Navigation display device which indicates goal and route direction information

• US 6,070,124 A
• Filed: 10/28/1999
• Issued: 05/30/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Aisin AW Corporation Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Nimura, Mitsuhiro, Yamada, Kunihiro, Maekawa, Kazuteru
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US09/429,011
• Time in Patent Office: 215 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701/211, 701/208, 701/209, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3632 Guidance using simplified or iconic instructions, e.g. using arrows G01C21/365 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

A goal direction mark and a distance to a goal are indicated when the car has approached the end point of route. When the car has deviated from the guide route to the goal or is running backwards on the guide route, there is indicated a mark to inform the direction of progress to the goal on the guide route. When the car has deviated from the guide route and the guide route is not indicated on the map picture, there is indicated the direction to the goal or the direction to the guide route itself. When the start point of route is remote from the present position at the start of the guidance, a mark is indicated to inform the direction to the start point of route. The driver is enabled to easily determine relying upon the indicated mark in which direction he should proceed. When the map picture is scrolled, there is informed the goal direction, route direction or the direction of progress to the goal on the route. The user therefore is enabled to easily know the direction to the goal.

Claims

1. A navigation device comprising:

a present position detection means for detecting the present position of a moving means;

a goal-setting means for setting a goal;

a route-setting means for setting a route to the goal that is set by said goal-setting means;

a route indication means for indicating, on a map picture, said route to the goal set by said route-setting means and said present position;

a goal direction calculation means for obtaining a direction from said present position to said goal;

a backward driving discrimination means for discriminating whether said moving means is backwardly proceeding with respect to the direction of progress of said route or not; and

a goal direction informing means for informing the direction of the goal obtained by said goal direction calculation means when it is discriminated by said backward driving discrimination means that said moving means is running backwards.

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

a goal indication discrimination means for discriminating whether said goal is indicated within said map picture or not; and

an information inhibiting means for inhibiting the information of said goal direction, said direction of progress, said route direction and the direction of said start point of route when it is discriminated by said goal indication discrimination means that said goal is indicated within said map picture.

3. The navigation device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a distance discrimination means for discriminating whether the distance between said goal and said present position is shorter than a predetermined distance or not; and

an information inhibiting means for inhibiting the information of said goal direction, said direction of progress, said route direction and the direction of said start point of route when it is discriminated by said distance discrimination means that the distance between said goal and said present position is shorter than the predetermined distance.

4. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said goal direction, said direction of progress of said route direction is informed by voice.

5. A navigation device comprising:

a present position detection means for detecting the present position of a moving means;

a goal-setting means for setting a goal;

a route-setting means for setting a route to the goal that is set by said goal-setting means;

a route indication means for indicating, on a map picture, said route to the goal set by said route-setting means and said present position;

a direction-of-progress calculation means for obtaining a direction of progress to the goal on said route;

a backward driving discrimination means for discriminating whether said moving means is backwardly proceeding with respect to the direction of progress of said route or not; and

a direction-of-progress informing means for informing the direction of progress obtained by said direction-of-progress calculation means when it is discriminated by said backward driving discrimination means that said moving means is running backwards.

6. The navigation device according to claim 5, further comprising:

a goal indication discrimination means for discriminating whether said goal is indicated within said map picture or not; and

an information inhibiting means for inhibiting the information of said goal direction, said direction of progress, said route direction and the direction of said start point of route when it is discriminated by said goal indication discrimination means that said goal is indicated within said map picture.

7. The navigation device according to claim 5, further comprising:

a distance discrimination means for discriminating whether the distance between said goal and said present position is shorter than a predetermined distance or not; and

an information inhibiting means for inhibiting the information of said goal direction, said direction of progress, said route direction and the direction of said start point of route when it is discriminated by said distance discrimination means that the distance between said goal and said present position is shorter than the predetermined position.

8. The navigation device according to claim 5, wherein said goal direction, said direction of progress or said route direction is informed by voice.