Navigation systems, methods, and programs

• US 7,706,966 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2006
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Tomita, Hiroshi, Nagase, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby; Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US11/640,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20070150169A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,226 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 701/118, 701/119, 701/300, 701/301, 701207-213, 340/905, 34099511-99514
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data

Abstract

Vehicle navigation systems, methods, and programs, receive traffic information. The systems, methods, and programs determine whether there is a controlled road link within a predetermined distance of the vehicle and determine whether there is congestion information that begins with the controlled road link based on the received traffic information. The systems, methods, and programs provide, if the congestion information indicates that traffic congestion begins at the controlled link, guidance including traffic congestion guidance, the traffic congestion guidance indicating that the traffic congestion begins at the controlled road link.

Claims

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

a communication portion that receives traffic information including congestion information and traffic control information; and

a controller that;

determines whether there is a controlled link in which traffic control information is present within a predetermined distance from the vehicle;

determines whether there is congestion information that begins with the controlled link based on the received traffic information; and

provides, if there is the congestion information that begins with the controlled link, traffic congestion guidance indicating that there is traffic congestion due to traffic control.

2. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller:

determines whether there are congestion road links included in the congestion information that are connected to one another and begin with the controlled link; and

determines whether any of the connected congestion road links are along a guidance route;

wherein, if any of the connected congestion road links are along the guidance route, the traffic congestion guidance indicates that the connected congestion road links along the guidance route are the traffic congestion that begins at the controlled link.

3. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller:

displays the traffic congestion beginning at the controlled link on a map with an indication that the traffic congestion is caused by the controlled link.

4. The navigation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the indication is a visual indication on the map.

5. The navigation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the indication is an audio indication.

6. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller provides guidance about a controlled link that is within a predetermined distance from the vehicle, but is not along a guidance route.

7. A navigation method for a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving traffic information including congestion information and traffic control information;

determining whether there is a controlled link in which traffic control information is present within a predetermined distance from the vehicle;

determining whether there is congestion information that begins with the controlled link based on the received traffic information; and

providing, if there is the congestion information that begins with the controlled link, traffic congestion guidance indicating that there is traffic congestion due to traffic control.

8. The navigation method according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether there are congestion road links included in the congestion information that are connected to one another and begin with the controlled link; and

determining whether any of the connected congestion road links are along a guidance route;

wherein, if any of the connected congestion road links are along the guidance route, the traffic congestion guidance indicates that the connected congestion road links along the guidance route are the traffic congestion that begins at the controlled link.

9. The navigation apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising the step of:

displaying the traffic congestion beginning at the controlled link on a map with an indication that the traffic congestion is caused by the controlled road link.

10. The navigation apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the indication is a visual indication on the map.

11. The navigation apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the indication is an audio indication.

12. The navigation apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising the step of:

providing guidance about a controlled link that is within a predetermined distance from the vehicle, but is not along a guidance route.

13. A storage medium storing a set of program instructions executable on a data processing device, the instructions usable to implement the method of claim 7.

14. A navigation apparatus for a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a communication portion that receives traffic information including congestion information and traffic control information; and

a controller that;

determines whether there is congestion information that begins with a controlled link based on the received traffic information; and

provides, if there is the congestion information that begins with the controlled link, traffic congestion guidance indicating that there is traffic congestion due to traffic control.