Route navigation system, client terminal, server, route navigation method, and route identicalness determination method

• US 20020161519A1
• Filed: 04/10/2002
• Published: 10/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Mori, Kenji, Yurimoto, Masayuki
• Granted Patent: US 6,581,004 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/210
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications

Abstract

A server in an information base determines a route (server route) from a place of departure to a destination, transmitted from a client terminal of a navigation unit via communication, using information in a server database. On the other hand, the client terminal determines a route (client route) from the place of departure to the destination using information in a client terminal database. Either the server or the client terminal determines whether or not the server route and the client route are identical based on information concerning guiding points of each route, and the client terminal then performs route navigation of a route in a section where the routes are identical using the information in the client terminal database and a route in a non-identical section where the routes are not identical using the information in the server database. In this way, the information in the client terminal database is effectively used in the route navigation and thereby an amount of information to be transmitted to the client terminal from the server is decreased.

Claims

1. A route navigation system which performs a route navigation for a user of a client terminal from a place of departure to a destination, comprising:

a server that includes a server database and determines a server route, which is a route from the place of departure to the destination, along with guiding points using information in the server database; and

the client terminal that includes a client terminal database, communicates with the server and determines a client route, which is a route from the place of departure to the destination, along with guiding points using information in the client terminal database;

wherein

at least one of the server and the client terminal determines identicalness, which is whether or not a route between adjoining guiding points of the server route and a route between adjoining guiding points of the client route are identical by comparing at least positions of the guiding points of the server route and positions of the guiding points of the client route, and

the client terminal, according to a result of the identicalness determination, selectively uses information concerning the server route in the server database and information concerning the client route in the client terminal database in performing the route navigation.

2. A route navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

in the identicalness determination, at least a position of an outgoing-side guiding point of the adjoining guiding points of the server route and a position of an outgoing-side guiding point of the adjoining guiding points of the client route, and a position of an incoming-side guiding point of the adjoining guiding points of the server route and a position of an incoming-side guiding point of the adjoining guiding points of the client route are respectively compared to determine whether or not the route between the adjoining guiding points of the server route and the route between the adjoining guiding points of the client route are identical, and

the client terminal, if the route between the adjoining guiding points of the server route and the route between the adjoining guiding points of the client route are determined to be identical, performs the route navigation of the route between the adjoining guiding points using the information in the client terminal database.

3. A route navigation system according to claim 2, wherein

in the identicalness determination, an outgoing direction from the outgoing-side guiding point of the server route and an outgoing direction from the outgoing-side guiding point of the client route, and an incoming direction to the incoming-side guiding point of the server route and an incoming direction to the incoming-side guiding point of the client route also are respectively compared to determine whether or not the route between the adjoining guiding points of the server route and the route between the adjoining guiding points of the client route are identical.

4. A route navigation system according to claim 2, wherein

in the identicalness determination, a distance of the server route between the adjoining guiding points and a distance of the client route between the adjoining guiding points are compared to determine whether or not the route between the adjoining guiding points of the server route and the route between the adjoining guiding points of the client route are identical.

5. A route navigation system according to claim 2, wherein

in the identicalness determination, road type of a road between the adjoining guiding points of the server route and road type of a road between the adjoining guiding points of the client route are compared to determine whether or not the route between the adjoining guiding points of the server route and the route between the adjoining guiding points of the client route are identical.

6. A route navigation system according to claim 2, wherein

in the identicalness determination, a guiding point of the client route which adjoins a guiding point thereof that is identical with a guiding point of the server route and which is not identical with any guiding point of the server route is searched for in the server route, and

if it is determined that the non-identical guiding point of the client route exists in the server route in the search, the route navigation of a route between the guiding point of the client route identical with the guiding point of the server route and the non-identical guiding point of the client route is performed using the information in the client terminal database.

7. A route navigation system according to claim 2, wherein

in the identicalness determination, a guiding point of the server route which adjoins a guiding point thereof that is identical with a guiding point of the client route and which is not identical with any guiding point of the client route is searched for in the client route, and

if it is determined that the non-identical guiding point of the server route exists in the client route in the search, the route navigation of a route between the guiding point of the server route identical with the guiding point of the client route and the non-identical guiding point of the server route is performed using the information in the client terminal database.

