Route search method in navigation system

• US 6,542,817 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2001
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Miyaki, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US09/804,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20020133292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701/209, 701/210, 701/211, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/209
• 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: G08G 1/096894 where input is assisted by the navigation device, i.e. the user does not type the complete name of the destination, e.g. using zip codes, telephone numbers, progressively selecting from initial letters

Abstract

A route search method in a navigation system in which POI (Point of Interest) information regarding POIs is incorporated in map information and a route up to a specified POI is searched for. When a POI has a plurality of gateways, identification data for road links connected respectively to the gateways is incorporated in the POI information. When a certain POI is set as the destination, the navigation system refers to the POI information and checks whether a plurality of road links are stored corresponding to the set POI. If so, the system searches for a route up to each of the road links, and determines an optimum one of the found routes as the guide route.

Claims

1. A route search method in a navigation system in which POI (Point of Interest) information regarding POIs is incorporated in map information and a guide route up to a specified POI is searched for, the method comprising the steps of:

when a POI has a plurality of gateways, incorporating identification data for road links connected respectively to the gateways in said POI information;

when a plurality of road links are stored corresponding to a POI set as a destination, searching for a route up to each of the road links; and

determining an optimum one of the found routes as the guide route.

2. A route search method in a navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said optimum route is a route having the shortest running distance.

3. A route search method in a navigation system in which POI (Point of Interest) information regarding POIs is incorporated in map information and a guide route up to a specified POI is searched for, the method comprising the steps of:

when a relationship between a POI and shops in the POI is defined as a parent-child relation, storing child POIs in correspondent relation to a parent POI and storing one road link in correspondent relation to each child POI as part of said POI information; and

when one child POI is set as a destination, searching for a guide route up to the road link corresponding to the set child POI.

4. A route search method in a navigation system according to claim 3, wherein said road link stored in correspondent relation to each child POI is a road link connected to a gateway nearest to the child POI.

5. A route search method in a navigation system according to claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

incorporating detailed information of the parent POI, including a name, address and category, a polygon of the parent POI, and a child POI list in said POI information;

when the parent POI is selected, displaying the detailed information and the polygon of the parent POI;

displaying a list of child POIs in the parent-child relation to the selected parent POI in response to a request; and

inputting a destination by selecting a desired one of the displayed child POIs.

6. A route search method in a navigation system according to claim 5, wherein information indicating the presence of child POIs is displayed together with the detailed information of the parent POI.

7. A method of storing data on an information storage medium for use with a vehicle navigation system, comprising:

storing information relating to a plurality of possible destinations, including a list of any sub-destinations within a destination; and

for destinations having at least two gateways connected to different road links and having at least two sub-destinations, storing a correspondence between each sub-destination and a road link connected to a gateway.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the road link corresponding to a sub-destination is connected to the gateway nearest to the sub-destination.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the possible destinations are Points of Interest (POIs) and the sub-destinations are tenant POIs associated with a POI, the method further comprising storing with respect to each POI information identifying the presence or absence of tenant POIs.

10. A navigation system for a vehicle, comprising:

a map storage medium for storing map information;

a position measuring device for measuring the current position of the vehicle;

a storage medium for storing control programs associated with route guidance;

a processor for controlling the operation of the navigation system; and

a display monitor;

wherein the map information contains information relating to a plurality of possible destinations and, for a destination having a plurality of gateways connected to different road links, also contains an identification of said road links; and

when a guide route is requested to a destination having a plurality of gateways connected to different road links, the navigation system searches for a route from the current position of the vehicle up to each of said road links and determines an optimum one of the found routes as the guide route.

11. A navigation system according to claim 10, wherein the destinations for which information is stored in the map information include Points of Interest (POIs), and the map information includes detailed information for each POI, including at least one of name, address, telephone number and category.

12. A navigation system according to claim 11, wherein the map information contains an identification of tenant POIs associated with a POI and, for POIs having plural gateways and plural tenant POIs, further contains information identifying the road link connected to the gateway nearest to each tenant POI.

13. A navigation system according to claim 12, wherein when a guide route up to a specified tenant POI is searched for, the system searches for a route from the current position of the vehicle up to the road link connected to the gateway of the POI nearest to the specified tenant POI.

14. A navigation system according to claim 10, wherein the map information contains a list of sub-destinations associated with a destination, and when a guide route up to a specified sub-destination is searched for, if the destination associated with the specified sub-destination has a plurality of gateways, the system searches for a route to the road link connected to the gateway nearest to the specified sub-destination.