Automobile navigation device with guidance

• US 7,421,336 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2004
• Issued: 09/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Takeshi, Terada, Tomohiro, Nakano, Nobuyuki, Iwami, Ryotaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US10/559,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20070106458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,478 Days
• Field of Search: 701200-201, 701/25, 340/995.23, 340/988, 709/207, 707/E17.032, 707/3, 707/E17.109, 731/78, 116/1
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance

Abstract

A navigation device decreasing the frequency at which a user data stored in a data storage section, the navigation device includes a route receiving section for receiving route data, a data selecting section for selecting candidate location data indicating at least one location which exists on the route represented by the route data or in a vicinity of the route, and a location-change designating section for designating a location of change at which a guiding method is to be changed. Further, the navigation device includes a determination section for determining whether a user has arrived at the location of change, and a navigation guidance section for guiding the user to the destination with a relatively detailed method when the determination section determines that the user has arrived at the location of change.

Claims

1. A navigation device comprising:

a data storage unit for storing map data;

a destination designating unit for designating a destination;

a position deriving unit for deriving a current position of a user;

a route receiving unit for receiving route data, the route data representing a route, from the current position derived by the position deriving unit, to the destination designated by the destination designating unit, and the route data being obtained according to the map data stored in the data storage unit;

a data selecting unit for selecting candidate location data, the candidate location data indicating at least one location existing on the route represented by the route data or in a vicinity of the route and satisfying a predetermined condition, the candidate location data being selected based on the route data received by the route receiving unit and the map data stored in the data storage unit;

a location-change designating unit for designating a location of change at which a method of guidance is to be changed, the location of change being designated based on the candidate location data selected by the data selecting unit;

a determination unit for determining whether or not the user has reached the location of change based on the current position derived by the position deriving unit and the location of change designated by the location-change designating unit; and

a navigation guidance unit for (i) guiding the user to the destination using detailed instructions associated with a method of guidance designated when the determination unit determines that the user has arrived at the location of change, and (ii) performing no process of navigation guidance while the determination unit determines that the user has not arrived at the location of change,

wherein the location-change designating unit includes;

a priority assigning unit for assigning a priority to the location indicated by the candidate location data selected by the data selecting unit;

an output unit for outputting the location indicated by the candidate location data selected by the data selecting unit in accordance with the priority assigned by the priority assigning unit; and

a location-change selecting unit for selecting one location of change based on a designation from the user.

2. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the data selecting unit selects, on the route represented by the route data, candidate location data indicating at least one location existing within a range having a predetermined distance, the range extending from the current position derived by the position deriving unit in the direction of the destination designated by the destination designating unit.

3. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the navigation guidance unit guides the user to the destination by voice.

4. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the data selecting unit selects the candidate location data immediately after the route receiving unit generates the route data.

5. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein when the determination unit determines that the user has arrived at the location of change, the navigation guidance unit automatically changes the method of guidance to a detailed method using detailed instructions.

6. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the navigation guidance unit guides the user to the destination by voice.

7. A guiding method executed by a navigation device, the guiding method comprising:

designating a destination;

deriving a current position of a user;

receiving route data, the route data representing a route, from the current position derived by the deriving of the current position, to the destination designated by the designating of the destination, and the route data being obtained according to map data stored in the navigation device;

selecting candidate location data, the candidate location data indicating at least one location existing on the route represented by the route data or in a vicinity of the route and satisfying a predetermined condition, the condition location data being selected based on the route data received by the receiving of the route data and the map data stored in the navigation device;

designating a location of change at which a method of guidance is to be changed, the location of change being designated based on the candidate location data selected by the selecting of the candidate location data;

determining whether or not the user has reached the location of change based on the current position derived by the deriving of the current position and the location of change designated by designating of the location of change; and

guiding the user to the destination using detailed instructions associated with a method of guidance designated when the determining of whether or not the user has reached the location of change determines that the user has arrived at the location of change, and performing no process of navigation guidance while the determining of whether or not the user has reached the location of change determines that the user has not arrived at the location of change,

wherein the determining of whether or not the user has reached the location of change includes;

assigning a priority to the location indicated by the candidate location data selected by the selecting of the candidate location data;

outputting a location indicated by the candidate location data selected by the selecting of the candidate location data in accordance with the priority assigned by the assigning of the priority; and

selecting one location of change based on a designation from the user.

8. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program to be executed by a navigation device for guiding a user to a destination, the computer program causing the navigation device to execute a method comprising:

designating a destination;

deriving a current position of a user;

receiving route data, the route data representing a route, from the current position derived by the deriving of the current position, to the destination designated by the designating of the destination, and the route data being obtained according to map data stored in the navigation device;

selecting location data, the candidate location data indicating at least one location existing on the route represented by the route data or in a vicinity of the route and satisfying a predetermined condition, the candidate location data being selected based on the route data received by the receiving of the route and the map data stored in the navigation device;

designating a location of change at which a method of guidance is to be changed, the location of change being designated based on the candidate location data selected by selecting of the candidate location data;

determining whether or not the user has reached the location of change based on the current position derived by the deriving of the current position and the location of change designated by the designating of the location of change; and

guiding the user to the destination using detailed instructions associated with a method of guidance designated when the determining of whether or not the user has reached the location of change determines that the user has arrived at the location of change, and performing no process of navigation guidance while the determining of whether or not the user has reached the location of change determines that the user has not arrived at the location of change,

wherein the determining of whether or not the user has reached the location of change includes;

assigning a priority to the location indicated by the candidate location data selected by the selecting of the candidate location data;

outputting a location indicated by the candidate location data selected by the selecting of the candidate location data in accordance with the priority assigned by the assigning of the priority; and

selecting one location of change based on a designation from the user.