Navigation device

• US 6,671,619 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2001
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Saitoh, Katsuya, Kusano, Manabu
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US09/919,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20020049533A1
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: 701/211, 701/212, 701/209, 701/210, 701/213, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995.1, 340/995.24, 340/995.27
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3685 the POI's being parking facilities

Abstract

A navigation device is provided with detailed map information of service areas and parking areas on freeways, and in the event that the vehicle to which the navigation device is mounted enters a service area for example while driving along the freeway which is a guided route, the navigation device reads out detailed map information of the service area which the vehicle has entered and displays a detailed map of this area such that the driver can readily understand the location of parking space, restaurants, stores, etc., and also displays the current position of the vehicle. Thus, in the event that the vehicle enters a service area or parking area while on a guided route, where what is within the area and where the vehicle is can be displayed in a readily understood manner, by the vehicle entering the area.

Claims

1. A navigation device having route guiding functions for searching a route to a destination and guiding a vehicle along said route, said navigation device comprising:

a storing unit for storing detailed map information of freeway service areas, the detailed map information of freeway service areas including entrance, exit and parking location information;

a control unit in communication with said storing unit and operable to control the display of said detailed map information of freeway service areas when said vehicle enters a freeway service area from a freeway that is included in a guiding route; and

a display unit in communication with said control unit and operable to display a detailed map of said freeway service area utilizing said detailed map information.

2. The navigation device of claim 1 wherein said control unit performs rerouting calculations and displays a guiding route on said display unit when said vehicle enters said freeway service area.

3. The navigation device of claim 1 wherein said control unit displays an enlarged image of an exit area and a direction of progression on the display unit when said vehicle is less than a predetermined distance from said exit area and while said vehicle is driving along said guiding route within said area.

5. The navigation device of claim 1 wherein said control unit performs rerouting calculations and displays a guiding route on said display unit when said vehicle enters said parking area.

6. The navigation device of claim 1 wherein said control unit displays an enlarged image of an exit area and a direction of progression on the display unit when said vehicle is less than a predetermined distance from said exit area and while said vehicle is driving along said guiding route within said area.

4. A navigation device having route guiding functions for searching a route to a destination and guiding a vehicle along said route, said navigation device comprising:

a storing unit for storing detailed map information of parking areas, the detailed map information of parking areas including entrance, exit and parking location information;

a control unit in communication with said storing unit and operable to control the display of said detailed map information of parking areas when said vehicle enters a parking area from a freeway that is included in a guiding route; and

a display unit in communication with said control unit and operable to display a detailed map of said parking area utilizing said detailed map information.

7. A navigation device having route guiding functions for searching a route to a destination and guiding a vehicle along said route, said navigation device comprising:

a database for storing detailed maps and store lists of shopping malls;

a position detecting unit for detecting a position of said vehicle;

a control unit in communication with said database and said position detecting unit and operable to control the display of a detailed map of a shopping mall using said database information when said vehicle is inside a shopping mall; and

a display unit in communication with said control unit and operable to display said detailed map of a shopping mall.

8. The navigation device of claim 7 wherein said store list comprises a store name, store type, and store position information and wherein said display control unit identifies and displays stores in the shopping mall on said display unit in color according to the type of store.

9. The navigation device of claim 7 wherein said store list comprises a store name and store position information and wherein said control unit searches for a store having a first letter that is the same as a first letter inputted into said navigation device and displays a position of said store with a cursor on said display unit.

10. The navigation device of claim 7 wherein said store list comprises a store name, store type, and store position information for each store, and in the event that a store type is inputted in a store type search, said control unit makes reference to said store list and displays stores of the input store type on the display unit in an identifiable manner.

11. The navigation device of claim 7 wherein said control unit automatically searches for and displays on said display unit a route to a nearest parking area.

12. The navigation device of claim 7 wherein said control unit searches for a route to a nearest exit from a current position and displays said route to the exit on said display when said navigation device is turned on within a parking area.

13. The navigation device of claim 7 wherein said control unit displays a map of said shopping mall and at least one exit of said shopping mall, searches for a route to a selected exit, and displays said route to a selected exit on said display unit.

14. The navigation device of claim 7 wherein in the event that a particular store is set as a destination store, said control unit searches for a route to a parking area nearest to said destination store and displays said route to a parking area nearest to said destination store on the display unit.

15. A navigation device having route guiding functions for searching a route to a destination and guiding a vehicle along said route, said navigation device comprising:

a database for storing detailed maps and store lists of shopping malls;

a control unit in communication with said database and operable to control the display of a detailed map of a shopping mall using said database information when said shopping mall is set as a destination; and

a display unit for displaying said detailed map of a shopping mall.

16. The navigation device of claim 15 wherein said control unit searches for a route to a parking area nearest to a destination store and displays said route to a parking area nearest to a destination store on said display unit.

17. A navigation device having route guiding functions for searching a route to a destination and guiding a vehicle along said route, said navigation device comprising:

a database for storing detailed maps and store lists of shopping malls;

a cursor motion control unit operable to display a cursor at a predetermined position on a display unit and relatively move a map with respect to said cursor;

a control unit in communication with said database and said cursor motion control unit and operable to control display of a detailed map of inside said shopping mall using said database information when said cursor enters the shopping mall; and

a display unit in communication with said control unit and operable to display said detailed map of inside said shopping mall.

18. The navigation device of claim 17 wherein said control unit searches for a route to a parking area nearest to a destination store and displays said route to a parking area nearest to a destination store on the display unit.

19. A navigation device according to claim 17 wherein said control unit displays store forms and store names on the display unit according to the a specified floor using the detailed map information including detailed maps for each floor.

20. A route guiding method for a navigation device in a shopping mall, said route guiding method comprising the acts of:

providing detailed maps of shopping malls and store lists in a database;

detecting a vehicle position;

determining whether the detected vehicle position has entered into a shopping mall;

retrieving detailed maps of said shopping mall from said database when said vehicle is proximate to an entrance of said shopping mall; and

displaying said detailed maps on a display unit.

21. The route guiding method for a navigation device in a shopping mail of claim 20 further comprising the acts of automatically searching for a route to a nearest parking area and displaying said route on said display unit.

22. The route guiding method for a navigation device in a shopping mall of claim 20 further comprising the acts of searching for a route to a nearest exit from a current position when said navigation device is turned on within a parking area and displaying said route on said display unit.

23. The route guiding method for a navigation device in a shopping mall of claim 20 further comprising the acts of displaying a map of an overall shopping area and one or more exits of said shopping mall when said navigation device is turned on within a parking area, searching for a route to a selected exit, and displaying said route on said display unit.