Navigation system

• US 20070032943A1
• Filed: 08/03/2006
• Published: 02/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Okabe, Hidefumi
• Granted Patent: US 8,005,615 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/36 Global Positioning System [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/17558 specially adapted for collision avoidance or collision mitigation road vehicle drive control systems for collision avoidance otherwise than by controlling a particular sub-unit B60W30/09
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/08 Active safety systems predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision or attempting to minimise its consequences
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096816 where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096861 where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn

Abstract

A navigation system includes data storage that contains map data, a current position detection portion that detects a current position of a host vehicle, an acceleration lane remaining distance determination portion that determines a distance from the current position to the end of an acceleration lane where it merges with a main thoroughfare, based on the map data and the current position of the host vehicle, a merging support guidance selection portion that selects a type of merging support guidance for supporting the merging of the host vehicle from the acceleration lane into the main thoroughfare, based on information for the host vehicle in the acceleration lane, information for another vehicle so located on the main thoroughfare as to be accounted for in merging, and the distance from the current position to the end of the acceleration lane, and a guidance execution portion that executes the selected merging support guidance.

Claims

1. A navigation system, comprising:

(a) a data storage portion containing map data;

(b) a current position detection portion that detects a current position of a host vehicle;

(c) an acceleration lane remaining distance acquisition portion that determines a distance from the current position to the end of an acceleration lane where it merges with a main thoroughfare, based on the map data and the current position of the host vehicle;

(d) a merging support guidance selection portion that selects a type of merging support guidance that will support the merging of the host vehicle from the acceleration lane into the main thoroughfare, based on information for the host vehicle in the acceleration lane, information for a vehicle on the main thoroughfare, and the distance from the current position to the end of the acceleration lane; and

(e) a guidance execution portion that executes the selected merging support guidance.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the information for the host vehicle in the acceleration lane includes the vehicle speed of the host vehicle and the acceleration of the host vehicle, and the information the vehicle on the main thoroughfare includes the relative distance from the host vehicle, relative vehicle speed in relation to the host vehicle, and relative acceleration in relation to the host vehicle.

3. The navigation system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a position information correction portion that corrects the current position of the host vehicle based on information regarding the position of a guide zone where the acceleration lane merges with the main thoroughfare, and

an acceleration lane entry detection portion that determines whether or not the host vehicle has entered the acceleration lane that merges with the main thoroughfare, based on the corrected current position of the host vehicle.

4. The navigation system according to claim 2, wherein the merging support guidance selection portion selects one of stopping guidance, guidance for entering the main thoroughfare while accelerating, and guidance for entering the main thoroughfare after letting the other vehicle pass.

5. The navigation system according to claim 4, wherein the merging support guidance selection portion selects stopping guidance when the time until the host vehicle will arrive the end of the acceleration lane is less than or equal to a predetermined time, and the vehicle on the main thoroughfare is in or will enter a space to the side of the host vehicle within the predetermined time.

6. The navigation system according to claim 5, wherein the guidance execution portion controls the brakes to stop the host vehicle when the selected merging support guidance is stopping guidance.

7. The navigation system according to claim 4, wherein the merging support guidance selection portion selects guidance for entering the main thoroughfare while accelerating when the vehicle on the main thoroughfare is not in and will not enter a space to the side of the host vehicle within a predetermined time.

8. The navigation system according to claim 4, wherein the merging support guidance selection portion selects guidance for entering the main thoroughfare after letting the other vehicle pass when the time until the host vehicle will arrive the end of the acceleration lane is greater than a predetermined time, and the vehicle on the main thoroughfare will enter or exit a space to the side of the host vehicle within the predetermined time.

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

a position information correction portion that corrects the current position of the host vehicle based on information regarding the position of a guide zone where the acceleration lane merges with the main thoroughfare, and

an acceleration lane entry detection portion that determines whether or not the host vehicle has entered the acceleration lane that merges with the main thoroughfare, based on the corrected current position of the host vehicle.

10. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the merging support guidance selection portion selects one of stopping guidance, guidance for entering the main thoroughfare while accelerating, and guidance for entering the main thoroughfare after letting the other vehicle pass.

11. The navigation system according to claim 10, wherein the merging support guidance selection portion selects stopping guidance when the time until the host vehicle will arrive the end of the acceleration lane is less than or equal to a predetermined time, and the vehicle on the main thoroughfare is in or will enter a space to the side of the host vehicle within the predetermined time.

12. The navigation system according to claim 11, wherein the guidance execution portion controls the brakes to stop the host vehicle when the selected merging support guidance is stopping guidance.

13. The navigation system according to claim 10, wherein the merging support guidance selection portion selects guidance for entering the main thoroughfare while accelerating when the vehicle on the main thoroughfare is not in and will not enter a space to the side of the host vehicle within a predetermined time.

14. The navigation system according to claim 10, wherein the merging support guidance selection portion selects guidance for entering the main thoroughfare after letting the other vehicle pass when the time until the host vehicle will arrive the end of the acceleration lane is greater than a predetermined time, and the vehicle on the main thoroughfare will enter or exit a space to the side of the host vehicle within the predetermined time.

15. A navigation method for providing a host vehicle with guidance for merging into a main thoroughfare from an acceleration lane, comprising:

determining the current position of the host vehicle;

determining the distance in the acceleration lane between the current position of the host vehicle and the end of the acceleration lane where it merges with the main thoroughfare with reference to stored map data including information on the acceleration lane;

selecting merging support guidance based on information for the host vehicle and information for a vehicle traveling on the main thoroughfare and posing a potential obstacle to the merging; and

outputting the selected merging support guidance to the driver of the host vehicle.

16. The navigation method according to claim 15, wherein the information for the host vehicle in the acceleration lane includes the vehicle speed of the host vehicle and the acceleration of the host vehicle, and the information the vehicle on the main thoroughfare includes the relative distance from the host vehicle, relative vehicle speed in relation to the host vehicle, and relative acceleration in relation to the host vehicle.

17. The navigation method according to claim 15 further comprising:

correcting the determined current position based on information regarding the position of a guide zone located between the acceleration lane and the thoroughfare and extending rearward from the end of the acceleration lane; and

determining whether or not the host vehicle has entered the acceleration lane based on the corrected current position.

18. The navigation method according to claim 15 wherein the merging support guidance is selected from stopping guidance, guidance for entering the main thoroughfare with acceleration and guidance for entering the main thoroughfare after letting the vehicle on the main thoroughfare pass.

19. The navigation method according to claim 18 wherein stopping guidance is selected when the time until the host vehicle will arrive the end of the acceleration lane is less than or equal to a predetermined time, and the vehicle on the main thoroughfare is in or will enter a space to the side of the host vehicle within the predetermined time.

20. The navigation method according to claim 19 further comprising automatically controlling brakes of the host vehicle to bring the host vehicle to a stop.

21. The navigation method according to claim 18 wherein guidance for entering the main thoroughfare with acceleration is selected when the vehicle on the main thoroughfare is not in and will not enter a predetermined space to the side of the host vehicle within a predetermined time.

22. The navigation method according to claim 18 wherein guidance for entering the main thoroughfare after letting the vehicle on the main thoroughfare pass is selected when the time until the host vehicle will arrive the end of the acceleration lane is greater than a predetermined time, and the vehicle on the main thoroughfare will enter or exit a space to the side of the host vehicle within the predetermined time.