Route selecting method, route selecting system, and recording medium

• US 6,456,932 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2000
• Issued: 09/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yagyu, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Donnelly, Arthur D.
• Application Number:
  US09/739,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20010004725A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/201, 701/205, 701/207, 701/208, 701/209, 701/210, 701/213, 340/995, 340/990, 340/998
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles

Abstract

A route selecting method, a route selecting system, and a recording medium select a route in which a road on which a user has traveled is suitably reflected. A section traveling route generation portion receives a traveling track of a vehicle detected by a current position and traveling track detection portion and an optimum route searched for by an optimum route searching portion, and compares the traveling track and the optimum route, to extract different road sections as section traveling routes. A section traveling route storage portion stores the extracted section traveling route and its attribute information. A crossing section examination portion first examines, in the case of guiding, whether or not the section traveling route taken as a section a part, between two arbitrary points, of the optimum route searched for by the optimum route searching portion exists in the section traveling route storage portion, and extracts the section traveling route from the section traveling route storage portion when the section traveling route does exist. A guiding route generation portion replaces the part, between the two points, of the optimum route with the section traveling route on the basis of the optimum route and the extracted section traveling route to generate a guiding route.

Claims

1. A route selecting method for selecting an optimum route on a map for travel of a vehicle, said route selecting method comprising:

searching for an optimum route between two points using map data to select a route;

collecting traveling tracks on which the vehicle travels;

comparing the optimum route searched for and the traveling tracks collected, and storing only different route parts of the traveling tracks as section traveling routes;

when a user is guided, comparing the optimum route searched for and all of the section traveling routes stored to examine whether a section traveling route of the section traveling routes crossing the optimum route as a crossing section traveling route exists;

replacing, with respect to the crossing section traveling route examined, a section on the optimum route which crosses the crossing section traveling route with a corresponding part of the crossing section traveling route as a replacement, to generate a guiding route; and

guiding the user using the guiding route generated.

2. The route selecting method according to claim 1, wherein

said guiding operation comprises displaying, when the guiding route is displayed, the optimum route together with the guiding route, in such a manner that the guiding route and the optimum route can be distinguished from each other.

3. The route selecting method according to claim 1, wherein

said storing operation comprises deleting, with respect to the section traveling route already stored as an existing section traveling route, the existing section traveling route when the vehicle newly travels on a different route in a same section as the existing section traveling route.

4. The route selecting method according to claim 2, wherein

said storing operation comprises deleting, with respect to the section traveling route already stored as an existing section traveling route, the existing section traveling route when the vehicle newly travels on a different route in a same section as the existing section traveling route.

5. The route selecting method according to claim 1, wherein

said storing operation comprises accumulatively storing a number of times the vehicle travels on the section traveling route together with the section traveling route, and

said replacing operation comprises using, for the replacement, only the crossing section traveling route on which the vehicle travels not less than a particular number of times.

6. The route selecting method according to claim 5, wherein

said storing operation comprises reducing, with respect to the section traveling route already stored as an existing section traveling route, a number of times the vehicle travels on the existing section traveling route when the vehicle newly travels on a different route in a same section as the existing section traveling route.

7. The route selecting method according to claim 1, further comprising examining whether the section traveling route including a current position of the vehicle and having a point crossing the guiding route in a travel direction is stored based on the traveling tracks collected and the guiding route generated, and generating, when the section traveling route exists, a new guiding route from the current position to a destination point using the section traveling route and the guiding route,

wherein said guiding operation comprises guiding the user using the new guiding route generated when it is determined that the current position of the vehicle deviates from the guiding route.

8. The route selecting method according to claim 1, wherein

said storing operation comprises storing circumstances where the vehicle travels on the section traveling route together with the section traveling route, and

said replacing operation comprises using, for the replacement, only the crossing section traveling route whose circumstances stored at said storing operation conform to current circumstances.

9. The route selecting method according to claim 1, further comprising inputting a route as a traveling track on which the user desires to travel on a map,

wherein said storing operation comprises finding the section traveling route using the traveling track inputted at said inputting operation in place of the traveling tracks collected at said collecting operation.

