Vehicle navigation system and a recording medium

• US 6,173,232 B1
• Filed: 07/07/1998
• Issued: 01/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Nanba, Akimasa, Yanagikubo, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc-Coleman, Marthe Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/110,837
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701/207, 701/208, 701/209, 701/210, 701/213, 701/215, 701/216, 701/217
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments

Abstract

A navigation system including an information memory device that stores road information for parallel roads and other information required for executing route guidance; a present position detection device that detects a present position of a vehicle by detecting vehicle travel information; and a control device that reads the road information stored in the information memory device on the basis of the present position detected by the present position detection device, and executes matching processing of the present position detection information to the road information to provide route guidance. The control device determines whether parallel roads exist on the basis of the road information stored in the information memory device and, when parallel roads exist, selects the road on which the vehicle is running from the identified parallel roads according to the road information and various indicative or decision parameters. Therefore, the system can perform precise matching of the road travelled of the parallel roads to determine the present position.

Claims

1. A vehicle navigation system executing matching processing of present position detection information to road information and providing route guidance, comprising:

information memory means for storing road information for parallel roads and other information required for executing route guidance;

present position detection means for detecting a present position by detecting vehicle travel information; and

control means for reading road information stored in said information memory means on the basis of the present position detected by said present position detection means, executing matching processing of the present position detection information to said road information, and providing route guidance, wherein said control means determines the road on which the vehicle is running from the parallel roads by determining whether intersections exist in the vicinity of the present position on the basis of road information stored in said information memory means, when the system determines the vehicle is stopped based on the velocity of the vehicle detected by said present position detection means.

2. A vehicle navigation system executing matching processing of present position detection information to road information and providing route guidance, comprising:

information memory means for storing road information for parallel roads and other information required for executing route guidance;

present position detection means for detecting a present position by detecting vehicle travel information; and

control means for reading road information stored in said information memory means on the basis of the present position detected by said present position detection means, executing matching processing of the present position detection information to said road information, and providing route guidance, wherein said control means determines the road on which the vehicle is running from the parallel roads by determining the types of beacons detected by said present position detection means.

3. The vehicle navigation system according to claim 2, wherein said control means determines the road on which the vehicle is running from the parallel roads by obtaining beacon installation information on the respective parallel roads from the road information stored in said information memory means, and determining whether the vehicle passes by the beacons on the road and a type of the beacons passed.

4. A vehicle navigation system executing matching processing of detection information of a vehicle present position to road information and providing route guidance, comprising:

information memory means for storing road information for parallel roads and other information required for executing route guidance;

present position detection means for detecting a present position by detecting vehicle travel information; and

control means for reading road information stored in said information memory means on the basis of the present position detected by said present position detection means, executing matching processing of the present position detection information to said road information, and providing route guidance, wherein said control means determines the road on which the vehicle is running from the parallel roads by determining the angle of the satellite signals detected by said present position detection means.

5. A vehicle navigation system executing matching processing of detection information of a vehicle present position to road information and providing route guidance, comprising:

information memory means for storing road information for parallel roads and other information required for executing route guidance;

present position detection means for detecting a present position by detecting vehicle travel information; and

control means for reading road information stored in said information memory means on the basis of the present position detected by said present position detection means, executing matching processing of the present position detection information to said road information, and providing route guidance, wherein said control means determines whether the parallel roads exist on the basis of the road information stored in said information memory means, and when parallel roads exist, determines the road on which the vehicle is running by selecting one of said parallel roads according to said road information of said parallel roads, under the condition the velocity detected by said present position detection means continues for one of a predetermined distance and a predetermined time, controlling matching cost, and executing matching processing.

6. A recording medium, for a vehicle navigation system which executes matching processing of present position detection information to road information and provides route guidance, comprising:

storing road information for parallel roads and other information required for executing route guidance;

a routine for detecting the present position by detecting vehicle travel information; and

a control routine for reading the stored road information on the basis of the present position detected by the routine for detecting the present position and executing matching processing of the present position to the road information to provide route guidance, wherein the control routine further determines one of the parallel roads as the road on which the vehicle is travelling using the stored road information identifying whether intersections exist whether the vehicle is stopped on a basis of a velocity detected during the routine for detecting the present position.

