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US 6,807,482 B2Granted
Navigation apparatus and navigation method
AssigneeMitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorKoichiro Utsumi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A navigation apparatus includes a notification unit for, in a case where a route searching unit cannot carry out route searching for an area in the vicinity of a destination, notifying users that the route searching unit cannot carry out route searching for the area in the vicinity of the destination when a physical quantity associated with a relationship between the current position of a vehicle determined by a current position determination unit and the destination is less than a preset reference value.
Claims17
A navigation apparatus comprising:
- a current position determination means for determining a current position of the vehicle;
- a storage means for storing map data;
- a route searching means for searching for a route from a place of departure to a destination by referring to the map data stored in said storage means;
- a guidance means for outputting instructions to guide a user toward guidance targets on the route searched for by said route searching means;
- and
- a notification means for, in a case where said route searching means cannot carry out route searching for an area in the vicinity of the destination, outputting a notification to the user that said route searching means cannot carry out route searching for the area in the vicinity of the destination when a physical quantity is determined to be less than a preset reference value, thereby indicating that the vehicle is approaching the destination, the physical quantity being associated with a relationship between the current position of the vehicle determined by said current position determination means and the destination,
- wherein the notification means is operable to output the notification before the guidance means finishes outputting the instructions, if the physical quantity is determined to be less than the preset reference value before the instructions corresponding to a last one of the guidance targets is output.
4 more elements
A navigation method comprising the steps of:
- determining a current position of a vehicle;
- searching for a route from a place of departure to a destination by referring to map data;
- outputting instructions to guide a user toward guidance targets on the route searched for;
- and
- in a case where route searching cannot be carried out for an area in the vicinity of the destination, outputting a notification to users that route searching cannot be carried out for the area in the vicinity of the destination when a physical quantity is determined to be less than a preset reference value, thereby indicating that the vehicle is approaching the destination, the physical quantity being associated with a relationship between the current position of the vehicle and the destination,
- wherein the notification outputting step outputs the notification before the instruction outputting step is finished outputting the instructions, if physical quantity is determined to be less than the preset reference value before the instructions corresponding to a last one of the guidance targets is output.
3 more elements
A navigation method for a vehicle comprising the steps of:
- searching for a route from a place of departure to a destination using map data;
- determining a current position of the vehicle;
- guiding a user toward guidance targets on the route searched for;
- determining a physical quantity according to the current position of the vehicle;
- determining that route searching is unavailable for an area to be searched by the searching step;
- and
- notifying a user that that route searching is unavailable for the area when the physical quantity is less than a preset reference value, wherein the notifying step notifies the user before the guiding step finishes guiding the user.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.