System for updating navigation information and apparatus for distributing updated navigation information

• US 20020087261A1
• Filed: 12/17/2001
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Watanabe, Tomo, Yamauchi, Keiichi
• Granted Patent: US 6,970,782 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3822 Road feature data, e.g. slope data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3837 Data obtained from a single source
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3844 Data obtained from position sensors only, e.g. from inertial navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3896 Transmission of map data from central databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A navigation information updating system G updates navigation information for use in a navigation process executed by navigation apparatus S that navigate respective vehicles. The navigation information updating system G comprises: the navigation apparatus transmitting an identifier Sid associated therewith to an updating center UC; the updating center UC that outputs updated navigation information which is generated on the basis of the transmitted identifier Sid for each associated navigation apparatus S, to a shop SP; and the shop SP that delivers the outputted updated navigation information to the associated navigation apparatus S.

Claims

1. A system for updating navigation information for navigation process executed by a navigation apparatus that assist in moving a mobile unit comprising:

the navigation apparatus, having an identifier uniquely associated therewith and provided with a transmitting device for transmitting the identifier to an updating center module;

the updating center module for generating updated navigation information corresponding to the navigation apparatus on the basis of transmitted identifier to output the generated updated navigation information to a delivery base; and

the delivery base for delivering the outputted updated navigation information to the navigation apparatus.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the navigation information is recorded on a rewritable recording medium.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the recording medium is associated with preset authenticating information, and

wherein the navigation apparatus further comprises a determining device for determining whether the identifier coincides with the authenticating information, and

only when the determining device determines that the identifier coincides with the authenticating information, the navigation information recorded on the recording medium can be read.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein when generating the updated navigation information corresponding to the navigation apparatus on the basis of transmitted identifier, the updating center module associates the identifier with the updated navigation information as the authenticating information.

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein the transmitting device further transmits an additional information additionally recorded on the recording medium based on an instruction given by a user, and

wherein the updating center module generates the updated navigation information on the basis of the identifier and transmitted additional information.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the updating center module generates the updated navigation information using at least one of history information indicative of a history of the navigation process executed by the navigation apparatus and preference information indicative of preferences shown by the navigation apparatus during execution of the navigation process.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the navigation apparatus transmits at least one of the history information and the preference information to the updating center module along with the identifier by the transmitting device.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the

delivery base is a production base for producing the recording medium,

the production base comprising:

a recording module for recording the outputted updated navigation information on the recording medium; and

a shipping module for shipping the recording medium having the updated navigation information recorded thereon to a user of the navigation apparatus within which the updated navigation information is used.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the

delivery base is a production base for producing the recording medium,

the production base comprising:

a recording module for recording the outputted updated navigation information on the recording medium;

an incorporating module for incorporating the recording medium having the updated navigation information recorded thereon into the navigation apparatus which is brought into the production base; and

wherein the updating center module further comprises a location transmitting device for transmitting location information about the delivery base to the navigation apparatus so that the navigation apparatus can be brought into the production base.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the delivery base is a sales base comprising:

a recording module for recording the outputted updated navigation information on the recording medium; and

a shipping module for shipping the recording medium having the updated navigation information recorded thereon to a user of the navigation apparatus within which the updated navigation information is used.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting device transmits a location of the navigation apparatus to the updating center module;

and

the updating center module further comprises;

a returning device for returning an instruction information indicative of the delivery base which is close to the location of the navigation apparatus on the basis of the transmitted location, to the navigation apparatus, in order to bring the navigation apparatus into the delivery base which is close to the location of the navigation apparatus; and

an outputting device for outputting the generated updated navigation information to the delivery base which is close to the location of the associated navigation apparatus; and

the delivery base is a sales base for selling the recording medium,

the sales base comprising;

a recording module for recording the outputted updated navigation information on the recording medium; and

an incorporating module for incorporating the recording medium having the updated navigation information recorded thereon into the navigation apparatus which is brought into the sales base.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein the recording module is authenticated by the updating center module as an authorized recording module.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the generating device changes contents of the updated navigation information so as to correspond to contents of the acquired identifier, to generate the updated navigation information.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the generating device associates the acquired identifier with the updated navigation information to generate the updated navigation information.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising:

an location information outputting device for outputting information about a location of the delivery base to the associated navigation apparatus.

13. An apparatus for distributing updated navigation information which is obtained by updating navigation information for navigation process executed by a navigation apparatus that assist in moving a mobile unit comprising:

an acquiring device for acquiring an identifier uniquely associated with the navigation apparatus from the navigation apparatus;

a generating device for generating the updated navigation information corresponding to the navigation apparatus on the basis of the acquired identifier; and

an outputting device for outputting the updated navigation information to a delivery base for delivering the generated updated navigation information to the navigation apparatus.