Intersection search apparatus and intersection search method therefor

• US 6,950,744 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2002
• Issued: 09/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Daizen, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US10/151,097
• Publication Number:
  US 20040201501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: 701/209, 701/210, 701/25, 701/26, 701/207, 701/208, 701/211, 340/995.21, 340/990, 340/905, 340/995.13, 340/988, 340/995.19, 340/995.2, 731/78.R
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance

Abstract

An intersection search apparatus includes: a map information retrieve unit to retrieve map information; an input unit to specify a road to be searched and/or intersection-related information on a facility and/or a featuring object from roads included in the map information; an intersection search unit to search an intersection which exists on the road to be searched and specified by the input unit and to which the facility and/or the featuring object of the specified intersection-related information are adjacent from the map; and an output unit to output the intersection information related to the intersection search by the intersection search unit.

Claims

1. An intersection search apparatus, comprising:

a map information retrieve unit to retrieve map information;

an input unit to specify a road to be searched and intersection related information from roads and intersection related information included in the map information, wherein the intersection related information being selected from at least one of a facility and a featuring object;

an intersection search unit to search for an intersection, regardless of present position of a vehicle, without using intersecting street name as an input, which exists on said road to be searched and specified by said input unit and to which said at least one of said facility and said featuring object, of said specified intersection related information is adjacent; and

an output unit to output the intersection information related to said intersection searched by said intersection search unit.

2. The intersection search apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said input unit specifies and selects from a combination of a plurality of facilities and featuring objects.

3. The intersection search apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said intersection search unit searches for an intersection along the road specified by said input unit and to which the at least one of the facility and the featuring object specified and selected by said input unit is adjacent within a predetermined distance.

4. The intersection search apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said intersection information includes any one of or any combination of:

the kind, the name and the position of said intersection;

the number, the kinds, the name, the directions, the destination, the widths, and the number of lanes of road crossing said intersection;

the numbers, the names, the positions, and the distances from the intersection of the facilities or the featuring objects adjacent to said intersection;

traffic regulation information related to said intersection;

a beeline distance, a route distance and a travel time from a predetermined place to said intersection.

5. The intersection search apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said output unit outputs said intersection information in a form to be visually or audibly recognized.

6. The intersection search apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said output unit displays a list of intersection information related to at least one intersection.

7. The intersection search apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said output unit displays said list of intersection information sorted in order of priority when it outputs said intersection information with its respective attributes.

8. The intersection search apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said output unit displays said list of intersection information sorted in order of:

the initial letter of the name of said intersection or a crossing road;

the width of the crossing road;

or a distance or a travel time from a predetermined place to said intersection.

9. The intersection search apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said output unit outputs said intersection information selected from the intersection information displayed in said list.

10. The intersection search apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said output unit emphatically displays said selected intersection and the specified facility or featuring object on a map by means that said selected intersection and the specified facility or featuring object adjacent to said selected intersection are displayed with their symbols different in color or shape or flickered.

11. An intersection search method, comprising:

retrieving map information;

specifying a road to be searched and intersection-related information from roads and intersection related information included in the map information, wherein the intersection related information being selected from at least one of a facility and a featuring object;

searching for an intersection, regardless of present position of a vehicle, without using intersecting street name as an input, which exists on said specified road to be searched to which the at least one of the facility and the featuring object of said specified and selected intersection-related information is adjacent from said map information; and

outputting said intersection information related to said intersection searched by said searching.