Navigation apparatus, method, and program

• US 8,990,016 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2007
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Kashalkar, Sanjay
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Figueroa, Jaime
• Application Number:
  US11/878,089
• Publication Number:
  US 20080027640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,804 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/201, 701/206, 701/207, 701/208, 701/209, 701/211, 701/400, 701/408, 701/409, 701/414, 701/416, 701/420, 701/428, 701/438, 701/439, 701/465, 701/527, 701/533, 340/988, 340/995.19, 340/995.23, 340/932.2
• US Class Current: 701/533
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3605 Destination input or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence

Abstract

A navigation apparatus, method, and program store map/road data including information on parking lots, provide position information on a position of the vehicle, and output guidance information. The apparatus, method, and program process the position information and the map/road data to generate guidance information, and make a first determination whether the vehicle enters a first threshold area around a target destination. The apparatus, method, and program make, in response to the first determination, a second determination that the vehicle has not been parked before a parking notification output condition is fulfilled and output parking notification information on the output unit in response to the second determination.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus for providing guidance to a vehicle user, comprising:

a memory that stores map/road data including information on parking lots;

a sensor unit that provides position information on a position of the vehicle;

an output unit that outputs guidance information; and

a controller that;

processes the position information and the map/road data to generate guidance information;

makes a first determination whether the vehicle enters a first threshold area around a target destination;

makes, in response to the first determination, a second determination that the vehicle has not been parked before a parking notification output condition is fulfilled; and

outputs parking notification information on the output unit in response to the second determination, the parking notification information informing the driver of a location of a parking lot; and

when a type of the target destination is a parking lot and before the vehicle enters the parking lot, terminates a process for outputting the parking notification information including the second determination,

wherein the parking notification output condition is at least one of;

a lapse of a time period after the vehicle enters the first threshold area;

a traveling of a predetermined distance after the vehicle enters the first threshold area;

a predetermined number of times of entering or exiting of a second threshold area, the second threshold area being smaller than the first threshold area; and

entering of the first threshold area if the first threshold area is smaller than a predetermined value.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller:

starts an automatic parking notification process in response to the first determination; and

makes the second determination as part of the automatic parking notification process.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller provides guidance to the target destination until the parking notification output condition is fulfilled.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the controller makes a third determination whether the vehicle enters a second threshold area around the target destination, the second threshold area being smaller than the first threshold area.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the parking notification output condition is at least one of:

a lapse of a time period after the vehicle enters the first threshold area;

a traveling of a predetermined distance after the vehicle enters the first threshold area;

a predetermined number of times of entering or exiting of the second threshold area; and

entering of the first threshold area, if the first threshold area is smaller than a predetermined value.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller makes a third determination whether the vehicle enters a second threshold area around the target destination, the second threshold area being smaller than the first threshold area.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the parking notification information informs the driver of a location of a parking lot that is not full.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the parking notification information is not output if the vehicle is parked.

7. A navigation method for providing guidance to a vehicle user, comprising:

accessing, with a processor, stored map/road data including information on parking lots;

providing, with the processor, position information on a position of the vehicle;

outputting, with the processor, guidance information; and

processing, with the processor, the position information and the map/road data to generate guidance information;

making, with the processor, a first determination whether the vehicle enters a first threshold area around a target destination;

making, with the processor, in response to the first determination, a second determination that the vehicle has not been parked before a parking notification output condition is fulfilled; and

outputting, with the processor, parking notification information in response to the second determination, the parking notification information informing the driver of a location of a parking lot; and

when a type of the target destination is a parking lot and before the vehicle enters the parking lot, terminating, with the processor, a process for outputting the parking notification information including the second determination,

wherein the parking notification output condition is at least one of;

a lapse of a time period after the vehicle enters the first threshold area;

a traveling of a predetermined distance after the vehicle enters the first threshold area;

a predetermined number of times of entering or exiting of a second threshold area, the second threshold area being smaller than the first threshold area; and

entering of the first threshold area if the first threshold area is smaller than a predetermined value.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

starting an automatic parking notification process in response to the first determination; and

making the second determination as part of the automatic parking notification process.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing guidance to the target destination until the parking notification output condition is fulfilled.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising making a third determination whether the vehicle enters a second threshold area around the target destination, the second threshold area being smaller than the first threshold area.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the parking notification output condition is at least one of:

a lapse of a time period after the vehicle enters the first threshold area;

a traveling of a predetermined distance after the vehicle enters the first threshold area;

a predetermined number of times of entering or exiting of the second threshold area; and

entering of the first threshold area, if the first threshold area is smaller than a predetermined value.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising making a third determination whether the vehicle enters a second threshold area around the target destination, the second threshold area being smaller than the first threshold area.

16. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the parking notification information informs the driver of a location of a parking lot that is not full.

17. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the parking notification information is not output if the vehicle is parked.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program executable on a data processing device, the program comprising:

instructions for accessing stored map/road data including information on parking lots;

instructions for providing position information on a position of the vehicle;

instructions for outputting guidance information; and

instructions for processing the position information and the map/road data to generate guidance information;

instructions for making a first determination whether the vehicle enters a first threshold area around a target destination;

instructions for making, in response to the first determination, a second determination that the vehicle has not been parked before a parking notification output condition is fulfilled; and

instructions for outputting parking notification information in response to the second determination, the parking notification information informing the driver of a location of a parking lot; and

instructions for, when a type of the target destination is a parking lot and before the vehicle enters the parking lot, terminating a process for outputting the parking notification information including the second determination,

wherein the parking notification output condition is at least one of;

a lapse of a time period after the vehicle enters the first threshold area;

a traveling of a predetermined distance after the vehicle enters the first threshold area;

a predetermined number of times of entering or exiting of a second threshold area, the second threshold area being smaller than the first threshold area; and

entering of the first threshold area if the first threshold area is smaller than a predetermined value.