Vehicle navigation apparatus for controlling map-matching areas

• US 7,346,450 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2004
• Issued: 03/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Usui, Yoshimasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Broadhead, Brian J
• Application Number:
  US10/817,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20040204827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,442 Days
• Field of Search: 701/205, 701/208, 701/210, 701/211, 701/214, 340/995.25
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching

Abstract

A stop area is set in an arbitrary area where map matching processing is to be stopped, by an operation switch group or a remote controller. When a vehicle enters the stop area, the map matching processing is stopped, and when the vehicle exits from the stop area, the map matching processing is performed. It is supposed that a situation where the map matching processing should be performed has changed to a situation where the map matching processing should be stopped or vice versa. Here, since the stop area can be set in advance, it is not necessary to perform any selection operation. Thus, load on a driver during driving the vehicle can be reduced.

Claims

1. A vehicle navigation apparatus provided in a vehicle, comprising:

a map data storage unit for storing map data;

a display unit to display at least a vehicle current position and a map around the vehicle current position using the map data stored in the map data storage unit;

a position data measurement unit for measuring data on the vehicle current position;

a travel locus calculation unit for calculating a travel locus of the vehicle based on the data on the vehicle current position measured by the position data measurement unit;

a map matching processing unit for performing a map matching processing by comparing a shape of each road in the map data stored in the map data storage unit with a shape of the travel locus calculated by the travel locus calculation unit and estimating a travel road where the vehicle is traveling;

a display control unit for displaying a vehicle mark indicating the vehicle current position and the map around the vehicle current position on the display unit such that the vehicle current position exists on the travel road estimated by the map matching processing unit;

a stop area setting unit for setting a stop area in an arbitrary area in the map data; and

a stop unit for, when the vehicle current position stands in the stop area set by the stop area setting unit, stopping the map matching processing performed by the map matching processing unit.

2. The vehicle navigation apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the stop area includes an entry stop area and an exit stop area,

wherein the entry stop area is a stop area that is used when the vehicle enters the stop area while the exit stop area is a stop area that is used when the vehicle exits from the stop area, and

wherein the exit stop area includes the entry stop area to cover a wider range than the entry stop area.

3. The vehicle navigation apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the stop area setting unit is capable of setting a plurality of stop areas, and upon setting, arbitrary names are provided, and further wherein the vehicle navigation apparatus further comprises a stop area display control unit for displaying a list of the names of the set stop areas on the display unit.

4. The vehicle navigation apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a stop area editing unit capable editing names, positions, and sizes of the stop areas.

5. The vehicle navigation apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a stop area deletion unit for deleting the stop area set by the stop area setting unit.

6. The vehicle navigation apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a release area setting unit for setting a release area to release stoppage of the map matching processing by the stop unit within the stop area set by the stop area setting unit.

7. A vehicle navigation apparatus provided in a vehicle, comprising:

a map data storage unit for storing map data;

a display unit to display at least a vehicle current position and a map around the vehicle current position using the map data stored in the map data storage unit;

a position data measurement unit for measuring data on the vehicle current position;

a travel locus calculation unit for calculating a travel locus of the vehicle based on the data on the vehicle current position measured by the position data measurement unit;

a map matching processing unit for performing a map matching processing by comparing a shape of each road in the map data stored in the map data storage unit with a shape of the travel locus calculated by the travel locus calculation unit and estimating a travel road where the vehicle is traveling;

a display control unit for displaying a vehicle mark indicating the vehicle current position and the map around the vehicle current position on the display unit such that the vehicle current position exists on the travel road estimated by the map matching processing unit;

an execution area setting unit for setting an execution area in an arbitrary area in the map data; and

an enable unit for, when the vehicle current position stands in the execution area set by the execution area setting unit, enabling the map matching processing performed by the map matching processing unit.

8. The vehicle navigation apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

a selection unit for selecting a map matching processing execution mode for executing the map matching processing performed by the map matching processing unit or a map matching processing stop mode for stopping the map matching processing,

wherein the execution area setting unit sets the execution area for executing the map matching processing in the map matching processing stop mode, and

wherein, when the vehicle current position stands within the execution area, the enable unit enables the map matching processing performed by the map matching processing unit even in the map matching processing stop mode.

9. The vehicle navigation apparatus of claim 7,

wherein the execution area includes an entry execution area and an exit execution area,

wherein the entry execution area is an execution area that is used, when the vehicle enters the execution area while the exit execution area is an execution area that is used when the vehicle exits from the execution area, and

wherein the exit execution area includes the entry execution area to cover a wider range than the entry execution area.

10. A switching method for stopping a map matching processing, to be used in a navigation apparatus provided in a vehicle, wherein the navigation apparatus includes a map data storage unit for storing map data, display unit to display at least a vehicle current position and a map around the vehicle current position using the map data stored in the map data storage unit, position data measurement unit for measuring data on the vehicle current position, a travel locus calculation unit for calculating a travel locus of the vehicle based on the data on the vehicle current position measured by the position data measurement unit, a map matching processing unit for performing the map matching processing by comparing a shape of each road in the map data stored in the map data storage unit with a shape of the travel locus calculated by the travel locus calculation unit and estimating a travel road where the vehicle is traveling, and a display control unit for displaying a vehicle mark indicating the vehicle current position and the map around the vehicle current position on the display unit such that the vehicle current position exists on the travel road estimated by the map matching processing unit, the switching method comprising steps of:

setting a stop area in an arbitrary area in the map data; and

stopping the map matching processing performed by the map matching processing unit when the vehicle current position stands in the set stop area.

11. A switching method for enabling a map matching processing, to be used in a navigation apparatus provided in a vehicle, wherein the navigation apparatus includes a map data storage unit for storing map data, a display unit to display at least a vehicle current position and a map around the vehicle current position using the map data stored in the map data storage unit, a position data measurement unit for measuring data on the vehicle current position current position, a travel locus calculation unit for calculating a travel locus of the vehicle based on the data on the vehicle current position measured by the position data measurement unit, a map matching processing unit for performing the map matching processing by comparing a shape of each road in the map data stored in the map data storage unit with a shape of the travel locus calculated by the travel locus calculation unit and estimating a travel road where the vehicle is traveling, and a display control unit for displaying a vehicle mark indicating the vehicle current position and the map around the vehicle current position on the display unit such that the vehicle current position exists on the travel road estimated by the map matching processing unit, the switching method comprising steps of:

setting an execution area in an arbitrary area in the map data; and

enabling the map matching processing performed by the map matching processing unit when the vehicle current position stands in the set execution area.