Navigation apparatus, navigation method and information recording medium containing navigation program readable by computer

• US 6,498,983 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2001
• Issued: 12/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Hashida, Masaya
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US09/843,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20010041960A1
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 701/28, 701/207, 701/208, 701/212, 701/214, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995, 342/357.01, 342/357.02, 342/357.07, 342/357.13
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3685 the POI's being parking facilities

Abstract

There is provided a navigation apparatus capable of executing a guide corresponding to an inside structure of a building which even if a vehicle is running in the building. The apparatus determines whether or not a current position of the vehicle is located in the building. If it is determined that the current position is located in the building, a plan view of the building is displayed. Then, the displayed plan view is used to carry out a navigation process.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus comprising:

a current position determining device for determining whether or not a current position of a movable body is located in a building;

a displaying device for displaying building information in relation to the building if the current position is located in the building; and

a processing device for carrying out a navigation process for guiding the movable body by using the displayed building information.

2. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the displaying device displays a map if it is determined that the current position is not located in the building, and the processing device uses the displayed map to carry out the navigation process.

3. A navigation apparatus comprising:

a current position determining device for determining whether or not a current position of a movable body is located in a building;

a displaying device for displaying building information in relation to the building if the current position is located in the building;

a processing device for carrying out a navigation process by using the displayed building information; and

wherein the building information is provided for each story of the building,

the current position determining device has a story determining device for determining which story the current position belongs to, and

the displaying device displays the building information corresponding to the story to which the current position belongs.

4. The navigation apparatus according to claim 3, the story determining device further comprises:

an upward/downward movement determining device for determining whether the movable body is moving in a ascending direction or a descending direction; and

a distance detecting device for detecting a movement distance,

wherein the story determining device determines the story to which the current position belongs, in accordance with the movement distance detected by the distance detecting device and a movement state detected by the upward/downward movement determining device.

5. A navigation apparatus comprising:

a current position determining device for determining whether or not a current position of a movable body is located in a building;

a displaying device for displaying building information in relation to the building if the current position is located in the building;

a processing device for carrying out a navigation process by using the displayed building information; and

wherein the building information is a drawing indicating the inside of the building corresponding to the building information.

6. The navigation apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the displaying device displays the current position on the drawing.

7. The navigation apparatus according to claim 5, wherein when a movement of the movable body is stopped, the stop position is guided.

8. The navigation apparatus according to claim 5, wherein facility information in the building is guided.

9. A navigation apparatus comprising:

a current position determining device for determining whether or not a current position of a movable body is located in a building;

a displaying device for displaying building information in relation to the building if the current position is located in the building;

a processing device for carrying out a navigation process by using the displayed building information; and

wherein the building is a parking zone, and the navigation apparatus further comprises;

a time detecting device for detecting an entry time when the movable body enters the parking zone;

a memory for storing a fee per unit time in the parking zone;

a parking time calculating device for calculating a parking time in the parking zone in accordance with the time the movable body goes out from the parking zone and the entry time when the movable body goes out from the parking zone;

a parking fee calculating device for calculating a parking fee in accordance with the calculated parking time and the fee per unit time in the parking zone; and

a reporting device for reporting the calculated parking fee.

10. An information recording medium in which a navigation program is readably recorded by a computer included in a navigation apparatus, the navigation program causing the computer to function as navigation processing devices, the navigation processing devices comprising:

a current position determining device for determining whether or not a current position of a movable body is located in a building;

a displaying device for displaying building information in relation to the building if the current position is located in the building;

a processing device for carrying out a navigation process by using the displayed building information; and

wherein the building information has stored the information recording medium as drawing data indicating the inside of each story in the building, and the navigation program causes the computer to function as navigation processing devices, the navigation processing devices further comprising;

an extracting device for extracting the drawing data from the information recording medium;

a displaying device for displaying a drawing indicating the inside of each story in the building corresponding to the drawing data; and

a processing device for carrying out a navigation process by using the displayed inner drawing.

