Vehicle navigation apparatus proving proper guidance for off-road net conditions

• US 6,519,528 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2002
• Issued: 02/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.), Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.), Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Sato, Yoshikazu, Shishido, Kan, Endo, Kouichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US10/066,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20020072849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 370 Days
• Field of Search: 701/211, 701/208, 701/200, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635

Abstract

A vehicle navigation apparatus that does not output an inappropriate or irrelevant guidance picture display or spoken guidance even when the vehicle enters an area off the roads (e.g. a parking lot, campus, factory, or facility grounds, or park) stored in the apparatus'"'"' road map data base, and which provides a correct guidance picture display and a correct spoken guidance for navigation to a destination. When the apparatus detects entry of the vehicle into such an area off the roads stored in the map data base, a guidance picture is changed to a map picture, and the apparatus stops correcting the vehicle position by map matching. When the apparatus detects an exit of the vehicle from such an area, the apparatus restarts correcting the vehicle position by map matching and a map picture is changed to a guidance picture.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus which displays a guidance picture for navigating a vehicle to a destination, said navigation apparatus comprising:

a map database storing road network data and map data for a first predetermined area;

a detector which detects the vehicle position and whether the vehicle is traveling on any road in the road network data or is traveling in a second area off any road in the road network data, wherein said second area is included in said first predetermined area;

a guidance control section coupled to the map database and to the detector and which searches a route from a present vehicle position to a destination on the basis of the road network data and which provides the guidance picture based upon the detected vehicle position on the searched route; and

a display control means coupled to the detector and to the map database for displaying the guidance picture based on the vehicle position on the route when the vehicle is detected traveling on a road in the road network data, and for changing the display of the guidance picture to a map picture showing a map image and the vehicle position on the map when the vehicle is detected entering said second area off any road in the road network data.

2. A navigation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second detector coupled to said guidance control section and which detects an exit of the vehicle from the second area, wherein, if the vehicle is detected exiting the second area, said display control means changes the map picture to the guidance picture.

3. A navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second area is off any road in the road network data and is one of a parking lot, a campus, facility grounds, and a park.