Navigation system for restrictively outputting warning and warning generating apparatus and method for restrictively outputting warning in a navigation system

• US 7,437,241 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2004
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Chul-Hwan, Jung, Sang-Yoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Dalena
• Application Number:
  US10/757,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20040199326A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,735 Days
• Field of Search: 701 93- 95, 701/117, 701/207, 701/208, 701/213, 701/119, 180/170, 180/171, 180/168, 340/901, 340/905, 340/902, 340/907, 340/929, 340/936, 123/351, 342/357.13, 342/357.17
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0058 responsive to externally generated signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/046 involving external transmission of data to or from the vehicle, e.g. via telemetry, satellite, Global Positioning System [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/00 Input parameters relating to infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096861 where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA

Abstract

A navigation system utilizing a warning generating apparatus is disclosed. The warning generating apparatus includes a data receiving unit for receiving route guidance information data and current weather/time information from an external information center; a data analyzing unit for judging whether warning data has been included in the route guidance information data outputted from the data receiving unit; a sensor for sensing a current travel speed of a movable body; a restricted warning generating unit for receiving the route guidance information data having the warning data from the data analyzing unit if the route guidance information data is judged to include the warning data, and for determining whether it will output a warning for the warning data, based on warning generation conditions stored in advance according to a kind of the warning data; and a warning/guidance output unit for outputting warning information when the warning information has been transmitted after the warning has been determined to be outputted by the restricted warning generating unit.

Claims

1. A warning generating apparatus for generating a warning in a navigation system, the apparatus comprising:

a data receiving unit for receiving route guidance information data including path information to a destination and current weather information;

a data analyzing unit for determining whether warning data has been included in the route guidance information data outputted from the data receiving unit;

a sensor for sensing a current travel speed of a movable body;

a restricted warning generating unit for receiving the route guidance information data from the data analyzing unit if the route guidance information data includes the warning data, for receiving the current travel speed from the sensor, and for determining whether the restricted warning generating unit will output a warning for the warning data based on the current travel speed, the warning data, the current weather information and warning generation conditions stored in advance corresponding to a type of the warning data; and

a warning/guidance output unit for outputting the warning corresponding to the warning data, when the restricted warning generating unit determines to output the warning,

wherein the warning data and the warning generation conditions include data for weather conditions and regulation speed.

2. The warning generating apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

wherein, when the current weather information is snow or rain, the regulation speed is reduced.

3. The warning generating apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the data receiving unit receives route guidance information data which further includes current time information.

4. The warning generating apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the data receiving unit receives the route guidance information data which further includes road information representing danger information.

5. The warning generating apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the sensor further includes a speed sensor which is installed on a predetermined position of the movable body and which senses the travel speed of the movable body.

6. The warning generating apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the sensor receives the travel speed of the movable body from a speed sensor which is installed on a predetermined position of the movable body and which senses the travel speed of the movable body.

7. The warning generating apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the restricted warning generating unit further

receives route guidance information data having current time/weather information from the data receiving unit and receives the current travel speed of the movable body from the sensor,

determines actual travel environment information of the movable body,

checks the warning data transmitted from the data analyzing unit,

compares warning generation conditions corresponding to the checked warning data with the actual travel environment information,

determines to output a warning only when the actual travel environment information satisfies the warning generation conditions corresponding to the warning data, and

outputs the warning information to the warning/guidance output unit if it is determined to output the warning.

8. The warning generating apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

wherein when the route guidance information data does not include warning data when the route guidance information data is transmitted from the data analyzing unit, the warning/guidance output unit general path guidance information based on the route guidance information data.

9. A warning generating method for generating a warning of a navigation system, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving route guidance information data including path information to a destination and current weather information;

determining whether warning data has been included in the received route guidance information data;

checking a kind of the warning data when the warning data has been included in the route guidance information data;

determining if a warning corresponding to the warning data will be outputted, based on the checked kind of the warning data, based on warning generation conditions stored in advance according to the kind of the warning data and based on the current weather information; and

outputting the warning corresponding to the warning data when it is determined to output the warning,

wherein the warning data and the warning generation conditions include data for weather conditions and regulation speed.

10. The warning generating method as claimed in claim 9,

wherein the received route guidance information data includes current time information.

11. The warning generating method as claimed in claim 9,

wherein the received route guidance information data includes the regulation speed and road information.

12. The warning generating method as claimed in claim 9,

wherein the determining step further comprises the steps of

receiving current weather/time information and a current travel speed of a movable body and determining actual travel environment information of the movable body;

comparing warning generation conditions corresponding to the checked kind of the warning data with the actual travel environment information; and

determining to output a warning only when the actual travel environment information satisfies the warning generation conditions corresponding to the checked kind of the warning data.

13. The warning generating method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising the step:

outputting general path guidance information based on the route guidance information data when the warning data has been included in the received route guidance information data.

14. A navigation system, comprising:

a warning generating apparatus for restrictively outputting a warning based on actual travel environment information of a movable body,

wherein the warning generating apparatus further comprises;

a data receiving unit for receiving route guidance information data including path information to a destination and current weather/time information, and for outputting the route guidance;

a data analyzing unit for determining whether warning data has been included in the route guidance information data outputted from the data receiving unit or not;

a sensor for sensing a current travel speed of a movable body;

a restricted warning generating unit for receiving the route guidance information data from the data analyzing unit if the route guidance information data is determined to include the warning data, and for determining whether the restricted warning generating unit will output a warning for the warning data based on warning generation conditions stored in advance according to a kind of the warning data and current weather information; and

a warning/guidance output unit for outputting warning information when the warning information has been transmitted if the restricted warning generating unit has determined to output a warning,

wherein the warning data and the warning generation conditions include data for weather conditions and regulation speed.

15. The navigation system as claimed in claim 14,

wherein the data receiving unit receives route guidance information data which further includes current weather information.

16. The navigation system as claimed in claim 14,

wherein the data receiving unit receives route guidance information data further includes current time information.

17. The navigation system as claimed in claim 14,

wherein the data receiving unit receives route guidance information data further includes road information representing danger information.

18. The navigation system as claimed in claim 14,

wherein the sensor includes a speed sensor which is installed on a predetermined position of the movable body and senses a travel speed of the movable body.

19. The navigation system as claimed in claim 14,

wherein the sensor receives the travel speed of the movable body from a speed sensor which is installed on a predetermined position of the movable body and which senses the travel speed of the movable body.

20. The navigation system as claimed in claim 14,

wherein the restricted warning generating unit further

receives the current travel speed of the movable body from the sensor unit and determines actual travel environment information of the movable body,

checks the warning data transmitted from the data analyzing unit,

compares warning generation conditions corresponding to the actual travel environment information,

determines to output the warning only when the actual travel environment information satisfies the warning generation conditions corresponding to the warning data, and

outputs the warning information to the warning/guidance output unit if it is determined to output the warning.

21. The navigation system as claimed in claim 14,

wherein when the route guidance information data does not include warning data when the route guidance information data is transmitted from the data analyzing unit, the warning/guidance output unit outputs general path guidance information based on the route guidance information data.