Navigation System Function

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2012 Infiniti QX56. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

Description

The AV control unit controls navigation function while GPS tuner has built-in map data, GYRO (angle speed sensor), on the HDD (Hard Disk Drive).
The AV control unit inputs operation signal with communication signal, through display (touch panel) and multifunction switch and steering switch.
Guide sound is output to front speaker through BOSE amp. from AV control unit when operating navigation system.
A vehicle position is calculated with the GYRO (angle speed sensor), vehicle sensor, signal from GPS satellite and map data stored on HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and transmits the map image signal (RGB image, RGB area, RGB image synchronizing) to the display.

Position Detection Principle

The navigation system periodically calculates the current vehicle position according to the following three types of signals.

Travel distance of the vehicle as determined by the vehicle speed sensor
Vehicle turning angle determined by the gyroscope (angular speed sensor)
The travel direction of the vehicle determined by the GPS antenna (GPS information)

Fig 1: Calculation Of Current Vehicle Position
Courtesy of NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.

The current position of the vehicle is then identified by comparing the calculated vehicle position with map data, which is stored in the HDD (Hard Disk Drive) (map-matching), and indicated on the screen with a current location mark. More accurate data is used by comparing position detection results from GPS to the map-matching.

The current position is calculated by detecting the travel distance from the previous calculation point, and its direction change.

Travel distance
The travel distance is generated from the vehicle speed sensor input signal. The automatic distance correction function is adopted for preventing a miss-detection of the travel distance because of tire wear etc.
Travel direction
The gyroscope (angular velocity sensor) and GPS antenna (GPS information) generate the change of the travel direction. Both have advantages and disadvantages as per the following descriptions.

Fig 2: Calculation Of Current Vehicle Position
Courtesy of NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.

Type	Advantage	Disadvantage
Gyroscope (angular velocity sensor)	The turning angle is precisely detected.	Errors are accumulated when driving a long distance without stopping.
GPS antenna (GPS information)	The travel direction (North/South/East/West) is detected.	The travel direction is not precisely detected when driving slowly.

Input signals are prioritized in each situation. However, this order of priority may change in accordance with more detailed travel conditions so that the travel direction is detected more accurately.

Map-matching

Map-matching repositions the vehicle on the road map when a new location is judged to be more accurate. This is done by comparing the current vehicle position (calculated by the normal position detection method) from the map data stored in the HDD (Hard Disk Drive).

Fig 3: Identifying Map-Matching

Courtesy of NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.

There is a possibility that the vehicle position may not be corrected in the following case, and when vehicle is driven over a certain distance or time in which GPS information is hard to receive. Correct manually the current location mark on the screen.

In map-matching, several alternative routes are prepared and prioritized in addition to the road judged as currently driving on.
Therefore, due to errors in the distance and/or direction, an incorrect road may be prioritized, and the current location mark may be repositioned to the incorrect road.
If two roads are running in parallel, they are of the same priority. Therefore, the current location mark may appear on either of them alternately, depending on maneuvering of the steering wheel and configuration of the road, etc.

Fig 4: Identifying Actual Vehicle Traced Route, Map Route Indication And Road Data
Courtesy of NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
Map-matching does not function correctly when road on which the vehicle is driving is new, etc. and not recorded in the map data. Also, map-matching does not function correctly when road pattern stored in the map data and the actual road pattern are different due to repair, etc.
Therefore, the map-matching function judges other road as a currently driving road if the road is not in the map, and displays the current location mark on it. Later, the current location mark may be repositioned to the road if the correct road is detected.
Effective range for comparing the vehicle position and travel direction calculated by the distance and direction with the road data is limited. Therefore, correction by map-matching is not possible when there is an excessive gap between current vehicle position and the position on the map.

Fig 5: Identifying Actual Vehicle Traced Route (Map-Matching Does Not Function Correctly)
Courtesy of NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.

GPS (Global Positioning System)

GPS (Global Positioning System) is developed for and is controlled by the US Department of Defense. The system utilizes GPS satellites (NAVSTAR), transmitting out radio waves while flying on an orbit around the earth at an altitude of approximately 21, 000 km (13, 049 mile).

The receiver calculates the travel position in three dimensions (latitude/longitude/altitude) according to the time lag of the radio waves that four or more GPS satellites transmit (three-dimensional positioning). The GPS receiver calculates the travel position in two dimensions (latitude/longitude) with the previous altitude data if the GPS receiver receives only three radio waves (two-dimensional positioning). GPS position correction is not performed while stopping the vehicle.

