Navigation device

Claim 2

A navigation device comprising: at least one map data storage means for storing map data; a map data reading means for reading the map data from said map data storage means; at least one goal storage means for storing data expressing a plurality of goals and data related to a plurality of goals in relation to the each other; at least one first search reference data storage means for storing a range of designated contents for distinguishing the goals; a first search reference data reading means for reading the range of the designated contents from said first search reference data storage means; at least one second search reference data storage means for storing a geographical range including a present position or a designated reference position as second search reference data; a second search reference data reading means for reading the geographical range from said second search reference data storage means; a goal data reading means for reading, from said goal storage means, the data of goals that conform the range of contents read by said first search reference data reading means and the geographical range read by said second search reference data reading means; a priority order determining means for determining order of priority for the data of the goals read by said goal data reading means depending upon the geographical conditions or the conditions of the contents; an indication means for indicating the image; a goal indication means for indicating the goals read by said goal data reading means on said indication means; a priority order indication means for indicating, on said indication means, informations related to the order of priority determined by said priority order determining means in relation to the goals indicated by said goal indication means; a goal selection means for selecting a goal out of the goals indicated by said goal indication means; at least one goal storage means for storing the goal selected by said goal selection means; a route setting means for setting a route up to the goal stored by said goal storage means; a route indication means for indicating the route set by said route setting means on said indication means; and a guide means for guiding the route indicated by said route indication means.

Claim 3

A navigation device comprising: at least one map data storage means for storing map data; at least one goal storage means for storing data expressing a plurality of goals and data related to a plurality of goals in relation to each other; a first search reference data generating means for generating first search reference data that serve as a search reference for the data expressing the goals or for the data related to the goals in searching candidate goals out of the goals stored in said goal storage means; a second search reference data generating means for generating second search reference data that serve as a search reference for a present position or for a designated reference position; a goal data reading means for reading the data related to the goals from said goal storage means concerning the candidate goals corresponding to the first and second search reference data generated from said first and second search reference data generating means; a reduced scale determining means for determining the reduced scale of a suitable map picture for expressing a predetermined number of, or not less than a predetermined number of, the data of the goals read by said goal data reading means; and a goal indication means for indicating the map picture of a scale determined by said reduced scale determining means by using the map data read from said map data storage means, and for indicating, on said map picture, the data expressing the goals read by said goal data reading means.

Claim 4

A navigation device comprising: at least one map data storage means for storing map data; a map data reading means for reading the map data from said map data storage means; at least one goal storage means for storing data expressing a plurality of goals and data related to a plurality of goals in relation to each other; at least one first search reference data storage means for storing a range of designated contents for distinguishing the goals; a first search reference data reading means for reading the range of the designated contents from said first search reference data storage means; at least one second search reference data storage means for storing a geographical range including a present position or a designated reference position as second search reference data; a second search reference data reading means for reading the geographical range from said second search reference data storage means; a goal data reading means for reading, from said goal storage means, the data of goals that conform the range of contents read by said first search reference data reading means and the geographical range read by said second search reference data reading means; a relative position calculation means for finding a relative positional relationship for the present position or for the designated reference position in relation to the goal data read by said goal data reading means; a reduced scale determining means for determining the reduced scale of a suitable map picture for expressing a predetermined number of, or not less than a predetermined number of, the data of the goals read by said goal data reading means depending upon a relative positional relationship of said goals found by said relative position calculation means; an indication means for indicating the image; a goal indication means for indicating, on said indication means, the map picture of a scale determined by said reduced scale determining means by using the map data read by said map data reading means, and for indicating, on said map picture, the data expressing the goals read by said goal data reading means; a goal selection means for selecting a goal out of the goals indicated by said goal indication means; at least one goal storage means for storing the goal selected by said goal selection means; a route setting means for setting a route up to the goal stored by said goal storage means; a route indication means for indicating the route set by said route setting means on said indication means; and a guide means for guiding the route indicated by said route indication means.

Claim 5

A navigation device comprising: at least one map data storage means for storing map data; at least one goal storage means for storing data expressing a plurality of goals and data related to a plurality of goals in relation to each other; a first search reference data generating means for generating first search reference data that serve as a search reference for the data expressing the goals or for the data related to the goals in searching goals out of the goals stored in said goal storage means; a second search reference data generating means for generating second search reference data that serve as a search reference for a present position or for a designated reference position; a goal data reading means for reading the data related to the goals from said goal storage means concerning the goals corresponding to the first and second search reference data generated from said first and second search reference data generating means; a reduced scale determining means for determining the reduced scale of a suitable map picture for expressing a predetermined number of, or not less than a predetermined number of, the data of the goals read by said goal data reading means; a goal indication means for indicating the map picture of a scale determined by said reduced scale determining means by using the map data read from said map data storage means, and for indicating, on said map picture, the data expressing the goals read by said goal data reading means; a priority order determining means for determining the order of priority of the goals based on a relationship between the data of the goals read by said goal data reading means and the second search reference generated from said second search reference data generating means; and an indication means for indicating informations related to the order of priority determined by said priority order determining means.

