Vehicular navigation system using restricted-type road map data
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A vehicular navigation system comprising:
- memory means for storing link information of links which connect nodes and connection information of each connection between the links, the links including normal roads and restricted-type roads, the connection information of the normal roads being complete, the connection information of the restricted-type roads being insufficient;
control means for determining a travel path to a destination from the link information and the connection information; and
indicator means for indicating the travel path, wherein the control means is constructed to use both the link information and the connection information of the normal roads and the restricted-type roads in determining the travel path, and wherein the indicator means is constructed to issue a notification that the road is a restricted-type road and specific guidance for of the restricted-type road when included in the travel path to a driver before the entry to the restricted-type road, after the entry to the restricted-type road, or both before and after the entry to the restricted-type road.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In a vehicular navigation system, an electronic control unit uses in its recommended vehicle travel path determination processing restricted-type roads the data of which is less reliable than those of normal roads. A display device indicates the recommended travel path on a road map displayed thereon. When a vehicle travels on the restricted-type road, a travel guidance specific to the restricted-type road is issued to notify a driver of traveling on the restricted-type road and thereby invite the driver to decide himself or herself. The guidance may be in a vocal announcement from a speaker and/or a visual display on the display device.
-
Citations
54 Claims
-
1. A vehicular navigation system comprising:
-
memory means for storing link information of links which connect nodes and connection information of each connection between the links, the links including normal roads and restricted-type roads, the connection information of the normal roads being complete, the connection information of the restricted-type roads being insufficient;
control means for determining a travel path to a destination from the link information and the connection information; and
indicator means for indicating the travel path, wherein the control means is constructed to use both the link information and the connection information of the normal roads and the restricted-type roads in determining the travel path, and wherein the indicator means is constructed to issue a notification that the road is a restricted-type road and specific guidance for of the restricted-type road when included in the travel path to a driver before the entry to the restricted-type road, after the entry to the restricted-type road, or both before and after the entry to the restricted-type road. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
-
-
26. A vehicle navigation system electronic control unit for determining a vehicle travel route to a desired destination from link information stored away in memory comprised of links which connect nodes and connection information of each connection between the links;
-
the links including normal roads for which map information is widely available and restricted-type roads for which map information is insufficient;
the connection information for the restricted-type roads being less than that of the normal roads;
the control unit determining a vehicle travel route using both the link information and the connection information for both the normal roads and the restricted-type roads; and
the control unit further determining a new vehicle travel route if a current travel route is deviated from the original determined travel route in response to a present restriction of the restricted-type road. - View Dependent Claims (27)
-
-
28. A vehicle navigation system electronic control unit for determining a vehicle travel route to a desired destination from link information stored in a memory comprised of links which connect nodes and connection information of each connection between the links;
-
the links including normal roads for which map information is widely available and restricted-type roads for which map information is insufficient;
the control unit determining a vehicle travel route using both the link information and the connection information for both the normal roads and the restricted-type roads; and
the control unit further determining a new vehicle travel route if a current travel route is deviated from the original determined travel route in response to a present restriction of the restricted-type road.
-
-
29. A vehicular navigation system comprising:
-
a memory device that stores link information of links which connect nodes and connection information of each connection between the links, the links including normal roads and restricted-type roads, the connection information of the normal roads being complete, the connection information of the restricted-type roads being insufficient;
a control unit that determines a travel path to a destination from the link information and the connection information; and
an indicator that indicates the travel path, wherein the control unit is constructed to use both the link information and the connection information of the normal roads and the restricted-type roads in determining the travel path, and wherein the indicator is constructed to issue a notification that the road is a restricted-type road and specific guidance for the restricted-type road when included in the travel path to a driver before the entry to the restricted-type road, after the entry to the restricted-type road, or both before and after the entry to the restricted-type road.
-
-
30. A method for navigating a vehicle comprising steps of:
-
determining a travel path to a destination from link information of links stored in a memory that include normal roads and restricted-type roads that connect nodes, from complete connection information of the normal roads and from insufficient connection information of the restricted-type roads wherein;
guiding the vehicle along the travel path; and
issuing a notification that the road is a restricted-type road and specific guidance for the restricted-type road when included in the travel path to a driver before the entry to the restricted-type road, after the entry to the restricted-type road, or both before and after the entry to the restricted-type road. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
issuing the specific guidance through a speaker for indicating the travel path in vocal sound; and
indicating the specific guidance upon travel on the restricted-type road in a mode different from travel on the normal road.
-
-
34. A method of claim 30, wherein the issuing of a specific guidance indicative of the restricted-type road when included in the travel path to a driver before the entry to the restricted-type road, after the entry to the restricted-type road, or both before and after the entry to the restricted-type road further comprises:
-
issuing the specific guidance through a speaker for indicating the travel path in vocal sound;
indicating the specific guidance upon travel on the restricted-type road in a mode different from travel on the normal road; and
displaying the travel path and the specific guidance through a display device.
-
-
35. A method of claim 34, wherein the displaying of the travel path and the specific guidance through a display device further comprises changing a color of a display of the display device between travels on the normal roads and the restricted-type roads.
-
36. A method of claim 30, wherein the determining of a travel path to a destination from link information of links that include normal roads and restricted-type roads that connect nodes, from complete connection information of the normal roads and from insufficient connection information of the restricted-type roads further comprises:
utilizing the link information of the restricted-type roads in determining the travel path only when instructed externally to use the link information of the restricted-type roads.
-
37. A method of claim 30 further comprising steps of:
-
calculating travel costs from the link information and the connection information; and
determining the travel path by connecting the links which provide a minimum cost.
