On-vehicle navigation system, route guide method, and computer-readable recording medium

• US 7,813,874 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2007
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Fujiwara, Manabu
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu; Yonel
• Application Number:
  US11/688,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20070225910A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 701200-202, 701/208, 701/211, 701/25, 701/28, 701/206, 701213-215, 340/995.1, 340/995.23, 340/995.14, 340/988
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3605 Destination input or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3685 the POI's being parking facilities

Abstract

The invention provides an on-vehicle navigation system, route guide method, and computer-readable recording medium capable of setting an optimum guide point corresponding to proposed actions set as destinations or way points, and performing route guidance based on the setting. The on-vehicle navigation system includes a function of searching for a guide route leading to a set destination or the like and displaying the searched guide route on a screen of a display to guide the vehicle. The route guide method includes: registering information organized in a list form in a storage means, in which each of the places prepared as candidates for destinations or the like is associated in advance with proposed actions at the place; when a destination or the like is selected, extracting the information on the proposed actions at the place to display it in a list form on the screen of the display; when any of the proposed actions is selected, referring to a map database to search for a guide point corresponding to the selected proposed action; and setting the searched guide point as the destination or the like.

Claims

1. An on-vehicle navigation system comprising:

a display means that provides information through a screen,

an input means that inputs a destination or way point,

a first storage means that stores map data,

a second storage means that stores proposed action information in a list form, in which the proposed action information is pre-defined to correspond to places prepared as candidates for destinations or way points, and

a control means connected operationally with the display means, input means, first storage means, and second storage means,

wherein, when a desired destination or way point is input through the input means, the control means extracts the information on the proposed actions corresponding to the input destination or way point from the second storage means to display the corresponding proposed actions in a list form on the screen of the display means, and when any of the proposed actions is selected from the displayed list, the control means refers to the map data to search for a guide point corresponding to the selected action, and sets the searched guide point as the destination or the way point, wherein the guide point is a detailed location of the input destination or way point.

2. An on-vehicle navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the control means refers to the map data, searches for a guide route leading to the guide point set as the destination or the way point, and displays the searched guide route on the screen of the display means.

3. An on-vehicle navigation system according to claim 1, further comprising a communication means that communicates with an external establishment,

wherein, when map information for the guide point corresponding to the selected proposed action is not contained in the map data, the control means searches for information on the guide point through the communication means.

4. An on-vehicle navigation system according to claim 3, wherein, when information on the guide point does not exist in the search result executed through the communication means, the control means displays a message to that effect on the screen of the display means.

5. An on-vehicle navigation system according to claim 3, further comprising an audio output means,

wherein, when information on the guide point does not exist in the search result executed through the communication means, the audio output means delivers a message to that effect in an audio output form.

6. An on-vehicle navigation system according to claim 3, wherein, when information on the guide point does not exist in the search result executed through the communication means, the control means refers to the map data and sets a point representing the destination or the way point selected through the input means as the destination or the way point.

7. An on-vehicle navigation system according to claim 1, wherein, when a destination or a way point is selected through the input means, and when information on the proposed action at the selected place is not registered in the second storage means, the control means refers to the map data and sets a point representing the destination or the way point selected through the input means as the destination or the way point.

8. An on-vehicle navigation system according to claim 7, wherein the control means refers to the map data, searches for a guide route leading to the point representing the place set as the destination or the way point, and displays the searched guide route on the screen of the display means.

9. A route guide method in an on-vehicle navigation system including a function of searching for a guide route leading to a selected destination or a selected way point and displaying the searched guide route on a screen of a display means to guide the vehicle, comprising:

registering proposed action information organized in a list form in a storage means, in which the proposed action information is pre-defined to correspond to places prepared as candidates for destinations or way points,

when a desired destination or way point is input, extracting the information on the proposed action information corresponding to the input destination or way point from the storage means to display the proposed action information in a list form on the screen of the display means,

when any of the proposed actions corresponding to the input destination or way point is selected from the displayed list, referring to a map database to search for a guide point corresponding to the selected proposed action, wherein the guide point is a detailed location of the input destination or way point, and

setting the searched guide point as the destination or the way point.

10. A route guide method according to claim 9, wherein, when a guide point corresponding to the selected proposed action is searched, and when map information on the guide point is not contained in the map database, information on the guide point is searched externally through a communication means.

11. A route guide method according to claim 10, wherein, when information on the guide point does not exist in the search result executed through the communication means, a message to that effect is displayed on the screen of the display means.

12. A route guide method according to claim 10, wherein, when information on the guide point does not exist in the search result executed through the communication means, an audio output means delivers a message to that effect in an audio output form.

13. A route guide method according to claim 10, wherein, when information on the guide point does not exist in the search result executed through the communication means, a point representing the destination or the way point selected on the basis of the user input is set as the destination or the way point.

14. A route guide method according to claim 9, wherein, when a destination or a way point is selected on the basis of the user input, and when the proposed action information for the place is not registered in the storage means, a point representing the selected destination or the selected way point is set as the destination or the way point.

15. A computer-readable recording medium for an on-vehicle navigation system including a computer that controls a function of searching for a guide route leading to a selected destination or a selected way point and displaying the searched guide route on a screen of a display means to guide the vehicle, in which are recorded programs that control the computer to execute the following procedures of:

when a destination or a way point is input, extracting proposed action information from a storage means, in which the proposed action information is pre-defined for places prepared as candidates for destinations or way points, the proposed action information for the selected place being displayed on the screen of the display means,

when a proposed action is selected from the displayed proposed action information, searching for a guide point corresponding to the selected proposed action, wherein the guide point is a detailed location of the input destination or way point, and

setting the searched guide point as the destination or the way point.

16. A computer-readable recording medium according to claim 15, in which is further recorded a program that controls the computer to execute the following procedure of:

when the guide point corresponding to the selected proposed action is searched, and when map information on the guide point corresponding to the selected proposed action is not contained in a locally stored map database, searching for information on the guide point corresponding to the selected proposed action from an external source.

17. An on-vehicle navigation system comprising:

a display that provides information through a screen,

an input means that inputs a destination or way point,

a first storage means that stores map data,

a second storage means that stores proposed action information, in which proposed action information is pre-defined based on genres of places selectable as destinations or way points, and

a control means connected operationally with the display means, input means, first storage means, and second storage means,

wherein, when a destination or a way point is input through the input means, the control means determines the genre of the specified place, extracts the proposed action information based on the genre of the place from the second storage means to display the proposed action information on the screen of the display means, and when a proposed action is selected from the displayed information, the control means refers to the map data to search for a guide point corresponding to the selected proposed action, and sets the searched guide point as the destination or the waypoint, wherein the guide point is a detailed location of the input destination or way point.