Lane guidance display method, and navigation device and recording medium for realizing the method

• US 6,388,582 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2001
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sushita Electric Industrial Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamashita, Atsushi, Hamada, Hiroyuki, Sakamoto, Kiyomi, Ata, Teruaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T.
• Application Number:
  US09/782,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20010013837A1
• Time in Patent Office: 454 Days
• Field of Search: 340/988, 340/995, 340/990, 340/933, 340/901, 701/209, 701/210, 701/208, 364/449, 364/444, 364/443, 364/450
• US Class Current: 340/988
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3658 Lane guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

Based on searched route information and map data, a target intersection for guidance is specified. For the specified target intersection, lane data regarding the number of lanes and lane control of roads being connected thereto is read, and then recommended lane information which indicates which lane to take when entering the target intersection and to exit therefrom is generated. Based on information about the target intersection and the lane data, a simplified intersection image of the target intersection for lane guidance is generated. Based on the recommended lane information, a running path which passes through the recommended lanes for entering into and exiting from the target intersection is generated, and is combined with the intersection image. Then, lane guidance information for displaying the resultant intersection image is outputted with a predetermined timing. As such, guidance can be visually made on a screen indicating which lanes to take to enter into and exit from the intersection.

Claims

1. A lane guidance display method for guiding, on a screen, a vehicle on which lane to take to go through an intersection, said lane guidance display method comprising:

searching for a guidance route from a departure point to a destination or a stopover based on map data including lane data, the lane data including a number of lanes and lane control of roads to be connected to the intersection;

specifying a target intersection for guidance located on the guidance route;

determining, based on the guidance route and the lane data, a recommended enter lane for entering the target intersection and a recommended exit lane for exiting the target intersection; and

guiding the vehicle by displaying the recommended enter and exit lanes on the screen.

2. The lane guidance display method according to claim 1, wherein said guiding step comprises:

generating an intersection image of the target intersection for lane guidance;

generating a running path for the target intersection which passes through both the recommended enter lane and the recommended exit lane; and

displaying, on the screen, a lane guidance intersection image which is a combination of the intersection image and the running path.

3. The lane guidance display method according to claim 2, wherein,

when the target intersection is a plurality of target intersections in proximity, the intersection image generated in said intersection image generating step is a combination of the plurality of target intersections in proximity, and

the running path generated in said running path generating step passes through the target intersections in proximity.

4. The lane guidance display method according to claim 2, wherein,

specified as the target intersection in said specifying step are all intersections found on the guidance route as a plurality of target intersections;

and

displayed plurally and collectively in said displaying step is the lane guidance intersection image in an order of the plurality of target intersections on the guidance route.

5. The lane guidance display method according to claim 2, wherein the running path generated in said running path generating step is represented by one or more successive arrows directing from the recommended enter lane to the recommended exit lane.

6. The lane guidance display method according to claim 2, wherein,

in said determining step, additionally calculated for each exit lane is a lane level of recommendation, which are represented by discrete or successive numbers, and

the running path generated in said running path generating step is represented, in various manners depending on the lane level of recommendation, by one or more successive arrows directed from the recommended enter lane to the recommended exit lane.

7. The lane guidance display method according to claim 5, wherein,

in said determining step, grounds for the recommended enter and exit lanes are additionally found, and

in said displaying step, an image based on the grounds is displayed together with the lane guidance intersection image.

8. The lane guidance display method according to claim 6, wherein,

in said determining step, grounds for the recommended enter and exit lanes are additionally found, and

in said displaying step, an image based on the grounds is displayed together with the lane guidance intersection image.