7. A recording medium, for a vehicle navigation system which executes matching processing of present position detection information to road information and provides route guidance, comprising:

storing road information for roads running in parallel and other information to include type of beacon along a road required for executing route guidance;

a routine for detecting a present position of a vehicle by detecting information on vehicle travel to include type of beacon signal received; and

a control routine for reading the road information stored in the recording medium on the basis of the present position detected by the routine of detecting the present position and executing matching processing of the present position to the road information to provide route guidance, wherein the control routine further determines one of the parallel roads as the road on which the vehicle is traveling using the type of beacon detected during the routine for detecting the present position.

8. A recording medium, for a vehicle navigation system which executes matching processing of present position detection information to road information and provides route guidance, comprising:

storing road information for roads running in parallel and other information required for executing route guidance;

a routine for detecting a present position of a vehicle by detecting information on the vehicle travel and;

a control routine for reading the road information stored in the recording medium on the basis of the present position detected by the routine for detecting the present position and executing matching processing of the present position to the road information to provide route guidance, wherein the control routine determines one of the parallel roads as the road on which the vehicle is travelling by determining an angle of received satellite signals processed by the routine for detecting the present position.

9. A recording medium, for a vehicle navigation system which executes matching processing of present position detection information to road information and provides route guidance, comprising:

storing road information for roads running in parallel and other information required for executing route guidance;

a routine for detecting the present position by detecting information on the running vehicle; and

a control routine for reading the road information stored in the recording medium on the basis of the present position detected by the routine of detecting the present position and executing matching processing of the present position to the road information to provide route guidance, wherein the control routine determines whether the parallel roads exist on the basis of the road information and, when parallel roads exist, the control routine determines the road on which the vehicle is travelling by selecting one of the parallel roads according to the road information using a velocity of the vehicle that continues for one of a predetermined distance and a predetermined time.

10. A navigation system for a land vehicle, comprising:

a present position detection device;

a data storage device storing operating programs, descriptive road data, and point identification data;

a user interface providing at least a visual display and a user data input capability; and

a central processing unit controlling the navigation system in accordance with the operating programs and data stored in the data storage device and data output from the present position detection device, wherein a present position of the vehicle when traveling on multi-level roads is identified on the basis of at least one of vehicle speed for a predetermined period of time;

a predetermined velocity of the vehicle and road intersection data;

reception of beacon transmissions; and

reception of signals from Global Positioning System satellites.

11. The navigation system according to claim 10, wherein the present position detecting means comprises:

an absolute directional sensor;

a relative directional sensor;

a velocity sensor;

a Global Positioning System sensor;

a road status information receiver; and

a data transceiver.

12. The navigation system according to claim 11, wherein the road status information receiver receives both radio and optical signals from radio beacons and optical beacons respectively.

13. The navigation system according to claim 10, wherein, when the multi-level roads comprise different types, a road on which the vehicle is traveling is determined by the central processing unit by the direction of travel and as signing different weights to each road of the multi-level roads according to vehicle speed, beacon reception and type beacon reception and number and designation of satellites received.

14. The navigation system according to claim 13, wherein the central processing unit identifies vehicle travel on an ordinary road when road data indicates multi-level roads and vehicle velocity has been zero for a predetermined time by lowering the weight of the ordinary road.

15. The navigation system according to claim 13, wherein the central processing unit identifies vehicle travel on a highway when road data indicates multi-level roads and vehicle velocity is greater than a predetermined velocity for a predetermined period of time by lowering the weight of the highway.

16. The navigation system according to claim 13, wherein the central processing unit identifies vehicle travel on a road having at least one intersection when vehicle velocity equals a predetermined speed and the road data indicates intersections on a road of the multi-level roads by lowering the weight of the road having the at least one intersection.

17. The navigation system according to claim 13, wherein the central processing unit identifies vehicle travel on a particular road of the multi-level roads based on whether a beacon signal is received and adjusts road weights on a basis of receipt or non-receipt of beacon signals based on beacon data stored in the data storing device.

18. The navigation system according to claim 17, wherein the central processing unit identifies vehicle travel as on a highway when a radio beacon signal is received by lowering the weight of the highway and as on an ordinary road when an optical beacon signal is received by lowering the weight of the ordinary road.

19. The navigation system according to claim 13, wherein the central processing unit identifies vehicle travel on a particular road of the multi-level roads using Global Positioning System satellite signals available at a geographic position of the vehicle based on data stored in the data storage device, and Global Positioning Satellite signals received to adjust weights of the roads of the multi-level roads.