Adaptive in-vehicle route guidance system

Abstract

An in-vehicle navigator comprises a map memory unit for memorizing road map data consisting of road data comprised of the combination of nodes and links, and background data such as buildings, a location detection unit for detecting a vehicle location, an initialization unit for inputting a destination, and route calculation conditions desired by a vehicle operator, and a route calculation unit for reading road map data containing a current location and the destination from the map memory unit. The route calculation unit also calculates a recommended route, based on the read road map data from the map memory unit and the read route computation conditions from the initialization unit. The navigator further comprises a memory unit for storing the recommended route, and a vehicle guidance unit for detecting an approach to a junction on the recommended route, based on the vehicle location. The vehicle guidance unit reads road map data containing the junction from the map memory unit, and enlarges and displays the road map containing the junction, together with the vehicle location and the recommended route.