US6356839B1 — Navigation system

Claim 1

Independent Claim 73 words

A navigation system comprising: information collecting means for collecting weather information; information input means for inputting vehicle information on the vehicle itself; route searching means for searching for a route from a present position to a destination with taking account of the weather information collected by said information collecting means and the vehicle information input by said information input means; and presentation means for providing the route retrieved by said route searching means.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 73 words

A navigation system comprising: information collecting means for collecting weather information; information input means for inputting vehicle information on the vehicle itself; route searching means for searching for a route from a present position to a destination with taking account of the weather information collected by said information collecting means and the vehicle information input by said information input means; and presentation means for providing the route retrieved by said route searching means.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 37 words

The navigation system according to claim 1 , wherein said information collecting means collects regulation information on a road besides the weather information, and said route searching means searches for the route with considering the regulation information.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 35 words

The navigation system according to claim 2 , wherein said route searching means searches for another route if the retrieved route is probably impassable to the vehicle even though the route satisfies a search condition.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 32 words

The navigation system according to claim 3 , further comprising route description means for indicating, when said route searching means retrieves another route, that the another 5 route is a roundabout route.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 34 words

The navigation system according to claim 3 , further comprising route description means for exhibiting, when the route retrieved by said route searching means includes a road under regulation, regulation information about the road.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 39 words

The navigation system according to claim 3 , further comprising marking means for putting weather marks on pass points on the route retrieved by said route searching means by referring to weather information collected by said information collecting means.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 28 words

The navigation system according to claim 6 , wherein said marking means estimates passing time at the pass points, and puts the weather marks at the passing time.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 61 words

The navigation system according to claim 3 , further comprising maintenance information means for making a decision as to whether maintenance of the vehicle is necessary or not from the vehicle information input by said information input means, or from information collected by a sensor mounted on the vehicle, and exhibits information indicating need of the maintenance when it is necessary.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 45 words

The navigation system according to claim 3 , further comprising toll information means for exhibiting, when the route retrieved by said route searching means includes a toll road, a toll on the vehicle by referring to the vehicle information input by said information input means.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 65 words

The navigation system according to claim 3 , wherein said presentation means refers to the vehicle information input by said information input means when exhibiting the route retrieved by said route searching means, makes a decision as to whether a parking lot at the destination is available for the vehicle, and halts informing the parking lot when the parking lot is unavailable for the vehicle.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 55 words

The navigation system according to claim 2 , wherein said route searching means searches for the route with considering a time period taken to mount snow chains on tires if the vehicle carries the snow chains, but is not yet equipped with the snow chains, when the route includes a road under snow chain warning.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 79 words

A vehicle navigation system comprising: information collecting element collecting weather information; an input receiving vehicle information; a processor operatively connected to said information collecting element and to said input, said processor searching for a route from a present position to a destination based on weather information collected by said information collecting element and based on vehicle information received by said input; and an output operatively connected to said processor and providing the result of the search by said processor.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 79 words

A vehicle navigation system comprising: information collecting element collecting weather information; an input receiving vehicle information; a processor operatively connected to said information collecting element and to said input, said processor searching for a route from a present position to a destination based on weather information collected by said information collecting element and based on vehicle information received by said input; and an output operatively connected to said processor and providing the result of the search by said processor.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 38 words

The navigation system according to claim 12 , wherein said information collecting element also collects regulation information on a road, and wherein said processor searches for a route based further on regulation information collected by said collecting element.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 25 words

The navigation system according to claim 13 , wherein said processor searches for a route based further on information on whether a route is passable.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 17 words

The navigation system according to claim 14 , wherein said processor characterizes a route as a roundabout.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 29 words

The navigation system according to claim 14 , wherein said processor provides regulation information about a road forming part of a route resulting from the search by said processor.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 39 words

The navigation system according to claim 14 , wherein said processor associates weather marks on pass points on a route resulting from the search by said processor, said marks referring to weather information collected by said information collecting element.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 27 words

The navigation system according to claim 17 , wherein said processor estimates passing time at the pass points, and puts the weather marks at the passing time.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 36 words

The navigation system according to claim 14 , wherein said processor determines whether maintenance of the vehicle is necessary based on vehicle information received by said input, or obtained by a sensor mounted on the vehicle.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 26 words

The navigation system according to claim 14 , wherein said processor determines whether a route that is the result of the search includes a toll road.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 51 words

The navigation system according to claim 14 , wherein said output provides the vehicle information received by said input, said processor determining whether a parking lot at the destination is available for the vehicle, and said processor halts informing the parking lot when the parking lot is unavailable for the vehicle.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 53 words

The navigation system according to claim 13 , wherein said processor determines whether a road is under snow chain warning, said processor searching for a route based further on a time period to mount snow chains on tires if the vehicle is not yet equipped with snow chains but carries the snow chains.

Claim 25

Independent Claim 55 words

A method for navigating a vehicle, said method comprising: collecting weather information; determining vehicle information; searching, by a processor in the vehicle, for a route from a present position to a destination based on said collected weather information and based on said determined vehicle information; and outputting the result of the search by the processor.

Claim 26

Independent Claim 55 words

A method for navigating a vehicle, said method comprising: collecting weather information; determining vehicle information; searching, by a processor in the vehicle, for a route from a present position to a destination based on said collected weather information and based on said determined vehicle information; and outputting the result of the search by the processor.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 27 words

The method according to claim 23 , further comprising collecting regulation information on a road, and searching for a route based further on said collected regulation information.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 23 words

The method according to claim 24 , further comprising searching for a route based further on information on whether a route is passable.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 15 words

The method according to claim 25 , further comprising characterizing a route as a roundabout.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 27 words

The method according to claim 25 , further comprising providing regulation information about a road forming part of a route resulting from said searching by the processor.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 33 words

The method according to claim 25 , further comprising associating weather marks on pass points on a route resulting from said search by the processor, said marks referring to said collected weather information.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 26 words

The method according to claim 28 , further comprising estimating passing time at the pass points, and putting the weather marks at the estimated passing time.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 23 words

The method according to claim 25 , further comprising determining whether maintenance of the vehicle is necessary based on said determined vehicle information.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 27 words

The method according to claim 25 , further comprising determining whether a route that is the result of said search by the processor includes a toll road.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 45 words

The method according to claim 25 , further comprising providing said determined vehicle information to an output, determining whether a parking lot at the destination is available for the vehicle, and halting informing the parking lot when the parking lot is unavailable for the vehicle.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 50 words

The method according to claim 24 , further comprising determining whether a road is under snow chain warning, and searching for a route based further on a time period to mount snow chains on tires if the vehicle is not yet equipped with snow chains but carries the snow chains.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2005-03-11	2005-09-10	2006-03-12	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2009-03-11	2009-09-10	2010-03-12	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2013-03-11	2013-09-10	2014-03-12	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Navigation system

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