-
-
38. A method of claim 30, wherein the determining of a travel path to a destination from link information of links that include normal roads and restricted-type roads that connect nodes, from complete connection information of the normal roads and from insufficient connection information of the restricted-type roads further comprises:
determining the travel path from the link information of the restricted-type roads that are normally not suitable to vehicle entry.
-
39. A method of claim 30, wherein the determining of a travel path to a destination from link information of links that include normal roads and restricted-type roads that connect nodes, from complete connection information of the normal roads and from insufficient connection information of the restricted-type roads further comprises:
determining the travel path from the link information of the restricted-type roads that are one-way traffic roads and narrow roads.
-
40. A method of claim 30, wherein the determining of a travel path to a destination from link information of links that include normal roads and restricted-type roads that connect nodes from complete connection information of the normal roads and from insufficient connection information of the restricted-type roads further comprises:
determining the travel path from the link information of the restricted-type roads that are narrow roads, the information for which is insufficient to ensure vehicle travel therethrough.
-
41. A method of claim 30, wherein the issuing of a specific guidance indicative of the restricted-type road when included in the travel path to a driver before the entry to the restricted-type road, after the entry to the restricted-type road, or both before and after the entry to the restricted-type road further comprises issuing voice guidance indicating a nature of the restricted-type road.
-
42. A method of claim 30, wherein the determining of a travel path to a destination from link information of links that include normal roads and restricted-type roads that connect nodes from complete connection information of the normal roads and from insufficient connection information of the restricted-type roads further comprises:
-
determining the travel path to the destination from the link information of links that connect particular intersections on the vehicle travel path; and
calculating the travel path by using Dijakstra'"'"'s algorithm.
-
-
43. A method of claim 30 wherein the determining of a travel path to a destination from link information of links that include normal roads and restricted-type roads that connect nodes from complete connection information of the normal roads and from insufficient connection information of the restricted-type roads further comprises:
determining the travel path from the link information of the restricted-type roads that are roads selected from the group consisting of roads only for pedestrians, roads typically considered too narrow for vehicle travel, and roads for which there is little or no information available.
-
44. A method of claim 43, wherein the determining of a travel path to a destination from link information of links that include normal roads and restricted-type roads that connect nodes from complete connection information of the normal roads and from insufficient connection information of the restricted-type roads further comprises:
determining the travel path to the destination from the link information that further includes a link ID specifying each link, a link class identifying whether the road is the normal road or the restricted-type road and a link length indicating the length of each link.
-
45. A method of claim 30, wherein the issuing of a specific guidance indicative of the restricted-type road when included in the travel path to a driver before the entry to the restricted-type road, after the entry to the restricted-type road, or both before and after the entry to the restricted-type road further comprises issuing specific guidance that includes information about the approaching restricted-type road.
-
46. A method of claim 30, wherein the issuing of a specific guidance indicative of the restricted-type road when included in the travel path to a driver before the entry to the restricted-type road, after the entry to the restricted-type road, or both before and after the entry to the restricted-type road further comprises issuing the specific guidance upon entering the restricted-type road and issuing information of entry onto the restricted type road.
-
47. A method of claim 30, wherein the issuing of a specific guidance indicative of the restricted-type road when included in the travel path to a driver before the entry to the restricted-type road, after the entry to the restricted-type road, or both before and after the entry to the restricted-type road further comprises issuing specific guidance that includes information of traveling on the restricted-type road while traveling on the restricted type road.
-
48. A method of claim 30, wherein the issuing of a specific guidance indicative of the restricted-type road when included in the travel path to a driver before the entry to the restricted-type road, after the entry to the restricted-type road, or both before and after the entry to the restricted-type road further comprises issuing the specific guidance through indicator means for indicating the travel path and indicating travel on the normal road immediately after exiting the restricted-type road and entering the normal road.
-
49. A method of claim 30, wherein the determining of a travel path to a destination from link information of links that include normal roads and restricted-type roads that connect nodes, from complete connection information of the normal roads and from insufficient connection information of the restricted-type roads further comprises:
determining of the travel path according to a command indicative of whether use of the restricted-type road is allowed.
-
50. A method of claim 30 further comprising a step of determining a new travel path after the current travel path deviates from the original determined travel path upon entering the restricted-type road that is included in the original travel path.
-
51. A method of claim 30, wherein the determining of a travel path to a destination from link information of links that include normal roads and restricted-type roads that connect nodes, from complete connection information of the normal roads and from insufficient connection information of the restricted-type roads further comprises:
determining the travel path based upon a present restriction status of the restricted-type road.
-
52. A method of claim 30, wherein the determining of a travel path to a destination from link information of links that include normal roads and restricted-type roads that connect nodes from complete connection information of the normal roads and from insufficient connection information of the restricted-type roads further comprises:
determining the travel path from the link information of the restricted-type roads that are roads that are predetermined to be unavailable for traffic.
-
53. A method of claim 30, wherein the determining of a travel path to a destination from link information of links that include normal roads and restricted-type roads that connect nodes, from complete connection information of the normal roads and from insufficient connection information of the restricted-type roads further comprises:
determining the travel path from the link information of the restricted-type roads for which road map data and traffic regulations are unavailable.
-
54. A method of claim 30, wherein the determining of a travel path to a destination from link information of links that include normal roads and restricted-type roads that connect nodes, from complete connection information of the normal roads and from insufficient connection information of the restricted-type roads further comprises:
determining the travel path from the link information of the restricted-type roads that are more narrow than the normal roads.
Specification