Navigation terminal device and naviagation method

• US 20020161512A1
• Filed: 04/23/2002
• Published: 10/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GeoTechnologies, Inc., PIP Holdings Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Kumada, Satoshi, Shirahama, Toshie
• Granted Patent: US 7,098,923 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3614 through interaction with a road map, e.g. selecting a POI icon on a road map
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA

Abstract

A navigation terminal device includes a map information receiving unit 771 for receiving the map of the region around a reference point from the web server 3 by inputting retrieval information; a display screen 772 for displaying the received map; a route line drawing unit 774 for drawing the destination from the starting point of the reference point by screen scrolling, computing the orientation from the reference point to the destination, and displaying the route line which can be traced from the reference point to the destination; a map information requesting unit 775 for requesting again that the web server 3 distributes the map information of the adjacent peripheral region if the destination is not within the received map of the peripheral region; and a route line re-drawing unit 776 for searching the destination by screen scrolling the updated map information, re-compute the orientation from the reference point to the destination and re-draw the route line which can be continuously traced from the reference point to the destination. In this configuration, the operability of a terminal device having a small capacity of screen can be improved and the burden for the user is relaxed.

Claims

1. A navigation terminal device connected to a server for distributing map information through a communication line characterized by comprising:

a map information receiving means for receiving the map of a peripheral region around a reference point from the server by inputting retrieval information; and

a route line drawing unit for displaying a destination from the starting point of the reference point on a screen by screen scrolling, and computing the orientation from the reference point to the destination to display a route line which can be traced from the reference point to the destination.

2. A navigation terminal device according to claim 1, wherein said route line is represented by a straight line which extends from the center of the map information displayed on the screen to said reference point.

3. A navigation terminal device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

a map information requesting unit 775 for requesting the again that the server distributes the map information of the adjacent peripheral region if the destination is not within the received map of the peripheral region, and

a route line re-drawing unit for searching the destination by screen scrolling the updated map information, re-computing the orientation from the reference point to the destination to re-draw the route line which can be continuously traced from the reference point to the destination.

4. A navigation method comprising the steps of:

distributing map information and a program on the basis of a request from a navigation terminal device which is connected through a communication line to a server which stores map information and the program for displaying it; and

running said program on said navigation terminal system to display the distributed map information on the navigation terminal system.

5. A navigation method for a navigation system including a server for distributing map information containing location information and a navigation terminal device for displaying on a screen the map information retrieved by said server via a communication line, comprising the steps of:

receiving the map of a peripheral region around a reference point from the server by inputting retrieval information,

displaying a destination from the starting point of the reference point on a screen by screen scrolling, and

computing the orientation from the reference point to the destination to display a route line which can be traced from the reference point to the destination.

6. A navigation method according to claim 5, comprising the steps of:

requesting the again that the server distributes the map information of the adjacent peripheral region if the destination is not within the received map of the peripheral region,

searching the destination by screen scrolling the updated map information, and

re-computing the orientation from the reference point to the destination to re-display the route line which can be continuously traced from the reference point to the destination.

7. A server program for a navigation system including a server for distributing map information containing location information and a server program for displaying it and a navigation terminal device for displaying on a screen the map information retrieved by said server via a communication line, wherein

said server program comprises the steps of:

distributing the map of a peripheral region containing a reference point by receiving retrieval information from said navigation terminal device;

displaying a destination from the starting point of the reference point on a screen by screen scrolling, and

computing the orientation from the reference point to the destination to display a route line which can be traced from the reference point to the destination, these steps being by executed by a computer.

8. A navigation terminal program for a navigation system including a server for distributing map information containing location information and a navigation terminal device for displaying on a screen the map information retrieved by said server via a communication line, wherein said navigation terminal program causes a computer to execute the steps of:

receiving the map of a peripheral region around a reference point from the server by inputting retrieval information,

displaying a destination from the starting point of the reference point on a screen by screen scrolling, and

computing the orientation from the reference point to the destination to display a route line which can be traced from the reference point to the destination.

9. A navigation terminal program according to claim 8, wherein said navigation terminal program causes a computer to execute the steps of:

requesting again that the server distributes the map information of the adjacent peripheral region if the destination is not within the received map of the peripheral region,

searching the destination by screen scrolling the updated map information, and

re-computing the orientation from the reference point to the destination to re-display the route line which can be continuously traced from the reference point to the destination.

10. A recording medium readable by a computer which stores a server program for a navigation system including a server for distributing map information containing location information and a server program for displaying it and a navigation terminal device for displaying on a screen the map information retrieved by said server via a communication line, wherein

said server program comprises the steps of:

distributing the map of a peripheral region containing a reference point by receiving retrieval information from said navigation terminal device;

displaying a destination from the starting point of the reference point on a screen by screen scrolling, and

computing the orientation from the reference point to the destination to display a route line which can be traced from the reference point to the destination, these steps being by executed by a computer.

11. A recording medium readable by a computer which stores a navigation terminal program for a navigation system including a server for distributing map information containing location information and a server program for displaying it and a navigation terminal device for displaying on a screen the map information retrieved by said server via a communication line, wherein

said navigation terminal program causes the computer to execute the steps of:

receiving the map of a peripheral region containing a reference point by receiving retrieval information;

displaying a destination from the starting point of the reference point on a screen by screen scrolling, and

computing the orientation from the reference point to the destination to display a route line which can be traced from the reference point to the destination.

12. A navigation terminal program according to claim 11, wherein said navigation terminal program causes a computer to execute the steps of:

requesting again that the server distributes the map information of the adjacent peripheral region if the destination is not within the received map of the peripheral region,

searching the destination by screen scrolling the updated map information, and

re-computing the orientation from the reference point to the destination to re-display the route line which can be continuously traced from the reference point to the destination.