8. A route navigation system which performs a route navigation for a user of a client terminal from a place of departure to a destination, comprising:

a server that includes a server database and determines a server route, which is a route from the place of departure to the destination, along with guiding points using information in the server database; and

a client terminal that includes a client terminal database, communicates with the server and determines a client route, which is a route from the place of departure to the destination, along with guiding points using information in the client terminal database, wherein

the client terminal obtains information concerning guiding points of the determined server route from the server and, taking one of adjoining guiding points specified in the obtained information concerning the guiding points as an outgoing-side guiding point, and the other one of the adjoining guiding points as an incoming-side guiding point, determines the client route therebetween using the information in the client terminal database, and

the client terminal determines whether or not the server route between the adjoining guiding points and the determined client route are identical, and if identical, the client terminal performs the route navigation of a route between the adjoining guiding points using the information in the client terminal database, and if not identical, the client terminal obtains information concerning one or more sections or entire sections of the route between the adjoining guiding points from the server and performs the route navigation of the route between the adjoining guiding points based on the obtained information.

9. A route navigation system according to claim 8, wherein

the client terminal determines that the server route between the adjoining points and the determined client route are identical at least when there exists no intermediate guiding point other than the outgoing-side guiding point and the incoming-side guiding point in the determined client route, and a distance of the determined client route and a distance of the server route between the adjoining guiding points are identical.

10. A route navigation system according to claim 9, wherein

the client terminal, if the other intermediate guiding point exists in the determined client route, transmits information concerning the other intermediate guiding point, and the incoming-side guiding point or the outgoing-side guiding point which adjoins the other intermediate guiding point to the server, and

the server, according to the information transmitted from the client terminal, determines whether or not a route from the other intermediate guiding point to the incoming-side guiding point or the outgoing-side guiding point which adjoins the other intermediate guiding point exists in the server route based on the information in the server database, and according to a result of the determination, transmits information concerning the route from the other intermediate guiding point to the incoming-side guiding point or the outgoing-side guiding point which adjoins the other intermediate guiding point to the client terminal.

11. A route navigation system according to claim 8, wherein

the client terminal determines that the server route between the adjoining points and the determined client route are identical at least when there exists no intermediate guiding point other than the outgoing-side guiding point and the incoming-side guiding point in the determined client route and a distance of the determined client route and a distance of the server route between the adjoining guiding points are identical, and a road type of the determined client route and a road type of the server route between the adjoining guiding points are identical.

12. A route navigation system according to claim 11, wherein

the client terminal, if the other intermediate guiding point exists in the determined client route, transmits information concerning the other intermediate guiding point, and the incoming-side guiding point or the outgoing-side guiding point which adjoins the other intermediate guiding point to the server, and

the server, according to the information transmitted from the client terminal, determines whether or not a route from the other intermediate guiding point to the incoming-side guiding point or the outgoing-side guiding point which adjoins the other intermediate guiding point exists in the server route based on the information in the server database, and according to a result of the determination, transmits information concerning the route from the other intermediate guiding point to the incoming-side guiding point or the outgoing-side guiding point which adjoins the other intermediate guiding point to the client terminal.

14. A client terminal according to claim 13, wherein

the controller respectively compares a position of an outgoing-side guiding point of the server route and a position of an outgoing-side guiding point of the client route, and a position of an incoming-side guiding point of the server route which adjoins the outgoing-side guiding point thereof and a position of an incoming-side guiding point of the client route which adjoins the outgoing-side guiding point thereof, and thereby determines whether or not a route between the outgoing-side guiding point and the incoming-side guiding point of the server route and a route between the outgoing-side guiding point and the incoming-side guiding point of the client route are identical, and performs the route navigation of a route in a section wherein the routes are determined to be identical, using the information in the client terminal database.

15. A client terminal according to claim 14, wherein

the controller further compares an outgoing direction from the outgoing-side guiding point of the server route and an outgoing direction from the outgoing-side guiding point of the client route, and an incoming direction to the incoming-side guiding point of the server route and an incoming direction to the incoming-side guiding point of the client route respectively, and thereby determines whether or not the route between the outgoing-side guiding point and the incoming-side guiding point of the server route and the route between the outgoing-side guiding point and the incoming-side guiding point of the client route are identical, and performs the route navigation of the route in the section wherein the routes are determined to be identical, using the information in the client terminal database.

