Navigation apparatus, navigation method, and navigation program

• US 7,328,101 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2005
• Issued: 02/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Hiroki, Zaitsu, Tomoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Dalena
• Application Number:
  US11/104,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20050251329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 701/118, 701/207, 701/300, 340/907, 340/934, 340/909, 340/936, 340/937, 340/903, 342/454, 342/456
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle

Abstract

Navigation apparatus, methods, and programs merge and correct a plurality of types of past traffic information. The apparatus, methods, and programs may store a plurality of types of past traffic information, each type of past traffic information having a priority and may merge the stored past traffic information in accordance the priorities. The apparatus, methods, and programs may detect adjacency relationships among the plurality of links; and, if a detected link number indicates that the corresponding link is not adjacent to adjacent links, replaces the detected link number for the link, the replaced link number indicating that the link is adjacent to the adjacent links.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus, comprising:

a controller that;

receives current traffic information;

stores a plurality of types of past traffic information, each type of past traffic information having a priority; and

merges the stored past traffic information in accordance with the priorities set by use of the current traffic information.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller:

calculates, for each type of stored past traffic information, a time difference between a travel time of the stored past traffic information and a travel time of the current traffic information; and

sets the priority for each type of the stored past traffic information based on the calculated time difference.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller merges the stored past traffic information by overwriting low-priority stored past traffic information with high-priority stored past traffic information.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the controller merges the stored past traffic information by weighted averaging low-priority stored past traffic information with high-priority stored past traffic information, the high-priority stored past traffic information having a higher weight than the low-priority stored past traffic information.

5. A apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

the weight for each type of the stored past traffic information is determined by multiplying the stored past traffic information by a specified ratio, prior to calculating the average; and

each specified ratio is set for the corresponding type of past traffic information according to the priorities.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller merges the stored past traffic information for each of a plurality of predetermined areas.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller sets the priority for each type of stored past traffic information for each of a plurality of predetermined time periods.

8. A navigation method, comprising:

receiving current traffic information;

storing a plurality of types of past traffic information, each type of past traffic information having a priority; and

merging the stored past traffic information in accordance with the priorities set by use of the current traffic information.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

calculating, for each type of stored past traffic information, a time difference between a travel time of the stored past traffic information and a travel time of the current traffic information; and

setting the priority for each type of the stored past traffic information based on the calculated time difference.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein merging the stored past traffic information comprises merging the stored past traffic information by overwriting low-priority stored past traffic information with high-priority stored past traffic information.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein:

merging the stored past traffic information comprises merging the stored past traffic information by weighted averaging low-priority stored past traffic information with high-priority stored past traffic information, the high-priority stored past traffic information having a higher weight than the low-priority stored past traffic information.

12. A method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining the weight for each type of the stored past traffic information is by multiplying the stored past traffic information by a specified ratio, prior to calculating the average; and

setting each specified ratio for the corresponding type of past traffic information according to the priorities.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein merging the stored past traffic information comprises merging the stored past traffic information for each of a plurality of predetermined areas.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

setting the priority for each type of stored past traffic information for each of a plurality of predetermined time periods.

15. A storage medium storing a set of program instructions executable on a data processing device and useable to implement the method of claim 8.