11. The information recording medium according to claim 10,

wherein the building information is stored the information recording medium as drawing data indicating the inside of each story in the building, and the navigation program causes the computer to function as navigation processing devices, the navigation processing devices further comprising:

an extracting device for extracting the drawing data from the information recording medium;

a displaying device for displaying a drawing indicating the inside of each story in the building corresponding to the drawing data; and

a processing device for carrying out a navigation process for guiding the movable body by using the displayed inner drawing.

12. The information recording medium according to claim 11,

wherein the drawing data at least includes:

a slant data for use of determining whether or not the movable body is moving in a portion between stories; and

a story number data indicative of the number of a story to which the drawing data corresponds,

the navigation program causes the computer to function as navigation processing devices, the navigation processing devices further comprising a processing device for carrying out a navigation process by using the slant data and the story number data.

13. An information recording medium in which a navigation program is readably recorded by a computer included in a navigation apparatus, the navigation program causing the computer to function as navigation processing devices, the navigation processing devices comprising:

a current position determining device for determining whether or not a current position of a movable body is located in a building;

a displaying device for displaying building information in relation to the building if the current position is located in the building;

a processing device for carrying out a navigation process by using the displayed building information; and

wherein the drawing data includes information with regard to a facility located in a story to which the drawing data corresponds, indicated as at least one of a picture and a character,

the navigation program causes the computer to function as navigation processing devices, the navigation processing devices further comprising a displaying device for displaying the information with regard to the facility by using at least one of a picture and a character.

14. An information recording medium in which a navigation program is readably recorded by a computer included in a navigation apparatus, the navigation program causing the computer to function as navigation processing devices, the navigation processing devices comprising:

a current position determining device for determining whether or not a current position of a movable body is located in a building;

a displaying device for displaying building information in relation to the building if the current position is located in the building;

a processing device for carrying out a navigation process by using the displayed building information; and

wherein the building is a parking zone,

navigation processing data is stored, the data comprising;

an exit data for indicating a position of an exit in the parking zone;

an entrance data for indicating a position of an entrancet in the parking zone; and

a fee data for indicating a fee per unit time in the parking zone,

the navigation program causes the computer to function as navigation processing devices, the navigation processing devices further comprising;

a parking time calculating device for calculating parking time in the parking zone by using the entrance data and exit data;

a fee calculating device for calculating a usage fee in the parking zone by using the calculated parking time and the fee data; and

a reporting device for reporting the fee data.

15. A method for navigation in a building comprising:

determining a current position of a movable body whether or not the current position of the movable body is located in a building;

displaying building information in relation to the building if the current position is located in the building; and

carrying out a navigation process for guiding the movable body by using the displayed building information.

16. A method for navigation in a building comprising:

determining a current position of a movable body whether or not the current position of the movable body is located in a building;

displaying building information in relation to the building if the current position is located in the building;

carrying out a navigation process by using the displayed building information; and

wherein the current position is determined by;

determining a story to which the current position belongs, and

wherein the building information is displayed by displaying the building information corresponding to the story to which the current position belongs.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the operation determining to which story the current position belongs comprises:

determining a movement state whether the movable body is moving in an ascending direction or a descending direction; and

detecting a movement distance,

wherein the operation determining to which story the current position belongs, determines the story to which the current position belongs, in accordance with the movement distance detected by the operation detecting a movement distance, and the movement state detected by the operation determining a movement state.

18. A method for navigation in a building comprising:

determining a current position of a movable body whether or not the current position of the movable body is located in a building;

displaying building information in relation to the building if the current position is located in the building;

carrying out a navigation process by using the displayed building information; and

wherein the building information is a drawing indicating the inside of the building corresponding to the building information, and

wherein facility information in the building is guided.

19. A method for navigation in a building comprising:

determining a current position of a movable body whether or not the current position of the movable body is located in a building;

displaying building information in relation to the building if the current position is located in the building;

carrying out a navigation process by using the displayed building information; and

wherein the building is a parking zone, and the method further comprises;

detecting an entry time when the movable body enters the parking zone;

storing a fee per unit time in the parking zone;

calculating a parking time in the parking zone in accordance with the time the movable body enters the parking zone and the time when the movable body goes out from the parking zone;

calculating a parking fee in accordance with the calculated parking time and the fee per unit time in the parking zone; and

reporting the calculated parking fee.