16. A client terminal according to claim 15, wherein

the controller further compares a distance of the server route between the outgoing-side guiding point and the incoming-side guiding point and a distance of the client route between the outgoing-side guiding point and the incoming-side guiding point, and thereby determines whether or not the route between the outgoing-side guiding point and the incoming-side guiding point of the server route and the route between the outgoing-side guiding point and the incoming-side guiding point of the client route are identical, and performs the route navigation of the route in the section where the routes are determined to be identical, using the information in the client terminal database.

17. A client terminal according to claim 16, wherein

the controller further compares a road type of a road between the outgoing-side guiding point and the incoming-side guiding point of the server route and a road type of a road between the outgoing-side guiding point and the incoming-side guiding point of the client route, and thereby determines whether or not the route between the outgoing-side guiding point and the incoming-side guiding point of the server route and the route between the outgoing-side guiding point and the incoming-side guiding point of the client route are identical, and performs the route navigation of the route in the section wherein the routes are determined to be identical, using the information in the client terminal database.

18. A client terminal according to claim 14, wherein

when a guiding point of the client route which adjoins a guiding point thereof identical with a guiding point of the server route and which is not identical with any guiding point of the server route exists in the server route, the controller performs the route navigation of a route between the guiding point of the client route identical with the guiding point of the server route and the non-identical guiding point using the information in the client terminal database.

19. A client terminal according to claim 14, wherein

when a guiding point of the server route which adjoins a guiding point thereof identical with a guiding point of the client route and which is not identical with any guiding point of the client route exists in the client route, the controller performs the route navigation of a route between the guiding point of the server route identical with the guiding point of the client route and the non-identical guiding point using the information in the client terminal database.

13. A client terminal which, communicating with a server which determines a server route which is a route from a place of departure to a destination along with guiding points using information in a server database, performs route navigation for a user from the place of departure to the destination, comprising:

a client terminal database; and

a controller that determines a client route which is a route from the place of departure to the destination using information in the client terminal database and that performs the route navigation, selectively using the information in the server-database concerning the server route and the information in the client terminal database concerning the client route based on identicalness or non-identicalness between a route between adjoining guiding points of the server route and a route between adjoining guiding points of the client route, determined by comparing a position of a guiding point of the server route and a position of a guiding point of the client route.

20. A client terminal which, communicating with a server which determines a server route which is a route from a place of departure to a destination using information in a server database, performs route navigation for a user from the place of departure to the destination, comprising:

a client terminal database; and

a controller that obtains information concerning guiding points of the determined server route from the server and, taking one of adjoining guiding points specified in the obtained information concerning the guiding points as an outgoing-side guiding point and the other one of the adjoining guiding points as an incoming-side guiding point, determines a client route therebetween using information in the client terminal database; and

the controller further determines whether or not the server route between the adjoining guiding points and the determined client route are identical, and, if identical, the controller performs the route navigation of a route between the adjoining guiding points using the information in the client terminal database, and, if not identical, the controller obtains information concerning one or more sections or entire sections of the route between the adjoining guiding points from the server and performs the route navigation of the route between the adjoining guiding points based on the obtained information.

21. A client terminal according to claim 20, wherein

the controller determines that the server route between the adjoining points and the determined client route are identical at least when there exists no intermediate guiding point other than the outgoing-side guiding point and the incoming-side guiding point in the determined client route and a distance of the determined client route and a distance of the server route between the adjoining guiding points are identical.

22. A client terminal according to claim 21, wherein

when there exists an intermediate guiding point other than the outgoing-side guiding point and the incoming-side guiding point in the client route and the other intermediate guiding point and a route from the other intermediate guiding point to the incoming-side guiding point, or the outgoing-side guiding point which adjoins the other intermediate guiding point exist in the server route, the controller performs the route navigation of the route which exists in the server route using the information in the client terminal database.

23. A client terminal according to claim 21, wherein

the controller further determines that the server route between the adjoining guiding points and the determined client route are identical when a road type of the client route and a road type of the server route between the adjoining guiding points are identical.

