Navigation system with selective intersection display

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A navigation system for guiding a vehicle to a destination in accordance with a searched route composed of a series of interconnecting roads and intersections, comprising:

external memory means for storing at least road data and intersection data including (1) text information including names of roads and identifying data for identifying intersections and (2) coordinate data for the intersections;

a video display for being viewed by a vehicle operator;

present position detecting means for detecting the present position of the vehicle;

input means for inputting the destination;

route searching means for determining a route from the detected present position to the input destination, by searching the data stored in said external memory means;

route storing means for retrieving, from said external memory means, text information for the route determined by said route searching means and for storing said retrieved text information as route text information;

control means for retrieving the route text information from said route storing means and for listing items of said route text information, including at least the road names and plural identified intersections, in geographical sequence;

first picture means for picturing a route information screen on said video display to display the listed items of said text information;

intersection selecting means for selecting any one of the plural, identified intersections listed on the route information screen; and

second picture means for retrieving the coordinate data for the selected intersection from said external memory means and for providing a map display screen on said video display to show a map including the position of selected intersection.

2. A navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said intersection selecting means comprises a plurality of switch input means disposed on said route information screen in a manner to correspond to the plural identified intersections listed on said route information screen, so that a corresponding map is provided by said second picture means responsive to operation of one of said switch input means.

3. A navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the map provided by the second picture means indicates an entry direction into the selected intersection from the present position.

4. A navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the map provided by the second picture means shows the selected intersection in an enlarged scale.

5. A navigation system according to claim 1, further comprising level setting means including a route information setting screen for selecting one of plural display levels for the text and map information.

6. A navigation system according to claim 5,

wherein the route information setting screen selects the display level in accordance with a road attribute.

7. A navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said first picture means includes means for displaying a diagrammatic route of the listed road names and plural identified intersections showing the distances between the plural identified intersections.

8. A navigation system for guiding a vehicle to a destination in accordance with a predetermined route composed of several roads and branching points, said navigation system comprising:

present position detection means for determining the present position of the vehicle;

a database for storing geographical data for the roads and branching points, inclusive of textual designations identifying the roads and branching points;

display means for viewing by an operator of the vehicle;

first picture means for retrieving geographical data from the database and for operating the display means to provide a first display showing the predetermined route and the present position of the vehicle, said first display having a first touch input;

listing means for compiling, from said database, a listing of roads and branching points on said predetermined route with textual designations, in sequence from the present position to the destination;

second picture means for, responsive to a signal from said first touch input, operating the display means to provide a second display showing at least a portion of said listing and having separate second touch inputs corresponding to each of the shown branching points; and

third picture means for, responsive to a signal from one of said second touch inputs, operating the display means to provide a third display depicting a detailed map of the vicinity of the branching point corresponding to said one second touch input.

9. A navigation system in accordance with claim 8, wherein said second display depicts a first portion of said listing including the present position and further comprising a scroll touch switch in said second display and scrolling means for scrolling the displayed portion from said first portion to a portion of said listing including said destination, responsive to input from said scroll touch switch.

10. A navigation system for guiding a vehicle to a destination in accordance with a searched route, comprising:

external memory means for storing at least road data and intersection data including text information naming roads and identifying intersections;

a display means for being viewed by a vehicle operator;

present position detecting means for detecting the present position of the vehicle;

input means for inputting the destination;

route searching means for determining a route from the detected present position to the destination, by searching data stored in said external memory means;

route storing means for retrieving, from said external memory, text information for the determined route and for storing said retrieved text information as route text information;

control means for retrieving the route text information from said route storing means and for listing items of said route text information, including at least the road names and plural identified intersections, in geographical sequence;

first picture means for picturing a route information screen to show the route text information for the determined route, as listed by said control means, on said display means;

intersection selecting means for selecting any one of the plural, identified intersections listed on the route information screen;

second picture means for retrieving the coordinate data for the selected intersection from said external memory means and for providing an intersection screen on said video display to show detailed information regarding the selected intersection; and

display controlling means for controlling said display means to selectively display the route information screen or the intersection screen, responsive to manual input by the vehicle operator.

