IP Library Granted Patent US 7,979,201
Granted Patent B2
US 7,979,201 · App. 12/442,054 · Granted Jul 12, 2011

Navigation apparatus

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,979,201
App. No.
12/442,054
Granted
Jul 12, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A navigation apparatus includes a map data acquiring means 11 a , 11, 12 , and 5 for acquiring map data including data about roads for which whether or not a car pool lane is also provided is specified; a current position determining means 13, 14, 15 , and 10 for determining a current position; and a route searching unit 130 for searching for a route from the current position determined by the current position determining means to a destination inputted by an input unit on the basis of the map data acquired by the map data acquiring means, and for, when a road where a car pool lane is also provided is included in a route acquired through the route search, presenting, as a recommended route, the route using the car pool lane if the distance over which the road will be traveled is equal to or longer than a predetermined value.

Claims (8)

1. A navigation apparatus comprising:

a map data acquiring means for acquiring map data including data about roads for which whether or not a car pool lane is also provided is specified;

a current position determining means for determining a current position;

an input unit for inputting a destination; and

a route searching unit for searching for a route from the current position determined by said current position determining means to the destination inputted by said input unit on a basis of the map data acquired by said map data acquiring means, and for, when a road where a car pool lane is also provided is included in the route which said route searching unit has acquired through said search, presenting, as a recommended route, the route using said car pool lane when a distance over which said road will be traveled is equal to or longer than a predetermined value, while presenting, as the recommended route, the route using an general purpose lane of said road when the distance over which said road will be traveled is shorter than the predetermined value.

2. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that said navigation apparatus includes a usable or unusable setting means for setting up information indicating use or nonuse of a car pool lane, as a route, according to a traveled distance, and the route searching unit searches for the route from the current position determined by said current position determining means to the destination inputted by said input unit on a basis of the map data acquired by said map data acquiring means, and, when a road where a car pool lane is also provided is included in the route which said route searching unit has acquired through said search, presents, as the recommended route, the route using said car pool lane when said usable or unusable setting means sets up information indicating use of a car pool lane as a route and a distance over which said road will be traveled is equal to or longer than a predetermined value, while presents, as the recommended route, the route using an general purpose lane of said road when the distance over which said road will be traveled is shorter than the predetermined value.

3. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that said navigation apparatus includes a distance setting means for setting up a traveled distance for a road for which a car pool lane is also provided, and the route searching unit searches for the route from the current position determined by said current position determining means to the destination inputted by said input unit on a basis of the map data acquired by said map data acquiring means, and, when a road where a car pool lane is also provided is included in the route which said route searching unit has acquired through said search, presents, as the recommended route, the route using said car pool lane when said usable or unusable setting means sets up information indicating use of a car pool lane as a route and a distance over which said road will be traveled is equal to or longer than the value set up by said distance setting means, while presents, as the recommended route, the route using an general purpose lane of said road when the distance over which said road will be traveled is shorter than the value set up by said distance setting means.

4. The navigation apparatus according to claim 2 , characterized in that the route searching unit neglects the settings set up by said usable or unusable setting means when a gate which is intended only for a car pool lane and in which a vehicle directly enters the car pool lane is included in the route.

Assignments (2)
COMPANY SPLIT Recorded Sep 4, 2024
From: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
To: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC MOBILITY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 068834/0585 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 3, 2009
From: MACHINO, HIROSHI
To: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 022504/0122 →