Navigation apparatus

• US 5,982,301 A
• Filed: 01/25/1996
• Issued: 11/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohta, Masako, Norimoto, Masatsugu, Ideno, Hiroaki, Itoh, Hisatsugu
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TWEEL JR, JOHN ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US08/591,395
• Time in Patent Office: 1,384 Days
• Field of Search: 340/995, 340/988, 340/990, 364/444, 364/449, 701/210, 701/211
• US Class Current: 340/995.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3632 Guidance using simplified or iconic instructions, e.g. using arrows G01C21/365 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

A navigation apparatus capable of outputting the guide information concerning a necessary point input by a driver in response to a request of the driver previously stores map information, specifies an automobile position on the map information by detecting signals such as GPS signals, gyroscopic signals and speed pulse signals, etc., retrieves a point to be guided from the map information on the basis of the present position of the automobile, produces the guide information concerning the point to be guided by processing the map information, and displays the guide information concerning the point to be guided. Further, a guide switch (a touch panel key) as a display mark, a distance to a target destination point and an azimuth toward the target destination point, and a running direction to go at or near the target destination point are also displayed.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a map information storing means for storing map information,

a present position detecting means for specifying a present position of a vehicle on a map indicated by the map information,

a voice outputting means, for outputting voice information,

a map information retrieving means for determining a point to be guided that is ahead of said present position by retrieving the map information on a basis of a present position,

a guide information processing means for producing guide information concerning the point to be guided by processing map information stored in the map information storing means and outputting said guide information to be displayed responsive to a request of a vehicle passenger, said request being specifically for guide information about said point to be guided, thereby allowing said vehicle passenger to request and receive additional information about said point to be guided while approaching said point to be guided, said guide information processing means also for outputting voice guide information to the voice outputting means, said voice guide information corresponding to the outputted guide information, and

a drawing means for drawing a map around the present position of the vehicle or said guide information outputted from said guide information processing means.

2. A navigation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a route setting means for determining a travel route to a target destination for the vehicle,

wherein the map information retrieving means determines the point to be guided on the route determined by the route setting means.

3. A navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the map information retrieving means determines an intersection, as the point to be guided, where the vehicle will meet if the vehicle travels along its present route.

4. A navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the map information storing means stores network information in which links and nodes express relationships of roads connected to each other, and the guide information processing means generates graphic information as the guide information on a basis of the network information.

5. A navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the map information retrieving means obtains relationships of roads regarding the point to be guided expressed by links and nodes from the map information stored in the map information storing means and generates an intersection map data relative to the point to be guided, and the guide information processing means generates an intersection map relative to the point to be guided, as the guide information, based on said intersection map data relative to the point to be guided.

6. A navigation apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising target destination guide information displaying means for generating rough guide information relating to the present position of the vehicle and around the point to be guided based on the guide information provided from the guide information processing means.

7. A navigation apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the target destination guide information displaying means generates information relating to at least one of a distance from the present position of the vehicle to the point to be guided, a direction to the point to be guided from the present position of the vehicle and running direction of the vehicle, as the rough guide information.

17. A navigation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a touch screen mechanism which allows the user to input requests related to specific points to be guided by touching the screen at the location of a specific point to be guided.

8. A navigation apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a storage device operable to store map information;

a present position detector for detecting the present position of said vehicle;

a present direction detector operable to determine the direction that said vehicle is pointing;

a future point detector for determining a point ahead of said vehicle based on said detected position and direction;

a processor operable to receive information from said storage device, said present position detector, said present direction detector, and said future point detector, and output guidance information based on said present position, said present direction and said future points to a vehicle operator; and

an input mechanism operable to allow a vehicle passenger to input a request for additional information regarding a specific future point while approaching said future point, wherein said request causes said apparatus to output additional information regarding said specific future point.

9. A navigation apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said information regarding said future point is in a higher level of detail than the level of detail for said present position.

10. A navigation apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said information regarding said future point includes the existence of a landmark other than road information.

11. A navigation apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

a display for displaying a visual representation of map information.

12. A navigation apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a controller for causing said display to output a visual representation of map information in the vicinity of said present position and a visual representation of said vehicle in a first mode, and causing said display to output a visual representation of information regarding said future point in a second mode, said second mode being activated by said request and lasting for a predetermined time before reverting back to said first mode.

13. A navigation apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a guide button appears on said display when information of a future point is available and disappears when information of a future point is not available.

14. A navigation apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said landmark is a building.

15. A navigation apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said present direction detector includes a compass.

16. A navigation apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said present direction detector includes a processor that determines said present direction by comparing multiple instantiations of said detected present position.

18. A navigation apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said input mechanism includes a touch screen system which allows the user to input said request for additional information regarding a specific future point by touching the touch screen in the vicinity of said specific future point.