Vehicle navigation apparatus and method with traveling direction indication at guidance intersection

• US 7,502,685 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2005
• Issued: 03/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Hikaru
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peche; Jorge O
• Application Number:
  US11/203,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20060195257A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 701/211, 701/202, 701/208, 701/207, 701/209, 340/990, 340/995, 340/988, 731/78.R, 345/589, 345/597, 345/598, 345/599, 345/625, 345/638, 345/650, 345/440, 345/440.1, 345/441, 345/442, 345/443, 345/552, 345/530, 345/690, 345/960, 345/FOR.210, 382/113, 382/163, 382/164, 382/166, 382/167, 382/171, 382/172, 382/174, 382/287
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3632 Guidance using simplified or iconic instructions, e.g. using arrows G01C21/365 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/96 Iterative display of preconfigured images

Abstract

A vehicle navigation apparatus is provided which can reliably guide a vehicle along a guidance route when the vehicle approaches an intersection of interest at which it is to make a turn even if another intersection exists between a vehicle position and the intersection of interest. A controller determines whether or not another intersection exists between the vehicle position and the next guidance intersection (an intersection at which the vehicle is to make a turn) when the vehicle reaches a predetermined distance from the guidance intersection. If another intersection is determined to exist, an intersection guidance map with an arrow indicative of the guidance route colored in a predetermined color is displayed on a display device. In one embodiment, if another intersection does not exist between the vehicle and the guidance intersection, the color of the arrow displayed is changed to a different color.

Claims

1. A vehicle navigation apparatus comprising:

a display device;

a vehicle position detector;

a map-data storage section configured for storing therein map data; and

a controller configured for searching for a guidance route from a starting point to a destination based on the map data read from the map-data storage section, and for displaying on the display device a mark indicative of a traveling direction to be taken at a next intersection on the guidance route where the vehicle is to make a turn such that the vehicle is directed along the guidance route,

wherein, when the vehicle reaches a predetermined distance from the intersection at which the vehicle is to make the turn, said controller determines whether or not a non-guidance intersection exists on the guidance route between the vehicle position and said intersection, and if said non-guidance intersection exists, the controller displays said mark in a first display form, whereas if said non-guidance intersection does not exist on the guidance route between the vehicle position and the intersection at which the vehicle is to make the turn, the controller displays the same mark in a second display form different than the first display form;

and wherein if said non-guidance intersection exists on the guidance route between the vehicle position and said intersection when the vehicle reaches the predetermined distance from said intersection, so that the controller displays said mark in the first display form, when the vehicle passes said non-guidance intersection on the guidance route the controller changes the display of said mark from the first display form to the second display form.

2. The vehicle navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the vehicle reaches the predetermined distance from the intersection at which the vehicle is to make the turn, said controller displays a remaining distance bar indicative of a distance to the intersection at which the vehicle is to make the turn, together with the mark on the display device.

3. The vehicle navigation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, when the mark is displayed in the first display form, the remaining distance bar indicative of the distance to the intersection is displayed in said first display form, and when the mark is displayed in the second display form, the remaining distance bar indicative of the distance to the intersection is displayed in said second display form.

4. The vehicle navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mark displayed in the first display form and the mark displayed in the second display form differ from each other in color.

5. The vehicle navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the first display form and the second display form is a blinking form, and the other is a continuous form.

6. The vehicle navigation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising voice output means for communicating a message by voice in response to a signal from the controller.

7. The vehicle navigation apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, when the vehicle reaches the predetermined distance from the intersection at which the vehicle is to make the turn, said controller changes the contents of voice guidance, depending on whether or not said non-guidance intersection exists between the vehicle position and the intersection at which the vehicle is to make the turn.

8. The vehicle navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the vehicle reaches the predetermined distance from the intersection at which the vehicle is to make the turn, said controller displays a simple figure including the intersection at which the vehicle is to make the turn, on the display device.

