Patent ID: 8005615
Filing Date: 2011-08-23
Classification: B60T,B60W,G01C,G08G

Abstract:
1. A navigation system for providing a host vehicle with guidance for merging into a main thoroughfare from an access road, through an acceleration lane, the navigation system comprising: (a) a computer-readable data storage portion containing map data including location data for location of a guide zone located between an end portion of the access road and the main thoroughfare, the guide zone having an end where the access road ends and the acceleration lane begins; (b) a current position detection portion that detects a current position of the a host vehicle; (c) a vehicle periphery monitoring portion, including an image capture device, for capturing an image of a vicinity of the host vehicle, for recognizing the guide zone in a captured image and for recognizing a vehicle traveling on the main thoroughfare in a captured image; (d) a position information correction portion that corrects the detected current position of the host vehicle based on the location data for the recognized guide zone; (e) an acceleration lane entry detection portion that judges whether or not the corrected current position of the host vehicle has passed the end of the guide zone and entered the acceleration lane; and (f) a guidance execution portion that, responsive to a judgment that the corrected current position of the host vehicle has passed the end of the guide zone and entered the acceleration lane, executes merging support guidance to guide the driver in merging of the host vehicle from the acceleration lane into the main thoroughfare, based on the corrected current position of the host vehicle and on information for the recognized vehicle.