Vehicle navigation system and navigation method thereof

• US 8,725,409 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2009
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FIH (Hong Kong) Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: FIH (Hong Kong) Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Chen, Chia-Yang
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIPALA, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US12/551,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20100292918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,715 Days
• Field of Search: 701/400, 701408-411, 701/414, 701/418, 701/423, 701/425, 701/430, 701/532, 701/533, 340/988, 340/995.19, 340/995.2, 340/995.21, 340/995.13, 340/995.14
• US Class Current: 701/411
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries

Abstract

A vehicle navigation system and navigation method thereof are disclosed. The vehicle navigation system comprises a location detector to acquire a current location of a vehicle, a calculation unit to calculate a navigation route from a departure location to a destination, a database including map data and a plurality of restrictions associated with restricted sites on the map data, the calculation unit calculates a navigation route from the departure location to the destination based on the map data and the plurality of restrictions. Thus, the vehicle navigation system may provide the navigation route excluding sites with possible restriction applied thereto.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for navigation applied in a vehicle navigation system, the vehicle navigation system comprises a database comprising map data and a plurality of restrictions associated with restricted sites on the map data, the method comprising:

determining a departure location and a destination of a vehicle;

determining a departure time of the vehicle;

estimating a driving speed of the vehicle;

estimating an arrival time at each midway point between the departure location and the destination based on the driving speed; and

calculating a navigation route from the departure location to the destination based on the map data, the plurality of restrictions stored in the database, the departure time and the arrival time, comprising;

calculating a base route from the departure location to the destination based on the map data;

determining whether the base route comprises the restricted sites;

determining if the estimated arrival times to any midway points located at the restricted sites match restriction times for the restricted sites; and

calculating the navigation route excluding the restricted sites from the departure location to the destination under the condition that the estimated arrival times match the restriction times for the restricted sites.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the origin location is a current location of the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the departure location is determined by user input.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of restrictions is determined according to official regulations.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of restrictions is determined by user input.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the base route as the navigation route from the departure location to the destination if the base route does not comprise any restricted sites.

7. A vehicle navigation system comprising:

a database comprising map data and a plurality of restrictions associated with restricted sites on the map data;

a location detector to acquire a current location of a vehicle;

a calculation unit to determine a departure time of the vehicle, and calculate a base route from the departure location to the destination based on the map data;

an estimation module to estimate a driving speed of the vehicle, and estimate an arrival time for each midway point between the departure location and the destination based on the driving speed;

a comparison module to determine whether the base route comprises the restricted sites, and determine if the estimated arrival times to any midway points located at the restricted sites match restriction times for the restricted sites; and

the calculation unit further to calculate the navigation route excluding the restricted sites from the departure location to the destination under the condition that the estimated arrival times match the restriction times for the restricted sites, based on the map data, the plurality of restrictions stored in the database, the departure time and the arrival time.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the departure location is the current location of the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the departure location is determined by user input.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of restrictions for restricted sites is determined according to official regulations.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of restrictions for restricted sites is determined by user input.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the calculation unit is further to determine the base route as the navigation route from the departure location to the destination if the base route does not comprise any restricted sites.

13. A non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a navigation method applied in a vehicle navigation system, the vehicle navigation system comprises a database comprising map data and a plurality of restrictions associated with restricted sites on the map data, the method comprising:

determining a departure location and a destination of a vehicle;

determining a departure time of the vehicle;

estimating a driving speed of the vehicle;

estimating an arrival time at each midway point between the departure location and the destination based on the driving speed; and

calculating a navigation route from the departure location to the destination based on the map data, the plurality of restrictions stored in the database, the departure time and the arrival time, comprising;

calculating a base route from the departure location to the destination based on the map data;

determining whether the base route comprises the restricted sites;

determining if the estimated arrival times to any midway points located at the restricted sites match restriction times for the restricted sites; and

calculating the navigation route excluding the restricted sites from the departure location to the destination under the condition that the estimated arrival times match the restriction times for the restricted sites.

14. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 13, wherein the origin location is a current location of the vehicle.

15. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 13, wherein the departure location is determined by user input.

16. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 13, wherein the plurality of restrictions is determined according to official regulations.

17. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 13, wherein the plurality of restrictions is determined by user input.

18. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

determining the base route as the navigation route from the departure location to the destination if the base route does not comprise any restricted sites.