Claim 6

A navigation device comprising: at least one map data storage means for storing map data; a map data reading means for reading the map data from said map data storage means; at least one goal storage means for storing data expressing a plurality of goals and data related to a plurality of goals in relation to each other; at least one first search reference data storage means for storing a range of designated contents for distinguishing the goals; a first search reference data reading means for reading the range of the designated contents from said first search reference data storage means; at least one second search reference data storage means for storing a geographical range including a present position or a designated reference position as second search reference data; a second search reference data reading means for reading the geographical range from said second search reference data storage means; a goal data reading means for reading, from said goal storage means, the data of goals that conform the range of contents read by said first search reference data reading means and the geographical range read by said second search reference data reading means; a relative position calculation means for finding a relative positional relationship for the present position or for the designated reference position in relation to the goal data read by said goal data reading means; a reduced scale determining means for determining the reduced scale of a suitable map picture for expressing a predetermined number of, or not less than a predetermined number of, the data of the goals read by said goal data reading means depending upon a relative positional relationship of said goals found by said relative position calculation means; a priority order determining means for determining the order of priority for the data of the goals read by said goal data reading means depending upon the geographical conditions or the conditions of the contents; an indication means for indicating the image; a goal indication means for indicating, on said indication means, the map picture of a scale determined by said reduced scale determining means by using the map data read by said map data reading means, and for indicating, on said map picture, the data expressing the goals read by said goal data reading means; a priority order indication means for indicating, on said indication means, informations related to the order of priority determined by said priority order determining means in relation to the goals indicated by said goal indication means; at least one goal selection means for selecting a goal out of the goals indicated by said goal indication means; a goal storage means for storing the goal selected by said goal selection means; a route setting means for setting a route up to the goal stored by said goal storage means; a route indication means for indicating the route set by said route setting means on said indication means; and a guide means for guiding the route indicated by said route indication means.

Claim 7

A navigation device according to claim 1, 2, 5 or 6, wherein the priority order determining means further determines the order of priority based upon the road data input from at least one external unit via at least one communication medium and upon the data related to courses to the goals such as local data.

Claim 8

A navigation device according to claim 1, 2, 5 or 6, wherein the indication means indicates the order of priority together with marks of goals searched in the map picture, indicates the order of priority in the form of a list on the map indication device, or indicates the order of priority by changing, depending on the order of priority, the color of marks of the goals indicated in the map picture on the map indication device.

Claim 9

A navigation device according to claim 3, 4, 5 or 6, wherein the map data storage means stores a plurality of map data of different reduced scales for the same area, and the reduced scale determining means stepwisely changes the reduced scale starting from the reduced scale of the map that had been indicated when the operation for setting the goals is carried out by the user and determines a suitable reduced scale of the map picture.

Claim 10

A navigation device according to claim 3, 4, 5 or 6, wherein the map data storage means stores a plurality of map data of different reduced scales for the same area, and the reduced scale determining means stepwisely changes the reduced scale starting from the minimum scale and determines a suitable reduced scale of the map picture.

Claim 11

A navigation device according to claim 3, 4, 5 or 6, wherein the reduced scale determining means determines the reduced scale of the map picture depending upon a goal which is the remotest from the present position or from the reference position among the goals read by the goal data reading means.

Claim 12

A navigation device according to claim 3, 4, 5 or 6, wherein the reduced scale determining means selects a map picture for indicating the goals of a number not less than 2 or of a predetermined number read by the goal data reading means, and further reduces the scale of the map when the goals of a number not less than 2 or of a predetermined number read by the goal data reading means are included in a small area set in the map picture.

Claim 13

A navigation device according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, comprising at least one input means such as a voice input devices, a touch panel mounted on the indication surface of the map indication device or switches, wherein the data related to the operation carried out by the user are input through the input means, or the data related to the reference position or the search reference data are input through the input means.

Claim 14

A navigation device according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, wherein a reference position data changing means is provided for changing the data related to a reference position read by the reference position data reading means depending upon predetermined conditions such as a kind of road on which the car is running, running speed and data related to a network of roads.

Claim 15

A navigation device according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, wherein the search reference data are those data input from an external unit concerning the upper limit and lower limit, designated range, particular goals that are selected and designated, particular goals that are excluded, kind of the goals or nature of the goals, or are those data input by the user through manual operation, or those data that have been stored in advance.

Claim 16

A navigation device according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, wherein the reference position is the present position or a position remote from the present position.

Claim 17

A navigation device according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, wherein the reference position is fixed.

Claim 18

A navigation device according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, wherein the reference position can be corrected or changed.

Claim 19

A navigation device according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, wherein a relationship between the goal data and the reference position data, is a geographical relationship related to the distance and direction, or is a relationship of contents of data related to the goals.

Claim 20

A navigation device according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, wherein the data expressing the goals are concerned to kinds of facilities, kinds of buildings, kinds of topography, kinds or contents of goals, or positions, altitudes, depths, sizes, attributes, characters or natures of the goals.

Claim 21

A navigation device according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, wherein the goals are the places that had not been regarded to be the goals before the departure, and are the places where the user suddenly wish to drop in.

Claim 22

A navigation device according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, wherein the search reference data include data for searching the goals on a route to the final goal and from a range excluding the route.