Navigation system

• US 8,301,378 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2011
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Nishibashi, Kumi, Irie, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US13/067,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20110288767A1
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 701200-202, 701/400, 701/532, 707/920
• US Class Current: 701/532
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3658 Lane guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B

Abstract

A navigation system includes: a map information acquiring unit for acquiring map information; an HOV lane decision unit for deciding whether an HOV lane is included in a road represented by the map information acquired by the map information acquiring unit or not; a road number processing unit for performing, when the HOV lane decision unit decides that the HOV lane is included, processing of adding information representing the HOV lane to a road number of the road including the HOV lane; and a display processing unit or a voice information unit for causing the road number passing through the processing by the road number processing unit to be displayed on the guide map or output in voice.

Claims

1. A navigation system comprising:

a map information acquiring unit for acquiring map information;

an HOV lane decision unit for deciding whether an HOV lane is included in a road represented by the map information acquired by the map information acquiring unit or not;

a current position detecting unit for detecting a current position;

an HOV lane remaining distance calculating unit for calculating, when the HOV lane decision unit decides that the HOV lane is included and if the current position detected by the current position detecting unit is located in an HOV lane change enabled section indicated by lane change enabled position information contained in the map information, a distance to an endpoint of the HOV lane change enabled section;

or

an HOV lane remaining time calculating unit for calculating, when the HOV lane decision unit decides that the HOV lane is included and if the current position detected by the current position detecting unit is located in an HOV lane change enabled section indicated by lane change enabled position information contained in the map information, a period of time taken to pass through an endpoint of the HOV lane change enabled section; and

a display control unit for causing the remaining distance calculated by the HOV lane remaining distance calculating unit or the remaining time calculated by the HOV lane remaining time calculating unit to be displayed;

or

a voice information unit for causing the remaining distance calculated by the HOV lane remaining distance calculating unit or the remaining time calculated by the HOV lane remaining time calculating unit to be output in voice.

2. A navigation system comprising:

a map information acquiring unit for acquiring map information;

an HOV lane decision unit for deciding whether an HOV lane is included in a road represented by the map information acquired by the map information acquiring unit or not;

an HOV lane entrance/exit extracting unit for extracting, when the HOV lane decision unit decides that the HOV lane is included, an entrance/exit section between a lane other than the HOV lane and the HOV lane; and

a display control unit for creating a guide section mark to be displayed in the HOV lane entrance/exit section extracted by the HOV lane entrance/exit extracting unit, and for causing the guide section mark created to be displayed.

3. The navigation system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a control unit for acquiring, when the HOV lane decision unit decides that the HOV lane is included, time regulation information on an entrance/exit of the HOV lane, wherein

the display control unit forms the guide section mark with a different design, color, shape or brightness in accordance with a passable/impassable state indicated by the time regulation information acquired by the control unit.

4. A navigation system comprising:

a map information acquiring unit for acquiring map information;

an HOV lane decision unit for deciding whether an HOV lane is included in a road represented by the map information acquired by the map information acquiring unit or not;

a passable/impassable decision unit for deciding whether the HOV lane, as to which a decision is made by the HOV lane decision unit that the HOV lane is included, is passable or not; and

a control unit for giving information that the HOV lane is a no entry road when the passable/impassable decision unit makes a impassable decision.

5. The navigation system according to claim 4, further comprising:

a display processing unit for creating display data for displaying the HOV lane as a no entry road when the passable/impassable decision unit makes an impassable decision, and for causing the no entry road to be displayed in accordance with the display data created.

6. The navigation system according to claim 4, further comprising:

a display processing unit for creating display data with a no entry mark added to the HOV lane on a map when the passable/impassable decision unit makes an impassable decision, and for causing the no entry mark to be displayed in accordance with the display data created.

7. The navigation system according to claim 4, further comprising:

a display processing unit for creating display data with a no entry mark added to the HOV lane on a guide map when the passable/impassable decision unit makes an impassable decision, and for causing the no entry mark to be displayed in accordance with the display data created.

8. The navigation system according to claim 4, further comprising:

a display processing unit for creating display data with the HOV lane on a guide map being deleted when the passable/impassable decision unit makes an impassable decision, and for causing the guide map to be displayed in accordance with the display data created.

9. A navigation system comprising:

a map information acquiring unit for acquiring map information in which a road is defined by a single link regardless of whether an HOV lane is juxtaposed on the road or not and data on the link contains information as to whether an HOV lane is juxtaposed or not;

an HOV lane decision unit for deciding whether an HOV lane is included in a road represented by the map information acquired by the map information acquiring unit or not;

a road number processing unit for performing, when the HOV lane decision unit decides that the HOV lane is included, processing of adding information representing the HOV lane to a road number of the road including the HOV lane; and

a display control unit for causing the road number passing through the processing by the road number processing unit to be displayed;

or

a voice information unit for causing the road number passing through the processing by the road number processing unit to be output in voice.

10. A navigation system comprising:

a map information acquiring unit for acquiring map information;

an HOV lane decision unit for deciding whether an HOV lane is included in a road represented by the map information acquired by the map information acquiring unit or not;

a control unit for acquiring, when the HOV lane decision unit decides that the HOV lane is included, a road number of the road including the HOV lane, and for acquiring, when only a road name of the road is obtained without being able to acquire the road number, the road number from the road name; and

a display control unit for causing the road number acquired by the control unit to be displayed;

or

a voice information unit for causing the road number acquired by the control unit to be output in voice.

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

a road number processing unit for performing processing of adding information representing an HOV lane to the road number acquired by the control unit,

wherein the display control unit causes the road number passing through the processing by the road number processing unit to be displayed.

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

a road number processing unit for performing processing of adding information representing an HOV lane to the road number acquired by the control unit,

wherein the voice information unit causes the road number passing through the processing by the road number processing unit to output in voice.