11. A navigation system for guiding a vehicle to a destination in accordance with a searched route comprising:

external memory means for storing at least road data and intersection data including text information of names of roads and further including map information;

a display means for being viewed by a vehicle operator;

present position detecting means for detecting the present position of the vehicle;

input means for inputting the destination;

route searching means for determining a route from the detected present position to the input destination, by searching the data stored in said external memory means;

route storing means for retrieving, from said external memory means, text information for the route determined by said route searching means and for storing said retrieved text information as route text information;

control means for retrieving the route text information from said route storing means and for listing items of said route text information, including at least the road names, in geographical sequence;

first picture means for picturing a route information screen on said display means to show the listed items of said route text information;

selection means for selection of one of said listed items by the vehicle operator;

second picture means for retrieving the map information relating to the selected item from said external memory means, for providing a map derived from the retrieved map information and for displaying the map as a map screen on said display means; and

display controlling means for controlling said display means to selectively display the route information screen or said map screen.

12. A navigation system for guiding a vehicle to a destination in accordance with a searched route comprising:

external memory means for storing at least road data and intersection data including text information of names of roads and identifying data for identifying intersections and further including map information;

a display means for being viewed by a vehicle operator;

present position detecting means for detecting the present position of the vehicle;

input means for inputting the destination;

route searching means for determining a route from the detected present position to the input destination, by searching the data stored in said external memory means;

route storing means for retrieving, from said external memory means, text information for the route determined by said route searching means and for storing said retrieved text information as route text information;

control means for retrieving the route text information from said route storing means and for listing items of said route text information, including at least the road names and plural identified intersections, in geographical sequence;

first picture means for picturing a route information screen on said display means to show the listed items of said route text information;

intersection selecting means for selecting any one of the plural, identified intersections listed on the route information screen;

second picture means for retrieving the map information relating to the selected intersection from said external memory means, for providing a map derived from the retrieved map information and for displaying the map as a map screen on said display means; and

display change input means, operable by the vehicle operator, for controlling said display means to selectively display said route information screen or said map screen.

13. A navigation system for guiding a vehicle to a destination in accordance with a searched route comprising:

external memory means for storing at least road data, intersection data and distances between intersections, said road data including text information of names of roads, and for storing map information;

a display means for being viewed by a vehicle operator;

present position detecting means for detecting the present position of the vehicle;

input means for inputting the destination;

route searching means for determining a route from the detected present position to the input destination, by searching the data stored in said external memory means;

route storing means for retrieving, from said external memory means, text information for the route determined by said route searching means and for storing said retrieved text information as route text information;

control means for retrieving the route text information from said route storing means and for listing items of said route text information, including at least the road names, in geographical sequence, and the distance to be travelled on each listed road; and

picture means for picturing a route information screen on said display means to show the listed items of said route text information and to show and identify the location of the detected present position as one of said listed items.

14. A navigation system for guiding a vehicle to a destination in accordance with a searched route comprising:

external memory means for storing at least road data and intersection data, including text information of names of roads and identifying data for identifying intersections, and for storing map information;

a display means for being viewed by a vehicle operator;

present position detecting means for detecting the present position of the vehicle;

input means for inputting the destination;

route searching means for determining a route from the detected present position to the input destination, by searching the data stored in said external memory means;

route storing means for retrieving, from said external memory means, text information for the route determined by said route searching means and for storing said retrieved text information as route text information;

control means for retrieving the route text information from said route storing means and for listing items of said route text information, including at least the road names and at least one intersection, in geographical sequence, and directions for a turn at said one intersection; and

picture means for picturing a route information screen on said display means to show the listed items of said route text information inclusive of said directions for a turn and to show and identify the location of the detected present position as one of said listed items.

