicle;

a navigation control means for receiving a required map information from an information recording medium through a recording medium reproducing means based on the present locational information obtained from said present position detecting means and for displaying said map information on a display means together with said present locational information;

a route retrieving means responding to a user'"'"'s request entered through an operating means for calculating a route connecting a departure point to a destination based on information relating to the departure point and the destination obtained from said navigation control means as well as said map information obtained from said recording medium reproducing means;

a route guiding means for calculating an advancing direction of the vehicle at a next-coming intersection based on the route calculated by said route retrieving means and the present locational information; and

a sound output means for selectively changing voice data sent to a speaker in accordance with said advancing direction of the vehicle calculated by said route guiding means,

wherein said sound output means outputs both of a female voice guidance and a male voice guidance simultaneously when said advancing direction calculated by said route guiding means is a straight forward direction.

4. A car navigation system comprising:

a present position detecting means for calculating a present locational information of a vehicle;

a navigation control means for receiving a required map information from an information recording medium through a recording medium reproducing means based on the present locational information obtained from said present position detecting means and for displaying said map information on a display means together with said present locational information;

a route retrieving means responding to a user'"'"'s request entered through an operating means for calculating a route connecting a departure point to a destination based on information relating to the departure point and the destination obtained from said navigation control means as well as said map information obtained from said recording medium reproducing means;

a route guiding means for calculating an advancing direction of the vehicle at a next-coming intersection based on the route calculated by said route retrieving means and the present locational information; and

a sound output means for generating route information calculated by said route guiding means with different voice data from right and left speakers,

wherein said left speaker outputs a female voice guidance when said advancing direction calculated by said route guiding means is a left direction, while said right speaker outputs a male voice guidance when said advancing direction calculated by said route guiding means is a right direction.

5. The car navigation system in accordance with claim 4, wherein said right and left speakers are disposed at right and left sides of a driver, and said right speaker outputs a voice guidance when the advancing direction calculated by said route guiding means is a right direction, while said left speaker outputs a voice guidance when the advancing direction calculated by said route guiding means is a left direction.

6. A car navigation system comprising:

a present position detecting means for calculating a present locational information of a vehicle;

a navigation control means for receiving a required map information from an information recording medium through a recording medium reproducing means based on the present locational information obtained from said present position detecting means and for displaying said map information on a display means together with said present locational information;

a route retrieving means responding to a user'"'"'s request entered through an operating means for calculating a route connecting a departure point to a destination based on information relating to the departure point and the destination obtained from said navigation control means as well as said map information obtained from said recording medium reproducing means;

a route guiding means for calculating an advancing direction of the vehicle at a next-coming intersection based on the route calculated by said route retrieving means and the present locational information; and

a sound output means for generating route information calculated by said route guiding means with different voice data from right and left speakers,

wherein said left speaker outputs a male voice guidance when said advancing direction calculated by said route guiding means is a left direction, while said right speaker outputs a female voice guidance when said advancing direction calculated by said route guiding means is a right direction.

7. The car navigation system in accordance with claim 6, wherein said right and left speakers are disposed at right and left sides of a driver, and said right speaker outputs a voice guidance when the advancing direction calculated by said route guiding means is a right direction, while said left speaker outputs a voice guidance when the advancing direction calculated by said route guiding means is a left direction.

8. A car navigation system comprising:

a present position detecting means for calculating a present locational information of a vehicle;

a navigation control means for receiving a required map information from an information recording medium through a recording medium reproducing means based on the present locational information obtained from said present position detecting means and for displaying said map information on a display means together with said present locational information;

a route retrieving means responding to a user'"'"'s request entered through an operating means for calculating a route connecting a departure point to a destination based on information relating to the departure point and the destination obtained from said navigation control means as well as said map information obtained from said recording medium reproducing means;

a route guiding means for calculating an advancing direction of the vehicle at a next-coming intersection based on the route calculated by said route retrieving means and the present locational information; and

a sound output means for generating route information calculated by said route guiding means with different voice data from right and left speakers,

wherein said right and left speakers output male and female voice guidances simultaneously when said advancing direction calculated by said route guiding means is a straight forward direction.

9. The car navigation system in accordance with claim 8, wherein said right and left speakers are disposed at right and left sides of a driver, and said right speaker outputs a voice guidance when the advancing direction calculated by said route guiding means is a right direction, while said left speaker outputs a voice guidance when the advancing direction calculated by said route guiding means is a left direction.

10. A car navigation system comprising:

a present position detecting means for calculating a present locational information of a vehicle;

a navigation control means for receiving a required map information from an information recording medium through a recording medium reproducing means based on the present locational information obtained from said present position detecting means and for displaying said map information on a display means together with said present locational information;

a route retrieving means responding to a user'"'"'s request entered through an operating means for calculating a route connecting a departure point to a destination based on information relating to the departure point and the destination obtained from said navigation control means as well as said map information obtained from said recording medium reproducing means;

a route guiding means for calculating an advancing direction of the vehicle at a next-coming intersection based on the route calculated by said route retrieving means and the present locational information; and

a sound output means for generating route information calculated by said route guiding means with different voice data from right and left speakers and for attenuating an output volume of a stereo reproducing means to be sent to a speaker disposed in the same direction as the advancing direction and adding attenuated stereo sounds with voice guidance.

11. The car navigation system in accordance with claim 10, wherein left channel sound signals generated from said stereo reproducing means are attenuated when the advancing direction calculated by said route guiding means is a left direction, then the attenuated left channel sound signals are added with voice guidance signals generated from said route guiding means to produce composite sounds thereof from said left speaker, and

right channel sound signals generated from said stereo reproducing means are attenuated when the advancing direction calculated by said route guiding means is a right direction, then the attenuated right channel sound signals are added with the voice guidance signals generated from said route guiding means to produce composite sounds thereof from said right speaker,

12. The car navigation system in accordance with claim 10, wherein said sound output means comprises a car stereo reproducing means.