Fig 6: Identifying Global Positioning System Satellite

Courtesy of NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.

Accuracy of the GPS will deteriorate under the following conditions:

In two-dimensional positioning, GPS accuracy will deteriorate when altitude of the vehicle position changes.
The position of GPS satellite affects GPS detection precision. The position detection may not be precisely performed.
The position detection is not performed if GPS receiver does not receive radio waves from GPS satellites. (Inside a tunnel, parking in a building, under an elevated highway etc.) GPS receiver may not receive radio waves from GPS satellites if any object is placed on the GPS antenna.

NOTE:

The detection result has an error of approximately 10 m (32.81 ft) even with a high-precision three dimensional positioning.
There may be cases when the accuracy is lowered and radio waves are stopped intentionally because the GPS satellite signal is controlled by the US trace control center.

AUDIO FUNCTION

The audio system is equipped with the following functions. Each function is operated with multifunction switch, preset switch, touch panel, steering switch or audio recognition. Operation status of audio is indicated at display.

Description

The audio function is adoption of the following system, and it is equipped with the following functions.

FUNCTION	SYSTEM
FUNCTION	15 speakers models	13 speakers models
AM/FM radio	X	X
Satellite radio	X	X
CD/DVD	X	X
Bluetooth™ audio	X	X
Music Box (Hard Disk Drive)	X	X
BOSE® Centerpoint® 2	X	-
Speed sensitive volume	X	X
Driver's Audio Stage	-	X
X: Applicable

15 speakers models is adoption of BOSE® Centerpoint® 2 enables sound effects with a sense of realism even to playback sound of two-channel audio.

The table below shows speakers mounted to each system.

SPEAKER	SYSTEM
SPEAKER	15 speakers models	13 speakers models
Front door speaker	X	X
Front door tweeter	X	-
Rear door speaker	X	X
Rear door tweeter	X	X
Woofer	X	X
Center speaker	X	X
Squawker	X	X
Roof speaker	X	X
X: Applicable

Operating Signal

Audio system operation can be performed with multifunction switch, preset switch, steering switch, touch panel function or voice recognition function.

Operating signal is transmitted to AV control unit with AV communication when it is operated by multifunction switch or preset switch. The disk ejection operating signal is performed by hardwire.
Operating signal is transmitted to AV control unit with steering switch signal when it is operated by steering switch.

Screen Display

Switching of display is performed with serial communication between front display unit and AV control unit.

AM/FM Radio Mode

AM/FM radio tuner is built into AV control unit.
AM/FM radio wave is received by radio antenna, next it is amplified by antenna amp., and finally it is input to AV control unit.
FM radio wave is received by FM sub antenna, and it is transmitted to the AV control unit directly.
Audio signal is input to BOSE amp. and BOSE amp. outputs to each speaker.

Satellite Radio Mode

Satellite radio tuner is built into AV control unit.
Sound signal (satellite radio) is received by satellite radio antenna and transmitted to AV control unit. AV control unit outputs sound signal to BOSE amp. The signal is also outputted from BOSE amp. to each speaker.

CD Mode

CD function is built into AV control unit.
AV control unit outputs audio signal to BOSE amp., and BOSE amp. outputs to each speaker when CD is inserted to AV control unit.

Bluetooth™ Audio Mode

Bluetooth™ audio function is built into AV control unit.
Bluetooth™ audio can play music data in the portable audio by means of Bluetooth™ communications between the portable audio and the AV control unit.
AV control unit outputs audio signal to BOSE amp., and BOSE amp. outputs to each speaker.

Music Box Mode

Music CD data is stored on HDD that is built into AV control unit, and it can be played.
AV control unit outputs music (sound signal) that is stored on HDD to BOSE amp., and BOSE amp. outputs to each speaker.

Speed Sensitive Volume

Volume level of this system gone up and down automatically in proportion to the vehicle speed.
The control level can be selected by the customer.

Driver's Audio Stage

Driver's Audio Stage controls the speaker's output characteristic by BOSE amp. so that the driver's seat is to be the center of sounds.
ON/OFF signals of Driver's Audio Stage are transmitted from AV control unit to BOSE amp. using mode change signal.

BOSE® Centerpoint® 2 (BOSE® Studio Surround® Sound System)

BOSE® Centerpoint® 2 provides a surround-sound effect, based on a stereo sound source, such as CD or MP3.
The BOSE amp. receives a BOSE® Centerpoint® 2 ON signal during a stereophonic sound playback and divides the sound among five channels to add a sense of simulated surround playback sound.