Navigation system

• US 6,356,839 B1
• Filed: 11/09/2000
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Monde, Yasuhiro, Tabata, Kazuya
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US09/708,522
• Time in Patent Office: 488 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701/202, 701/204, 701/208, 701/209, 701/210, 701/211, 340/995, 340/990, 340/905, 342/357.09, 342/357.1
• US Class Current: 701/210
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice

Abstract

A navigation system searches for a route from the present position to a destination with considering weather information and regulation information collected by an information collecting section (2) and vehicle information input from an operating section (3).

Claims

1. A navigation system comprising:

information collecting means for collecting weather information;

information input means for inputting vehicle information on the vehicle itself;

route searching means for searching for a route from a present position to a destination with taking account of the weather information collected by said information collecting means and the vehicle information input by said information input means; and

presentation means for providing the route retrieved by said route searching means.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said information collecting means collects regulation information on a road besides the weather information, and said route searching means searches for the route with considering the regulation information.

3. The navigation system according to claim 2, wherein said route searching means searches for another route if the retrieved route is probably impassable to the vehicle even though the route satisfies a search condition.

4. The navigation system according to claim 3, further comprising route description means for indicating, when said route searching means retrieves another route, that the another 5 route is a roundabout route.

5. The navigation system according to claim 3, further comprising route description means for exhibiting, when the route retrieved by said route searching means includes a road under regulation, regulation information about the road.

6. The navigation system according to claim 3, further comprising marking means for putting weather marks on pass points on the route retrieved by said route searching means by referring to weather information collected by said information collecting means.

7. The navigation system according to claim 6, wherein said marking means estimates passing time at the pass points, and puts the weather marks at the passing time.

8. The navigation system according to claim 3, further comprising maintenance information means for making a decision as to whether maintenance of the vehicle is necessary or not from the vehicle information input by said information input means, or from information collected by a sensor mounted on the vehicle, and exhibits information indicating need of the maintenance when it is necessary.

9. The navigation system according to claim 3, further comprising toll information means for exhibiting, when the route retrieved by said route searching means includes a toll road, a toll on the vehicle by referring to the vehicle information input by said information input means.

10. The navigation system according to claim 3, wherein said presentation means refers to the vehicle information input by said information input means when exhibiting the route retrieved by said route searching means, makes a decision as to whether a parking lot at the destination is available for the vehicle, and halts informing the parking lot when the parking lot is unavailable for the vehicle.

11. The navigation system according to claim 2, wherein said route searching means searches for the route with considering a time period taken to mount snow chains on tires if the vehicle carries the snow chains, but is not yet equipped with the snow chains, when the route includes a road under snow chain warning.

12. A vehicle navigation system comprising:

information collecting element collecting weather information;

an input receiving vehicle information;

a processor operatively connected to said information collecting element and to said input, said processor searching for a route from a present position to a destination based on weather information collected by said information collecting element and based on vehicle information received by said input; and

an output operatively connected to said processor and providing the result of the search by said processor.

13. The navigation system according to claim 12, wherein said information collecting element also collects regulation information on a road, and wherein said processor searches for a route based further on regulation information collected by said collecting element.

14. The navigation system according to claim 13, wherein said processor searches for a route based further on information on whether a route is passable.

15. The navigation system according to claim 14, wherein said processor characterizes a route as a roundabout.

16. The navigation system according to claim 14, wherein said processor provides regulation information about a road forming part of a route resulting from the search by said processor.

17. The navigation system according to claim 14, wherein said processor associates weather marks on pass points on a route resulting from the search by said processor, said marks referring to weather information collected by said information collecting element.

18. The navigation system according to claim 17, wherein said processor estimates passing time at the pass points, and puts the weather marks at the passing time.

19. The navigation system according to claim 14, wherein said processor determines whether maintenance of the vehicle is necessary based on vehicle information received by said input, or obtained by a sensor mounted on the vehicle.

20. The navigation system according to claim 14, wherein said processor determines whether a route that is the result of the search includes a toll road.

21. The navigation system according to claim 14, wherein said output provides the vehicle information received by said input, said processor determining whether a parking lot at the destination is available for the vehicle, and said processor halts informing the parking lot when the parking lot is unavailable for the vehicle.

22. The navigation system according to claim 13, wherein said processor determines whether a road is under snow chain warning, said processor searching for a route based further on a time period to mount snow chains on tires if the vehicle is not yet equipped with snow chains but carries the snow chains.

23. A method for navigating a vehicle, said method comprising:

collecting weather information;

determining vehicle information;

searching, by a processor in the vehicle, for a route from a present position to a destination based on said collected weather information and based on said determined vehicle information; and

outputting the result of the search by the processor.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising collecting regulation information on a road, and searching for a route based further on said collected regulation information.

25. The method according to claim 24, further comprising searching for a route based further on information on whether a route is passable.

26. The method according to claim 25, further comprising characterizing a route as a roundabout.

27. The method according to claim 25, further comprising providing regulation information about a road forming part of a route resulting from said searching by the processor.

28. The method according to claim 25, further comprising associating weather marks on pass points on a route resulting from said search by the processor, said marks referring to said collected weather information.

29. The method according to claim 28, further comprising estimating passing time at the pass points, and putting the weather marks at the estimated passing time.

30. The method according to claim 25, further comprising determining whether maintenance of the vehicle is necessary based on said determined vehicle information.

31. The method according to claim 25, further comprising determining whether a route that is the result of said search by the processor includes a toll road.

32. The method according to claim 25, further comprising providing said determined vehicle information to an output, determining whether a parking lot at the destination is available for the vehicle, and halting informing the parking lot when the parking lot is unavailable for the vehicle.

33. The method according to claim 24, further comprising determining whether a road is under snow chain warning, and searching for a route based further on a time period to mount snow chains on tires if the vehicle is not yet equipped with snow chains but carries the snow chains.