On-vehicle navigation system

• US 6,778,904 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2002
• Issued: 08/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakano, Nobuyuki, Iwami, Ryotaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US10/073,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20020111738A1
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 701/202, 701/209, 701/210, 701/211, 340/995.19, 340/995.2, 340/995.26, 340/995.27
• 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 21/3644 Landmark guidance, e.g. using POIs or conspicuous other objects

Abstract

A turn-by-turn on-vehicle navigation system is capable of providing drivers with helpful and appropriate information to free them from their various anxieties caused as a result of relatively less information on a display. When the vehicle'"'"'s current position is located on a recommended route after the completion of a certain guidance the driver is determined as properly driving the vehicle as expected, and receives a message telling that he/she is on the right track. With such a message, the driver does not feel anxiety that often occurs when making a turn at an intersection. Further, when the vehicle passes by a predetermined landmark located at close range, supplemental information is provided for the location. Such information removes the driver'"'"'s uneasiness when he/she keeps going straight along the same road for a long time. Still further, at the destination, information about the area is provided. Thereby, the driver can feel secure even if he/she is new to the area.

Claims

1. An on-vehicle navigation system for providing guidance with at least one of one or more characters and one or more symbols and not a map display, said on-vehicle navigation system comprising:

a data storage section operable to store map data;

an input section operable to receive a destination;

a position detection section operable to detect a current position of a vehicle;

a route search section operable to find a recommended route from the current position to the destination using the map data;

a guidance data generation section operable to generate, from the map data and the recommended route, guidance data for the guidance;

a guidance section operable to provide the guidance based on the guidance data and the current position; and

an output section operable to generate at least one of a display output using the at least one of the one or more characters and the one or more symbols and a sound output about the guidance provided by said guidance section, wherein

when the current position of the vehicle is on the recommended route after passing a guidance point, said guidance section is operable to provide a message indicating that the vehicle is driving properly.

2. The on-vehicle navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

said guidance section is operable to provide a message indicating that the vehicle is being driven properly by referring to a satisfaction level based on a proximity factor derived from distances from the current position of the vehicle to the recommended route, and to another route closer thereto.

3. The on-vehicle navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

said guidance data generation section is operable to generate the guidance data including area information corresponding to a predetermined point in a vicinity of the recommended route together with guidance information for the guidance, and

when the vehicle passes by the predetermined point, said guidance section is operable to further provide the guidance based on the area information.

4. The on-vehicle navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

said guidance data generation section is operable to generate the guidance data including predetermined destination information about the destination and therearound together with guidance information for the guidance, and

when the vehicle reaches the destination, said guidance section is operable to further provide the guidance based on the destination information.

5. The on-vehicle navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

said guidance data generation section is operable to generate the guidance data including area information corresponding to a predetermined point in a vicinity of the recommended route, and predetermined destination information about the destination and therearound together with guidance information for the guidance, and

said guidance section is operable to further provide the guidance based on the area information when the vehicle passes by the predetermined point, and the guidance based on the destination information when the vehicle reaches the destination.

6. An on-vehicle navigation system for providing guidance with at least one of one or more characters and one or more symbols and not a map display, said on-vehicle navigation system comprising:

a data storage section operable to store map data;

an input section operable to receive a destination;

a position detection section operable to detect a current position of a vehicle;

a route search section operable to find a recommended route from the current position to the destination using the map data;

a guidance data generation section operable to generate, from the map data and the recommended route, guidance data comprising guidance information for the guidance, and area information corresponding to a predetermined point in a vicinity of the recommended route;

a guidance section operable to provide the guidance based on the guidance data and the current position; and

an output section operable to generate at least one of a display output using the at least one or more characters and the at least one or more symbols and a sound output about the guidance provided by said guidance section, wherein

said guidance section is operable to provide the guidance according to the area information when the vehicle passes by the predetermined point.

7. An on-vehicle navigation system for providing guidance with at least one of one or more characters and one or more symbols and not a map display, said on-vehicle navigation system comprising:

a data storage section operable to store map data;

an input section operable to receive a destination;

a position detection section operable to detect a current position of a vehicle;

a route search section operable to find a recommended route from the current position to the destination using the map data;

a guidance data generation section operable to generate, from the map data and the recommended route, guidance data comprising guidance information for the guidance, and predetermined destination information about the destination and therearound;

a guidance section operable to provide the guidance based on the guidance data and the current position; and

an output section operable to generate at least one of a display output using the at least one of the one or more characters and the at least one or more symbols and a sound output about the guidance provided by said guidance section, wherein

said guidance section is operable to provide the guidance according to the destination information when the vehicle reaches the destination.