Navigation apparatus, navigation method and automotive vehicles

Claim 2

Navigation apparatus for use within a vehicle, the apparatus comprising: recognition means mounted within the vehicle for recognizing a voice signal, said recognition means including a directional microphone constructed and mounted to detect speech preferentially from a user of the apparatus situated at a predetermined location within the vehicle, said predetermined location being selected from the group consisting of a plurality of locations within the vehicle; a voice recognition data memory for storing character data including place names, operation commands, and information relating to frequently mistaken place names, for allowing said recognition means to match said voice signal with said character data; and a conversion data memory for storing longitude/latitude data and incidental data including display scale data corresponding to each place name stored in said voice recognition data memory, display means for displaying a map of at least one of said place names in a predetermined display scale, and route search means for setting a predetermined position in said map being displayed as a destination point in response to a predetermined operation by the user or a recognized signal that is matched with one of said place names stored in said voice recognition data memory and converted to lonqitude/latitude data and incidental data stored in said conversion data memory, and for searching for a route on said map to said destination point, wherein said voice signal recognized by said recognition means includes a navigational command or one of said operation commands.

Claim 3

The navigation apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising: position detection means for detecting a present position of the user, wherein said route search means includes means for searching for said route from a predetermined point to the destination point.

Claim 4

The navigation apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein; said route search means includes means for searching for said route from a predetermined point to the destination point.

Claim 5

The navigation apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said display means includes means for displaying a predetermined mark on the displayed destination point in the map and a predetermined marking on the searched route in the map.

Claim 8

The navigation method as claimed in claim 5 wherein; said destination point setting operation is executed by voice.

Claim 9

The navigation method as claimed in claim 5 wherein; said destination point is a name of a specific place.

Claim 10

The navigation method as claimed in claim 5 wherein; a starting command of said searching step is executed by voice.

Claim 11

The navigation method as claimed in claim 5 further comprising: a position detection step for detecting a present position of the user, wherein said searching step searches for said route from the present position to the destination point.

Claim 12

The navigation method as claimed in claim 5 wherein: said searching step searches for said route from a given starting position to the destination point.

Claim 13

The navigation method as claimed in claim 5 further comprising the steps of displaying a predetermined mark on the displayed destination point in the map and displaying a predetermined marking on the searched route in the map.

Claim 14

A car with a navigation apparatus comprising: directional microphone means constructed and mounted inside said car to detect preferentially speech of a user of the apparatus situated at a predetermined location within the car, said predetermined location being selected from the group consisting of a plurality of locations within the car, recognition means for recognizing a voice detected by said microphone means, said recognition means including a voice recognition data memory for storing character data including place names, operation commands, and information relating to frequently mistaken place names, for allowing said recognition means to match said voice with said character data; and a conversion data memory for storing longitude/latitude data and incidental data including display scale data corresponding to each place name stored in said voice recognition data memory; display means located inside said car for displaying a map of at least one of said place names in a predetermined display scale, and route search means for setting a predetermined position as a destination point in said map being displayed in response to a predetermined operation by the user or a voice detected by said microphone means that is matched with one of said place names stored in said voice recognition data memory and converted to longitude/latitude data and incidental data stored in said conversion data memory, and for searching for a route to said destination point, wherein said voice recognized by said recognition means includes a navigational command or one of said operation commands.

Claim 15

A car with a navigation apparatus comprising: directional microphone means constructed and mounted inside said car to detect preferentially speech of a user of the apparatus situated at a predetermined location within the car, said predetermined location being selected from the group consisting of a plurality of locations within the car, recognition means for recognizing a voice detected by said microphone means, said recognition means including a voice recognition data memory for storing character data including place names, operation commands, and information relating to frequently mistaken place names, for allowing said recognition means to match said voice with said character data; and a conversion data memory for storing longitude/latitude data and incidental data including display scale data corresponding to each place name stored in said voice recognition data memory; display means located inside said car for displaying a map of at least one of said place names in a predetermined display scale, and route search means for setting a predetermined position as a destination point in said map being displayed in response to a predetermined operation by the user or a voice detected by said microphone means that is matched with one of said place names stored in said voice recognition data memory and converted to longitude/latitude data and incidental data stored in said conversion data memory, and for searching for a route to said destination point, wherein said voice recognized by said recognition means includes a navigational command or one of said operation commands.

Claim 16

The car as claimed in claim 12 further comprising: position detection means for detecting a present position of the car, wherein said route search means searches for the route from the detected present position of the car to the destination point.

Claim 17

The car as claimed in claim 12 wherein; said route search means searches for the route from a predetermined point to the destination point.

Claim 18

The car as claimed in claim 12 wherein said display means includes means for displaying a predetermined mark on the display destination point in the mark and means for displaying a predetermined marking on the searched route in the map.