Navigation system

• US 8,036,823 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2006
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS CO., LTD. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kudoh, Takahiro, Akita, Takashi, Kindo, Tsuyoshi, Hirai, Takuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Black; Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARC-COLEMAN, MARTHE Y
• Application Number:
  US12/090,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20100153000A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,820 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701/211, 701/208, 701/200, 701/210, 701/209, 701/207, 348/47, 340/995.19, 340/995.16, 340/901
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3632 Guidance using simplified or iconic instructions, e.g. using arrows G01C21/365 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3635 Guidance using 3D or perspective road maps
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

A navigation system generating a display which enables an intuitive and instant grasp of a distance to a guide point (such as a guide target intersection) is provided. The navigation system displays an object on a route between the vicinity of a vehicle position and the guide point, and includes a object display control section which calculates a distance from an arbitrary point on the route between the vehicle position and the guide point to the guide point, and sets a mode for displaying the object in accordance with the distance from the arbitrary position on the route to the guide point. The object display control section sets, for example, a display color, a pattern, or a shape of the object in accordance with the distance from the arbitrary point on the route to the guide point.

Claims

1. A navigation system for displaying a guide object on a route between a vehicle position and a guide point, comprising

an object display control section for (i) calculating a distance from the guide object at an arbitrary position on the route to the guide point, the arbitrary position on the route being different than the vehicle position on the route, and (ii) setting a mode for displaying the guide object in accordance with the calculated distance;

and

a photographed image obtaining section for obtaining a photographed image of a view ahead of the vehicle,

wherein information on how a halfway point to the guide point is distanced from the guide point is displayed based on the mode for displaying the guide object set by the object control section,

wherein the guide object is located on a route image showing an image of the route between the vehicle position and the guide point, and

wherein the route image is the photographed image obtained by the photographed image obtaining section.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the object display control section sets a display color of the guide object in accordance with the calculated distance from the arbitrary position on the route to the guide point.

3. The navigation system according to claim 2, wherein the object display control section sets the display color of the guide object so as to be changed in a gradual manner in accordance with the calculated distance from the arbitrary position on the route to the guide point.

4. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the object display control section sets a pattern on the guide object in accordance with the calculated distance from the arbitrary position on the route to the guide point.

5. The navigation system according to claim 4, wherein the object display control section sets the pattern on the guide object such that a density of the pattern becomes higher at a portion of the guide object closer to the guide point.

6. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the object display control section sets a shape of the guide object in accordance with the calculated distance from the arbitrary position on the route to the guide point.

7. The navigation system according to claim 6,

wherein the object display control section displays a plurality of guide objects, and

wherein the object display control section displays the plurality of guide objects such that the closer to the guide point a guide object, from among the plurality of guide objects, is located, the smaller a size of the guide object becomes.

8. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the object display control section overlays the guide object on the photographed image.

9. The navigation system according to claim 8, wherein the object display control section displays the guide object semi-transparently.

10. The navigation system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a map database for storing a map image;

a guide mode switching section for displaying the map image that is stored in the map database if a distance between the vehicle position and the guide point is greater than a predetermined distance, and displaying the photographed image if the distance between the vehicle position and the guide point is less than the predetermined distance.

11. The navigation system of claim 1, further comprising:

a display section,

wherein the display section displays the guide object in such a manner as to overlay the guide object on the vehicle position and a position ahead of the vehicle position on the photographed image.

12. A navigation system for displaying a guide object on a route between a vehicle position and a guide point, comprising

an object display control section for (i) calculating a distance from the guide object at an arbitrary point on the route to the guide point, the arbitrary position on the route being different than the vehicle position on the route, and (ii) setting a mode for displaying the guide object in accordance with the calculated distance;

and

a photographed image obtaining section for obtaining a photographed image of a view ahead of the vehicle,

wherein the object display control section sets a display color of the guide object in accordance with the calculated distance,

wherein the object display control section sets the display color of the guide object so as to be changed in a gradual manner in accordance with the calculated distance,

wherein information on how a halfway point to the guide point is distanced from the guide point is displayed based on the mode for displaying the guide object set by the object control section,

wherein the guide object is located on a route image showing an image of the route between the vehicle position and the guide point, and

wherein the route image is the photographed image obtained by the photographed image obtaining section.

13. The navigation system according to claim 12, wherein the object display control section overlays the guide object on the photographed image.

14. A navigation system for displaying a guide object on a route between a vehicle position and a guide point, comprising

an object display control section for (i) calculating a distance from the guide object at an arbitrary position on the route to the guide point, the arbitrary position on the route being different than the vehicle position on the route, and (ii) setting a mode for displaying the guide object in accordance with the calculated distance;

and

a photographed image obtaining section for obtaining a photographed image of a view ahead of a vehicle,

wherein the object display control section sets a pattern on the guide object in accordance with the calculated distance,

wherein the object display control section sets the pattern on the guide object such that a density of the pattern becomes higher at a portion of the guide object closer to the guide point,

wherein information on how a halfway point to the guide point is distanced from the guide point is displayed based on the mode for displaying the guide object set by the object control section,

wherein the guide object is located on a route image showing an image of the route between the vehicle position and the guide point, and

wherein the route image is the photographed image obtained by the photographed image obtaining section.

15. The navigation system according to claim 14, wherein the object display control section overlays the guide object on the photographed image.

16. A navigation system for displaying a guide object on a route between a vehicle position and a guide point, comprising

an object display control section for (i) calculating a distance from the guide object at an arbitrary position on the route to the guide point, the arbitrary position on the route being different than the vehicle position on the route, and (ii) setting a mode for displaying the guide object in accordance with the calculated distance;

and

a photographed image obtaining section for obtaining a photographed image of a view ahead of a vehicle,

wherein the object display control section sets a shape of the guide object in accordance with the calculated distance,

wherein the object display control section displays a plurality of sub-objects of the guide object on the route between the vehicle position and the guide point, the plurality of sub-objects forming the guide object,

wherein the object display control section displays the plurality of sub-objects of the guide object such that the closer to the guide point a sub-object of the guide object, among the plurality of sub-objects of the guide object, is located, the smaller a size of the sub-object of the guide object becomes,

wherein information on how a halfway point to the guide point is distanced from the guide point is displayed based on the mode for displaying the guide object set by the object control section,

wherein the guide object is located on a route image showing an image of the route between the vehicle position and the guide point, and

wherein the route image is the photographed image obtained by the photographed image obtaining section.

17. The navigation system according to claim 16, wherein the object display control section overlays the guide object on the photographed image.