Navigation system with switching between an ordinary road preferential mode and a tall road preferential mode

• US 5,991,689 A
• Filed: 04/29/1997
• Issued: 11/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Suetsugu, Masahiro, Aito, Satoru, Hiyokawa, Toyoji, Maekawa, Kazuteru, Yanagikubo, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US08/848,282
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701/209, 701/210, 701/211, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096866 where the complete route is shown to the driver
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice

Abstract

In a navigation apparatus for a vehicle, a route is determined in an ordinary-road-preferential mode or a toll-road-preferential mode, and route guidance is provided based on the thus-determined route. When the vehicle deviates from the determined route, redetermination is conducted so as to obtain a new route based on which guidance is provided. For example, when the vehicle has deviated from a route determined in the ordinary-road-preferential mode in order to enter a toll road, the user operates a toll-road-preference ON touch button so to change the determination mode to the toll-road preferential mode, so that route redetermination is carried out in a state in which priority is given to toll roads. In the navigation apparatus, optimum interchanges of a special road are automatically searched, and a route that preferentially uses the special road is calculated.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus for a vehicle which provides route guidance based on a preset route, comprising:

information storage means in which map information is stored;

present position detection means for detecting the present position of a vehicle;

input means for inputting a start point, a destination and an enroute point and for designating, as a determination mode, an ordinary-road-preferential mode or a toll-road-preferential mode;

route determination means for determining a route based on the map information stored in said information storage means and the determination mode input by said input means, the route starting from the present position of the vehicle detected by said present position detection means or the start point input by said input means and reaching the enroute point or the destination input by said input means; and

control means for providing route guidance based on the route determined by said route determination means, wherein

when the vehicle has deviated from a route determined in the ordinary-road-preferential mode and starts traveling on a toll road while route guidance is being provided based on the determined route, said route determination means determines a new route to the destination or the enroute point after changing the determination mode from the ordinary-road-preferential mode to the toll-road-preferential mode.

2. A navigation apparatus for a vehicle which provides route guidance based on a preset route, comprising:

information storage means in which map information is stored;

present position detection means for detecting the present position of a vehicle;

input means for inputting a start point, a destination and an enroute point and for designating, as a determination mode, an ordinary-road-preferential mode or a toll-road-preferential mode;

route determination means for determining a route based on the map information stored in said information storage means and the determination mode input by said input means, the route starting from the present position of the vehicle detected by said present position detection means or the start point input by said input means and reaching the enroute point or the destination input by said input means; and

control means for providing route guidance based on the route determined by said route determination means, wherein

when the vehicle has deviated from a route determined in the toll-road-preferential mode and starts traveling on an ordinary road while route guidance is being provided based on the determined route, said route determination means determines a new route to the destination or the enroute point after changing the determination mode from the toll-road-preferential mode to the ordinary-road-preferential mode.

3. A navigation apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein when a new route obtained through redetermination in the ordinary-road preferential mode is such that the distance to the enroute point or the destination is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance, route redetermination is carried out after the determination mode is changed to the toll-road-preferential mode.

4. A navigation apparatus for a vehicle, in which a route is determined in an ordinary-road-preferential mode or a toll-road-preferential mode, and route guidance is provided based on the thus-determined route, said navigation apparatus comprising:

route redetermination means for redetermining a route in the toll-road-preferential mode or in the ordinary-road preferential mode; and

distance calculation means for, when the redetermined route includes a toll road, calculating the distance between the present position of the vehicle and an interchange for entering the toll road, wherein

when the distance calculated by said distance calculation means is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, route redetermination is carried out in the ordinary-road-preferential mode.

5. A navigation apparatus for a vehicle, in which a route is determined in an ordinary-road-preferential mode or a toll-road-preferential mode, route guidance is provided based on the thus-determined route, and when the vehicle travles along a road which is a deviation from the determined route, redetermination is conducted so as to obtain a new route, based on which guidance is provided, said navigation apparatus comprising:

first route determination means for carrying out route determination in the toll-road-preferential mode;

second route determination means for carrying out route determination in the ordinary-road-preferential mode;

search cost calculation means for, when the vehicle leaves a toll road during travel along a route determined by said first route determination means and starts traveling along an ordinary road, performing route determination in both the ordinary-road-preferential mode and the toll-road-preferential mode, and calculating search costs of the routes determined in the two modes; and

search cost comparison means for comparing the search costs of the two routes calculated by said search cost calculation means, wherein

one of the ordinary-road-preferential mode and the toll-road-preferential mode is selected based on the result of the comparison carried out by said search cost comparison means.

6. A navigation apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein a necessary time for travel of a route determined in the ordinary-road-preferential mode and a necessary time for travel of a route determined in the toll-road-preferential mode are calculated, and when the necessary travel time of the route determined in the ordinary-road-preferential mode is shorter than a time that is obtained by multiplying the necessary travel time of the route determined in the toll-road-preferential mode by a predetermined factor, the route determined in the ordinary-road-preferential mode is used as a new route.

7. A navigation apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the ratio of the length of a toll road to the total length of a new route obtained by redetermination in the toll-road-preferential mode is calculated, and when the ratio is equal to or less than a predetermined value, a route determined in the ordinary-road-preferential mode is used as a new route.

