Automotive navigation system

• US 6,346,893 B1
• Filed: 07/14/1999
• Issued: 02/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Original Assignee: Xanavi Informatics Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Morita, Shoichiro, Saito, Toru, Hirano, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): TWEEL JR, JOHN ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US09/341,728
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 340/995, 340/990, 340/988, 701/200, 701/201, 701/206, 701/208, 701/211
• US Class Current: 340/995.23
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3605 Destination input or retrieval

Abstract

There is provided an in-vehicle mount type navigation device in which a user can freely set a desired destination or via-places through which a route extending to the destination passes. A memory is provided with a destination/via-place table for storing data representing the destination and the via-places through which the route extending to the destination passes. A destination/registration place setting unit in a microprocessor stores data representing a place to be added in association with any specified one of a position between a via-place and another via-place or destination, and a position next to the destination into the destination/via-place table. On the basis of the data stored in the destination/via-place table, the guide route calculator of the microprocessor calculates a guide route which successively passes through the via-places and extends to the destination.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle mount type navigation device comprising map data read-out means for reading out map data from a map data storage medium, current position calculating means for calculating a current position of a vehicle, display means for displaying the current position with the map, input means for accepting instructions from a user, and guide route calculating means for calculating a guide route from the current position to a destination, further comprising:

destination/via-place storage means for storing data representing the destination and via-places through which a route extending to the destination passes;

added position setting means for setting an added position after the destination, between the via-places, or between the destination and the via-place just before the destination;

place specifying means for specifying a place of the added position set by said added position setting means; and

destination/via-place control means for storing into said destination/via-place storing means data representing the place specified by said place specifying means in association with the added position set by said added position setting means;

wherein said added position setting means displays on said display means, an image representing candidates for the added position with the via-places and the destination, each of said candidates being located after the destination, between the via-places, or between the destination and the via-place just before the destination, said the via-places and the destination being arranged in passing order on the basis of the data stored in said destination/via-place storing means, and accepts a selection of one out of the candidates from the user through said input means to set the selected candidate as the added position;

wherein said place specifying means determines a place name and a coordinate value according to instructions from the user through said input means to specify the place of the added position set by said added position setting means;

wherein said guide route calculating means calculates, referring to the map data, said guide route which successively passes through the via-places in passing order on the basis of the data stored in said destination/via-place storage means; and

when the candidate located between the via-places or between the destination and the via-place just before the destination is set as the added position by said added position setting means, said destination/via-place control means stores data representing the place of the added position specified by said place specifying means as data representing a new via-place to be passed between the via-places or between the destination and the via-place just before the destination, and when the candidate located after the destination is set as the added position by said added position setting means, said destination/via-place control means changes data representing the destination to data representing a new via-place to be passed just before a new destination, and stores data representing the place of the added position specified by said place specifying means as data representing the new destination.

2. An in-vehicle mount type navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said destination/via-place control means stores into said destination/via-place storage means the data representing the destination and the via-places in association with numbers in passing order so that the destination is associated with the largest number.

3. An in-vehicle mount type navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said place specifying means accepts a selection of one out of beforehand-registered places from the user through said input means to specify the place of the added position set by said added position setting means.

4. An in-vehicle mount type navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said place specifying means displays the map on said display means, accepts an indication of a place on the map from the user through said input means, and determines a place name and a coordinate value of the place on the map on the basis of the map data to specify the place of the added position set by said added position setting means.