Navigation system, and control method and program for navigation system

• US 9,448,076 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2014
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Ozaki, Naokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): TARCZA, THOMAS H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US14/761,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20150362322A1
• Time in Patent Office: 786 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/24 Acquisition or tracking or demodulation of signals transmitted by the system synchronisation aspects of direct sequence spread spectrum modulation H04B1/7073
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/46 the supplementary measurement being of a radio-wave signal type

Abstract

Navigation systems, methods, and programs receive, with a signal receiver, a first signal and a second signal that is different from the first signal. The systems, methods, and programs estimate a region in which a current location is present on the basis of a combination of a status of reception of the first signal and a status of reception of the second signal.

Claims

1. A navigation system, comprising:

a signal receiver configured to receive a first signal and a second signal that is different from the first signal;

a memory storing a region estimation program; and

a processor that, when executing the stored program, estimates a region in which a current location is present on the basis of a combination of a status of reception of the first signal and a status of reception of the second signal by;

specifying a candidate region in which the current location may be present on the basis of a combination of a status of reception of the first and a status of reception of the second signal; and

relatively increasing a probability at which the current location is estimated to be present in the candidate region.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the signal receiver comprises:

a GPS signal receiver configured to receive a GPS signal transmitted from a GPS satellite as the first signal; and

a broadcast signal receiver configured to receive a broadcast signal as the second signal.

3. The navigation system according to claim 2, wherein the processor, when executing the stored program, specifies a road that is present on an earth'"'"'s surface as the candidate region in the case where the status of reception of the GPS signal is poorer than a predetermined criterion and the status of reception of the broadcast signal is better than a predetermined criterion.

4. The navigation system according to claim 3, wherein the processor, when executing the stored program, in the case where the status of reception of the GPS signal is poorer than the predetermined criterion, the status of reception of the broadcast signal is better than the predetermined criterion, and there is a road which is present under the earth'"'"'s surface and on which the broadcast signal can be received within a range of a predetermined distance from a current location specified on the basis of the GPS signal, specifies such a road as the candidate region.

5. The navigation system according to claim 2, wherein the processor, when executing the stored program, specifies a road that is present under an earth'"'"'s surface as the candidate region in the case where the status of reception of the GPS signal is poorer than a predetermined criterion and the status of reception of the broadcast signal is poorer than a predetermined criterion.

6. The navigation system according to claim 2, wherein the processor, when executing the stored program, specifies a road that is present in a remote area as the candidate region in the case where the status of reception of the GPS signal is better than a predetermined criterion and the status of reception of the broadcast signal is poorer than a predetermined criterion.

7. The navigation system according to claim 2, wherein the processor, when executing the stored program, specifies an elevated road as the candidate region in the case where the status of reception of the GPS signal is better than a predetermined criterion and the status of reception of the broadcast signal is better than a predetermined criterion.

8. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

the first broadcast signal is a radio wave in a first frequency band as the first signal; and

the a second broadcast signal is a radio wave in a second frequency band that is higher in frequency than the first frequency band as the second signal.

9. The navigation system according to claim 8, wherein the processor, when executing the stored program, specifies a road around which a three-dimensional structure is present as the candidate region in the case where a degree of degradation of the status of reception of the first broadcast signal compared to a reference status of reception is larger than a predetermined degree and a degree of degradation of the status of reception of the second broadcast signal compared to a reference status of reception is smaller than a predetermined degree.

10. The navigation system according to claim 8, wherein the processor, when executing the stored program, specifies a road that is present under an earth'"'"'s surface as the candidate region in the case where a degree of degradation of the status of reception of the first broadcast signal compared to a reference status of reception is larger than a predetermined degree and a degree of degradation of the status of reception of the second broadcast signal compared to a reference status of reception is larger than a predetermined degree.

11. The navigation system according to claim 8, wherein the processor, when executing the stored program, specifies a road that is present in a remote area as the candidate region in the case where a degree of degradation of the status of reception of the first broadcast signal compared to a reference status of reception is smaller than a predetermined degree and a degree of degradation of the status of reception of the second broadcast signal compared to a reference status of reception is larger than a predetermined degree.

12. A control method for a navigation system, the method comprising:

receiving, with a signal receiver, a first signal and a second signal that is different from the first signal; and

estimating, with a processor, a region in which a current location is present on the basis of a combination of a status of reception of the first signal and a status of reception of the second signal by;

specifying a candidate region in which the current location may be present on the basis of a combination of a status of reception of the first signal and a status of reception of the second signal; and

relatively increasing a probability at which the current location is estimated to be present in the candidate region.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable control program for a navigation system, the program comprising:

instructions for receiving, with a signal receiver, a first signal and a second signal that is different from the first signal; and

instructions for estimating a region in which a current location is present on the basis of a combination of a status of reception of the first signal and a status of reception of the second signal by;

specifying a candidate region in which the current location may be present on the basis of a combination of a status of reception of the first signal and a status of reception of the second signal; and

relatively increasing a probability at which the current location is estimated to be present in the candidate region.