Navigation system
First Claim
1. A navigation system which reads out map data from a plurality of disk storage media each having stored thereon map data describing one area and provides navigation information for each area, said navigation system comprising:
- current vehicle position detecting means for detecting the current vehicle position;
disk storage drive adapted to unloadably load therein a selected one of said plurality of storage media, for reading out map data from said loaded selected storage medium;
route searching means for searching a route from the current vehicle position to a destination based on the map data;
decision means for deciding whether said current vehicle position detected by said current vehicle position detecting means is inside or outside an area described by predetermined map data stored on said storage medium loaded in said disk storage drive; and
disk-switching message producing means which, when it is decided by said decision means that said current vehicle position is outside said area, produces a message for disk switching to that one of said plurality of storage media which has stored therein map data describing an area covering said detected current vehicle position, wherein each time the disk switching is effected, said route searching means reads out map data from the storage medium newly loaded in the disk storage drive and searches for an optimum route within an area described by the map data read out from the newly loaded storage medium.
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Accused Products
Abstract
When it is decided that the current vehicle position is outside an area described by map data stored on a CD-ROM 21-i loaded in a disk storage drive 1, a disk-switching message is produced for switching the CD-ROM 21-i to a CD-ROM 21-j having stored thereon map data describing the area covering the current vehicle position. This makes the user aware of the necessity for switching to the CD-ROM 21-j having the map data describing the area toward which the vehicle is traveling; hence, reliable navigation information is provided continuously over an extended route to the user'"'"'s destination.
13 Citations
3 Claims
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1. A navigation system which reads out map data from a plurality of disk storage media each having stored thereon map data describing one area and provides navigation information for each area, said navigation system comprising:
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current vehicle position detecting means for detecting the current vehicle position;
disk storage drive adapted to unloadably load therein a selected one of said plurality of storage media, for reading out map data from said loaded selected storage medium;
route searching means for searching a route from the current vehicle position to a destination based on the map data;
decision means for deciding whether said current vehicle position detected by said current vehicle position detecting means is inside or outside an area described by predetermined map data stored on said storage medium loaded in said disk storage drive; and
disk-switching message producing means which, when it is decided by said decision means that said current vehicle position is outside said area, produces a message for disk switching to that one of said plurality of storage media which has stored therein map data describing an area covering said detected current vehicle position, wherein each time the disk switching is effected, said route searching means reads out map data from the storage medium newly loaded in the disk storage drive and searches for an optimum route within an area described by the map data read out from the newly loaded storage medium. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
said decision means decides whether said user'"'"'s destination is inside or outside said area described by said predetermined map data stored on said storage medium loaded in said disk storage drive; and
said disk-switching message producing means produces a message for disk switching to that one of said plurality of storage media which has stored therein map data describing an area covering said user'"'"'s destination when it is decided by said decision means that said user'"'"'s destination is outside said area.
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3. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:
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said decision means decides whether said current vehicle position detected by said current vehicle position detecting means is inside a predetermined one of areas described by map data stored on said storage means loaded in said disk storage drive; and
said disk-switching message producing means produces a message for disk switching to that one of said plurality of storage media which has stored therein map data describing a neighboring area in the direction of travel said vehicle when it is decided by said decision means that said user'"'"'s destination is outside said area.
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Specification