Navigation apparatus

• US 7,483,785 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2004
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Sakashita, Naohiro, Suzuki, Daisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner, Mark
• Application Number:
  US11/004,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20050159884A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,512 Days
• Field of Search: 701/208, 701/200, 701/205, 701/300, 340/995, 340/995.2
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers

Abstract

A storage medium of a car navigation apparatus holds painted road sign information that is linked to a running lane of an approach road around an intersection. Suppose that a direction of an exit road with respect to an approach road at an intersection belongs to a peripheral portion of one of directional areas that are provided to determine at an intersection the approximate direction of the exit road with respect to the approach road. In this case, the approximate direction is specified based on the corresponding painted road sign information. The specified approximate direction is then outputted as a voice and/or image display. Thus, utilizing the painted road sign information can reduce user'"'"'s disagreeable feeling to the approximate direction.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus comprising:

a storage medium that stores, as exit direction information, lane information including visual exit direction display provided around an intersection;

a determining unit that determines whether or not an angle of an exit road of the intersection with respect to an approach road is included in a peripheral portion of a directional area predetermined around the intersection;

a specifying unit that specifies at the intersection an approximate direction of the exit road with respect to the approach road, based on the lane information stored on the storage medium instead of the angle of the exit road, when the angle of the exit road is determined to be included in the peripheral portion of the directional area; and

a display unit that displays the exit road based on the specified approximate direction.

2. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the display unit displays the specified approximate direction of the exit road.

3. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the specifying unit specifies at the intersection the approximate direction of the exit road with respect to a running lane of the approach road, based on the exit direction information stored on the storage medium.

4. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the approach road and the exit road are included within a guide route to a destination.

8. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the lane information stored as the exit direction information is capable of indicating a direction of the exit road with respect to the approach road by using a painted road sign drawn on the approach road, the painted road sign serving as the visual direction display.

5. A navigation apparatus comprising:

a storage medium that stores, as exit direction information, lane information including visual exit direction display provided around an intersection;

a specifying unit that specifies at the intersection an approximate direction of an exit road with respect to an approach road, based on the exit direction information stored on the storage medium;

a display unit that displays the exit road based on the specified approximate direction;

a determining unit that determines whether or not a direction of the exit road with respect to the approach road is included in one of directional areas provided to determine the approximate direction;

a unit that specifies, based on affirmative result in the determining unit, at the intersection the approximate direction of the exit road with respect to the approach road based on the exit direction information stored on the storage medium when it is determined that the direction of the exit road with respect to the approach road belongs to a peripheral portion of one of the directional areas; and

a unit that specifies, based on negative result in the determining unit, at the intersection the approximate direction of the exit road with respect to the approach road based on the exit direction information stored on the storage medium when it is determined that the direction of the exit road to the approach road belongs to a portion circumscribing one of the directional areas.

6. A method used in a navigation apparatus storing as exit direction information, lane information including visual exit direction display provided around an intersection, the method comprising:

determining whether or not an angle of an exit road of the intersection with respect to an approach road is included in a peripheral portion of a directional area predetermined around the intersection;

specifying at the intersection an approximate direction of the exit road with respect to the approach road, based on the lane information instead of the angle of the exit road when the angle of the exit road is determined to be included in the peripheral portion of the directional area; and

outputting the exit road based on the specified approximate direction.

9. The method according to claim 6,

wherein the lane information stored as the exit direction information is capable of indicating a direction of the exit road with respect to the approach road by using a painted road sign drawn on the approach road, the painted road sign serving as the visual direction display.

7. A method used in a navigation apparatus storing as exit direction information, lane information including visual exit direction display provided around an intersection, the method comprising:

determining whether or not a direction of an exit road with respect to an approach road is included in one of directional areas provided to determine an approximate direction of the exit road with respect to the approach road;

specifying, based on affirmative result in the determining, at the intersection the approximate direction based on the exit direction information when it is determined that the direction of the exit road with respect to the approach road belongs to a peripheral portion of one of the directional areas; and

specifying, based on negative result in the determining, at the intersection the approximate direction based on the exit direction information when it is determined that the direction of the exit road to the approach road belongs to a portion circumscribing one of the directional areas.

10. The method according to claim 7,

wherein the lane information stored as the exit direction information is capable of indicating a direction of the exit road with respect to the approach road by using a painted road sign drawn on the approach road, the painted road sign serving as the visual direction display.

11. A navigation apparatus comprising:

a storage medium that stores, as exit direction information, lane information including visual exit direction display provided around an intersection;

a specifying unit that specifies at the intersection an approximate direction of an exit road with respect to an approach road, based on the exit direction information stored on the storage medium; and

a display unit that displays the exit road based on the specified approximate direction, wherein

the storage medium is configured to further store node exit direction information indicating an angle between links connected with the intersection, wherein a direction of the exit road with respect to the approach road at the intersection is calculated based on the node exit direction information; and

the specifying unit is configured to specify at the intersection the approximate direction of the exit road with respect to the approach road, based on the exit direction information stored on the storage medium if the calculated direction of the exit road is in a peripheral or circumscribing portion, which is present within a predetermined angle from a dividing line between directional areas, which are provided as approximate directions by dividing 360 degrees with respect to the intersection by a predetermined number, which is more than two.

12. A navigation apparatus comprising:

a storage medium configured to store (i) node exit direction information indicating an angle of links connected with an intersection and (ii) lane painted road sign information indicating a direction indicated with a painted road sign drawn on a lane;

an exit direction calculating unit configured to calculate an angle of an exit link with respect to an approach link at the intersection based on the node exit direction information;

a determining unit configured to make a determination as to whether or not the angle of the exit link is included in a peripheral or circumscribing portion, which is present within a predetermined angle from a dividing line between directional areas, which are provided as approximate directions by dividing 360 degrees with respect to the intersection by a predetermined number, which is more than two;

a specifying unit configured to specify, when the determination as to whether or not the angle of the exit link is included in the peripheral or circumscribing portion is affirmed, an approximate direction of the exit link with respect to the approach link based on the painted road sign drawn on the approach link stored in the storage medium without using the node exit information; and

a display unit configured to indicate as route guidance a direction from the approach link to the exit link based on the appropriate direction of the exit link specified based on the painted road sign information.