Navigation system

• US 6,356,837 B1
• Filed: 03/19/2001
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wako, Hikaru, Yokota, Tatsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US09/813,230
• Time in Patent Office: 358 Days
• Field of Search: 701/208, 701/209, 701/21, 701/212, 701/213, 701/207, 701/25
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance

Abstract

A travel state monitoring unit monitors whether the vehicle position deviates from a road so as to be in the off-road travel state, on the basis of the map information and the vehicle position. When the vehicle position is in the off-road state, a travel trail generating unit generates off-road travel trail data and stores the data in an off-road travel trail storage unit. A display control unit displays, by the user'"'"'s instruction, the off-road travel trail superimposed with the map, using the off-road travel trail data. The route search unit searches a route to an off-road point and displays the route.

Claims

1. A navigation system that displays a map and a vehicle position mark on a display screen, comprising:

a position measurement unit that detects the vehicle position;

a monitoring unit that monitors whether the vehicle position deviates from a road so as to be in an off-road state;

a travel trail generating unit that generates off-road travel trail data, when the vehicle is in the off-road state; and

a storage unit that stores the travel trail data.

2. A navigation system as claimed in claim 1, comprising a setting unit that sets whether to automatically generate the off-road travel trail data, or to generate the trail data by an instruction from a user, wherein, when the setting unit sets the automatic generation and the vehicle is in the off-road state, the travel trail generating unit automatically generates the off-road travel trail data and stores the data in the storage unit.

3. A navigation system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the monitoring unit monitors whether the vehicle position returns to the road, and the travel trail generating unit automatically generates the travel trail data from an off-road point to an on-road point.

4. A navigation system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the travel trail generating unit generates, as the off-road travel trail data, the position data of a point where the vehicle position enters off-road, discrete vehicle position data for each specific travel distance, and the position data of a point where the vehicle position returns on-road, and stores the data in the storage unit.

5. A navigation system as claimed in claim 1, comprising a point setting unit that sets a point associated with an off-road travel, wherein the travel trail generating unit generates the position data of the point and the travel trail data in association with the name of the point and stores the data in the storage unit.

6. A navigation system as claimed in claim 2, wherein, when the setting unit sets the generation by the instruction from the user, the travel trail generating unit begins to generate the off-road travel trail data by a generation starting instruction, and terminates the generation of the off-road travel trail data by a generation terminating instruction, and stores the data in the storage unit.

7. A navigation system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the travel trail generating unit stores in the storage unit the off-road travel trail data including the position data of the point associated with an off-road travel and discrete vehicle position data for each specific travel distance, in association with the name of the point where the vehicle is located, which was inputted on the generation starting instruction or on the generation terminating instruction.

8. A navigation system as claimed in claim 5 or claim 7, comprising a display unit that displays a list of the names of points stored in the storage unit, and displays a map surrounding a point selected from the list, an off-road travel trail, and the name of the point.

9. A navigation system as claimed in claim 8, comprising a route search unit that, when a point is set as a destination, searches a route to the off-road point stored in association with the name of the point.

10. A navigation system as claimed in claim 8, wherein when the point was set as a destination, when the off-road point and the on-road point are stored in association with the name of the point, the navigation system comprising a selection unit that selects either one of the points, wherein the route search unit searches a route to the selected point.

11. A navigation system as claimed in claim 8, comprising, when the point was set as a receiving station for a telephone, an input unit that inputs the telephone number stored in association with the name of the point to the telephone.

12. A navigation system as claimed in claim 1, comprising a setting unit that sets whether or not to display an off-road travel trail stored in the storage unit superimposed with the map.

13. A navigation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when the vehicle travels along the off-road travel trail, the monitoring unit monitors whether the vehicle position deviates from the off-road travel trail, and when the vehicle deviates from the off-road travel trail, the travel trail generating unit regards a point where the vehicle position deviates from the off-road travel trail as a branch point, and generates position data of the branch point in association with a name of the branch point and travel trail data after branching and stores the data in the storage unit.

14. A navigation system as claimed in claim 1, comprising a display unit that monitors a number of remaining points that can be stored, and displays the number of points or the corresponding travel distance, when the storage unit is able to store a specific number of discrete vehicle position data for each specific travel distance as the travel trail data.

15. A method of operating a navigation system that displays a map and a vehicle position mark on a display screen, comprising:

detecting the vehicle position;

monitoring whether the vehicle position deviates from a road so as to be in an off-road state;

generating off-road travel trail data, when the vehicle is in the off-road state; and

storing the travel trail data.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

setting whether to generate the off-road travel trail data automatically when the vehicle is in the off-road state, or to generate the trail data by an instruction from a user.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein, in the automatic setting, the travel trail data is automatically generated from an off-road point to an on-road point.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the generated off-road travel trail data includes the position data of a point where the vehicle position enters off-road, discrete vehicle position data for each specific travel distance, and the position data of a point where the vehicle position returns on-road.

19. A method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

setting a point associated with an off-road travel, by generating the position data of the point and storing the travel trail data in association with the name of the point.

20. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein, when the trail data is generated by the instruction from the user, the off-road travel trail data begins to be generated by a generation starting instruction received from the user and stops being generated by a generation terminating instruction received from the user.

21. A method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the off-road travel trail data includes discrete vehicle position data for each specific travel distance between the receipt of the generation starting instruction and the generation terminating instruction.

22. A method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising:

displaying a list of the names of points, selecting a point, and displaying a map surrounding the selected point, an off-road travel trail, and the name of the selected point.

23. A method as claimed in claim 22, further comprising:

selecting the point as a destination and searching a route to the selected point.

24. A method as claimed in claim 22, further comprising:

when the point is set as a receiving station for a telephone, entering the telephone number stored in association with the name of the point to the telephone.

25. A method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

setting whether or not to display a stored off-road travel trail superimposed with the map.

26. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein, when the vehicle travels along the off-road travel trail, monitoring whether the vehicle position deviates from the off-road travel trail, and when the vehicle deviates from the off-road travel trail, identifying a point where the vehicle position deviates from the off-road travel trail as a branch point, and generating position data of the branch point and travel trail data after branching, and storing the data.

27. A method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

monitoring a number of remaining points that can be stored, and displaying the number of points or the corresponding travel distance, when the system is able to store a specific number of discrete vehicle position data for each specific travel distance as the travel trail data.