Navigation system

• US 7,532,980 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2006
• Issued: 05/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Suzuki, Kensuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): AMIN, BHAVESH V
• Application Number:
  US11/598,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20070118276A1
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: 701200-224, 340988-996
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents

Abstract

A user selects as a guide route a route from among multiple routes retrieved under respective predetermined retrieval conditions. A retrieval condition under which the route selected by the user was retrieved is stored in an external memory. When a zone affecting driving is recognized along the guide route based on externally acquired information on traffic, a dynamic route that bypasses the zone affecting driving is retrieved according to the retrieval condition stored in the external memory. The retrieved dynamic route is then designated as a guide route.

Claims

1. A navigation system for a vehicle, the navigation system comprising:

a route retrieval unit which retrieves routes to a destination under a plurality of predetermined retrieval conditions, the retrieval conditions including a reach time-first retrieval condition under which a route is retrieved with priority given to a reach time required to reach a designation, and a distance-first retrieval condition under which a route is retrieved with priority given to a distance to a destination;

a route guide unit that indicates, as a guide route, a route selected by a user from the routes retrieved under the plurality of predetermined retrieval conditions;

a memory unit which stores, among the plurality of retrieval conditions, a retrieval condition under which the route selected by the user is retrieved;

a traffic information acquisition unit that externally acquires traffic information;

a dynamic route retrieval unit that retrieves a dynamic route, which bypasses a zone affecting driving of the vehicle, when recognizing the zone affecting driving along the guide route based on the acquired traffic information, the dynamic route being retrieved under the same retrieval condition which is stored in the memory unit and under which the guide route being indicated by the route guide unit is retrieved by the route retrieval unit; and

a new route designation unit that designates, as a guide route, the dynamic route retrieved by the dynamic route retrieval unit.

2. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein

the route retrieval unit includes a reach time-first retrieval unit that retrieves a route under the reach time-first retrieval condition,

the navigation system further comprising:

a unit that stores information, which signifies that priority is given to a time, in the memory unit, when a route retrieved by the reach time-first retrieval unit is selected by the user; and

a first condition-for-retrieval check unit that determines whether information signifying that priority is given to a reach time is stored in the memory unit, wherein,

when the first condition-for-retrieval check unit determines that the information signifying that priority is given to a reach time is stored in the memory unit, the dynamic route retrieval unit retrieves a dynamic route, which bypasses the zone affecting driving, with priority given to a reach time required to reach the destination.

3. The navigation system of claim 2, further comprising:

a first route check unit that executes a determination as to whether or not the reach time required to reach the destination along the dynamic route retrieved by the reach time-first retrieval unit is shorter than the reach time, which is required to reach the destination along the already designated guide route, by greater than or equal to a predetermined reference time, wherein,

when the determination executed by the first route check unit is affirmed, the new route designation unit designates the dynamic route as the guide route.

4. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein

the route retrieval unit includes a distance-first retrieval unit that retrieves a route under the distance-first retrieval condition,

the navigation system further comprising:

a unit that stores information, which signifies that priority is given to a distance, in the memory unit, when the route retrieved by the distance-first retrieval unit is selected by the user; and

a second condition-for-retrieval cheek unit that determines whether the information signifying that priority is given to a distance is stored in the memory unit, wherein,

when the second condition-for-retrieval cheek unit determines that the information signifying that priority is given to a distance is stored in the memory unit, the dynamic route retrieval unit retrieves a dynamic route, which bypasses the zone affecting driving, with priority given to the distance to the destination.

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

a second route check unit that executes a determination as to whether or not the distance to the destination along the dynamic route retrieved by the distance-first retrieval unit is shorter than the distance to the destination along the already designated guide route by greater than or equal to a predetermined distance, wherein,

when the determination executed by the second route check unit is affirmed, the new route designation unit designates the dynamic route as the guide route.

6. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein

a decision is made on whether a dynamic route is presented as a bypass to the user based on the retrieval condition under which a route is retrieved.

9. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the zone affecting driving is where a traffic jam is found along the guide route along which driving will proceed, based on a position of the vehicle.

10. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the zone affecting driving is where a traffic accident is found along the guide route along which driving will proceed, based on a position of the vehicle.

7. A method used in a navigation system for a vehicle,

the navigation system including:

a route retrieval unit which retrieves routes to a destination under a plurality of predetermined retrieval conditions, the retrieval conditions including a reach time-first retrieval condition under which a route is retrieved with priority given to a reach time required to reach a destination, and a distance-first retrieval condition under which a route is retrieved with priority given to a distance to a destination; and

a route guide unit that indicates, as a guide route, a route selected by a user from the routes retrieved under the plurality of predetermined retrieval conditions,

the method comprising;

storing, among the plurality of retrieval conditions, a retrieval condition, under which the route selected by the user is retrieved;

acquiring traffic information externally;

retrieving a dynamic route, which bypasses a zone affecting driving of the vehicle, the dynamic route being retrieved under the same retrieval condition which is stored and under which the guide route being indicated by the route guide unit is retrieved by the route retrieval unit, when recognizing the zone affecting driving along the guide route based on the acquired traffic information; and

designating, as a guide route, the dynamic route which is retrieved.

8. A navigation system for a vehicle, the navigation system comprising:

a route retrieval means for retrieving routes to a destination under a plurality of predetermined retrieval conditions, the retrieval conditions including a reach time-first retrieval condition under which a route is retrieved with priority given to a reach time required to reach a destination, and a distance-first retrieval condition under which a route is retrieved with priority given to a distance to a destination;

a route guide means for indicating, as a guide route, a route selected by a user from the routes retrieved under the plurality of predetermined retrieval conditions;

a memory means for storing, among the plurality of retrieval conditions, a retrieval condition, under which the route selected by the user is retrieved;

a traffic information acquisition means for externally acquiring traffic information;

a dynamic route retrieval means for retrieving a dynamic route, which bypasses a zone affecting driving of the vehicle, under the same retrieval condition which is stored in the memory means and under which the guide route being indicated by the route guide means is retrieved by the route retrieval means, when recognizing the zone affecting driving along the guide route based on the acquired traffic information; and

a new route designation means for designating, as a guide route, the dynamic route retrieved by the dynamic route retrieval means.