Car navigation system

• US 7,392,133 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2004
• Issued: 06/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Tanizaki, Masaaki, Shimada, Shigeru, Maruyama, Kishiko
• Primary Examiner(s): To; Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US10/790,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20040236507A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,574 Days
• Field of Search: 701/208, 701/207, 701/209, 701/211, 701/212, 340/995.1, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995.17, 340/995.13, 382/103, 345/427, 345/428, 345/419, 345/519
• US Class Current: 701/208
• 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 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

A car navigation system by which a user can easily grasp a drop-in target in the course of a route. In a summary road map displayed in a two- or one-window display representation, contents of a two-dimensional road map is properly selected and simplified, roads are made linear, roads connected to an intersection are made orthogonal so that the user can easily see it, the position of a vehicle is expressed by a mark, and even the running route is expressed with a predetermined color or the like. Accordingly, the system offers the user such a display form as able to easily refer to. When the user specifies a target at which the user wants to drop in, the drop-in target is displayed at a corresponding position on the summary road map in the form of a land mark.

Claims

1. A car navigation system comprising:

a map generator configured to display at least one of two-dimensional maps, three-dimensional maps and bird'"'"'s-eye-view maps, from mapping information provided from a database;

a position detector adapted to detect a position of a vehicle;

a search unit adapted to search for a route between the detected vehicle position and a specified target position, or a specified departure position and the specified target position, under set conditions;

a map summarizing unit adapted to generate a summary road map having a reduced amount of information and having deformed roads more orthogonalized and/or linearized than the at least one of two-dimensional maps, three-dimensional maps and bird'"'"'s-eye-view maps, and including a simplified route between the detected vehicle position and the specified target position, or the specified departure position and the specified target position, with highlighted lines, by applying a summarizing operation including at least one of an orthogonalizing and linearizing operation over a main road including a running route;

a display unit adapted to display the summary road map of the simplified route; and

a communication unit for receiving traffic information, and wherein the display unit displays the traffic information received by the communication unit on the summary road map with respect to a corresponding route displayed thereon.

2. The car navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the search unit also searches for another route between the detected vehicle position and the specified target position, or the specified departure position and said the specified target position, when an impediment is detected with respect to the simplified route, and the display unit displays the summary road map of at least one other route between the detected vehicle position and the specified target position, or the specified departure position and the specified target position, searched by the search unit, by simplified highlighted lines.

3. The car navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the display unit displays a detour responsive to the traffic information indicating an impediment of passage of the vehicle on the summary road map.

4. The car navigation system according to claim 3, wherein, when traffic information which impedes the passage of the vehicle is received by the communication unit, the display unit displays two windows including the summary road map and at least one of the two-dimensional maps, three-dimensional maps or bird'"'"'s-eye-view maps.

5. The car navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle position is displayed by a mark in the summary road map.

6. The car navigation system according to claim 1, wherein roads displayed in the summary road map are displayed as made linear, and roads which meet at an intersection are displayed as made orthogonal to each other.

7. The car navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the display unit displays the simplified route without a map.

8. The car navigation system according to claim 4, wherein the display unit switches to the at least one of two-dimensional maps, three-dimensional maps or bird'"'"'s-eye-view maps, when the vehicle position shifts to the detour.

9. The car navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the display unit displays a road map, and the road map is at least one of the two-dimensional maps, three-dimensional maps or bird'"'"'s-eye-view maps.

10. The car navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the display unit is configured to display the summary road map automatically responsive to a predetermined change in positioning of the vehicle on the at least one of two-dimensional maps, three-dimensional maps and bird'"'"'s-eye-view maps.

11. The car navigation system according to claim 1, comprising a deforming means for performing the at least one of the orthogonalizing and linearizing operation.

12. A car navigation system comprising:

a map generator configured to display at least one of two-dimensional maps, three-dimensional maps and bird'"'"'s-eye-view maps, from mapping information provided from a database;

a position detector adapted to detect a current position of a vehicle;

an input unit adapted to input a target position;

a search unit adapted to search for a running route on the basis of the detected current position and the inputted target position;

a map summarizing unit adapted to generate a summary road map having a reduced amount of information and having deformed roads more orthogonalized and/or linearized than the at least one of two-dimensional maps, three-dimensional maps and bird'"'"'s-eye-view maps, by applying a summarizing operation including at least one of an orthogonalizing and linearizing operation over a main road including a running route, where the summary road map shows a path from the current vehicle position to a next turning corner on the searched running route; and

a display unit adapted to display the summary road map,

wherein, when the current vehicle position arrives at a position within a predetermined range from the next turning corner, the display unit automatically displays the summary road map from the current vehicle position to the next turning corner with a mark of the current vehicle position, and

wherein the predetermined range is broader than a display range of a magnified road map displayed for the next turning corner.

13. The car navigation system according to claim 12, wherein the display unit displays a window of the summary road map with a window of a road map including the searched running route.

14. The car navigation system according to claim 12, wherein the display unit displays a road map, and the road map is at least one of the two-dimensional maps, three-dimensional maps or bird'"'"'s-eye-view maps.

15. The car navigation system according to claim 12, comprising a deforming means for performing the at least one of the orthogonalizing and linearizing operation.