15. A navigation system for guiding a vehicle to a destination in accordance with a searched route comprising:

external memory means for storing at least road data, including correlated road information identifying roads by road number, road attribute and road name, and for storing map information;

a display means for being viewed by a vehicle operator;

present position detecting means for detecting the present position of the vehicle;

input means for inputting the destination;

route searching means for determining a route from the detected present position to the input destination as a string of said road numbers, by searching the data stored in said external memory means;

route storing means for retrieving, from said external memory means, text information for the route determined by said route searching means and for storing said retrieved text information as route text information;

control means for searching each road number in said string, in sequence, for a road name and, when a road name is located, listing said road name as a listed item of said route text information and, when a road name is not located, retrieving the road attribute for the searched road number and listing said road attribute as one of the listed items of said route text information; and

picture means for picturing a route information screen on said display means to show the listed items of said route text information.

16. A navigation system for guiding a vehicle to a destination in accordance with a searched route comprising:

external memory means for storing at least road data and intersection data, including text information of names of roads and names of intersections, and for storing map information;

a display means for being viewed by a vehicle operator;

present position detecting means for detecting the present position of the vehicle;

input means for inputting the destination;

route searching means for determining a route from the detected present position to the input destination, by searching the data stored in said external memory means;

route storing means for retrieving, from said external memory means, text information for the route determined by said route searching means and for storing said retrieved text information as route text information;

control means for retrieving the route text information from said route storing means and for listing items of said route text information, including at least the road names and the names of intersections linking one named road with another, in geographical sequence; and

picture means for picturing a route information screen on said display means to show the listed items of said route text information.

17. A navigation system for guiding a vehicle to a destination in accordance with a searched route comprising:

external memory means for storing at least road data and intersection data, including text information of numbers for and names of roads and names and addresses of intersections, and for storing map information;

a display means for being viewed by a vehicle operator;

present position detecting means for detecting the present position of the vehicle;

input means for inputting the destination;

route searching means for determining a route from the detected present position to the input destination, in the form of a string of road numbers and intersections, by searching the data stored in said external memory means;

route storing means for retrieving, from said external memory means, text information for the route determined by said route searching means and for storing said retrieved text information as route text information;

control means for searching said route text information for the name of each intersection in said string, in sequence, and, if an intersection name is located, listing the located intersection name as a listed item of route text information and, if no intersection name is located, listing the address corresponding to the intersection as a listed item of route text information, and for listing road names in said determined route, along with the listed intersections, in geographical sequence; and

picture means for picturing a route information screen on said display means to show the listed items of said route text information.

18. A navigation system for guiding a vehicle to a destination in accordance with a searched route comprising:

external memory means for storing at least road data and intersection data, including text information of numbers and names of roads and identifying data for identifying intersections, and for storing map information;

a display means for being viewed by a vehicle operator;

present position detecting means for detecting the present position of the vehicle;

input means for inputting the destination;

route searching means for determining a route from the detected present position to the input destination, in the form of a string of road numbers and intersections, by searching the data stored in said external memory means;

route storing means for retrieving, from said external memory means, text information for the route determined by said route searching means and for storing said retrieved text information as route text information;

control means for searching each intersection in said string in sequence and, if an intersection name is located, listing said intersection name as a listed item of route text information and, if no intersection name is located for a given intersection, identifying said given intersection as a branching point, listed as an item of route text information, and for listing road names in said determined route, along with the listed intersections, in geographical sequence; and

picture means for picturing a route information screen on said display means to show the listed items of said route text information.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a navigation system for guiding a vehicle to a destination via a predetermined route and, more particularly, to a navigation system for enabling a detailed map of the route, showing roads and branching points on the route, for example that portion of the route in the vicinity of the destination and the guidance ending location, to be accessed from a route information screen.

