Vehicle navigation apparatus

• US 8,103,446 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2008
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Yokota, Yasunari
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US12/230,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20090055092A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• Field of Search: 701207-209, 701211-214, 340/436, 340/990, 340/995.1, 340/995.15, 340/995.17, 340/995.22, 340/995.23, 340/430
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard

Abstract

A vehicle navigation apparatus searches a matching link within a tolerance range from a travel locus of a vehicle based on map data when the vehicle makes a turn, and the vehicle position is shifted to the matching link that is found in the search. After matching the vehicle position to the matching link, the vehicle position is returned to a pre-matching position when the vehicle is determined to have entered a facility for facilitating subsequent processing. By returning to the pre-matching position, the vehicle position can be processed and displayed accurately in the subsequent processing due to use of the vehicle position referring to the pre-matching position instead of a position after the matching control.

Claims

1. A vehicle navigation apparatus comprising:

a current position detector for detecting a current vehicle position;

a travel locus calculator for calculating a vehicle travel locus based on the detected current vehicle position;

a map data obtainer for obtaining map data that represents lay conditions of roads;

a turn determiner for determining whether or not a vehicle has turned, wherein the turning of the vehicle determined by the turn determiner includes a turn start and a turn end;

a map matching unit for performing matching control, wherein the matching control is performed under a trigger of determination by the turn determiner that the vehicle has made a turn that is defined by the turn start and the turn end, wherein the matching control searches a matching link for the current vehicle position detected by the current position detector within a tolerance range from the vehicle travel locus calculated by the travel locus calculator based on the map data obtained by the map data obtainer, wherein the matching controls matches the current vehicle position to a position on the matching link when the matching link is found within the tolerance range;

an entrance pattern obtainer for obtaining an entrance travel pattern that represents a travel route of the vehicle while the vehicle is within a facility; and

an entrance determiner for determining whether or not the vehicle has entered the facility based on a comparison of the vehicle travel locus calculated by the travel locus calculator with the entrance travel pattern obtained by the entrance pattern obtainer, wherein

the map matching unit (i) returns, for performing subsequent processing, an after-matching current vehicle position to a pre-matching current vehicle position after matching of the current vehicle position to the matching link, when the entrance determiner determines that the vehicle has entered the facility, and (ii) does not return the after-matching current vehicle position to the pre-matching current vehicle position, when the entrance determiner does not determine that the vehicle has entered the facility.

2. The vehicle navigation apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the entrance pattern obtainer is capable of obtaining the entrance travel pattern representing the entrance of the vehicle into a facility for each of all connecting links connecting to the facility.

3. The vehicle navigation apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the entrance pattern obtainer is capable of obtaining plural entrance travel patterns for a same connecting link.

4. The vehicle navigation apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the entrance determiner determines whether or not the vehicle has entered the facility based on a comparison of the vehicle travel locus calculated by the travel locus calculator with the entrance travel pattern obtained by the entrance pattern obtainer after matching of the current vehicle position to the matching link by the map matching unit.

5. The vehicle navigation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the facility is a gas station and the travel route represents travel along a pump.

6. The vehicle navigation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the facility is a fast food restaurant and the travel route represents travel along a drive-through of a building.

7. The vehicle navigation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the facility is a shopping center and the travel route represents traveling around a parking lot of the shopping center.

8. A method of vehicle navigation comprising:

providing a current position detector for detecting a current vehicle position;

providing a travel locus calculator for calculating a vehicle travel locus based on the detected current vehicle position;

providing a map data obtainer for obtaining map data that represents lay conditions of roads;

providing a turn determiner for determining whether or not a vehicle has turned, wherein the turning of the vehicle determined by the turn determiner includes a turn start and a turn end;

providing a map matching unit for performing matching control, wherein the matching control is performed under a trigger of determination by the turn determiner that the vehicle has made a turn that is defined by the turn start and the turn end, wherein the matching control searches a matching link for the current vehicle position detected by the current position detector within a tolerance range from the vehicle travel locus calculated by the travel locus calculator based on the map data obtained by the map data obtainer, wherein the matching controls matches the current vehicle position to a position on the matching link when the matching link is found within the tolerance range;

providing an entrance pattern obtainer for obtaining an entrance travel pattern that represents a travel route of the vehicle while the vehicle is within a facility; and

providing an entrance determiner for determining whether or not the vehicle has entered the facility based on a comparison of the vehicle travel locus calculated by the travel locus calculator with the entrance travel pattern obtained by the entrance pattern obtainer, wherein

the map matching unit (i) returns, for performing subsequent processing, an after-matching current vehicle position to a pre-matching current vehicle position after matching of the current vehicle position to the matching link, when the entrance determiner determines that the vehicle has entered the facility, and (ii) does not return the after-matching current vehicle position to the pre-matching current vehicle position, when the entrance determiner does not determine that the vehicle has entered the facility.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the facility is a gas station and the travel route represents travel along a pump.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the facility is a fast food restaurant and the travel route represents travel along a drive-through of a building.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the facility is a shopping center and the travel route represents traveling around a parking lot of the shopping center.