Vehicle navigation system and method for selecting a route according to fuel consumption

Abstract

A vehicle navigation system and method of selecting a route for vehicle travel according to fuel consumption. The system includes an input device for selecting a destination, an antenna for receiving satellite signals and/or signals related to traffic situation, a memory, and a controller, such as a microcomputer, for determining a current vehicle position and alternative routes from the current vehicle position to the destination and for selecting from the alternative routes, according to altitude information for the routes and the traffic situation, a preferred route requiring the least fuel consumption. The method includes the steps of determining the current vehicle position based on signals received from satellites, determining the routes from the current position to the destination, and selecting from the routes the preferred route requiring the least amount of fuel consumption.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.