The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 08, 2002
Filed:
Sep. 28, 2000
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Osaka, JP;
Abstract
In a route selection process, an optimal route searcher refers to a traffic light flag included in route selecting data stored in a second storage to see whether a target intersection has any traffic light or not. When the optimal route searcher determines that the target intersection has a traffic light s, a traffic light cost calculator calculates a traffic light cost relevant to a waiting time due to the traffic light s. Based on the traffic light cost thus calculated by the traffic light cost calculator , the optimal route searcher calculates a passage cost relevant to a time taken for passing the target intersection. In this manner, with consideration for the waiting time due to the traffic light, a time for going through an entire route can be estimated with higher correctness, thereby rendering the route thus searched more optimal.