Navigation system and roadway search method

• US 8,428,865 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2008
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Otsuki, Kohei
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilligan, Luke
• Application Number:
  US12/016,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20080221786A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,922 Days
• Field of Search: 701200-201, 705/400, 705/532
• US Class Current: 701/400
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3611 using character input or menus, e.g. menus of POIs character input methods in general G06F3/0233
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3614 through interaction with a road map, e.g. selecting a POI icon on a road map
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

The present invention provides a navigation system and roadway search method capable of easily searching for a roadway even if a user does not accurately know the name of the roadway. The navigation system includes an icon display unit that displays roadway icons by road type on a screen, and a search key setting unit that specifies a road type corresponding to the icon selected from the icons displayed on the screen, and sets a roadway name corresponding to the icon selected from the icons displayed on the screen as a search key through a user operation. The navigation system displays icons on the screen that are constituted by marks that are similar to marks actually used for roadways in paper maps or road signs. Thus the user is able to search for a roadway without needing to know the complete name of the desired roadway.

Claims

1. A navigation system, comprising:

an icon display unit, comprising a processor, that displays a plurality of icons corresponding to a plurality of road types on a screen of a display, wherein the plurality of icons are displayed by road type;

a search key setting unit that specifies a road type corresponding to an icon selected by a user through an operating unit from the plurality of icons displayed on the screen of the display, displays a list of roadway names having the specified road type on the screen of the display, and sets a roadway name selected by the user from the list as a search key for a roadway search; and

,

an information storage unit that stores each of the plurality of icons and information associated with each road type, wherein each of the plurality of icons is stored by road type;

wherein the search key setting unit further includes;

a road type specifying unit configured to initially specify road type information corresponding to the selected icon by referring to data stored on the information storage unit; and

a list display unit configured to retrieve one or more roadway names from data stored on the information storage unit based on the road type information specified by the road type specifying unit, and thereafter display a list of the retrieved one or more roadway names on the screen of the display;

wherein the one or more roadway names retrieved from the data correspond to the road type of the selected icon, and

wherein the search key setting unit is configured to set the roadway name selected by the user through the operating unit from the list of retrieved roadway names displayed on the screen of the display as the search key.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the search key setting unit displays the one or more roadway names retrieved from the data together with one or more icons corresponding to road types displayed on the screen of the display.

3. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the icon display unit displays the plurality of icons in a list on the screen of the display by road type.

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

a mode setting unit configured to set a search mode to a highway search mode, wherein when the highway search mode is set by the mode setting unit, the icon display unit displays the icons by road type on the screen of the display.

5. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the icon display unit displays the icons by road type on roads shown on a map displayed on the screen of a display.

6. A navigation system, comprising:

an icon display unit, comprising a processor, that displays a plurality of icons corresponding to a plurality of road types on a screen of a display, wherein the plurality of icons are displayed by road type;

a search key setting unit that specifies a road type corresponding to an icon selected by a user through an operating unit from the plurality of icons displayed on the screen of the display, displays a highway prefix for the specified road type on the screen of the display, and sets a roadway name selected by the user as a search key for a roadway search; and

,

an information storage unit configured to store the icons and information associated with the road type, wherein the icons are stored by road type;

wherein the search key setting unit further comprises;

a road type specifying unit configured to initially specify road type information corresponding to the icon selected by referring to data stored on the information storage unit; and

a prefix display unit configured to thereafter display a highway prefix for a roadway name based on the road type information specified by the road type specifying unit;

wherein the highway prefix corresponds to the road type of the selected icon, and

wherein the search key setting unit sets the roadway name and a route number selected by the user through the operating unit as the search key.

7. The navigation system according to claim 6, wherein the icon display unit displays the plurality of icons in a list on the screen of the display by road type.

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

a mode setting unit configured to set a search mode to a highway search mode, wherein when the highway search mode is set by the mode setting unit, the icon display unit displays the icons by road type on the screen of the display.

9. The navigation system according to claim 6, wherein the icon display unit displays the icons by road type on roads shown on a map displayed on the screen of a display.

10. A navigation system, comprising:

a route number input unit configured to initially receive a roadway route number from a user through an operating unit;

an icon display unit, comprising a processor, configured to retrieve one or more roadway names from data corresponding to the roadway route number, and thereafter display on the screen of a display a plurality of icons corresponding to a specified road type of the one or more roadway names; and

a search key setting unit configured to set, as a roadway search key, the roadway name corresponding to the roadway route number and an icon selected by the user through the operating unit from the plurality of icons displayed on the screen of the display;

wherein the icon display unit displays icons corresponding to roadway names that correspond to the route number received by the route number input unit, together with roadway names generated by adding a prefix before the route number that corresponds to the specified road type.

11. A roadway search method, comprising:

displaying, by an icon display unit comprising a processor, roadway icons by road type on the screen of a display;

specifying road type information stored on an information storage unit that corresponds to a roadway icon selected by a user through an operating unit from the roadway icons displayed on the screen of the display, wherein the information storage unit stores icons by road type and information associated with each road type;

displaying a prefix for a roadway name corresponding to the roadway icon selected from the roadway icons displayed on the screen of the display, wherein the prefix is based on the specified road type information;

setting as a search key for the roadway search, a roadway name completed by the input of a route number by a user through the operating unit; and

searching data stored on the information storage unit for a roadway corresponding to the roadway name set as the search key for a roadway search.

12. A roadway search method, comprising:

accepting a roadway route number input by a user through an operating unit;

retrieving one or more roadways associated with the accepted roadway route number from data stored on an information storage unit in order to specify a road type for each of the one or more roadways;

displaying, by an icon display unit comprising a processor, icons corresponding to the specified road types on the screen of a display;

setting a roadway name corresponding to an icon selected by the user through the operating unit from the icons displayed on the screen of the display as a search key for conducting a roadway search; and

searching the data for a roadway corresponding to the roadway name set as the search key

wherein the icons corresponding to roadways having the roadway route number input by the operating unit are displayed on the screen of a display together with roadway names generated by adding a prefix corresponding to the specified road type before the roadway route number.