10. The route selecting method according to claim 1, wherein

said storing operation comprises individually storing the section traveling route for each user, and

said comparing operation and said replacing operation each comprise performing processing using only the section traveling route corresponding to the user.

11. The route selecting method according to claim 1, wherein

said storing operation comprises determining the section traveling route to be stored in accordance with judgment given by the user.

12. A route selecting system for selecting an optimum route on a map for travel of a vehicle, said route selecting system comprising:

a map data storage portion being operable to store map data to select a route;

a current position and traveling track detection portion being operable to find a current position and a traveling track of the vehicle;

an information input portion being operable to input particular information in accordance with an instruction issued by a user;

an optimum route searching portion being operable to search for an optimum route between two points using the map data and the particular information;

a section traveling route generation portion being operable to compare the optimum route searched for by said optimum route searching portion and the traveling track found in said current position and traveling track detection portion, and to extract only different route parts on the traveling track as section traveling routes;

a section traveling route storage portion being operable to store the section traveling routes;

a crossing section examination portion being operable to, when the user is guided, compare the optimum route searched for by said optimum route searching portion, and all of the section traveling routes stored in said section traveling route storage portion, and to examine whether a section traveling route of the section traveling routes crossing the optimum route as a crossing section traveling route exists;

a guiding route generation portion being operable to replace, with respect to the crossing section traveling route examined by said crossing section examination portion, a section on the optimum route which crosses the crossing section traveling route with a corresponding part of the crossing section traveling route as a replacement, to generate a guiding route; and

a map display output portion being operable to guide the user using the guiding route generated by said guiding route generation portion.

13. The route selecting system according to claim 12, wherein

said map display output portion displays, when the guiding route is displayed, the optimum route together with the guiding route, such that the guiding route and the optimum route can be distinguished from each other.

14. The route selecting system according to claim 12, wherein

said section traveling route generation portion deletes, with respect to the section traveling route already stored in said section traveling route storage portion to as an existing section traveling route, the existing section traveling route when the vehicle newly travels on a different route in a same section as the existing section traveling route.

15. The route selecting system according to claim 13, wherein

said section traveling route generation portion deletes, with respect to the section traveling route already stored in said section traveling route storage portion as an existing section traveling route, the existing section traveling route when the vehicle newly travels on a different route in a same section as the existing section traveling route.

16. The route selecting system according to claim 12, wherein

said section traveling route storage portion accumulatively stores a number of times the vehicle travels on the section traveling route together with the section traveling route, and

said guiding route generation portion uses, for the replacement, only the crossing section traveling route on which the vehicle travels not less than a predetermined number of times.

17. The route selecting system according to claim 16, wherein

said section traveling route generation portion reduces, with respect to the section traveling route already stored in said section traveling route storage portion as an existing section traveling route, the number of times the vehicle travels on the existing section traveling route when the vehicle newly travels on a different route in a same section as the existing section traveling route.

18. The route selecting system according to claim 12, further comprising a return route selection portion being operable to receive the current position found by said current position and traveling track detection portion and the guiding route generated by said guiding route generation portion, to examine whether the section traveling route including the current position and having a point crossing the guiding route in the travel direction exists in said section traveling route storage portion, and being operable to generate, when the section traveling route exists, a new guiding route from the current position to a destination point using the section traveling route and the guiding route,

wherein said map display output portion guides the user using the new guiding route generated by said return route selection portion when it is determined that the current position of the vehicle deviates from the guiding route.

19. The route selecting system according to claim 12, wherein

said section traveling route storage portion stores circumstances where the vehicle travels on the section traveling route together with the section traveling route, and

said guiding route generation portion uses, for the replacement, only the crossing section traveling route whose circumstances stored in said section traveling route storage portion conform to current circumstances.

20. The route selecting system according to claim 12, further comprising a traveling track input portion being operable to input a route as a traveling track on which the user desires to travel on a map,

wherein said section traveling route generation portion uses the traveling track inputted to said traveling track input portion in place of the traveling tracks found by said current position and traveling track detection portion, to extract the section traveling route.

