Vehicle navigation system

• US 20080208462A1
• Filed: 02/21/2008
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Tanaka, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,853,403 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3453 Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments

Abstract

A navigation system for a vehicle for generating a plurality of routes from a present position of the vehicle to a destination acquires the present position. The system stores map data of a map and storing position detection data. The system displays the map based on the map data. The system forms a factor chart of each of the plurality of routes and the associated one or more factors. The system causes the factor chart of the associated one or more factors of the each of the plurality of routes to be displayed. The system searches for at least one facility located along the each of the plurality of routes based on the position detection data. The system causes the at least one facility to be displayed together with the chart of the associated factor.

Claims

1. A navigation system for a vehicle for generating a plurality of routes from a present position of the vehicle to a destination, the navigation system comprising:

present position acquiring means for acquiring the present position;

information storage means for storing map data of a map and storing position detection data including a relation between a type of each of various facilities and a facility position of the each of the various facilities on the map,

display means for displaying the map based on the map data;

factor chart display controlling means for associating one or more factors with each of the plurality of routes and forming a factor chart of the route and the associated one or more factors, the factor chart display controlling means for causing the display means to display the factor chart of the associated one or more factors of the each of the plurality of routes;

facility search means for searching for at least one facility located along the each of the plurality of routes based on the position detection data; and

facility display controlling means for causing the display means to display the at least one facility for the each of the plurality of routes together with the factor chart of the associated one or more factor.

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

displayed facility selecting means for selecting a type of the at least one facility that is displayed by the display means.

3. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

the display means displays the at least one facility while the display means displays the factor chart of a distance of the each of the plurality of routes; and

the display means displays the at least one facility at a position on the factor chart of the distance, the position corresponding to the facility position of the at least one facility along the each of the plurality of routes.

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

travel direction detection means for detecting a travel direction of the vehicle based on the present position acquired by the present position acquiring means, wherein;

the at least one facility includes a first facility that is located along an first lane, on which the vehicle travels, and a second facility that is located along a second lane opposite to the first lane;

the facility search means searches for the first facility located along the first lane and the second facility located along the second lane based on the travel direction detected by the travel direction detection means; and

the facility display controlling means is adapted for selecting a first case and a second case, wherein the first facility is displayed in the first case and the first and second facilities are displayed in the second case.

5. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the display means displays the at least one facility using an icon that indicates the at least one facility.

6. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the factor chart of the distance in the display means is enlarged and reduced to change a length of a unit distance displayed in the display means.

7. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

the display means displays the at least one facility using an icon that indicates the at least one facility;

the factor chart of a distance in the display means is enlarged and reduced to change a length of a unit distance displayed in the display means; and

the icon of the at least one facility is enlarged and reduced in accordance with the change of the length of the unit distance.

8. The navigation system according to claim 6, wherein the factor chart of the distance is scrollable in a case, where the factor chart is enlarged.

9. The navigation system according to claim 5, further comprising:

displayed icon selecting means to allow a selection of the icon of the at least one facility on the factor chart associated with a distance;

detailed information acquiring means for acquiring, from the position detection data, detailed information of the at least one facility that corresponds to the selected icon; and

detailed information display controlling means for causing the display means to display the detailed information acquired by the detailed information acquiring means.

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

toll road detection means for detecting a toll road on the each of the plurality of routes;

toll road display controlling means for causing the toll road detected by the toll road detection means to be displayed, wherein;

when the associated one or more factors of the factor chart is a distance and when the display means displays the factor chart, the toll road display controlling means causes the display means to display an indication of the toll road at a position on the factor chart of the distance corresponding to a position of the toll road along the each of the plurality of routes.

11. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

road information acquiring means for acquiring traffic jam information; and

traffic jam display controlling means for causing the display means to display an indication of an occurrence of the traffic jam for the each of the plurality of routes based on the traffic jam information acquired by the road information acquiring means.

12. The navigation system according to claim 11, wherein:

when a distance of the each of the plurality of routes is made into the factor chart and when the display means displays the factor chart, the display means displays an indication of the traffic jam at a position on the factor chart, the position corresponding to a position of the traffic jam along the each of the plurality of routes.

13. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

the associated factor is a distance, the navigation system further comprising;

maximum travel distance acquiring means for acquiring a maximum distance that the vehicle runs; and

distance display controlling means for causing the display means to display an indication of the maximum distance at a distance-related position on the factor chart, the position corresponding to the maximum distance on a scale of the factor chart.

14. The navigation system according to claim 13, wherein:

the maximum travel distance acquiring means acquires a remaining fuel quantity that the vehicle has and a travel distance per unit fuel quantity; and

the maximum travel distance acquiring means computes the maximum distance by multiplying the remaining fuel quantity by the travel distance per unit fuel quantity.