Navigation system and program for navigation system setup

• US 6,950,743 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2003
• Issued: 09/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Kainuma, Mamoru, Umeda, Arihiro, Kobayashi, Masato
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gibson, Eric M.
• Application Number:
  US10/395,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20040039523A1
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 701/206, 701/208, 701/211, 701/212, 340/995.1, 340/995.14, 340/995.15, 340/995.17, 340/995.2
• US Class Current: 701/208
• 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

In order to simplify the setting of interchanges for getting on and off, a navigation system has an information retrieval processing unit for obtaining map data and interchanges for getting on and off, a display unit which displays a setup screen for displaying a map including the interchanges for getting on and off and, on the same screen, a simple road chart including neighboring interchanges for getting on and off. When the map is scrolled, the simple road chart is renewed so as to correspond to the area to which the map is scrolled, and the setting of the interchanges for getting on and off is simplified.

Claims

1. A navigation system comprising:

an information retrieval unit for obtaining map data and data for interchanges for getting on and off expressways and toll roads;

a display unit; and

a setup screen display processing means for displaying, on the display unit, a map that includes interchanges for getting on and off as one area of a setup screen, and a simple road chart that shows neighboring interchanges for getting on and off side-by-side as another area of the same setup screen in the form of a block diagram, both of which are formed based upon the map data, and for, responsive to scrolling of the map, changing the simple road chart so as to correspond to the area to which the map is scrolled.

2. The navigation system as set forth in claim 1, wherein, when the simple road chart is scrolled, the setup screen display processing means renews the simple road chart and concurrently, renews the map so as to correspond to the simple road chart.

3. The navigation system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the setup screen display processing means displays interchanges for getting on and off which are the closest to the center position of the map, at a fixed place on the simple road chart.

4. The navigation system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

input means for input of a destination;

route search means for searching the map data to determine a route to the destination including an expressway or toll road and said interchanges; and

wherein said map shows the determined route and said interchanges.

5. A navigation system comprising:

an information retrieval unit for obtaining map data, service stop data, and data for interchanges for getting on and off expressways and toll roads;

a display unit;

a setup screen display processing means for displaying, on the display unit, a map that includes interchanges for getting on and off as one area of a setup screen, and a simple road chart that shows neighboring interchanges for getting on and off as another area of the same setup screen, both of which are formed based upon the map data, and for, responsive to scrolling of the map, changing the simple road chart so as to correspond to the area to which the map is scrolled; and

a service stop setup processing unit adapted to set locations for service stops, based upon the service stop data, wherein the service stop setup processing unit forms a service stop setup screen on the display unit, and displays the simple road chart as a block diagram including one block identifying a facility set as a service stop and additional blocks identifying neighboring facilities, on the service stop setup screen.

6. The navigation system as set forth in claim 5, wherein the service stop setup processing unit renews the simple road chart so as to correspond to the map, when the map is scrolled.

7. The navigation system as set forth in claim 5, wherein, when the simple road chart is scrolled, the service stop setup processing unit renews the simple road chart and concurrently renews the map so as to correspond to the simple road chart.

8. The navigation system as set forth in claim 5, wherein the service stop setup processing unit has facility selection narrowing condition setup means unit for setting a facility narrowing condition for narrowing the selection of one or more service facilities.

9. The navigation system as set forth in claim 5 further comprising:

input means for selecting a facility or a service stop, wherein said screen display processing means, responsive to the selection, changes said simple road chart to identify said one block as the selected facility.

10. A navigation system comprising:

an information retrieval unit for obtaining map data and data for interchanges for getting on and off expressways and toll roads;

a display unit; and

a setup screen display processing means for displaying, on the display unit, a map that includes interchanges for getting on and off as one area of a setup screen, and a simple road chart that shows neighboring interchanges for getting on and off as another area of the same setup screen, both of which are formed based upon the map data, and for, responsive to scrolling of the map, changing the simple road chart so as to correspond to the area to which the map is scrolled, wherein said simple road chart includes at least one block diagram wherein one block identifies an interchange designated for getting on or off the expressway or toll road and additional blocks, displayed side-by-side with said one block, identify interchanges neighboring said designated interchange.

11. The navigation system according to claim 10 further comprising:

input means for selecting an interchange displayed in said simple road chart, wherein said setup screen processing means, responsive to the selection, changes said one block to identify the selected interchange as the interchange designated for getting on or off the expressway or toll road.

12. The navigation system according to claim 11 wherein said input means includes scrolling means for scrolling the interchanges displayed in said one block diagram.

13. The navigation system as set forth in claim 10 wherein said single road chart further includes a second block diagram consisting of two blocks, one of said two blocks identifying an interchange for getting on said toll road or expressway and the other of said two blocks identifying an interchange for getting off of said toll road or expressway.

14. A navigation system comprising:

an information retrieval unit for obtaining map data and data for interchanges for getting on and off expressways and toll roads;

a display unit; and

a setup screen display processing means for displaying, on the display unit, a map that includes interchanges for getting on and off as one area of a setup screen, and a simple road chart that shows neighboring interchanges for getting on and off as another area of the same setup screen, both of which are formed based upon the map data, and for, responsive to scrolling of the map, changing the simple road chart so as to correspond to the area to which the map is scrolled; and

input means for selecting an interchange displayed in said simple road chart and wherein said screen display processing means, responsive to the selection, changes said simple road chart to identify the selected interchange as an interchange designated for getting on or off an expressway or toll road.