2. Related Art

The prior art navigation system gives guidance along a route so that the vehicle can safely arrive at a first destination. In recent years, efforts have been vigorously pursued to improve performances, such as navigation accuracy, operability and visibility. The prior art navigation system is typically provided with a destination setting screen to be used for setting the route, a route searching screen for displaying the searched route, a route information screen for displaying the searched route information, and a route guiding screen to be opened for guidance automatically or according to the will of the driver. The display screen, after the guidance has started, may include a wide area map for guidance over a wide area of the route, a set of several section maps including that section of the entire route which is being followed, and an intersection map for guiding at intersections.

Some navigation systems further function to provide information of the remaining distance, the name of the intersection, the direction in which the vehicle should turn, to teach distinguishing landmarks so as to confirm the route being followed, and to provide guidance, not only through visual display, but also audibly.

In order to set a route in such a navigation system, it is necessary to input a starting point and a destination. If the starting point and the destination are determined by the inputting, route searching is processed from the vicinities of the departing point and the destination and the route information data between them so that an optimum route is determined from among a plurality of possible routes. When this route search is ended, there is opened an entire route map which is displayed with the present position, the destination and the route in between. The route guidance is started by teaching the summary of the route using that entire route map.

In some of the navigation systems having such route guiding functions, the names of the entrance and exit of an expressway to be used at first are exclusively displayed, as the essential points of the route, after the route search has been ended, as proposed by us in Japanese Patent Application No. 220111/1992. As disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4285/1990, on the other hand, peripheral maps are displayed by a single-action scrolling or by switching the scale of the map.

In the route guide systems of the prior art, however, when it is desired to know in advance detailed route information, in the form of a summary of the roads and branching points on the route, or the route direction or configurations of the branching points or the essential points on the route, or the routes in the vicinity of the destination or the guide ending location, or when information for the route in the front of the present position is desired during the guidance, the route is searched by switching the map scale or by the single-action scrolling operation from the screen after the route guidance has started. These operations are not easy and are time-consuming.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a navigation system which can access the branching points on a route, the essential positions on the route or the detailed "peripheral" maps for the vicinities of the essential positions from a route information screen, after completion of the route search.

In order to achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a navigation system for guiding a vehicle to a destination in accordance with a predetermined route composed of roads and branching points, comprising: a data base for storing the names of the roads, the names of the branching points, and information relating entry roads to the exit roads; first picture means for displaying a route information screen listing up at least the road names and the branching point names; input means for issuing a screen operating signal for displaying the route information screen; and control means for reading the route information from the data base in response to the screen operating signal from the input means and for controlling the displaying of the route information screen by listing up at least the road names and the branching point names.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, data base further stores branching point coordinate data, and the navigation system further comprises second picture means for drawing a peripheral map selected from the branching point coordinate data.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the navigation system of the second aspect further comprises switch input means disposed on the route information screen in a manner to correspond to the branching points listed up on the route information screen so that a peripheral map may be selected for display by operating the switch input means.

According to the first aspect, in controlling the screen for displaying the route information by the first picture means, the control means reads out the route information data from the data base to list up at least the road names or the branching point names and instructs the first picture means to show the listing on the route information screen. Thus, the first picture means draws the route information screen in response to the instruction from the control means to list up the road names and/or the branching point names.

According to the second aspect, the peripheral map for a branching point can be opened by inputting one of the listed branching point names.

According to the third aspect, the peripheral map for a branching point can be opened by operating a switch which is disposed in correspondence with the name of that branching point as listed.

