Vehicle-mounted navigation system, and recording medium having recorded thereon a processing program for use therewith

• US 6,456,934 B1
• Filed: 10/13/2000
• Issued: 09/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Wada, Ryo, Matsunaga, Takayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US09/689,737
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701/209, 701/210, 701/211, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/210
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

A computation section (12), of a vehicle-mounted navigation system (1), which includes: a detour request receiving device (21) which receives a detour request entered by the vehicle'"'"'s driver; a final-point-of-detour receiving device (22) which receives, as a final point of detour, a final point of a segment around which the driver requests to make a detour; an alternative path search device (23) which retrieves alternative paths interconnecting the current position of a vehicle and the final point of detour; and a detour link device (24) which links the final point of detour to the original route.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted navigation system which detects a current position of a vehicle, searches for a route to a set destination, and guides the vehicle along the thus-retrieved route, the system comprising:

an input device which enables a user to enter commands;

a detour request receiving device connected to said input device, wherein said detour request receiving device receives a detour request entered from the input device by the user;

a final-point-of-detour receiving device connected to the detour request receiving device, wherein said final-point-of-detour receiving device receives a final point of a segment around which the user requests to make a detour and sets the final point as a final point of detour, after having received the detour request;

an alternative path search device connected to said final-point-of-detour receiving device, wherein said alternative path search device searches for an alternative path interconnecting the current position of the vehicle to the final point of detour, after having received the final point of detour; and

a detour link device which interconnects the final point of the detour to the destination, or to an original route.

2. A vehicle-mounted navigation system which detects a current position of a vehicle, searches for a route to a set destination, and guides the vehicle along the thus-retrieved route, the system comprising:

an input device which enables a user to enter commands;

a detour request receiving device connected to said input device, wherein said detour request receiving device receives a detour request entered from the input device by the user;

a final-point-of-detour receiving device connected to the detour request receiving device, wherein said final-point-of-detour receiving device receives a final point of a segment around which the user requests to make a detour and sets the final point as a final point of detour, after having received the detour request;

an alternative path search device connected to said final-point-of detour receiving device, wherein said alternative path search device searches for an alternative path interconnecting the current position of the vehicle to the final point of detour, after having received the final point of detour; and

a detour link device which interconnects the final point of the detour to the destination, or to an original route, the detour link device including;

a detour check device which, by comparison, checks whether or not a match exists between the final point of detour and the original route;

a selection device which, when the detour check device has detected no match, determines whether to search for a new route interconnecting the final point of detour to the destination, or to search for a path which returns the vehicle to the original route, in accordance with settings made by the user;

a new-route search device which, when the selection device has selected to search for a new route to the destination, searches for a new route interconnecting the final point of detour to the destination; and

a route return device which, when the selection device has selected return of the vehicle to the original route, searches for a route that returns the vehicle from the final point of detour to the original route.

3. A vehicle-mounted navigation system which detects a current position of a vehicle, searches for a route to a set destination, and guides the vehicle along the thus-retrieved route, the system comprising:

a detour check device which, by comparison, checks whether or not a match exists between a final point of detour and the original route;

a selection device which, when the detour check device has detected no match, determines whether to search for a new route interconnecting the final point of detour to the destination, or to search for a path which returns the vehicle to the original route, in accordance with settings made by a user;

a new-route search device which, when the selection device has selected to search for a new route to the destination, searches for a new route interconnecting the final point of detour to the destination; and

a route return device which, when the selection device has selected return of the vehicle to the original route, searches for a route that returns the vehicle from the final point of detour to the original route.

4. A computer readable medium having recorded vehicle-mounted navigation system which detects a current position of a vehicle, searches for a route to a set destination, and guides the vehicle along the thus-retrieved route, the processing program comprising:

a detour request receiving operation for receiving a detour request entered by a user;

a final-point-of-detour receiving operation which receives, from the detour request receiving operation, a final point of a segment around which the user requests to make a detour, and which sets the final point as a final point of detour;

an alternative path search operation which receives the final point of detour from the final-point-of-detour receiving operation, and which searches for an alternative path interconnecting the current position of the vehicle to the final point of detour, after having received the final point of detour; and

a detour link operation which interconnects the final point of detour to the destination, or to an original route.

5. A computer readable medium having recorded thereon a processing program for use with a vehicle-mounted navigation system which detects a current position of a vehicle, searches for a route to a set destination, and guides the vehicle along the thus-retrieved route, the processing program comprising:

a detour request receiving operation for receiving a detour request entered by a user;

a final-point-of-detour receiving operation which receives, from the detour request receiving operation, a final point of a segment around which the user requests to make a detour, and which sets the final point as a final point of detour;

an alternative path search operation which receives the final point of detour from the final-point-of-detour receiving operation, and which searches for an alternative path interconnecting the current position of the vehicle to the final point of detour, after having received the final point of detour; and

a detour link operation which interconnects the final point of detour to the destination, or to an original route, the detour link operation comprising;

a detour check operation which, by comparison, checks whether or not a match exists between the final point of detour and the original route;

a selection operation which, when the route check operation has detected no match, determines whether to search for a new route interconnecting the final point of detour to the destination, or to search for a route which returns the vehicle to the original route, in accordance with settings made by the user;

a new-route search operation which, when the selection operation has determined to search for a new route to the destination, searches for a new route interconnecting the final point of detour to the destination; and

a route return operation which, when the selection operation has selected return of the vehicle to the original route, searches for a route that returns the vehicle from the final point of detour to the original route.

6. A computer readable medium having recorded thereon a processing program for use with a vehicle-mounted navigation system which detects a current position of a vehicle, searches for a route to a set destination, and guides the vehicle along the thus-retrieved route, the processing program

a detour check operation which, by comparison, checks whether or not a match exists between a final point of detour and the original route;

a selection operation which, when the route check operation has detected no match, determines whether to search for a new route interconnecting the final point of detour to the destination, or to search for a route which returns the vehicle to the original route, in accordance with settings made by a user;

a new-route search operation which, when the selection operation has determined to search for a new route to the destination, searches for a new route interconnecting the final point of detour to the destination; and

a route return operation which, when the selection operation has selected return of the vehicle to the original route, searches for a route that returns the vehicle from the final point of detour to the original route.