8. A navigation apparatus for a vehicle, in which a route is determined in an ordinary-road-preferential mode or a toll-road-preferential mode, route guidance is provided based on the thus-determined route, and when the vehicle has deviated from the determined route, redetermination is conducted so as to obtain a new route based on which guidance is provided, said navigation apparatus comprising:

first route determination means for carrying out route determination in the toll-road-preferential mode;

second route determination means for carrying out route determination in the ordinary-road-preferential mode; and

information collecting means for collecting traffic information, wherein

when the vehicle leaves a toll road at an interchange during travel along a route that has been determined by said first route determination means and starts traveling along an ordinary road, responsive to receipt of traffic information pertaining to a location on the toll road ahead of the interchange, route redetermination is carried out in the ordinary-road-preferential mode.

9. A navigation apparatus for a vehicle, in which a route is determined in an ordinary-road-preferential mode or a toll-road-preferential mode, and route guidance is provided based on the thus-determined route, said navigation apparatus comprising:

first necessary time calculation means for calculating a time required for travel to a destination when a route determined in the ordinary-road-preferential mode is used; and

second necessary time calculation means for calculating a time required for travel to the destination when a route determined in the toll-road-preferential mode is used, wherein

when the necessary time for travel of the route determined in the ordinary-road-preferential mode is shorter than a time that is obtained by multiplying the necessary time for travel of the route determined in the toll-road-preferential mode by a predetermined factor, route redetermination is carried out in the ordinary-road-preferential mode so as to obtain a new route.

10. A navigation apparatus for a vehicle, in which a route is determined in an ordinary-road-preferential mode or a toll-road-preferential mode, and route guidance is provided based on the thus-determined route, said navigation apparatus comprising:

route determination means for determining a first new route in the toll-road-preferential mode; and

ratio calculation means for calculating the ratio of the length of a toll road to the total length of the new route that is determined by the route determination means in the toll-road-preferential mode, wherein

when the ratio calculated by said ratio calculation means is equal to or less than a predetermined value, route redetermination is carried out in the ordinary-road-preferential mode so as to obtain a second new route.

11. A navigation apparatus for a vehicle which provides route guidance based on a preset route, comprising:

present position detection means for detecting the present position of a vehicle;

input means for inputting a start point, a destination and an enroute point;

information storage means for storing data including search road data to which weights for route determination are given;

interchange search range setting means for setting search ranges that extend from the start point and the destination, respectively, within predetermined angular ranges, based on a positional relationship between the start point and the destination;

interchange search means for selecting, from said information storage means, interchanges of a special road located within the interchange search ranges set by said interchange search range setting means;

weight changing means for changing the weight of search road data for a segment of the special road defined by the selected interchanges; and

route determination means for determining a route based on the search road data as changed by said weight changing means.

12. A navigation apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein when no interchange has been selected, route determination is carried out in a mode in which priority is given to ordinary roads, and it is automatically judged whether priority is given to special roads or not.

13. A navigation apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined angle range at the start point is determined such that it is sandwiched between two lines which are located on opposite sides of a straight line connecting the start point and the destination and each of which intersects the start point at a predetermined angle with respect to the straight line, and the predetermined angle range at the destination is determined such that it is sandwiched between two lines which are located on opposite sides of the straight line, each of which intersects the destination at a predetermined angle with respect to the straight line.

14. A navigation apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the predetermined angle is an angle equal to or less than 90 degrees.

15. A navigation apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein a predetermined area is set in advance, it is judged whether the area includes a special road having interchanges, and when it is judged that the area includes the special road, the interchanges are searched for route determination.

16. A navigation apparatus for a vehicle which provides route guidance based on a preset route, comprising:

present position detection means for detecting the present position of a vehicle;

input means for inputting a start point, a destination and an enroute point;

information storage means for storing data including search road data to which weights for route determination are given;

interchange search range setting means for setting search ranges that extend from the start point and the destination, respectively, within predetermined angular ranges, based on a positional relationship between the start point and the destination;

interchange search means for locating, from the search road data stored in said information storage means, interchanges of a special road located within the interchange search ranges set by said interchange search range setting means;

interchange designation means for designating, among the interchanges located by said interchange search means, an optimal interchange for the vehicle to enter the special road after leaving the start point and an optimal interchange for the vehicle to exit the special road so as to reach the destination; and

route determination means for determining a route by using the interchanges designated as optimal by the interchange designation means.

17. A navigation apparatus for a vehicle which provides route guidance based on a preset route, comprising:

present position detection means for detecting the present position of a vehicle;

input means for inputting a start point, a destination and an enroute point;

information storage means for storing data including search road data to which weights for route determination are given;

interchange search range setting means for setting search ranges that extend from the start point and the destination, respectively, within predetermined angular ranges, based on a positional relationship between the start point and the destination;

interchange search area setting means for setting areas included within the interchange search ranges set by said interchange search range setting means;

interchange search means for locating, from the search road data stored in said information storage means, interchanges of a special road located within the interchange search areas set by said interchange search area setting means;

interchange designation means for designating, among the interchanges located by said interchange search means, an optimal interchange for the vehicle to enter the special road after leaving the start point and an optimal interchange for the vehicle to exit the special road so as to reach the destination; and

route determination means for determining a route by using the interchanges designated as optimal by the interchange designation means.

18. A navigation apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 17, wherein said interchange search area setting means sets semicircular areas, the semicircular areas each having a predetermined radius and centered at the start point and the destination, respectively, and having reference lines that are perpendicular to a line connecting the start point and the destination and that pass through the start point and the destination, respectively.

19. A navigation apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 17, wherein said interchange search area setting means sets an area sandwiched between two lines which are parallel to lines respectively intersecting a start point and a destination at right angles with respect to a line connecting the start point and the destination and which are respectively separated from the start point and the destination by a predetermined amount.