Navigation system

• US 4,954,959 A
• Filed: 12/27/1988
• Issued: 09/04/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Kabushiki Kaisha Shinsangyokaihatsu
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Kabushiki Kaisha Shinsangyokaihatsu
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Koji, Sumiya, Koji, Yokoyama, Shoji, Kawai, Masao, Moroto, Shuzo
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US07/290,204
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 364/443, 364/444, 364/449, 73/178 R, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3878 Hierarchical structures, e.g. layering
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

A first external storage device which may be a CD stores data representing standard map of a particular area and that required for guidance, and a second external storage device which may be an IC card stores individual data which cannot be complemented by said data representing the standard map and said guidance data. Since the data is stored in both CD and IC card, the number of data can be reduced. This makes the operation simpler and enables a data that meets the demand of a user to be selectively supplied to the user. In consequence, guided navigation is made possible from any starting point to a destination, and data updating can be made relatively easy.

Claims

1. A navigation system for a vehicle comprising:

a first external storage means for storing first guidance data including road and intersection data;

a second external storage means for storing second guidance data; and

second guidance data being linked to said first guidance data and including more detailed road and intersection data associated with a smaller geographic area when compared to said first guidance data;

output means for outputting guidance information; and

CPU means for receiving said first and second guidance data from said first and second external storage means, supplementing said first guidance data by said second guidance data, and outputting said guidance information based on said supplemented guidance data via said output means.

2. A navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said second external storage device comprises one of a floppy disk, an optical disk, a magnetic tape, an IC card and an optical card.

3. A navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said CPU means prepares a comparison data list from said first and second guidance data stored in each of said first and second external storage means, and selectively operates said first and second guidance data stored in said first and second external storage means based on said comparison data list.

4. A navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said second guidance data includes a comparison data list of said first and second guidance data, and said CPU means selectively operates said first and second guidance data stored in said first and second external storage means based upon said comparison data list.

5. A navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said second guidance data includes a table for coordinating said first and second guidance data, and said CPU means selectively operates said first and second guidance data stored in said first and second external storage device based upon said table.

6. A navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said first guidance data corresponds to a larger geographical area and said second guidance data corresponds to said smaller geographical area contained within said larger geographical area.

7. A navigation system according to claim 1 including receiving means for inputting said second guidance data from an external source.

8. A navigation system according to claim 7, wherein said receiving means includes a modem.

9. A navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said second external storage means includes removable media and said second guidance data can be replaced by new second guidance data by replacing said removable media with a new removable media containing said new second guidance data.

10. A navigation system for a vehicle comprising:

present position means for determining a present position of said vehicle;

first external storage means for storing first guidance data including road and intersection data;

a second external storage means for storing second guidance data;

said second guidance data being linked to said first guidance data and including more detailed road and intersection data association with a smaller geographic area when compared to said first guidance data;

output means for outputting guidance information; and

CPU means for receiving said first and second guidance data from said first and second external storage means, supplementing said first guidance data by said second guidance data, and outputting said guidance information together with said present position via said output means based on said supplemented guidance data.

11. A navigation system according to claim 10 wherein said present position means comprises a GPS receiver.

12. A navigation system according to claim 10 wherein said present position means comprises a beacon receiver.

13. A navigation system according to claim 10 wherein said present position means comprises a geomagnetic sensor and a distance sensor.

14. A navigation system according to claim 10 wherein said present position means comprises a distance sensor and a steering sensor.

15. A navigation system for a vehicle comprising:

input means for inputting a starting point and destination;

a present position means for determining a present position of said vehicle;

a first external storage means for storing first guidance data including road and intersection data;

a second external storage means for storing second guidance data;

said second guidance data being linked to said first guidance data and including more detailed road and intersection data associated with a smaller geographic area when compared to said guidance data;

output means for outputting guidance information, including a display means for displaying visual information; and

CPU means for receiving said first and second guidance data from said first and second external storage means, setting a guide route based on said starting point and said destination including supplementing said first guidance data by said second guidance data, and outputting said guide route as said guidance information together with said present position data via said output means.

16. A navigation system for a vehicle comprising:

input means for inputting a starting point and destination;

a first external storage means for storing first guidance data including road and intersection data;

a second external storage means for storing second guidance data;

said second guidance data being linked to said first guidance data and including more detailed road and intersection data association with a smaller geographic area when compared to said first guidance data;

output means for outputting guidance information; and

CPU means for receiving said first and second guidance data from said first and second external storage means, setting coordinates of a plurality of points from said starting point to said destination including supplementing said first guidance data by said second guidance data, and outputting said guidance information based on said set coordinates via said output means at each of said points up to said destination.

17. A navigation system for a vehicle comprising:

an external storage means for storing guidance data including road and intersection data;

an internal storage means for storing second guidance data;

said second guidance data being linked to said first guidance data and including more detailed road and intersection data associated with a smaller geographic area when compared to said first guidance data;

output means for outputting guidance information; and

CPU means for receiving said first and second guidance data from said external and internal storage means, supplementing said first guidance data by said second guidance data, and outputting said guidance information based on said supplemented guidance data via said output means.