Navigation system and navigation method

• US 9,255,812 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2013
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Takano, Hideki, Maeoka, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Do, Truc M
• Application Number:
  US14/063,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20140129144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 701/533, 701/437, 701/428, 701/431, 701/454, 701/532, 701/455, 701/516, 701/469
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence

Abstract

There is provided a navigation system having a guidance-controller, the guidance-controller controlling the sequence of guidances, and priority, according to an execution condition set depending on the type of a relevant guidance, while determining whether or not a guidance is executed according to the execution condition to thereby alter the teaching of guidance-execution. If overlapping by plural guidances using speech, and screen display occurs, the simple display of the guidance lower in priority is executed, and if the guidance falls outside an effective range, the guidance is interrupted, or the guidance during standby-display is not executed. Thereby, plural guidances are concurrently displayed, and a meaningless guidance is not displayed.

Claims

1. A navigation guidance control system, comprising:

a movable body configured to transition between a plurality of states;

a navigation system disposed on the movable body;

a controller configured to determine each of the plurality of states of the movable body and generate a plurality of guidances to be provided to a user, each of the plurality of guidances generated based on a determined state of the movable body; and

a user interface configured to receive the plurality of guidances generated by the controller and provide the plurality of guidances visually or aurally to a user of the navigation system,

wherein the plurality of guidances are provided responsive to events, each event corresponding to;

(i) an event processing function;

(ii) an allowable condition indicating a condition under which the event-processing function is executed based on a distance from a position an event occurs or a time length from a time the event occurs; and

(iii) a priority,

when the controller generates a first guidance of the plurality of the guidances corresponding to a first event and a second guidance of the plurality of the guidances corresponding to a second event and the allowable conditions overlap with each other, the controller is configured to control the providing of the plurality of the guidances to the user by determining a method of causing the user interface to provide the plurality of guidances according to a plurality of teachings of the event processing functions for the first event and the second event,

the plurality of teachings for each of the first event and the second event comprising;

(i) normal processing indicating a corresponding teaching of processing in a case of one event processing function determined to have a higher priority than the other event processing function;

simple processing indicating a corresponding teaching of processing in a case when the one event processing function is executed while the other event processing function is being executed; and

a delayed-time processing indicating the teaching of processing to be executed with the one event processing function in the case of the other event processing function cannot be executed under the corresponding allowable condition of the other event processing function.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the method determines an order in which the user interface visually or aurally provides the guidance.

3. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein, when the distance from the position the event occurs or the time length from the time the event occurs, determined according to the allowable condition is exceeded, the providing of the plurality of guidances is stopped.

4. The navigation system according to claim 1,

wherein, when the controller generates the plurality of guidances, the controller generates a plurality of display areas differing in magnitude from each other, in the user interface, thereby executing the display of the guidance high in priority in a large display area while executing the simple display of the guidance low in priority in a small display area.

5. The navigation system according to claim 4, wherein when the controller has the plural guidances low in priority, the controller displays the plural guidances in the display area for the simple display.

6. The navigation system according to claim 4, wherein when the guidance high in priority is completed, the controller displays the guidance low in priority in the large display area.

7. A navigation guidance control method in a navigation system the method comprising:

determining, by a control processor, each of a plurality of states of a movable body and generate a plurality of guidances of a navigation system disposed on the moveable body to be provided to a user;

generating each of the plurality of guidances based on a determined state of the movable body;

providing, by the control processor, the plurality of guidances responsive to events, each event corresponding to;

(i) an event processing function;

(ii) an allowable condition indicating a condition under which the event processing function is executed based on a distance from a position an event occurs or a time length from a time the event occurs; and

(iii) a priority;

when the controller processor generates a first guidance of the plurality of the guidances corresponding to a first event and a second guidance of the plurality of the guidances corresponding to a second event and the allowable conditions overlap with each other, providing, by the control processor, the plurality of the guidances to the user by determining a method of providing the plurality of guidances according to a plurality of teachings of the event processing functions for the first event and the second event; and

the plurality of teachings for each of the first event and the second event comprising;

(i) normal processing indicating a corresponding teaching of processing in a case of one event processing function determined to have a higher priority than the other event processing function;

simple processing indicating a corresponding teaching of processing in a case when the one event processing function is executed while the other event processing function is being executed; and

a delayed-time processing indicating the teaching of processing to be executed with the one event processing function in the case of the other event processing function cannot be executed under the corresponding allowable condition of the other event processing function.

8. The navigation method according to claim 7, wherein the method of providing the plurality of guidances determines an order in which the plurality of guidances are provided is outputted.

9. The navigation method according to claim 7, wherein when the distance from the position the event occurs or the time length from the time the event occurs, determined according to the allowable condition, is exceeded, the providing of the plurality of guidances is stopped.

10. The navigation method according to claim 7, wherein the corresponding teaching is related to a screen to be displayed, the allowable condition is determined on the basis of the priority of the guidance, and when the plural guidances generated are present, a plurality of display areas differing in magnitude from each other are generated in the user interface, thereby displaying the guidance high in priority in a large display area while executing the simple display of the guidance low in priority in a small display area.

11. The navigation method according to claim 10, wherein, when the plural guidances low in priority are present, the plural guidances are displayed in the display area for the simple display.

12. The navigation method according to claim 10, wherein when the guidance high in priority is completed, the guidance low in priority is displayed in the large display area.