Car navigation system and program

• US 7,363,146 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2005
• Issued: 04/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Yokota, Yasunari
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Dalena
• Application Number:
  US11/153,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20050288851A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/207, 701/208, 701/210, 701/211, 340/990, 340/995.1, 340/995.14, 340/995.18
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3878 Hierarchical structures, e.g. layering

Abstract

When a corridor operation is conducted in a car navigation system, a stoppable place where a vehicle is able to stop is retrieved before a map disk is removed. The stoppable place is a place that is located along a route to a destination and also as close as possible to a regional boundary of map data clipped out from the map disk to an external memory. When the stoppable place is retrieved, route guiding is performed so that the retrieved stoppable place is regarded as a temporary destination. Therefore, re-setting the map disk can be safely achieved by stopping the vehicle at the stoppable place, which helps prevent usability of the corridor operation from deteriorating.

Claims

1. A car navigation system provided in a vehicle, the system comprising:

a current position designating unit configured to designate a current position of the vehicle;

a route guiding unit configured to indicate a guiding route to a destination;

a disk reproducing unit that is able to read and reproduce data from one of (i) a first disk storing map data covering a predetermined map range including the guiding route to the destination and (ii) a second disk storing data other than the map data, wherein the first disk and the second disk are interchangeable in the disk reproducing unit;

a storing unit that stores a portion of the map data partially read out from the first disk via the disk reproducing unit based on the current position, the portion of the map data corresponding to a given partial range included in the predetermined map range, the given partial range not including the destination while covering a partial route included within the guiding route up to a peripheral boundary of the given partial range without reaching the destination; and

a controlling unit configured to cause a display unit to display a map

based on map data read out from the first disk when the first disk is reproduced by the disk reproducing unit or

based on the portion of the map data, which is corresponding to the given partial range and stored in the storing unit when the second disk is reproduced by the disk reproducing unit;

wherein, when the controlling unit causes the display unit to display a map based on the portion of the map data, the controlling unit causes the route guiding unit to indicate a route to a temporary destination that is as close as possible to the peripheral boundary of the given partial range of the map data along the guiding route to the destination and is a stoppable place where the vehicle is able to stop.

2. The navigation system of claim 1,

wherein the map data includes facility data that indicate facilities, and

wherein a facility that is supposed to have a parking place is designated based on the facility data when the stoppable place is determined.

3. The navigation system of claim 2,

wherein at least two of the facilities are considered when the stoppable place is determined, wherein a first of the two is a distance from the peripheral boundary along the guiding route to the destination and a second of the two is an advancing lane or an opposite lane of a facility which the vehicle faces.

4. The navigation system of claim 1, further comprising:

an accepting unit that accepts an instruction of a user,

wherein, when the controlling unit accepts an instruction of temporarily storing map data via the accepting unit,

the controlling unit causes the storing unit to store the given partial range of the map data that is partially read out from the first disk that is reproduced.

5. The navigation system of claim 4,

wherein, when the controlling unit accepts the instruction of temporarily storing map data via the accepting unit,

the controlling unit causes the storing unit to store the given partial range of the map data that is partially read out from the first disk, based on the current position.

6. The navigation system of claim 1, further comprising:

a notifying unit that notifies a user,

wherein, when no map data is stored in the storing unit, the controlling unit causes the notifying unit to notify the user of information that no map data is stored in the storing unit.

7. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein

stopping the vehicle at the temporary destination allows reading a certain portion of the map data from the first disk, which is to be switched from the second disk in the disk reproducing unit, the certain portion of the map data covering a route towards the destination from the temporary destination.

8. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein

the stoppable place is where the vehicle can park.

9. The navigation system of claim 1,

wherein, when the controlling unit causes the route guiding unit to indicate the route to the temporary destination, the storing unit further does not store map data which is not read out from the first disk and which includes the guiding route beyond the peripheral boundary of the given partial range.

