Route guidance systems, methods, and programs

1. A route guidance system for a vehicle, comprising:

a current position detector; and

a controller that:

searches for a route to a destination;

sets a recommended travel lane based on the searched for route;

receives a current position of the vehicle from the current position detector;

determines a number of lane changes required to change from the current position to the recommended lane;

when the determined number of lane changes has not decreased, provides lane guidance to lead the vehicle into the recommended lane; and

when the determined number of lane changes has decreased determines that the vehicle is approaching the recommended lane and suspends lane guidance for a fixed time interval or for a fixed distance to be traveled by the vehicle.

2. The route guidance system of claim 1 , wherein after the fixed time interval has elapsed or the fixed distance has been traveled, the controller:

redetermines a number of lane changes required to change from an updated current position to the recommended lane; and

redetermines a movement direction of the vehicle based on the redetermined number of lane changes.

3. The route guidance system of claim 1 , wherein the controller suspends the lane guidance for a fixed time interval and for a fixed distance to be traveled by the vehicle.

4. The route guidance system of claim 3 , wherein after the fixed time interval has elapsed and the fixed distance has been traveled, the controller:

redetermines a number of lane changes required to change from an updated current position to the recommended lane; and

redetermines a movement direction of the vehicle based on the redetermined number of lane changes.

5. The route guidance system of claim 1 , wherein the controller provides additional lane guidance when the determined number of lane changes has not decreased.

6. A route guidance method for a vehicle, comprising:

searching with a controller for a route to a destination;

setting with the controller a recommended travel lane based on the searched for route;

receiving with the controller a current position of the vehicle;

determining with the controller a number of lane changes required to change from the current position to the recommended lane;

when the determined number of lane changes has not decreased, providing with the controller lane guidance to lead the vehicle into the recommended lane; and

when the determined number of lane changes has decreased determining with the controller that the vehicle is approaching the recommended lane and suspending with the controller lane guidance for a fixed time interval or for a fixed distance to be traveled by the vehicle.

7. The route guidance method of claim 6 , wherein after the fixed time interval has elapsed or the fixed distance has been traveled, the method further comprises:

redetermining a number of lane changes required to change from an updated current position to the recommended lane; and

redetermining a movement direction of the vehicle based on the redetermined number of lane changes.

8. The route guidance method of claim 6 , further comprising suspending the lane guidance for a fixed time interval and for a fixed distance to be traveled by the vehicle.

9. The route guidance method of claim 8 , wherein after the fixed time interval has elapsed and the fixed distance has been traveled, the method further comprises:

redetermining a number of lane changes required to change from an updated current position to the recommended lane; and

redetermining a movement direction of the vehicle based on the redetermined number of lane changes.

10. The route guidance method of claim 6 , further comprising providing additional lane guidance when the determined number of lane changes has not decreased.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program usable to provide route guidance, the program comprising:

instructions for searching for a route to a destination;

instructions for setting a recommended travel lane based on the searched for route;

instructions for receiving a current position of the vehicle;

instructions for determining a number of lane changes required to change from the current position to the recommended lane;

instructions for, when the determined number of lane changes has not decreased, providing lane guidance to lead the vehicle into the recommended lane: and

instructions for, when the determined number of lane changes has decreased determining that the vehicle is approaching the recommended lane and suspending lane guidance for a fixed time interval or for a fixed distance to be traveled by the vehicle.

12. The route guidance system of claim 1 , wherein after the fixed time interval has elapsed or the fixed distance has been traveled, the controller:

resumes lane guidance before the vehicle reaches a next guidance target point toward which the vehicle was approaching prior to the suspension of lane guidance.

13. The route guidance method of claim 6 , wherein after the fixed time interval has elapsed or the fixed distance has been traveled, the method further comprises:

resuming lane guidance before the vehicle reaches a next guidance target point toward which the vehicle was approaching prior to the suspension of lane guidance.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein after the fixed time interval has elapsed or the fixed distance has been traveled, the program further comprises:

instructions for resuming lane guidance before the vehicle reaches a next guidance target point toward which the vehicle was approaching prior to the suspension of lane guidance.

15. The route guidance system of claim 1 , wherein the controller:

suspends lane guidance for the fixed time interval and for the fixed distance to be traveled by the vehicle when the determined number of lane changes are decreased.

16. The route guidance method of claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises:

suspending lane guidance for the fixed time interval and for the fixed distance to be traveled by the vehicle when the determined number of lane changes are decreased.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the program further comprises:

instructions for suspending lane guidance for the fixed time interval and for the fixed distance to be traveled by the vehicle when the determined number of lane changes