Return route indication device for automotive vehicles

Claim 1

A device for indicating return route information for an automative vehicle, comprising: direction detection means, mounted on the vehicle, for generating a direction signal corresponding to the direction of travel of the vehicle; distance detection means for generating a distance signal corresponding to the distance of travel of the vehicle; route-to-destination/return-route indication generation means for generating an indication of either the vehicle is enroute to its destination or returning from the destination; storing means, responsive to an enroute destination indication by said indication generation means, for successively storing direction signals for each predetermined distance of travel of the vehicle based on the distance signal; return route indication signal generation means, responsive to a returning from destination indication by said indication generation means, for generating, per predetermined distance of travel indicated by the distance signal, a signal indicating the return route to be traveled at least to the extent of a predetermined distance in the forward direction on the return-route on the basis of the previously stored direction signals and distance signals; and return-route data display means, responsive to the signal from said return-route indication means, for displaying the return-route data at least to the extent of the predetermined distance in the forward direction along the return-route.

Claim 2

A device for indicating return route information for an automative vehicle, comprising: direction detection means, mounted on the vehicle, for generating a direction signal corresponding to the direction of travel of the vehicle; distance detection means for generating a distance signal corresponding to the distance of travel of the vehicle; route-to-destination/return-route indication generation means for generating an indication of either the vehicle is enroute to its destination or returning from the destination; storing means, responsive to an enroute destination indication by said indication generation means, for successively storing direction signals for each predetermined distance of travel of the vehicle based on the distance signal; return route indication signal generation means, responsive to a returning from destination indication by said indication generation means, for generating, per predetermined distance of travel indicated by the distance signal, a signal indicating the return route to be traveled at least to the extent of a predetermined distance in the forward direction on the return-route on the basis of the previously stored direction signals and distance signals; and return-route data display means, responsive to the signal from said return-route indication means, for displaying the return-route data at least to the extent of the predetermined distance in the forward direction along the return-route.

Claim 5

A device for indicating a return-route for an automotive vehicle, comprising: direction detection means, mounted on the vehicle, for generating a direction signal corresponding to the direction of travel of the vehicle; distance detection means for generating a distance signal corresponding to the distance of travel of the vehicle; a route-to-destination/return-route indication means for generating an indication of either that the vehicle is enroute-to-destination or traveling a return-route from the destination; operation timing number generating means for generating an operation timing number corresponding to each unit of distance traveled, as indicated by said distance signal, along the vehicle's route to destination; storage means for storing direction signals and operation timing numbers; means, responsive to a route-to-destination indication by said indication generation means, for causing the successive storing by said storage means of direction signals from said direction detection means along with an operation timing number corresponding to each direction signal stored, the timing number indicating the order of storage from the start of the travel enroute to the destination, per predetermined distance of travel, on the basis of the distance signal from said distance detection means; index number generating and changing means, responsive to a return route indication from said indication means, for successively changing an index number for indicating the present location on return-route on the basis of the distance signal from said distance detection means; return-route indication signal generation means for successively reading from said storage means previously stored direction signals having timing numbers corresponding to index numbers thereby finding the route to be traveled on the return-route on the basis of said direction and distance signals; and return-route data display means, responsive to the signal from said return-route indication means, for displaying the return route data at least to the extent of the predetermined distance in forward direction of the vehicle on the return-route.

Claim 6

A device for indicating a return-route for an automotive vehicle, comprising: direction detection means, mounted on the vehicle, for generating a direction signal corresponding to the direction of travel of the vehicle; distance detection means for generating a distance signal corresponding to the distance of travel of the vehicle; a route-to-destination/return-route indication means for generating an indication of either that the vehicle is enroute-to-destination or traveling a return-route from the destination; operation timing number generating means for generating an operation timing number corresponding to each unit of distance traveled, as indicated by said distance signal, along the vehicle's route to destination; storage means for storing direction signals and operation timing numbers; means, responsive to a route-to-destination indication by said indication generation means, for causing the successive storing by said storage means of direction signals from said direction detection means along with an operation timing number corresponding to each direction signal stored, the timing number indicating the order of storage from the start of the travel enroute to the destination, per predetermined distance of travel, on the basis of the distance signal from said distance detection means; index number generating and changing means, responsive to a return route indication from said indication means, for successively changing an index number for indicating the present location on return-route on the basis of the distance signal from said distance detection means; return-route indication signal generation means for successively reading from said storage means previously stored direction signals having timing numbers corresponding to index numbers thereby finding the route to be traveled on the return-route on the basis of said direction and distance signals; and return-route data display means, responsive to the signal from said return-route indication means, for displaying the return route data at least to the extent of the predetermined distance in forward direction of the vehicle on the return-route.