Navigation apparatus, map information storage medium, and method of providing information about area lying beyond intersection

• US 6,810,327 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2003
• Issued: 10/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Akashi, Yoshiki
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US10/336,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20030130788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200-213, 701/24, 701/36, 340/990, 340/995, 345/684, 345/472
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3644 Landmark guidance, e.g. using POIs or conspicuous other objects

Abstract

A navigation apparatus includes a route searching unit for searching for a route from a current position of a moving object to a destination or via point based on map information, an intersection extraction unit for extracting information about an intersection that is located forward of the moving object along the route and that is a target for guidance from the map information, an area information extraction unit for extracting plural pieces of area information about areas lying along the route and beyond the intersection from the map information, a comparison unit for comparing specific information included in each piece of area information with information about the destination or via point, and a selection unit for selecting one piece of area information that is to be a target for guidance based on comparison results obtained by the comparison unit among from the plural pieces of area information.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus wherein said apparatus comprises:

a map information acquiring means for acquiring map information;

a position determination means for determining a current position of a moving object;

an input means for inputting a destination or via point;

a route searching means for searching for a route from the current position of the moving object to the destination or via point based on the map information acquired by said map information acquiring means;

an intersection extraction means for extracting information about an intersection that is located forward of the moving object along the route and that is a target for guidance from the acquired map information;

an area information extraction means for extracting one or more pieces of area information about one or more areas lying along the route and beyond the intersection from the acquired map information;

a comparison means for comparing specific information included in each of the plurality of pieces of area information with either destination information about the destination or via point information about the via point;

a selection means for selecting at least one piece of area information that is to be a target for guidance based on comparison results obtained by said comparison means among from the one or more pieces of area information; and

an output means for outputting the selected area information.

2. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said comparison means compares the specific information included in each of the plurality of pieces of area information with either the destination information or the via point information so as to determine a degree of match between them, and said selection means selects one piece of area information according to the degree of match determined by said comparison means.

3. The navigation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of the one or more pieces of area information includes either one of name information about a name of each of the one or more areas lying along the route and beyond the intersection, location information about a location of each of the one or more areas lying along the route and beyond the intersection, distance information about a distance from the intersection to each of the one or more areas lying along the route and beyond the intersection, time information about either a travel time that the moving object experiences while traveling from the intersection to each of the one or more areas lying along the route and beyond the intersection or a time of arrival at each of the one or more areas lying along the route and beyond the intersection, and bearing information about a bearing angle between the intersection and each of the one or more areas lying along the route and beyond the intersection, as the specific information that is compared with the destination information or the via point information by said comparison means.

4. The navigation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said comparison means compares a character string of the name of each of the one or more areas lying along the route and beyond the intersection, which is specified by the name information, with a character string of a name of the destination or via point so as to determine a degree of match between those character strings, and said selection means selects at least one piece of area information about an area having a degree of match determined by said comparison means which is equal to or greater than a predetermined value from among the one or more pieces of area information.

5. The navigation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said comparison means compares the location information about each of the one or more areas lying along the route and beyond the intersection with location information about a location of the destination or via point so as to determine a degree of match between those pieces of location information, and said selection means selects at least one piece of area information about an area lying along the route and beyond the intersection and having a degree of match determined by said comparison means which is equal to or greater than a predetermined value from among the one or more pieces of area information.

6. The navigation apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said comparison means determines a straight line distance between the location of each of the one or more areas lying along the route and beyond the intersection, which is specified by the location information, and the destination or via point, and said selection means selects at least one piece of area information about an area lying along the route and beyond the intersection and having a straight line distance determined by said comparison means which is equal to or less than a predetermined value from among the one or more pieces of area information.

7. The navigation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said comparison means compares the distance information about each of the one or more areas lying along the route and beyond the intersection with distance information about a distance from the intersection to the destination or via point so as to determine a degree of match between those pieces of distance information, and said selection means selects at least one piece of area information about an area lying along the route and beyond the intersection and having a degree of match determined by said comparison means which is equal to or greater than a predetermined value from among the one or more pieces of area information.

8. The navigation apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said comparison means determines, as the degree of match, a difference between a distance from the intersection, by way of roads, to each of the one or more areas lying along the route and beyond the intersection and a distance from the intersection, by way of roads, to the destination or via point, and said selection means selects at least one piece of area information about an area lying along the route and beyond the intersection and having a difference determined by said comparison means whose absolute value is equal to or less than a predetermined value from among the one or more pieces of area information.

9. The navigation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said comparison means compares the time information about each of the one or more areas lying along the route and beyond the intersection with time information about either a travel time that the moving object experiences while traveling from the intersection to the destination or via point or a time of arrival at the destination or via point so as to determine a degree of match between those pieces of time information, and said selection means selects at least one piece of area information about an area lying along the route and beyond the intersection and having a degree of match determined by said comparison means which is equal to or greater than a predetermined value from the plurality of pieces of area information.

10. The navigation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said comparison means compares the bearing information about each of the one or more areas lying along the route and beyond the intersection with bearing information about a bearing angle between the intersection and the destination or via point so as to determine a degree of match between those pieces of bearing information, and said selection means selects at least one piece of area information about an area lying along the route and beyond the intersection and having a degree of match determined by said comparison means which is equal to or greater than a predetermined value from among the one or more pieces of area information.

11. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said selection means selects two or more pieces of area information, said output means outputs only one piece of area information about an area having a shortest distance from the intersection or a shortest travel time that the moving object experiences while traveling from the intersection.

12. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said comparison means determines that either a distance between the current position of the moving object and the intersection or a travel time that the moving object experiences while traveling from the current position to the intersection is equal or less than a predetermined value, said output means outputs information about the intersection including the selected area information.

13. The navigation apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said output means outputs the selected area information by voice.

14. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said input means inputs area information which can be extracted by said area information extraction means.

15. A map information storage medium wherein said medium stores area information including guidance information about a representative point of each of a plurality of areas lying along roads that intersect a route at each of a plurality of intersections,

wherein the plurality of areas lying along the roads that intersect the route are targets for guidance,

wherein the area information includes name information about a name of each of the one or more areas lying along the route and beyond the corresponding intersection, and

wherein the area intersection further includes at least one of location information about a location of each of the one or more areas lying along the route and beyond the corresponding intersection, distance information about a distance from the intersection to each of the one or more areas lying alone the route and beyond the corresponding intersection, time information about either a travel time that the moving object experiences while traveling from the intersection to each of the one or more areas lying along the route and beyond the corresponding intersection or a time of arrival at each of the one or more areas lying along the route and beyond the corresponding intersection, and bearing information about a bearing angle between the intersection and each of the one or more areas lying along the route and beyond the corresponding intersection.

16. A method of providing information about areas lying beyond a certain intersection for users, wherein said method comprises the steps of:

acquiring map information;

determining a current position of a moving object;

inputting a destination or via point;

searching for a route from the current position of the moving object to the destination or via point based on the acquired map information;

extracting information about an intersection that is located forward of the moving object along the route and that is a target for guidance from the acquired map information;

extracting one or more pieces of area information about one or more areas lying along the route and beyond the intersection from the acquired map information;

comparing specific information included in each of the plurality of pieces of area information with destination information about the destination or via point information about the via point;

selecting at least one piece of area information that is to be a target for guidance based on comparison results obtained in said comparison step among from the one or more pieces of area information; and

outputting the selected area information.