Patent ID: 8024115
Filing Date: 2011-09-20
Classification: G01C

Abstract:
1. An onboard navigation apparatus for a vehicle traveling along a plurality of roadways heading in the same direction, the onboard navigation apparatus comprising: a map data input means for inputting road data of the roadways including a special roadway, an ordinary roadway, and other roads, the special roadway having no exits to the other roads, the ordinary roadway having exits to the other roads and a predetermined traveling-path changing area provided between areas where the vehicle is not permitted to change a traveling path between the special roadway and the ordinary roadway despite the ordinary roadway and the special roadway being adjacent, as a sole area allowing the vehicle to change the traveling path thereof between the special roadway and the ordinary roadway, the onboard navigation apparatus comprising: a control configured to carry out predetermined navigation processing by using the road data including information on the predetermined traveling-path changing area; a sign/mark detector configured to detect at least one of a road sign and a road mark, which indicates the special roadway; a present-position determiner configured to determine a present position of the vehicle; and a guidance provider configured to provide guidance to a user of the vehicle, the predetermined navigation processing in the control is configured to set a guiding route including the special roadway and provide driving guidance for the guiding route to the user through the guidance provider on the basis of the present position determined by the present-position determiner, the control is configured to (1) determine whether the vehicle is traveling on the special roadway on the basis of a detection result generated by the sign/mark detector and the road data of the roadways inputted by the map data input means, (2) provide the user with special-roadway-specific guidance customized to the special roadway to include the predetermined traveling-path changing area in which the vehicle should change its traveling path from the special roadway to the ordinary roadway in order to travel in accordance with the guiding route, when the vehicle is determined as traveling on the special roadway, and (3) provide the user with ordinary guidance not customized to the special roadway, when the vehicle is determined as no longer traveling on the special roadway, the control being configured, after providing the user with special-roadway-specific guidance customized to the special roadway to include the predetermined traveling-path changing area in which the vehicle should change its traveling path from the special roadway to the ordinary roadway in order to travel in accordance with the guiding route, to (4) determine, after passing by the predetermined traveling-path changing area included in the guidance, whether the vehicle is no longer traveling on the special roadway, and (5) set a new guiding route and provides driving guidance for the new guiding route to the user, when the vehicle is determined as still traveling on the special roadway after passing by the predetermined traveling-path changing area included in the guidance customized to the special roadway.