9. A navigation device for guiding a vehicle from a departure point to a destination or a stopover on a screen, said navigation device comprising:

a map data storage part for storing map data including lane data, the lane data including a number of lanes and lane control of roads to be connected to an intersection;

a route search part for searching for, based on the map data, a guidance route from the departure point to the destination or the stopover;

a vehicle position detection part for detecting a vehicle position on the map data;

a target intersection operation part for searching for and specifying, based on the guidance route and the map data, a target intersection for guidance on the guidance route;

a recommended lane operation part for determining, based on the guidance route, the lane data, and the target intersection, a recommended enter lane and a recommended exit lane for the target intersection;

a guidance part for generating, based on the recommended enter and exit lanes and the lane data, lane guidance data required for display on the screen; and

an output part for displaying guidance for the vehicle on the screen according to the lane guidance data.

10. The navigation device according to claim 9, wherein, said guidance part

generates an intersection image for lane guidance for the target intersection,

generates a running path which passes through the recommended enter lane and the recommended exit lane for the target intersection, and

generates a lane guidance intersection image which is a combination of the intersection image and the running path.

11. The navigation device according to claim 10, wherein,

when the target intersection is plurality of target intersection in proximity, the intersection image generated by said guidance part is a combination of the target intersections in proximity, and the running path generated thereby passes through the target intersections in proximity.

12. The navigation device according to claim 10, wherein

said target intersection operation part specifies all intersections found on the guidance route as said target intersection as a plurality of target intersections, and

said guidance part outputs the lane guidance data to said output part to plurally and collectively display the lane guidance intersection image in an order of the plurality of target intersections on the guidance route.

13. The navigation device according to claim 10, wherein

the running path generated by said guidance part is represented by one or more successive arrows directing from the recommended enter lane to the recommended exit lane.

14. The navigation device according to claim 10, wherein

said recommended lane operation part additionally calculates a lane level of recommendation for each exit lane represented by discrete or successive numbers, and

the running path generated by said guidance part is represented, in various manners depending on the lane level of recommendation, by one or more successive arrows directed from the recommended enter lane to the recommended exit lane.

15. The navigation device according to claim 13, wherein

said recommended lane operation part additionally finds grounds for the recommended enter and exit lanes, and

said guidance part outputs the lane guidance data to said output part to display an image based on the grounds together with the lane guidance intersection image.

16. The navigation device according to claim 14, wherein

said recommended lane operation part additionally finds grounds for the recommended enter and exit lanes, and

said guidance part outputs the lane guidance data to said output part to display an image based on the grounds together with the lane guidance intersection image.

17. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for use with a computer for guiding, on a screen, a vehicle on which lane to take to go through an intersection, said computer program comprising:

computer readable program code operable to search for a guidance route from a departure point to a destination or a stopover based on map data including lane data, the lane data including a number of lanes and lane control of roads to be connected to the intersection;

computer readable program code operable to specify a target intersection for guidance located on the guidance route;

computer readable program code operable to determine, based on the guidance route and the lane data, a recommended enter lane for entering the target intersection and a recommended exit lane for exiting the target intersection;

computer readable program code operable to generate an intersection image of the target intersection for lane guidance;

computer readable program code operable to generate a running path for the target intersection which passes through both the recommended enter lane and the recommended exit lane; and

computer readable program code operable to display, on the screen, a lane guidance intersection image which is a combination of the intersection image and the running path.

18. The computer program according to claim 17, wherein

the running path generated in said computer readable program code operable to generate the running path is represented by one or more successive arrows directing from the recommended enter lane to the recommended exit lane.

19. The computer program according to claim 17, wherein,

said computer readable program code operable to determine additionally calculates for each exit lane a lane level of recommendation, which are represented by discrete or successive numbers, and

the running path generated in said computer readable program code operable to generate the running path is represented, in various manners depending on the lane level of recommendation, by one or more successive arrows directed from the recommended enter lane to the recommended exit lane.

20. The computer program according to claim 18, wherein,

said computer readable program code operable to determine additionally finds grounds for the recommended enter and exit lanes, and

said computer readable program code operable to display displays an image based on the grounds together with the lane guidance intersection image.

21. The computer program according to claim 19, wherein,

said computer readable program code operable to determine additionally finds grounds for the recommended enter and exit lanes, and

said computer readable program code operable to display displays an image based on the grounds together with the lane guidance intersection image.