9. The vehicle navigation apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said controller displays a landmark located in the vicinity of the intersection at which the vehicle is to make the turn.

10. The vehicle navigation apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said controller displays another landmark located in the vicinity of said non-guidance intersection.

11. A vehicle navigation apparatus comprising:

a display device;

a vehicle position detector;

a map-data storage section configured for storing therein map data; and

a controller configured for searching for a guidance route from a starting point to a destination based on the map data read from the map-data storage section, and for displaying on the display device an arrow indicative of a traveling direction to be taken at a next intersection on the guidance route where the vehicle is to make a turn such that the vehicle is directed along the guidance route,

wherein, when the vehicle reaches a predetermined distance from the intersection at which the vehicle is to make the turn, said controller determines whether or not a non-guidance intersection exists on the guidance route between the vehicle position and said intersection, and if said non-guidance intersection exists, the controller displays said arrow in a first display form, whereas if said non-guidance intersection does not exist on the guidance route between the vehicle position and the intersection at which the vehicle is to make the turn, the controller displays the same arrow in a second display form different than the first display form;

and wherein if said non-guidance intersection exists on the guidance route between the vehicle position and said intersection when the vehicle reaches the predetermined distance from said intersection, so that the controller displays said arrow in the first display form, when the vehicle passes said non-guidance intersection on the guidance route the controller changes the display of said arrow from the first display form to the second display form.

12. The vehicle navigation apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, when the vehicle reaches the predetermined distance from the intersection at which the vehicle is to make the turn, said controller displays a remaining distance bar indicative of a distance to the intersection at which the vehicle is to make the turn, together with the arrow on the display device.

13. The vehicle navigation apparatus according to claim 12, wherein, when the arrow is displayed in the first display form, the remaining distance bar indicative of the distance to the intersection is displayed in said first display form, and when the arrow is displayed in the second display form, the remaining distance bar indicative of the distance to the intersection is displayed in said second display form.

14. The vehicle navigation apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the arrow displayed in the first display form and the arrow displayed in the second display form differ from each other in color.

15. The vehicle navigation apparatus according to claim 11, wherein one of the first display form and the second display form is a blinking form, and the other is a continuous form.

16. The vehicle navigation apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising voice output means for communicating a message by voice in response to a signal from the controller.

17. The vehicle navigation apparatus according to claim 16, wherein, when the vehicle reaches the predetermined distance from the intersection at which the vehicle is to make the turn, said controller changes the contents of voice guidance, depending on whether or not said non guidance intersection exists between the vehicle position and the intersection at which the vehicle is to make the turn.

18. The vehicle navigation apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, when the vehicle reaches the predetermined distance from the intersection at which the vehicle is to make the turn, said controller displays a simple figure including the intersection at which the vehicle is to make the turn, on the display device.

19. The vehicle navigation apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said controller displays a landmark located in the vicinity of the intersection at which the vehicle is to make the turn.

20. The vehicle navigation apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said controller displays another landmark located in the vicinity of said non-guidance intersection.

21. A method of providing guidance to a user of a vehicle navigation apparatus regarding an intersection on a guidance route at which the vehicle is to make a turn, comprising:

storing a guidance route from a starting point to a destination;

detecting a present position of a vehicle;

when the vehicle reaches a predetermined distance from a next intersection on the guidance route at which the vehicle is to make a turn, determining whether or not a non-guidance intersection exists on the guidance route between the vehicle position and said intersection;

if said non-guidance intersection exists, displaying an indication of the traveling direction to be taken at said intersection in a first display form; and

if said non-guidance intersection does not exist, displaying the same indication of the traveling direction in a second display form different than the first display form;

wherein, if said non-guidance intersection exists on the guidance route between the vehicle position and said intersection when the vehicle reaches the predetermined distance from said intersection, so that said indication is displayed in the first display form, when the vehicle passes said non-guidance intersection on the guidance route the display of said indication is changed from the first display form to the second display form.