Navigation device

• US 8,234,059 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2008
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Sugiyama, Shinji, Fujishiro, Minako
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US12/532,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20100114471A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,595 Days
• Field of Search: 340988-996, 701200-215
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096866 where the complete route is shown to the driver

Abstract

A navigation device 100 having a function to modify a route comprises an operational object detecting part 11 configured to detect a point or a section on the route as an operational object, a fixed point setting part 12 configured to set as fixed points two points on the route sandwiching the operational object therebetween, an operational object displacement detecting part 13 configured to detect a displacement of the operational object, a path changing part 14 configured to change a path of the route depending on the displacement of the operational object while elongating or contracting a line connecting the operational object and the fixed point, and a route re-searching part 15 configured to re-search and display an alternate route continuously depending on the changing path.

Claims

1. A navigation device having a function to modify a route comprising:

an operational object detecting part configured to detect a point or a section on the route as an operational object;

an operational object displacement detecting part configured to detect a displacement of the operational object;

a path changing part configured to change a path of the route depending on the displacement of the operational object in real time, the path being tentative prior to recommending a navigable route; and

a route re-searching part configured to re-search an alternate route based on the changed path, wherein

after the path changing part has changed the path and prior to the route re-searching part re-searches the alternate route, the operational object detecting part is configured to detect another operational object within a predetermined time period,

if the another operational object is detected within the predetermined time period and displaced, the path changing part is configured to further change the path depending on the displacement of the another operational object in real time and prior to the re-search of the alternate route based on the further changed path, and

if the another operation object is not detected within the predetermined time period, the alternate route is re-searched based on the changed path.

2. A navigation device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a fixed point setting part configured to set as fixed points two points on the route sandwiching the operational object therebetween,

wherein the path changing part elongates or contracts a line connecting the operational object and the fixed point in conjunction with the displacement of the operational object.

3. A navigation device according to claim 2, wherein the fixed point includes a departure point, a destination point, an edge point of the route displayed on a screen, or a turning point on the route.

4. A navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the operational object is designated by one or more points on the route.

5. A navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the operational object displacement detecting part detects the displacement of the operational object based on a drag operation of the operational object.

6. A navigation device according to claim 1, comprising at least one of a touch panel, a touch pad, a mouse, a track ball, a joystick, or a remote control with an arrow key.

7. A navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the path changing part changes and displays a path of the route in real time depending on the displacements of the operational objects, continuously, the path being tentative prior to recommending a navigable route.

8. A navigation device having a function to modify a route comprising:

an operational object detecting part configured to detect a point or a section outside the route as an operational object;

a fixed point setting part configured to set as fixed points two points on the route sandwiching the operational objects detected by the operational object detecting part therebetween;

a path changing part configured to change a path of the route to a changed path including the operational objects and the two fixed points and display the changed path, the path being tentative prior to recommending a navigable route; and

a route re-searching part configured to re-search and display an alternate route based on the changed path, wherein

after the path changing part has changed the path and prior to the route re-searching part re-searches the alternate route, the operational object detecting part is configured to detect another operational object within a predetermined time period,

if the another operational object is detected within the predetermined time period and displaced, the path changing part is configured to further change the path depending on the displacement of the another operational object in real time and prior to the re-search of the alternate route based on the further changed path, and

if the another operation object is not detected within the predetermined time period, the alternate route is re-searched based on the changed path.