Destination input device in vehicle navigation system

• US 6,430,500 B1
• Filed: 01/06/2000
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushikikaisha Equos Research
• Original Assignee: Kabushikikaisha Equos Research
• Inventors: Adachi, Kazuhide, Mukai, Kouji, Hori, Koji, Kubota, Tomoki, Mazda, Manabu
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): To, Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US09/478,355
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 701/209, 701/211, 701/201, 701/202, 701/207, 340/995, 345/353
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement

Abstract

Disclosed is a destination input device for use in a vehicle navigation system that determines a drive route from a current position to a destination. The device includes a CD-ROM disc storing a plurality of destinations which are categorized into several groups. The user inputs his or her own behavioral schedule or purpose of travel today through a microphone or a touch panel on a display. The display is controlled by a CPU to provide a group selection menu representing a predetermined combination of the groups, in accordance with the inputted user'"'"'s behavioral schedule. The user selects a specific one of the groups appearing on the displayed group selection menu, so that the display is controlled to provide a destination input menu representing a plurality of destinations included in the selected group, so that the user may readily select and input a desired destination from among those appearing on the displayed destination input menu.

Claims

1. A destination input device in a vehicle navigation system that determines a drive route from a current position to a destination input by a user, comprising:

question output means for outputting a question to a user regarding the user'"'"'s purpose for a drive;

a first memory storing a plurality of destinations, each of said destinations being classified into one of a plurality of destination groups;

a second memory storing a plurality of purposes for a drive in relation to said destination groups;

first input means for inputting an answer to the question, which answer is correlated with plural destination groups in said second memory;

display control means for determining and displaying a first menu, as one of a plurality of possible menus, in accordance with the answer by the user to said question, said first menu including the destination groups correlated with the answer in said second memory, and for displaying a second menu of specific destinations classified in a destination group selected from said first menu; and

second input means for selecting one of said destination groups from said first menu and for selecting a specified destination from said second menu.

2. A destination input device according to claim 1 wherein said question output means outputs said question responsive to operation of a destination input switch by the user.

3. A destination input device according to claim 1 wherein said second memory means has a table correlating each of said purposes for a drive with at least one of said destination groups.

4. A destination input device according to claim 1 wherein said second memory means has a table in which each of said purposes for a drive is stored in relation to a specific combination of said destination groups arranged in an order of priority of display by said display means.

5. A destination input device according to claim 4 wherein said table further contains a default combination of said destination groups which is used as the determined menu when the user produces no reply responsive to said question output by said question output means within a predetermined period of time.

6. A destination input device according to claim 5 wherein said destination groups of said default combination of said destination groups are assigned an order of priority which is determined in accordance with the user'"'"'s age and/or sex.

7. A destination input device according to claim 1 wherein said input means comprises first input means for inputting a selection of one of said destination groups displayed by said display means, and second input means for inputting a selection of one of said destinations included in said destination group selected by said first input means.

8. A destination input method for a vehicle navigation system that determines a drive route from a current position to a destination input by a user, comprising the steps of:

providing a first memory storing a plurality of destinations, each of said destinations being classified into one of a plurality of destination groups;

providing a second memory in which purposes for a drive are each correlated with a specific combination of the destination groups arranged in an order of priority to be selected by the user;

displaying a first menu to output a question to the user regarding the user'"'"'s purpose for a drive;

inputting a purpose for a drive in answer to the question;

displaying a second menu with a plurality of said destination groups with said order of priority correlated in the second memory with the input answer;

inputting a selection of one of the destination groups of the second menu;

displaying a third menu of a plurality of specific destinations classified in the selected destination group in the first memory; and

selecting a specific destination from the third menu.