Navigation device and guidance method thereof

• US 9,316,504 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2010
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Original Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Inventors: Sumizawa, Akio, Kurihara, Satoshi, Fujiwara, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): Jabr, Fadey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahne, Kevin P
• Application Number:
  US13/519,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20130030691A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,940 Days
• Field of Search: 701/410, 704/410
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3453 Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3658 Lane guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

Disclosed is navigation technology for providing guidance for HOV lanes in a more readily understandable manner. A navigation device is provided with: a storage unit adapted to store lane information including the set-up of lanes which can be used when a predetermined condition is fulfilled (hereafter referred to as conditional lanes); a route guidance unit adapted to provide guidance for a recommended route to a destination; and a guidance unit adapted to provide guidance for entrances and exits for conditional lanes. If travelling along a conditional lane makes it impossible to continue without deviating from the recommended route, the guidance unit provides guidance that the conditional lane should not be entered from an entrance to the conditional lane or inhibits guidance on the presence of an entrance to the conditional lane.

Claims

1. A navigation device comprising:

a storage unit in which lane information is stored, including information on a state of setting-up of a conditional lane that is available for traveling when prescribed conditions are satisfied; and

a processor programmed to perform guidance along a recommended route to a destination;

wherein the processor performs guidance, in an entrance/exit possible section of the recommended route where both entrance and exit are possible between ordinary lanes and conditional lanes of a road on the recommended route, for an entrance to the conditional lanes from the ordinary lanes or an exit from the conditional lanes to the ordinary lanes of the road;

wherein, although the processor normally provides a notification to a user that an entrance to a conditional lane on the recommended route exits, the processor prevents the notification of existence of the entrance to the conditional lane on the recommended route when the processor determines that the recommended route does not include an entrance/exit possible section between the entrance of the conditional lane and an exit from the road to a branch road on the recommended route; and

wherein the processor re-searches for a route for traveling through the nearest exit link of the conditional lane when the processor determines that the recommended route does not include the entrance/exit possible section between the entrance of the conditional lane and the exit from the road to the branch road on the recommended route, and performs guidance not to enter into the conditional lane through an entrance of the conditional lane if a cost of the re-searched route is not advantageous.

2. A navigation device according to claim 1, wherein:

when traveling in the conditional lane, the processor performs guidance to exit from the conditional lane through a nearest exit link of the conditional lane when the processor determines that the recommended route does not include the entrance/exit possible section between the entrance of the conditional lane and the exit from the road to the branch road on the recommended route.

3. A navigation device comprising:

a storage unit in which lane information is stored, including information on a state of setting-up of a conditional lane that is available for traveling when prescribed conditions are satisfied; and

a processor programmed to perform guidance along a recommended route to a destination;

wherein the processor performs guidance, in an entrance/exit possible section of the recommended route where both entrance and exit are possible between ordinary lanes and conditional lanes of a road on the recommended route, for an entrance to the conditional lanes from the ordinary lanes or an exit from the conditional lanes to the ordinary lanes of the road;

wherein, although the processor normally provides a notification to a user that an entrance to a conditional lane on the recommended route exits, the processor prevents the notification of existence of the entrance to the conditional lane on the recommended route when the processor determines that the recommended route does not include an entrance/exit possible section between the entrance of the conditional lane and an exit from the road to a branch road on the recommended route; and

wherein the processor performs guidance to exit from the conditional lane at a most distant exit link of the conditional lane between the entrance of the conditional lane and the exit from the road to the branch road on the recommended route when the processor determines that the recommended route includes one or more entrance/exit possible sections between the entrance of the conditional lane and the exit from the road to the branch road on the recommended route.

4. A guidance method of a navigation device, comprising:

storing, in a storage unit, lane information including information on a state of setting-up a conditional lane that is available for traveling when prescribed conditions are satisfied;

performing guidance, by a processor, along a recommended route to a destination; and

performing guidance, by the processor, for an entrance/exit possible section of the recommended route where both entrance and exit are possible between ordinary lanes and the conditional lane of a road on the recommended route, for an entrance to the conditional lane from the ordinary lanes or an exit from the conditional lane to the ordinary lanes of the road; and

wherein, although the processor normally provides a notification to a user that an entrance to the conditional lane on the recommended route exits, the processor prevents the notification of existence of the entrance to the conditional lane on the recommended route when the processor determines that the recommended route does not include an entrance/exit possible section between the entrance of the conditional lane and an exit from the road to a branch road on the recommended route; and

wherein the processor re-searches for a route for traveling through a nearest exit link of the conditional lane when the processor determines that the recommended route does not include the entrance/exit possible section between the entrance of the conditional lane and the exit from the road to the branch road on the recommended route, and performs guidance not to enter into the conditional lane through an entrance of the conditional lane if a cost of the re-searched route is not advantageous.

5. A guidance method of a navigation device, comprising:

storing, in a storage unit, lane information including information on a state of setting-up a conditional lane that is available for traveling when prescribed conditions are satisfied;

performing guidance, by processor, along a recommended route to a destination; and

performing guidance, by the processor, for an entrance/exit possible section of the recommended route where both entrance and exit are possible between ordinary lanes and the conditional lane of a road on the recommended route, for an entrance to the conditional lane from the ordinary lanes or an exit from the conditional lane to the ordinary lanes of the road; and

wherein, although the processor normally provides a notification to a user that an entrance to the conditional lane on the recommended route exits, the processor prevents the notification of existence of the entrance to the conditional lane on the recommended route when the processor determines that the recommended route does not include an entrance/exit possible section between the entrance of the conditional lane and an exit from the road to a branch road on the recommended route; and

wherein the processor performs guidance to exit from the conditional lane at a most distant exit link of the conditional lane between the entrance of the conditional lane and the exit from the road to the branch road on the recommended route when the processor determines that the recommended route includes one or more entrance/exit possible sections between the entrance of the conditional lane and the exit from the road to the branch road on the recommended route.