Navigation device

• US 6,366,852 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2001
• Issued: 04/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Irie, Takashi, Norimoto, Masatsugu
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARC-COLEMAN, MARTHE Y
• Application Number:
  US09/768,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20010007090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/201, 701/202, 701/203, 701/207, 701/208, 701/209, 701/211, 701/212, 701/213, 340/990, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• 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 1/096861 where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096866 where the complete route is shown to the driver
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice

Abstract

A navigation device includes a map information storage means for storing map information such as nodes, links and the like, a present position detection means for detecting a present position of a moving body, a route searching means for searching a route from a present position to a guide point based on the map information, a voice guide message generation means for generating a voice guide message corresponding to the searched route, and a voice output means for outputting the voice guide message. The navigation device is adapted to store a level of importance of nodes and links as a part of said map information, and the voice guide message generation means selects links and nodes on the searched route based on the level of importance and generates a voice guide message corresponding to the selected nodes and links.

Claims

1. A navigation device comprising a map information storage means for storing map information including node information, line information and related information thereof, a present position detection means for detecting a present position of a moving body, a route searching means for searching a route from the present position to a guide point based on said map information, a voice guide message generation means for generating a voice guide message corresponding to the route searched by said route searching means, and a voice output means for outputting the voice guide message, wherein:

said map information storage means stores a level of importance of each node and link as a part of said map information; and

said voice guide message generation means selects the nodes and links on the searched route based on said level of importance and generates the voice guide message corresponding to the selected nodes and links,

wherein said voice guide message generation means selects said nodes and links on the searched route in such a manner that a level of importance of the selected nodes and links is less than or equal to a predetermined reference value and a number of the selected nodes and links is less than or equal to a predetermined reference number, and generates the voice guide message corresponding to the selected nodes and links.

2. A navigation device according to claim 1, wherein when a plurality of nodes and links with the same level of importance exists and the number of the selected nodes and links is not equal to the predetermined reference number, said voice guide message generation means deletes nodes and links, which are located near the guide point, from said plural nodes and links with the same level of importance in such a manner that the number of the selected nodes and links is equal to the predetermined reference number.

3. A navigation device according to claim 1, further comprising a reference value setting means for setting the predetermined reference value and a reference number setting means for setting the predetermined reference number.

4. A navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said map information storage means stores information about voice playing times relating to names of each node and link as a part of said map information, and wherein said voice guide message generation means selects said nodes and links on the searched route in order of high importance in such a manner that the voice playing time for the voice guide message is less than or equal to a predetermined reference value and generates the voice guide message corresponding to said selected nodes and links.

5. A navigation device comprising,

a storage device having map information including node information, link information, and related information stored thereon;

a position detector configured to detect a present position of a moving body;

a voice output device; and

a processor coupled to the storage device the position detector and the voice output device, the processor searching a route from the present position to a guide point based on the stored map information, the processor generating a voice guide message corresponding to the searched route, the processor configured to;

store a level of importance of each node and link as part of the map information;

select the nodes and links on the searched route based on the level of importance and generating the voice guide message corresponding to the selected nodes and links,

select the nodes and links on the searched route such that the level of importance of the selected nodes and links is less than or equal to a predetermined referenced value and a number the selected nodes and links is less than or equal to a predetermined reference number; and

generate the voice guide message corresponding to the selected nodes and links.

6. The navigation device according to claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to delete nodes and links if the number of selected nodes and links is not equal to the predetermined reference number and if a plurality of nodes and links have the same level of importance such that the number of selected nodes and links is equal to the predetermined reference number.

7. The navigation device according to claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to set the predetermined reference value and the predetermined reference number.

8. The navigation device according to claim 5, wherein the map information further includes information associated with voice playing times relating to names of each node and link and wherein the processor is further configured to:

select the nodes and links on the searched route in order of highest level of importance such that the voice playing time for the voice guide message associated with selected nodes and links is less than or equal to a predetermined reference value; and

generate the voice guide message corresponding to the selected nodes and links.