US 9,068,857 B2Granted

Navigation apparatus

AssigneeDenso Corporation

InventorsNatsuko Sakaguchi, Seiji Kato

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Abstract

A navigation apparatus includes an exit route determine unit and a route guidance unit. The exit route determination unit determines whether an exit route of a route guidance from a branch point corresponds to a learned road link. The route guidance unit provides route guidance by presenting a progress direction toward the exit route from the branch point in a first mode or a second mode. Per the first mode, the progress direction is based on an existing road link, and per the second mode, the progress direction is based on the existing road link and the learned road link. Accordingly, the route guidance unit presents the progress direction in: (i) the first mode when the exit route from the branch point does not correspond to the learned road link, and (ii) the second mode, when the exit route from the branch point corresponds to the learned road link.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A navigation apparatus providing route guidance of a travel of a vehicle by utilizing (i) ready-made map data and (ii) learned road data, the apparatus comprising:

an exit route determination unit configured to determine whether an exit route of a route guidance from a branch point corresponds to a learned road link of the learned road data;
a route guidance unit configured to provide route guidance by presenting a progress direction toward the exit route from the branch point via outputting sound in both a first mode and a second mode, the first mode including an existing road link of the ready-made map data in determining the progress direction, and the second mode including the existing road link and the learned road link in determining the progress direction, wherein, the first mode and the second mode are different
the route guidance unit is further configured to provide the progress direction of the route guidance in
(i) the first mode when the exit route determination unit determines that the exit route from the branch point does not correspond to the learned road link, and
(ii) the second mode when the exit route determination unit determines that the exit route from the branch point corresponds to the learned road link;
and
a reliability determination unit configured to determine whether a learned road link connected to the branch point satisfies a predetermined reliability condition to be serving as a connection road of the branch point, wherein the route guidance unit is further configured to provide the route guidance in (i) the first mode when the exit route determination unit determines that the exit route from the branch point does not correspond to the learned road link and the reliability determination unit determines that the learned road link does not satisfy the reliability condition, and in (ii) the second mode when one of (a) the exit route determination unit determines that the exit route from the branch point corresponds to the learned road link and (b) the reliability determination unit determines that the learned road link fulfills the reliability condition.

4 more elements

A navigation apparatus for determining a proper exit from a breach point in an intersection that includes public and nonpublic roads comprising:

a route determination control unit configured to determine a current location and a driving path of a vehicle based on location data, ready-made map data, and recently determined learned road data;
an exit route determination unit configured to determine whether an exit route on the driving path corresponds to an exit route from a ready-made map data or from learned road data;
a route guidance unit connected to a speaker configured to present a progress direction via an audible sound before route determination control unit determines that the vehicle has reached a branch point that includes the exit route, the progress direction includes
a first mode presented via outputting sound when the exit route determination unit determines that the exit route includes an existing road of the ready-made map data only, and
a second mode presented via outputting sound when the exit route determination unit determines that the exit route includes the existing road and the recently determined learned road data, wherein
the first mode is different than the second mode;
and
a reliability determination unit configured to determine whether a learned road link connected to the branch point satisfies a predetermined reliability condition to be serving as a connection road of the branch point, wherein
the route guidance unit is further configured to provide the route guidance in (i) the first mode when the exit route determination unit determines that the exit route from the branch point does not correspond to the learned road link and the reliability determination unit determines that the learned road link does not satisfy the reliability condition, and in (ii) the second mode when one of (a) the exit route determination unit determines that the exit route from the branch point corresponds to the learned road link and (b) the reliability determination unit determines that the learned road link fulfills the reliability condition.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.