Car navigation system

• US 7,636,633 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2006
• Issued: 12/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Yamada, Yasufumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kiswanto, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US11/516,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20070129884A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• Field of Search: 340/439, 340/480, 340/904, 340/905, 340/995.26, 340/995.27, 340/999
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3652 Guidance using non-audiovisual output, e.g. tactile, haptic or electric stimuli

Abstract

A remote control device in a vehicle is provided in proximity of a driver'"'"'s seat such that an operation unit of the remote control device is manually rotated and pressed by a hand of a driver in a driver'"'"'s seat. A case of the remote control device contains vibrators to vibrate left and right sides of the remote control device. A navigation device is connected to a control unit of the remote control device. When a position of the vehicle approaches a specified guidance point during route guidance, the navigation device outputs a guidance signal (left-turn or right-turn instruction) to the control unit. When supplied with the guidance signal, the control unit controls driving of the vibrators to vibrate the remote control device based on the guidance signal.

Claims

1. A navigation system that is provided in a vehicle and has a location function to detect a vehicle position of the vehicle and a route guidance function to indicate a route to a destination, the system comprising:

a remote control device that allows a driver to manually input an instruction for a vehicle-mounted device;

a vibration guiding unit that provides guidance by vibrating the remote control device when the vehicle position approaches a guidance point during execution of the route guidance function;

a voice output unit that performs voice guidance during execution of the route guidance function when the vehicle position approaches the guidance point;

a detection unit that detects whether or not the driver touches the remote control device; and

a stop unit that stops the voice guidance using the voice output unit for the entire duration that the detection unit detects that the driver is touching the remote control device, and thereafter releases the stopped voice guidance when the detection unit detects that the driver is not touching the remote control device.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1,

wherein the remote control device is disposed in proximity of a driver'"'"'s seat and has an operation unit that is to be rotated and pressed by a hand of the driver seated in the driver'"'"'s seat.

3. The navigation system according to claim 1,

wherein a state, where voice guidance is stopped by the stop unit, is released when the remote control device is vibrated for guidance and the driver does not operate the remote control device as a response.

4. The navigation system according to claim 1,

wherein the vibration guiding unit vibrates a left portion or a right portion of the remote control device to provide a left-turn instruction or a right-turn instruction, respectively.

5. The navigation system according to claim 1,

wherein the vibration guiding unit uses two mutually different vibrational frequencies for the remote control device to provide a left-turn instruction and a right-turn instruction, respectively.

6. The navigation system according to claim 1,

wherein the vibration guiding unit varies vibration intensities of the remote control device depending on a distance between the vehicle position and the guidance point.

7. The navigation system according to claim 1,

wherein the remote control device includes an illuminating unit that is visually recognized by the driver, and

wherein the vibration guiding unit provides guidance by vibrating the remote control device and activating the illuminating unit.

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

location means for detecting a vehicle position of the vehicle;

route guidance means for indicating a route to a destination;

remote control means for allowing a driver to manually input an instruction for a vehicle-mounted device;

vibration guiding means for providing guidance by vibrating the remote control means when the vehicle position approaches a guidance point while the route is indicated;

voice output means for performing voice guidance during execution of a route guidance function when the vehicle position approaches the guidance point;

detection means for detecting whether or not the driver touches the remote control means; and

stop means for stopping the voice guidance using the voice output means for the entire duration that the detection means detects that the driver is touching the remote control means, and thereafter releasing the stopped voice guidance when the detection unit detects that the driver is not touching the remote control device.

9. A navigation system that is provided in a vehicle and has a location function to detect a vehicle position of the vehicle and a route guidance function to indicate a route to a destination, the system comprising:

a remote control device that allows a driver to manually input an instruction for a vehicle-mounted device;

an illuminating unit that is visually recognized by the driver;

a vibration guiding unit that provides, when the vehicle position approaches a guidance point during execution of the route guidance function, guidance by (i) vibrating the remote control device and, in addition, (ii) causing the illuminating unit to emit light;

a voice output unit that performs voice guidance during execution of the route guidance function when the vehicle position approaches the guidance point;

a detection unit that detects whether or not the driver touches the remote control device; and

a stop unit that stops the voice guidance using the voice output unit for the entire duration that the detection unit detects that the driver is touching the remote control device, and thereafter releases the stopped voice guidance when the detection unit detects that the driver is not touching the remote control device.

10. The navigation system of claim 9, wherein

the vibration guiding unit causes the illuminating unit to differentiate a pattern for emitting light with respect to each of the left-turn instruction and the right-turn instruction.

11. The navigation system of claim 10, wherein

the vibration guiding unit causes the illuminating unit to differentiate a color of the emitted light with respect to each of the left-turn instruction and the right-turn instruction.