21. The route selecting system according to claim 12, wherein

said section traveling route storage portion individually stores the section traveling route for each user, and

said crossing section examination portion and said guiding route generation portion each perform processing using only the section traveling route corresponding to the user.

22. The route selecting system according to claim 12, wherein

said section traveling route storage portion determines the section traveling route to be stored in accordance with judgment given by the user.

23. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for use with a computer, said computer program comprising:

computer readable program code operable to search for an optimum route between two points using map data to select a route;

computer readable program code operable to collect traveling tracks on which a vehicle travels;

computer readable program code operable to compare the optimum route searched for and the traveling tracks collected, and to store only different route parts of the traveling tracks as section traveling routes;

computer readable program code operable to, when a user is guided, compare the optimum route searched for and all of the section traveling routes stored to examine whether a section traveling route of the section traveling routes crossing the optimum route as a crossing section traveling route exists;

computer readable program code operable to replace, with respect to the crossing section traveling route examined, a section on the optimum route which crosses the crossing section traveling route with a corresponding part of the crossing section traveling route as a replacement, to generate a guiding route; and

computer readable program code operable to guide the user using the guiding route generated.

24. The computer program according to claim 23, wherein

said computer readable program code operable to guide comprises computer readable program code operable to display, when the guiding route is displayed, the optimum route together with the guiding route, in such a manner that the guiding route and the optimum route can be distinguished from each other.

25. The computer program according to claim 23, wherein

said computer readable program code operable to store comprises computer readable program code operable to delete, with respect to the section traveling route already stored as an existing section traveling route, the existing section traveling route when the vehicle newly travels on a different route in a same section as the existing section traveling route.

26. The computer program according to claim 24, wherein

said computer readable program code operable to store comprises computer readable program code operable to delete, with respect to the section traveling route already stored as an existing section traveling route, the existing section traveling route when the vehicle newly travels on a different route in a same section as the existing section traveling route.

27. The computer program according to claim 23, wherein

said computer readable program code operable to store comprises computer readable program code operable to accumulatively store a number of times the vehicle travels on the section traveling route together with the section traveling route, and

said computer readable program code operable to generate comprises computer readable program code operable to use, for the replacement, only the crossing section traveling route on which the vehicle travels not less than a predetermined number of times.

28. The computer program according to claim 27, wherein

said computer readable program code operable to store comprises computer readable program code operable to reduce, with respect to the section traveling route already stored as an existing section traveling route, a number of times the vehicle travels on the existing section traveling route when the vehicle newly travels on a different route in a same section as the existing section traveling route.

29. The computer program according to claim 23, further comprising computer readable program code operable to examine whether the section traveling route including the current position of the vehicle and having a point crossing the guiding route in a travel direction is stored based on the traveling tracks collected and the guiding route generated, and generate, when the section traveling route exists, a new guiding route from the current position to a destination point using the section traveling route and the guiding route,

wherein said computer readable program code operable to guide comprises computer readable program code operable to guide the user using the new guiding route generated when it is determined that the current position of the vehicle deviates from the guiding route.

30. The computer program according to claim 23, wherein

said computer readable program code operable to store comprises computer readable program code operable to store circumstances where the vehicle travels on the section traveling route together with the section traveling route, and

said computer readable program code operable to replace comprises computer readable program code operable to use, for the replacement, only the crossing section traveling route whose circumstances stored in said computer readable program code operable to store conform to current circumstances.

31. The computer program according to claim 23, further comprising computer readable program code operable to input a route as a traveling track on which the user desires to travel on a map,

wherein said computer readable program code operable to store comprises computer readable program code operable to find the section traveling route using the traveling track inputted at said computer readable program code operable to input in place of the traveling tracks collected at said computer readable program code operable to collect.

32. The computer program according to claim 23, wherein

said computer readable program code operable to store comprises computer readable program code operable to individually store the section traveling route for each user, and

said computer readable program code operable to compare and said computer readable program code operable to replace each comprise computer readable program code operable to perform processing using only the section traveling route corresponding to the user.

33. The computer program according to claim 23, wherein said computer readable program code operable to store comprises computer readable program code operable to determine the section traveling route to be stored in accordance with judgment given by the user.