The present invention provides the vehicle operator with a rough knowledge, derived from the names listed by the route information screen, of which roads constitute the route and which branching point is important to the route. Moreover, a detailed peripheral map of the important branching point can be easily called up by operating the switch.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing basic hardware components of a navigation system according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the navigation system according to the present invention;

FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) are diagrams showing examples of formats for displaying route information;

FIG. 4 is a diagram of another format for output of the route information;

FIG. 5 is a diagram of yet another format for output of route information;

FIG. 6 is a diagram of still another format for route information output;

FIGS. 7(a) to 7(c) are diagrams showing transitions between the different display screens;

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a display on the route information screen indicating that the present position is off the route;

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing another display of the route information screen showing branching point marks on the route ahead of the present position;

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another display of the route information screen;

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a display of the route information screen running backward from the destination;

FIG. 12 is a diagram of a screen displaying a peripheral map, called up from the route information screen;

FIG. 13 is a diagram of the screen of FIG. 12 turned so that displayed direction of travel is always upward;

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of an intersection map as the peripheral map called up through the route information screen;

FIG. 15 is a flow chart for processing the route information on the route information screen;

FIG. 16 is a flow chart for processing one road in a road number string shown as a processing step in FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a flow chart showing another program for processing one road in the road number string;

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a display of a list including prefectural road attributes as the route information screen;

FIG. 19 is a flow chart for displaying from the "present position", where the vehicle is at present, to the "destination" with road names exclusively displayed;

FIGS. 20(a) and 20(b) are flow charts for displaying one road in the road number string in the procedure of FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is a diagram showing a display format in which the road attributes are not displayed;

FIG. 22 is a diagram showing a display format in which the road names are displayed for national roads and expressways whereas only the road attributes (types) are displayed for ordinary roads;

FIG. 23 is a flow chart of a procedure for display of one road in the road number string with names of roads higher than national roads exclusively displayed;

FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an example of the display produced by processing as in FIG. 23;

FIGS. 25(a) to 25(c) are diagrams showing examples of input screens for calling up a route information screen, in a system allowing selection of different display levels for the route information, and the screen transitions;

FIG. 26 is a flow chart of the displaying procedure for the route information having the display level selecting function;

FIG. 27 is a flow chart which is a continuation of that of FIG. 26;

FIG. 28 is a flow chart showing the procedure for displaying one road in the road number string of FIG. 27; and

FIG. 29 is a flow chart which is a continuation of that of FIG. 28.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

An embodiment of the present invention will be described in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the basic hardware construction for realizing the route information displaying function of a navigation system according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing one complete embodiment of the hardware components of the navigation system of the present invention.

The navigation system includes an input/output section 1 for inputting/outputting information for route guidance; a present position detecting section 2 for detecting information indicating the present position of the vehicle; an external information memory section 3 for storing navigation data necessary for computing a route and for display of guide data necessary for guidance; and a central control section 4 for executing a route searching procedure and a displaying procedure for guidance along the route and for controlling operation of the entire system.

In order to input a destination and to inform the driver of the guide information, by speech and/or visual output on the screen, the input/output section 1 functions to instruct the central control section 4 to execute navigation processing according to the will of the user and to output the processed data and the communication data to a printer, to a speaker for voice instruction and to a graphic display for visual guidance. As the input means for realizing these functions, there is provided in a display 12 a touch switch 11 for inputting a destination, in terms of its address, telephone number and/or coordinates, and for requesting a route guide. On the other hand, the output means includes: a display 14 for automatically displaying the route guidance on the screen; a printer 13 for printing the data processed by the central control section 4 and/or the data stored in the external information storage section 3; and a speaker 16 for outputting route guidance as speech.

A voice recognition device for inputting a voice command and/or a magnetic card reader for reading the data recorded in an IC card or a magnetic card can be added to the system. There can also be added a data communications system for exchanging data with an information source, such as an information center storing the data necessary for the navigation, to serve the navigation system upon the request of a user, through communications lines or an electronic note stored in advance with data intrinsic to the user such as map data or destination data.

