Navigation system for vehicle

• US 7,580,789 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2006
• Issued: 08/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Nomura, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli; Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US11/384,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20060217883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096861 where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn

Abstract

A navigation system in a subject vehicle includes a display unit for displaying a map, a position detection function for detecting a current position and a traveling direction of the subject vehicle, a storage function for storing map data and facility data for displaying a facility icon on the map, a road recognition function for recognizing a road and a lane of the road where the subject vehicle is traveling, a facility selection function for searching a facility in the facility data and a facility icon control means for controlling the facility icon according to a facility type in the facility data. The facility icon on the map is selectively displayed on the map according to the traveling direction of the subject vehicle based on information calculated by above functions.

Claims

1. A navigation system for use in a subject vehicle for organizing a navigation route in map data comprising:

a display unit for displaying a map based on the map data;

a storage means for storing the map data and facility data for representation of a facility in the map, wherein the facility data includes a facility location and a facility type;

a facility display means for determining the facility type excluded from representation in the map based on a condition of the subject vehicle;

a facility selection means for performing facility selection in the facility data that excludes the facility type determined by the facility display means; and

a representation control means for controlling representation of the facility according to the facility type,

wherein the representation control means controls the representation of the facility positioned in the map on the display unit based on the facility location in the facility data selected by the facility selection means.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a position detection means for detecting a current position of the subject vehicle;

an arrival detection means in the facility display means for detecting an arrival of the subject vehicle to the facility based on the current position of the subject vehicle;

a timekeeping means in the facility display means for keeping a period of stay of the subject vehicle at the facility upon detecting the arrival of the subject vehicle to the facility by the arrival detection means;

wherein the facility type of the facility detected by the arrival detection means is excluded from the representation of the facility in the map when the period of stay amounts to a predetermined time.

3. The navigation system according to claim 2 further comprising:

a period-keeping means for keeping a period of exclusion of the facility type from the representation of the facility in the map based on determination by the facility display means,

wherein the exclusion of the facility type from the representation is cancelled when the period of exclusion of the facility type from the representation of the facility in the map amounts to a predetermined time.

4. The navigation system according to claim 3,

wherein the predetermined time is set according to user input.

5. The navigation system according to claim 1 further comprising,

a fuel level detection means in the facility display means for detecting a fuel level,

wherein the facility display means excludes fueling type facility from the representation of the facility when the fuel level detected by the fuel level detection means is greater than a predetermined amount.

6. The navigation system according to claim 1,

wherein exclusion of the facility type by the facility display means is set according to user input.

7. A navigation system for use in a subject vehicle for organizing a navigation route in map data comprising:

a display unit for displaying a map based on the map data;

a storage means for storing the map data and facility data for representation of a facility in the map, wherein the facility data includes a facility location and a facility type;

a facility selection means for choosing the facility data to be represented in the map; and

a representation control means for controlling representation of the facility according to the facility type,

wherein a plurality of facility representations in the map controlled by the representation control means alternate at a predetermined interval when the facility representations overlap each other because of the facility location defined in the facility data; and

wherein the facility representations of a same type at different locations are alternated in synchronization at the predetermined interval by the representation control means.

8. A navigation system for use in a subject vehicle for organizing a navigation route in map data comprising:

a display unit for displaying a map based on the map data;

a storage means for storing the map data and facility data for representation of a facility in the map, wherein the facility data includes a facility location and a facility type;

a facility selection means for choosing the facility data to be represented in the map; and

a representation control means for controlling representation of the facility according to the facility type,

wherein a plurality of facility representations in the map controlled by the representation control means alternate at a predetermined interval when the facility representations overlap each other because of the facility location defined in the facility data; and

wherein the predetermined interval of the alternation is set according to user input.

9. A navigation system for use in a subject vehicle for organizing a navigation route in map data comprising:

a display unit for displaying a map based on the map data;

a storage means for storing the map data and facility data for representation of a facility in the map, wherein the facility data includes a facility location and a facility type;

a facility selection means for choosing the facility data to be represented in the map; and

a representation control means for controlling representation of the facility according to the facility type,

wherein a plurality of facility representations in the map controlled by the representation control means alternate at a predetermined interval when the facility representations overlap each other because of the facility location defined in the facility data; and

wherein a contrast of the display unit is variably controlled, and

the representation control means controls the contrast of the display unit when the facility representations are alternated.

10. A navigation system for use in a subject vehicle for organizing a navigation route in map data comprising:

a display unit for displaying a map based on the map data;

a storage means for storing the map data and facility data for representation of a facility in the map, wherein the facility data includes a facility location and a facility type;

a facility selection means for choosing the facility data to be represented in the map; and

a representation control means for controlling representation of the facility according to the facility type,

wherein a plurality of facility representations in the map controlled by the representation control means alternate at a predetermined interval when the facility representations overlap each other because of the facility location defined in the facility data; and

wherein the storage means stores plural types of background color data for displaying different background colors in the map, and

the representation control means changes background colors in the map in accordance with alternation of the facility representations at the predetermined interval.

11. A navigation system for use in a subject vehicle for organizing a navigation route in map data comprising:

a display unit for displaying a map based on the map data;

a storage means for storing the map data and facility data for representation of a facility in the map, wherein the facility data includes a facility location and a facility type;

a facility selection means for choosing the facility data to be represented in the map; and

a representation control means for controlling representation of the facility according to the facility type,

wherein a plurality of facility representations in the map controlled by the representation control means alternate at a predetermined interval when the facility representations overlap each other because of the facility location defined in the facility data; and

wherein the storage means stores plural types of text color data for displaying different text colors in the map, and

the representation control means changes text colors in the map in accordance with alternation of the facility representations at the predetermined interval.

12. A navigation system for use in a subject vehicle for organizing a navigation route in map data comprising:

a display unit for displaying a map based on the map data;

a storage means for storing the map data and facility data for representation of a facility in the map, wherein the facility data includes a facility location and a facility type;

a facility selection means for choosing the facility data to be represented in the map; and

a representation control means for controlling representation of the facility according to the facility type,

wherein a plurality of facility representations in the map controlled by the representation control means alternate at a predetermined interval when the facility representations overlap each other because of the facility location defined in the facility data; and

wherein the alternation of the facility representations by the representation control means is set according to user input.