Navigation apparatus and navigation processing method

• US 8,103,450 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2007
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Takaoka, Tomohisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amin, Bhavesh V
• Application Number:
  US11/846,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20080071475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,609 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/214
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence

Abstract

A navigation apparatus includes: a section that calculates, in accordance with a predetermined calculation method, a current speed of a mobile object at predetermined intervals, based on the mobile object'"'"'s initial speed detected at the start of the calculation; a section that calculates a travel distance the mobile object has traveled so far since the start of the calculation; a section that calculates, based on the calculation method, a current speed error range of the current speed by using an initial speed error range of the initial speed; a section that calculates a travel distance error range of the travel distance by using the current speed error range; a section that evaluates, based on the travel distance error range, the reliability of the travel distance; and a section that performs a navigation process corresponding to the reliability of the travel distance.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus comprising:

a speed calculation section that calculates, in accordance with a predetermined calculation method, a current speed of a mobile object at predetermined intervals, based oil the mobile object'"'"'s initial speed detected at the start of the calculation;

a travel distance calculation section that calculates a travel distance the mobile object has traveled so far since the start of the calculation, by using the current speed;

a current speed error range calculation section that calculates, based on the calculation method, a current speed error range of the current speed by using an initial speed error range of the initial speed;

a distance error range calculation section that calculates a travel distance error range of the travel distance by using the current speed error range;

a reliability evaluation section that evaluates, based on the travel distance error range, the reliability of the travel distance; and

a control section that performs a navigation process corresponding to the reliability of the travel distance.

2. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control section displays on a display section the current position information calculated from the travel distance if the reliability evaluation section determines that the travel distance is reliable while not displaying the current position information if the reliability evaluation section determines that the travel distance is unreliable, to display only the reliable current position information on the display section.

3. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the current speed error range calculation section calculates the current speed error range by using the same calculation method as the speed calculation section.

4. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the speed calculation section calculates the current speed based on an acceleration and height change of the mobile object.

5. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the initial speed error range is represented by a maximum initial speed and a minimum initial speed; and

the current speed error range calculation section calculates the current speed error range based on a maximum speed and a minimum speed.

6. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the error range of the initial speed is calculated based on Dilution of Precision (DOP) calculated from a Global Positioning System (GPS) signal received through a GPS receiving apparatus.

7. A navigation processing method comprising:

a speed calculation step cf calculating, in accordance with a predetermined calculation method, a current speed of a mobile object at predetermined intervals, based on the mobile object'"'"'s initial speed detected at the start of the calculation;

a travel distance calculation step of calculating a travel distance the mobile object has traveled so far since the start of the calculation, by using the current speed;

a current speed error range calculation step of calculating, based on the calculation method, a current speed error range of the current speed by using an initial speed error range of the initial speed;

a distance error range calculation step of calculating a travel distance error range of the travel distance by using the current speed error range;

a reliability evaluation step of evaluating, based on the travel distance error range, the reliability of the travel distance; and

a control step of performing a navigation process corresponding to the reliability of the travel distance.

8. The navigation processing method according to claim 7, wherein

the control step displays on a display section the current position information calculated from the travel distance if the reliability evaluation step determines that the travel distance is reliable while not displaying the current position information if the reliability evaluation step determines that the travel distance is unreliable, to display only the reliable current position information on the display section.

9. The navigation processing method according to claim 7, wherein

the current speed error range calculation step calculates the current speed error range by using the same calculation method as the speed calculation step.

10. The navigation processing method according to claim 7, wherein

the speed calculation step calculates the current speed based on an acceleration and height change of the mobile object.

11. The navigation processing method according to claim 7, wherein:

the initial speed error range is represented by a maximum initial speed and a minimum initial speed; and

the current speed error range calculation step calculates the current speed error range based on a maximum speed and a minimum speed.

12. The navigation processing method according to claim 7, wherein

the error range of the initial speed is calculated based on Dilution of Precision (DOP) calculated from a Global Positioning System (GPS) signal received through a GPS receiving apparatus.