System and method for navigation
AssigneeNissan Motor Co., Ltd.
InventorToshiro Muramatsu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A navigation system performs route guidance with map information, which is suited for use in navigating a vehicle or other movable object. The system includes a user interface in which starting point and destination are input to a service provider. A service provider determines the route between the starting point and destination and generates driving directions and map images for one or more turning points along the routes. Map images near the turning points are displayed to the user, along with the driving directions for each turning point. A mark indicating the position of the vehicle itself is superimposed on the map image that is displayed to the driver.
Claims33
A navigation system for guiding a movable body from a starting point to a destination, comprising:
- (a) a user interface adapted to accept information pertaining to the destination and the starting point;
- (b) a route computing module in communication with the user interface and adapted to generate a route from the starting point to the destination, and to generate guidance information including at least one prescribed site on the route;
- (c) an image data generation module adapted to generate at least one map image for a prescribed range around the prescribed site;
- (d) a position information acquisition module that outputs the position of the movable body;
- (e) a display image generation module responsive to the position information acquisition module to superimpose on the map image an indicia indicating the position of the movable body when the movable body is within the prescribed range of the prescribed site;
- and
- (f) a display adapted to display the guidance information, the map image, and the indicia superimposed on the map image to indicate the position of the movable body.
A navigation system for guiding a movable object from a starting point to a destination, comprising:
- (a) input means for inputting information pertaining to the destination and the starting point;
- (b) route determining means for determining a route from the starting point to the destination;
- (c) guidance information generating means for generating guidance information for guidance along the determined route, the guidance information including one or more prescribed sites on the route, and map image information for prescribed ranges around the one or more prescribed sites on the route;
- (d) movable body position determining means for determining the position of the movable body;
- (e) movable body position superimposing means for superimposing on the map image information an indicia indicating the position of the movable body when the movable body is within the prescribed range of the map image information;
- and
- (f) display means for displaying the guidance information, the map image information and indicia superimposed on the map image information to indicate the position of the movable body.
A method for navigating a movable object from a starting point to a destination, comprising:
- (a) inputting the information pertaining to the destination and starting point;
- (b) using a database of map information, computing a route for the moving body from the starting point to the destination point;
- (c) determining at least one prescribed site along the route where the course of the moving body will change;
- (d) generating a map image for an area within a prescribed range of the prescribed site;
- (e) determining the location of the movable body;
- and
- (f) if the movable body is within the prescribed range of the prescribed site, displaying the map image with an indicia superimposed on the map image to indicate the location of the movable body.
A server for generating information for navigating a movable body from a starting point to a destination, comprising:
- (a) an input to receive the starting point and destination;
- (b) memory on which is stored map image information and route information;
- (c) a route computing module in communication with the input and the memory, and adapted to generate a route from the starting point to the destination;
- and to generate guidance information for guidance along the route, the guidance information including at least one prescribed site on the route;
- and
- (d) an image data generation module adapted to generate at least one map image for a prescribed range around the prescribed site.
A movable body terminal device for use in a navigation system that guides a movable body along a route from a starting point to a destination, comprising:
- (a) a receiver adapted to receive guidance information for the route, including at least one prescribed site, and map image information for an area within a prescribed range around the prescribed site;
- (b) a position information acquisition module that outputs the position of the movable body;
- (c) a display image generation module responsive to the position information acquisition module to superimpose on the map image information an indicia indicating the position of the movable body when the movable body is within the prescribed range of the prescribed site;
- and
- (d) a display adapted to display the guidance information, the map image information and the indicia superimposed on the map image information to indicate the position of the movable body.
A computer program product comprising computer-readable medium having a control logic stored therein for causing a computer to accept as input a starting point and a destination;
- determine a route from the starting point to the destination using map data, which route includes at least one prescribed site where guidance information will be provided to a user;
- generate guidance information including map image information for an area within a prescribed range of the prescribed site.
A computer program product implemented in terminal device for use in a navigation system that guides a movable body along a route from a starting point to a destination, comprising a computer-readable medium having a control logic stored therein for causing a computer to:
- accept as input guidance information for the route from the destination to the starting point and map image information for at least one area within a prescribed range around at least one prescribed site on the route;
- accept as input the position of the movable body;
- superimpose on the map image information an indicia indicating the position of the movable body when the movable body is within the prescribed range of the prescribed site;
- and display the guidance information, the map image information and indicia imposed on the map image information to indicate the position of the movable body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.