10. A car navigation system provided in a vehicle, the system comprising:

a current position designating unit configured to designate a current position of the vehicle;

a disk reproducing unit that is able to read and reproduce data from one of a first disk storing map data covering a predetermined map range including a guiding route to a final destination and a second disk storing data other than the map data, wherein the first disk and the second disk are interchangeable in the disk reproducing unit;

a storing unit that stores a portion of the map data partially read out from the first disk via the disk reproducing unit based on the current position, the portion of the map data corresponding to a given partial range included in the predetermined map range, the given partial range covering a route to reach a peripheral boundary of the given partial range;

a controlling unit configured to cause a display unit to display a map

based on map data read out from the first disk when the first disk is reproduced by the disk reproducing unit or

based on the portion of the map data, which is corresponding to the given partial range and stored in the storing unit when the second disk is reproduced by the disk reproducing unit;

a notifying unit that notifies a user,

wherein, in a case that the controlling unit causes the display unit to display a map based on the portion of the map data stored in the storing unit,

the controlling unit causes the notifying unit to notify a place where the vehicle is able to stop and that is located from the current position to the peripheral boundary of the given partial range, when the vehicle approaches the peripheral boundary within a given distance.

11. The navigation system of claim 10, wherein

stopping the vehicle at the notified place allows reading a certain portion of the map data from the first disk, which is to be switched from the second disk in the disk reproducing unit, the certain portion of the map data covering a route outward of the peripheral boundary of the given partial range.

12. The navigation system of claim 10, wherein

the place where the vehicle is able to stop is where the vehicle can park.

13. The navigation system of claim 10,

wherein, when the controlling unit causes the notifying unit to notify the place, the storing unit further does not store map data which is not read out from the first disk and which includes the guiding route beyond the peripheral boundary of the given partial range.

14. A computer program product in a computer-readable medium for use in a oar navigation system provided in a vehicle, the car navigation system including

a current position designating unit configured to designate a current position of the vehicle;

a disk reproducing unit that is able to read and reproduce data from one of (i) a first disk storing map data covering a predetermined map range including the guiding route to a final destination, and (ii) a second disk storing data other than the map data, wherein the first disk and the second disk are interchangeable in the disk reproducing unit; and

a storing unit that stores a portion of the map data partially read out from the first disk via the disk reproducing unit based on the current position, the portion of the map data corresponding to a given partial range included in the predetermined map range, the given partial range not including the destination while covering a partial route included within the guiding route up to a peripheral boundary of the given partial range without reaching the destination;

the computer program product comprising;

instructions for causing a display unit to display a map

based on map data read out from the first disk when the first disk is reproduced by the disk reproducing unit or

based on the portion of the map data, which is corresponding to the given partial range and stored in the storing unit when the second disk is reproduced by the disk reproducing unit; and

instructions for indicating a route to a temporary destination that is a stoppable place where the vehicle is able to stop when the display unit is caused to display a map based on the portion of the map data, wherein the temporary destination is as close as possible to the peripheral boundary of the given partial range of the map data along the guiding route to the final destination.

15. A computer program product in a computer-readable medium for use in a car navigation system provided in a vehicle, the car navigation system including

a current position designating unit configured to designate a current position of the vehicle;

a disk reproducing unit that is able to read and reproduce data from one of a first disk storing map data covering a predetermined map range including a guiding route to a final destination and a second disk storing data other than the map data, wherein the first disk and the second disk are interchangeable in the disk reproducing unit; and

a storing unit that stores a portion of the map data partially read out from the first disk via the disk reproducing unit based on the current position, the portion of the map data corresponding to a given partial range included in the predetermined map range, the given partial range covering a route to reach a peripheral boundary of the given partial range;

the computer program product comprising;

instructions for causing a display unit to display a map

based on map data read out from the first disk when the first disk is reproduced by the disk reproducing unit or

based on the portion of the map data, which is corresponding to the given partial range and stored in the storing unit when the second disk is reproduced by the disk reproducing unit; and

instructions for notifying a user of a stoppable place where the vehicle is able to stop when the vehicle approaches the peripheral boundary of the given partial range within a given distance, in a case that the display unit is caused to display a map based on the portion of the map data, wherein the stoppable place is located from the current position to the peripheral boundary of the given partial range.