Navigation system and storage medium

• US 6,415,222 B1
• Filed: 09/01/2000
• Issued: 07/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Sato, Mitsuru, Oya, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc-Coleman, Marthe Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/654,599
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701/207, 701/208, 701/209, 701/210, 701/211, 340/990, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3658 Lane guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle

Abstract

A navigation system includes an information storage unit that stores map data including fork pattern data. A retrieval device obtains fork information from the map data and retrieves the connection between an entrance lane and an exit lane and the number of lanes at an approaching fork. A fork schematic drawing generation device generates a schematic drawing of a approaching fork by a selecting a fork pattern based on the connection between the entrance and exit lanes and the number of lanes that have been retrieved.

Claims

1. A navigation system comprising:

information storage means for storing map data including road data, a number of lanes for each road data, and fork pattern data;

retrieval means for acquiring fork information from the map data and retrieving a connection between an entrance and an exit at an acquired fork in the fork information and retrieving the number of lanes of each road data at the entrance and the exit; and

fork schematic drawing generation means for generating a schematic drawing of a corresponding fork by selection of fork pattern data based on the connection between the entrance and the exit and displaying lanes at the entrance and the exit corresponding to the numbers of lanes that have been retrieved

whereby when the number of lanes of one of the road data at the entrance and the exit is a plurality, said plurality of lanes is generated in the schematic drawing.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said fork schematic drawing generation means judges whether or not there is a merging point within a predetermined distance before the fork and, if there is a merging point, it is added to the fork schematic drawing.

3. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said fork schematic drawing generation means judges whether or not there is another fork within a predetermined distance after the fork and, if there is another fork, a successive fork schematic drawing is generated by adding it to the fork schematic drawing.

4. A navigation system for route-guidance on a road whose name differs depending on the district, said navigation system comprising:

information storage means for storing map data including road data, a number of lanes for each road data, and fork pattern data;

retrieval means for acquiring fork information from the map data and retrieving a connection between an entrance and an exit at an acquired fork in the fork information and retrieving the number of lanes of each road data at the entrance and the exit; and

fork schematic drawing generation means for generating a schematic drawing of a corresponding fork by selection of fork pattern data based on the connection between the entrance and the exit and displaying lanes at the entrance and the exit corresponding to the numbers of lanes that have been retrieved whereby when the number of lanes of one of the road data at the entrance and the exit is a plurality, said plurality of lanes is generated in the schematic drawing;

district judging means for judging which district a fork belongs to; and

guide means for guiding a driver using the name of the road in accordance with the judgment of the district judging means for road information of an exit lane of the fork.

5. A method of displaying navigation data comprising the steps of:

acquiring fork information from map data on a storage medium;

retrieving a connection between an entrance and an exit;

retrieving a number of lanes at each road data at the entrance and the exit of the acquired fork information; and

generating a schematic drawing of the acquired fork by selecting fork pattern data based on the connection between the entrance and the exit and displaying lanes at the entrance and the exit corresponding to the numbers of lanes that have been retrieved,

whereby when the number of lanes of one of the road data at the entrance and the exit is a plurality, said plurality of lanes is generated in the schematic drawing.

6. A storage medium for a navigation system comprising a computer readable storage medium including:

map data including road data, a number of lanes for each road data, and fork pattern data; and

a computer program including retrieval means for acquiring fork information from the map data, retrieving a connection between an entrance and an exit in the acquired fork information and retrieving a number of lanes for each road data at the entrance and the exit, and including fork schematic drawing generation means for generating a schematic drawing of a corresponding fork by selection of fork pattern data based on the connection between an entrance and an exit and displaying lanes at the entrance and the exit corresponding to the numbers of lanes that have been retrieved, whereby when the number of lanes of one of the road data at the entrance and the exit is a plurality, said plurality of lanes is generated in the schematic drawing.