Navigation device and navigation method

• US 6,804,603 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2001
• Issued: 10/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Ukita, Tomohiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US09/887,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20010044694A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/208, 701/211
• US Class Current: 701/200
• 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

Abstract

A route from a present position of a vehicle to a destination is displayed, the names of intersections existing on the route and the distance to the intersections are also displayed.

Claims

1. A navigation device comprising:

a route searching means which searches a route from a present position of a vehicle to a destination;

a route guiding means which extracts each intersection existing on the route searched by said route searching means and calculates a distance from the present position of the vehicle to each of the intersections; and

a display means which displays the route searched by said route searching means and further displays the distance to each intersection and a name of each intersection extracted by said route guiding means.

2. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said route guiding means is adapted to confirm passage of the intersection by the vehicle and to give a change command with respect to the intersection to be displayed to the display means.

3. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said display means is adapted to display a direction of travel at an intersection when the intersection extracted by said route guiding means is a turning point intersection.

4. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said display means is adapted to display an intersection with emphasis when the intersection extracted by said route guiding means is a turning point intersection.

5. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said display means is adapted to display a fact of a non-recordal of an intersection name when the name of the intersection extracted by said route guiding means is not recorded on a map information.

6. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said display means is adapted to generate a temporary name of an intersection from information related to the intersection and to display the temporary name, when a name of the intersection extracted by said route guiding means is not recorded on a map information.

7. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said display means is adapted to display a landmark or a traffic signal mark together with the name of an intersection when information about the landmark or the traffic signal mark related to the intersection extracted by said route guiding means is recorded on a map information.

8. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said display means is adapted to display intersections at points of congestion with emphasis when congestion information with respect to the route searched by said route searching means is received.

9. A navigation method comprising the steps of:

searching a route from a present position of a vehicle to a destination;

extracting each intersection existing on said route;

calculating a distance from the present position to each intersection; and

displaying the route, the distance to each intersection and the name of each intersection.

10. The navigation method according to claim 9, which is adapted to change an intersection to be displayed upon confirmation of the vehicle passing through the intersection.

11. The navigation method according to claim 9, which is adapted to display a direction of travel at an intersection when the intersection existing on the route is a turning point intersection.

12. The navigation method according to claim 9, which is adapted to display an intersection with emphasis when the intersection existing on the route is a turning point intersection.

13. The navigation method according to claim 9, which is adapted to display a fact of a non-recordal of an intersection name when the name of the intersection existing on the route is not recorded on a map information.

14. The navigation method according to claim 9, which is adapted to generate a temporary name of an intersection from information related to the intersection and to display the temporary name, when a name of the intersection existing on the route is not recorded on a map information.

15. The navigation method according to claim 9, which is adapted to display a landmark or a traffic signal mark together with the name of an intersection when information on the landmark or the traffic signal mark related to the intersection existing on the route is recorded on a map information.

16. The navigation method according to claim 9, which is adapted to display intersections at points of congestion with emphasis when congestion information with respect to the searched route is received.

17. A navigation device comprising:

a route searching device, which searches a route from a present position to a destination;

a route guiding device, which extracts each intersection, and identifying information for each intersection, existing on the route and calculates the distances from the present position to each intersection; and

a display device, which displays the route, each intersection, identifying information for each intersection, and distances.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein

said display device displays the route and intersections as a map with the names of the intersections on the map.

19. The device according to claim 18, wherein

said display device further displays landmarks on the map and identifies the landmarks by predetermined symbols or names.

20. The device according to claim 19, wherein

said display device further displays traffic control identifiers on the map and identifies the identifiers by predetermined symbols or names.