Route provision apparatus, route provision method, navigation system, and computer program for route provision apparatus or navigation system

• US 7,054,744 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2003
• Issued: 05/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Yano, Kenichiro, Nambata, Ippei, Hirose, Chihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US10/689,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20040083055A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 701/209, 701/210, 701/211, 340/995.19, 340/995.21
• US Class Current: 701/210
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents

Abstract

A route provision apparatus includes: a veering detecting unit for employing the current positioning data obtained by a position acquisition unit and route data for an originally determined travel route to detect whether a vehicle has veered away from a determined travel route; and a travel route determination unit for determining a new travel route when the vehicle has veered away from the determined travel route, wherein the travel route determination unit employs the detection results obtained by the veering detecting unit 62 to determine a new travel route in accordance with one or more of route determination conditions.

Claims

1. A route provision apparatus comprising:

a position acquisition unit configured to obtain current positioning data including information of a current position of a mobile object;

veering detecting unit configured to employ the current positioning data to detect a veering state in which the mobile object has veered from a determined travel route,

wherein the determined travel route has a destination; and

a travel route determination unit configured to select a route determination condition from among a plurality of route determination conditions based on the veering state, and to determine a new travel route based on the selected route determination condition, when the veering detecting unit detects the veering of the mobile object,

wherein the plurality of route determination conditions include;

a return route search condition for determining the new travel route from the current position to a specific point along the determined travel route;

a first revised route search condition for determining the new travel route from the current position to the destination; and

a second revised route search condition for determining the new travel route from the current position to the destination.

2. The route provision apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first revised route search condition comprises a condition to reduce a numerical value for a linking cost for a road that is used for the determined travel route.

3. The route provision apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second revised route search condition comprises a condition to increase a numerical value for a linking cost for a road that is used for the determined travel route.

4. The route provision apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first revised route search condition comprises a condition to increase a numerical value for a linking cost for a road that is used for the determined travel route.

5. The route provision apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the route determination unit selects the return route search condition as the route determination condition when the veering state is a state in which an approaching direction of the mobile object is within a predetermined angle with respect to a guiding direction set based on the determined travel route.

6. The route provision apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the route determination unit selects the return route search condition as the route determination condition when the veering state is a state in which the mobile object is located on a narrow road.

7. The route provision apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the route determination unit selects from between the first revised route determination condition and the second revised route determination condition based on a number of times the mobile object has previously veered from a travel route before the mobile object currently veered from the determined travel route.

8. A navigation system comprising:

a position acquisition unit configured to obtain current positioning data including information of a current position of a mobile object;

veering detecting unit configured to employ the current positioning data to detect a veering state in which the mobile object has veered from a determined travel route,

wherein the determined travel route has a destination; and

a travel route determination unit configured to select a route determination condition from among a plurality of route determination conditions based on the veering state, and to determine a new travel route based on the selected route determination condition, when the veering detecting unit detects the veering of the mobile object,

wherein the plurality of route determination conditions include;

a return route search condition for determining the new travel route from the current position to a specific point along the determined travel route;

a first revised route search condition for determining the new travel route from the current position to the destination; and

a second revised route search condition for determining the new travel route from the current position to the destination.

9. A route provision method comprising:

obtaining current positioning data including information of a mobile object;

employing the current positioning data to detect a veering of the mobile object from a determined travel route; and

detecting a veering state in which the mobile object has veered away from the determined travel route;

selecting a route determination condition from among a plurality of route determination conditions when the veering of the mobile object from the determined travel route is detected based on the veering state, the plurality of route determination conditions including;

a return route search condition for determining a new travel route from the current position to a specific point along the determined travel route;

a first revised route search condition for determining the new travel route from the current position to the destination; and

a second revised route search condition for determining the new travel route from the current position to the destination; and

determining the new travel route based on the selected route determination condition.

10. A computer readable medium having a computer program product for causing a computer to execute procedures, comprising:

obtaining current positioning data including information of a mobile object;

employing the current positioning data to detect a veering state in which the mobile object has veered from a determined travel route,

wherein the determined travel route has a destination; and

selecting a route determination condition from among a plurality of route determination conditions based on the veering state, and determining a new travel route based on the selected route determination condition, when the veering of the mobile object from the determined travel route is detected,

wherein the plurality of route determination conditions include;

a return route search condition for determining the new travel route from the current position to a specific point along the determined travel route;

a first revised route search condition for determining the new travel route from the current position to the destination; and

a second revised route search condition for determining the new travel route from the current position to the destination.

11. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 10 further comprising means for displaying the determined travel route.

12. A navigation apparatus, comprising:

a positioning circuit that outputs positioning data indicating a current position of a mobile object; and

a control circuit that determines when the mobile object veers from a previously determined route,

wherein, when a veering of the mobile object has a first characteristic, the control circuit determines a new travel route from the current position to a specific point along the previously determined route other than a destination of the previously determined route,

wherein, when the veering of the mobile object has a second characteristic, the control circuit determines the new travel route from the current position to the destination based on a first route determination condition; and

wherein, when the veering of the mobile object has a third characteristic, the control circuit determines the new travel route from the current position to the destination based on a second route determination condition.

13. The navigation apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first route determination condition comprises a condition to reduce a linking cost for a road of the previously determined route.

14. The navigation apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the second route determination condition comprises a condition to increase a linking cost for the road of the previously determined route.

15. The navigation apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first route determination condition comprises a condition to increase a linking cost for a road of the previously determined route.

16. The navigation apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the second characteristic comprises an angle between a travel direction of the mobile object and a guiding direction corresponding to the previously determined route.

17. The navigation apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first characteristic comprises the mobile object veering onto a narrow road.

18. The navigation apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the second characteristic corresponds to a number of times the mobile object has previously veered before the mobile object currently veered from the previously determined route.