Navigation apparatus

• US 20020016671A1
• Filed: 05/31/2001
• Published: 02/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Eiichi, Ito, Masayasu, Sasaki, Makoto, Tanaka, Shigeru, Shinada, Akira
• Granted Patent: US 6,654,684 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3605 Destination input or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence

Abstract

A navigation apparatus measures the position of a vehicle based on position information and performing route guiding based on map information. The navigation apparatus includes an inputting unit for inputting specific information on a product or the like and selection conditions for the product or the like, a transmitting unit for transmitting the input specific information to an external storage unit in which characteristic information on the product or the like is stored, a receiving unit for receiving the characteristic information which is transmitted from the external storage unit, a retrieving unit for retrieving optimal characteristic information matching the selection conditions from the received characteristic information, a displaying unit for displaying the retrieved characteristic information, and a guiding unit for automatically setting the position of a provider for the product or the like based on the retrieved characteristic information and performing route guiding to the position of the provider.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus for measuring the position of a vehicle based on position information and performing route guiding based on map information, the navigation apparatus comprising:

inputting means for inputting specific information on a product or the like and selection conditions for said product or the like;

transmitting means for transmitting the input specific information to external storage means in which characteristic information on said product or the like is stored;

receiving means for receiving the characteristic information which is transmitted from said external storage means;

retrieving means for retrieving optimal characteristic information matching the selection conditions from the received characteristic information;

displaying means for displaying the retrieved characteristic information; and

guiding means for automatically setting the position of a provider for said product or the like based on the retrieved characteristic information and performing route guiding to the position of said provider.

2. A navigation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising storage means for storing the received characteristic information.

3. A navigation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising storage means for storing the selection conditions for said product or the like.

4. A navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transmitting means can transmit the selection conditions for said product or the like to said external storage means.

5. A navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selection conditions for said product or the like include at least type and price of the product or the like.

6. A navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein route guiding to the position of said provider is performed using route display and/or speech.