Vehicular navigation system and memory medium

• US 6,038,508 A
• Filed: 06/30/1997
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Maekawa, Kazuteru, Asano, Hitoshi, Morimoto, Kyomi, Yanagikubo, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): LOUIS JACQUES, JACQUES H
• Application Number:
  US08/885,727
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701/202, 701/207, 701/208, 701/209, 701/23, 701/211, 701/213, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995, 345/156, 345/353, 345/173, 345/333, 345/357, 73/178 R
• US Class Current: 701/207
• 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 1/096838 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 1/096861 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096894 where input is assisted by the navigation device, i.e. the user does not type the complete name of the destination, e.g. using zip codes, telephone numbers, progressively selecting from initial letters

Abstract

A vehicular navigation system which is enabled by inputting the name of a registered point to search for the corresponding registered point, including an information memory for storing, as registered point data, registered point name data and the district data where the registered point is located; an input device or devices for inputting a portion or the entire registered point name and district designation data for the registered point to be searched; a search engine for searching for the registered point that corresponds to a portion or the entire name input via the input device or devices, from the registered points which are stored in the information memory; and a display for displaying the searched registered points in a list, wherein the search engine searches for the registered point corresponding to the input district input by the input device or devices.

Claims

1. A vehicular navigation system which enables input of a character series of a registered point in order to search for the registered point, comprising:

information memory means for storing, as registered point data, data on the character series that spells out a name of each registered point and data on a district in which each registered point is located;

input means for inputting at least a portion of the character series for spelling out the name of the registered point and the data for designating a district where the registered point is to be searched;

search means for searching for the registered point, which corresponds to the designated district and at least a portion of the character series input to the input means, from among all the registered points which are stored in the information memory means; and

display means for displaying the registered points in a list, wherein the search means searches for the registered point in a district corresponding to a district input to the input means,

wherein the district used for searching for the registered point input by the input means is an area designated by the user.

9. The vehicular navigation system according to claim 1, further comprising:

present position detecting means for detecting a present position of a vehicle; and

route guide means for providing route guidance on the basis of the present position detected and a destination or a waypoint position coordinates of a registered point which is stored in said memory means.

2. A vehicular navigation system which enables input of a character series of a registered point in order to search for the registered point, comprising:

information memory means for storing, as registered point data, data on the character series that spells out a name of each registered point and data on a district in which each registered point is located;

input means for inputting at least a portion of the character series for spelling out the name of the registered point and the data for designating a district where the registered point is to be searched;

search means for searching for the registered point, which corresponds to the designated district and at least a portion of the character series input to the input means, from among all the registered points which are stored in the information memory means; and

display means for displaying the registered points in a list, wherein the search means searches for the registered point in a district corresponding to a district input to the input means,

wherein the search means searches for the registered point within a predetermined range which is measured from the center of an area designated by a user.

3. A vehicular navigation system which enables input of a character series of a registered point in order to search for the registered point, comprising:

information memory means for storing, as registered point data, data on the character series that spells out a name of each registered point and data on a district in which each registered point is located;

input means for inputting at least a portion of the character series for spelling out the name of the registered point and the data for designating a district where the registered point is to be searched;

search means for searching for the registered point, which corresponds to the designated district and at least a portion of the character series input to the input means, from among all the registered points which are stored in the information memory means; and

display means for displaying the registered points in a list, wherein the search means searches for the registered point in a district corresponding to a district input to the input means,

wherein the district used in searching for the registered point input to the input means is determined by the area code number of a telephone number.

4. A vehicular navigation system which enables input of a character series of a registered point in order to search for the registered point, comprising:

information memory means for storing, as registered point data, data on the character series that spells out a name of each registered point and data on a district in which each registered point is located;

input means for inputting at least a portion of the character series for spelling out the name of the registered point and the data for designating a district where the registered point is to be searched;

search means for searching for the registered point which corresponds to the designated district and at least a portion of the character series input to the input means, from among all the registered points which are stored in the information memory means; and

display means for displaying the registered points in a list, wherein the search means searches for the registered point in a district corresponding to a district input to the input means,

wherein the district used in searching for the registered point input to the input means is determined by a mail code.

5. A vehicular navigation system which enables input of a character series of a registered point in order to search for the registered point comprising:

information memory means for storing, as registered point data, data on the character series that spells out a name of each registered point and data on a district in which each registered point is located;

input means for inputting at least a portion of the character series for spelling out the name of the registered point and the data for designating a district where the registered point is to be searched;

search means for searching for the registered point, which corresponds to the designated district and at least a portion of the character series input to the input means, from among all the registered points which are stored in the information memory means; and

display means for displaying the registered points in a list, wherein the search means searches for the registered point in a district corresponding to a district input to the input means,

wherein the district used in searching for the registered point input to the input means is determined by a road name.

6. The vehicular navigation system according to claim 5, wherein said search means searches for the registered points within a predetermined range from an inputted road.

7. The vehicular navigation system according to claim 5, wherein the search means searches for the registered points facing the input road.

8. The vehicular navigation system according to claim 7, wherein the information memory means stores position coordinate data where each registered point is located, and wherein the display means displays a map on the basis of the position coordinates of the registered point by reading the position coordinates when one of the registered points displayed in the list is selected.

10. A vehicular navigation system which enables input of a character series of a registered point in order to search for the registered point, comprising:

information memory means for storing, as registered point data, data on the character series that spells out a name of each registered point and data on a district in which each registered point is located;

input means for inputting at least a portion of the character series for spelling out the name of the registered point and the data for designating a district where the registered point is to be searched;

search means for searching for the registered point, which corresponds to the designated district and at least a portion of the character series input to the input means, from among all the registered points which are stored in the information memory means; and

display means for displaying the registered points in a list, wherein the search means searches for the registered point in a district corresponding to a district input to the input means,

wherein the search means searches for the registered point within an area range including the inputted district and the surrounding districts thereof.

11. The vehicular navigation system according to claim 10, wherein the information memory means stores the registered point data in a plurality of memory media in different district hierarchies, and wherein the search means selects one memory media to be searched on the basis of the district input by the input means.

12. The vehicular navigation system according to claim 10, wherein the information memory means has a hierarchical structure for the registered point data so that the information of the upper hierarchy and the information of the lower hierarchy are stored separately in the memory media.

13. The vehicular navigation system according to claim 10, wherein the district used in searching for the registered point input by the input means is an administrative district.

14. The vehicular navigation system according to claim 10, wherein the display means displays searched registered points with their individual locations on a list of the registered points.