The display 12 is a color CRT or a color liquid crystal display for displaying in colors, not only all the screens necessary for the navigation, such as a destination setting screen, a route guiding screen, a section map screen and an intersection map screen, based upon the map data or guide data processed by the central control section 4, but also switches in the screen for setting the guidance along the route and for switching the screens. The route guide screens include at least a screen for displaying the entire route map, a route information screen and peripheral map screens. The display 12 is further provided with a touch panel 11 so that function buttons for the aforementioned operations may be displayed and executed on the basis of the signals input by touching the buttons. These buttons and touch panel 11 constitute the input means, a detailed description of which is omitted here.

The present position detecting section 2 is composed of: a GPS receiver 21 utilizing the global positioning system (GPS); a beacon receiver 22; a data transmitter-receiver 23 for receiving the corrected signals of the GPS utilizing a cellular phone or FM multiplex signals; a steering angle sensor 24 which is a wheel sensor or a steering sensor; an azimuth sensor 25 which is an earth magnetism sensor; and a distance sensor 26 for detecting the mileage from the number of revolutions of the wheels.

The external memory section 3 is a data base in which is stored all the data necessary for the route guidance including data for maps, intersections, nodes, roads, branching points, photographs, destinations, guide points, detailed destinations, road names, branching points, graphic guidance and speech guidance. This data base stores a road name data file and a branching point name data file relating to the map data file, which files contain especially important route information for practicing the present invention.

The central control section 4 is composed of: a CPU 40 for executing the arithmetic operations; a first ROM 41 stored with, not only programs for processing the route searches and the programs for controlling the displays necessary for the route guidance and the speech output necessary for the speech guidance, but also the data necessary for operating the programs: a RAM 42 for temporarily storing the guide information for the searched route and for arithmetic operations thereon; a second ROM 43 for storing the display information data necessary for the route guidance and the map display; a picture memory 44 for storing the picture data to be used for the screen displays; a picture processor 45 for retrieving the picture data from the picture memory on the basis of the display control signal from the CPU, for processing the picture data to form graphics and for outputting the graphics to the display; a voice processor 46 for reading speech data out of the external information memory section 3, on the basis of the speed output control signal of the CPU, for converting the speech data into analog signals and for outputting these analog signals to the speaker; a communications interface 47 for transferring the input/output data through communications; an input interface 48 for receiving the sensor signal from the present position detector; and a clock 49 for entries of date and time into the internal dialogue information.

The present system is so constructed that the driver can select route guidance either by screen display or by speech output.

In the present system, the present position is determined by calculating a position on the basis of the various sensor signals from the present position detector and the GPS data and by determining the position on the road from the correlation among the calculated position, the road on the map and the GPS data.

Moreover, the present system has the capability of deciding whether or not the present position is approaching a guide point predetermined for the searched route. Specifically, the system decides the timing for the automatic rapid outputting of the predetermined distance on the near side of an intersection on the determined ("searched") guide route or decides, after passage of the intersection, to display intersection information such as the name of the intersection passed. On the basis of this decision, the present system instructs the picture processor and the voice processor to perform the guidance operations. In response to the request signal, on the other hand, the present system instructs the voice processor to give voice guidance relevant to the present position.

Here will be described the route information displaying function. The data to be used for the route information are the map data, the road name data and the branching point name data. FIG. 3(a) shows a structure of the road name data and FIG. 3(b) shows a structure of the branching point data. The road name data are related to the road number, the road name and the road type, and the branching point name data are related to the entry road, the exit road and the branching point name. A road number is assigned to each road so that it may be used by the present navigation system. The road type is a road classification shown on the map as a national road, a state road or an expressway. The entry road indicates the number of the road which is entered when the drive route is changed from one road to another. The exit road indicates the number of the road which is entered when the drive route is changed from one road on the route to another. The branching point name indicates the name of a branching point between (intersection of) the entry road and the exit road.

A specific example of the route guide will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. FIG. 4 shows a specific example of the route guidance utilizing the route displaying function. FIG. 5 shows the correlation between the road numbers, the road names and the branching point names in a specific example. FIG. 6 shows an example of the screen displaying the proces