24. A client terminal according to claim 23, wherein

when there exists the other intermediate guiding point in the determined client route and the other intermediate guiding point and the route from the other intermediate guiding point to the incoming-side guiding point or the outgoing-side guiding point which adjoins the other intermediate guiding point exist in the server route, the controller performs the route navigation of the route which exists in the server route using the information in the client terminal database.

28. A route identicalness determination method according to claim 27, further comprising the step of:

determining whether or not an incoming direction to the incoming-side guiding point of the server route and an incoming direction to the incoming-side guiding point of the client route are identical, and wherein

the route datum are determined to be identical when all three of the determinations are satisfied.

29. A route identicalness determination method according to claim 27, further comprising the step of:

determining whether or not a distance between the outgoing-side guiding point and the incoming-side guiding point of the server route and a distance between the outgoing-side guiding point and the incoming-side guiding point of the client route are identical, and wherein

the route datum are determined to be identical when all three of the determinations are satisfied.

30. A route identicalness determination method according to claim 27, further comprising the step of:

determining whether or not a road type of a road between the outgoing-side guiding point and the incoming-side guiding point of the server route and a road type of a road between the outgoing-side guiding point and the incoming-side guiding point of the client route are identical, and wherein

the route datum are determined to be identical when all three of the determinations are satisfied.

25. A server that communicates with a client terminal that determines a client route which is a route from a place of departure to a destination of a user along with guiding points and which performs route navigation of the route from the place of departure to the destination selectively using information in a client terminal database concerning the determined client route and information received from the client terminal database, comprising:

a server database;

a controller that determines a server route which is a route from the place of departure to the destination along with guiding points using information in the server database; and

a transmitter that transmits information concerning one or more sections or entire sections of the server route to the client terminal based on a comparison between a position of the guiding point of the server route and a position of the guiding point of the client route.

26. A route navigation method, in which a server having a server database, and a client terminal having a client terminal database, communicate with each other in performing route navigation for a user of the client terminal from a place of departure to a destination, comprising the steps of:

determining whether or not a route between adjoining guiding points of a server route which is a route from the place of departure to the destination determined using information in the server database, and a route between adjoining guiding points of a client route which is a route from the place of departure to the destination determined using information in the client terminal database, are identical by at least comparing a position of the guiding point of the server route and a position of the guiding point of the client route; and

performing the route navigation, selectively using information in the server database concerning the server route and information in the client database concerning the client route based on a result of the comparison.

27. A route identicalness determination method, which determines whether or not server route data including information concerning guiding points, determined by a server having a server database using information therein, and client route data including information concerning guiding points, determined by a client terminal having a client terminal database using information therein, are identical, comprising the steps of:

determining whether or not a position of an outgoing-side guiding point of the server route and a position of an outgoing-side guiding point of the client route are identical;

determining whether or not a position of an incoming-side guiding point of the server route which adjoins the outgoing-side guiding point thereof and a position of an incoming-side guiding point of the client route which adjoins the outgoing-side guiding point thereof are identical; and

determining that the route datum are identical when both of the determinations are satisfied.

31. A route navigation system which performs a route navigation for a user of a client terminal from a place of departure to a destination, comprising:

a server that includes a server-side database, determines a server route, which is a route from the place of departure to the destination using information in the server-side database based on information for specifying the place of departure and the destination which information is transmitted from the client terminal, and transmits information regarding a guiding point included in the server route obtained to the client terminal; and

the client terminal that transmits at least the information for specifying the place of departure and the destination to the server, obtains a point that can be a first guiding point that is a guiding point adjacent to the place of departure as a first guiding candidate point by searching information stored in a client terminal-side database, and receives information regarding the guiding point of the server route obtained and determines whether the first guiding candidate point includes a point identical to the first guiding point specified by the received information regarding the guiding point of the server route, and performes the route navigation regarding a segment from the place of departure to the first guiding point using the information stored in the client terminal-side database if there is a first guiding candidate point identical to the first guiding point, and performs the route navigation by acquiring information regarding a segment from the place of departure to the first guiding point from the server if there is not a first guiding candidate point identical to the first guiding point,

wherein the route navigation is performed while the information from the server-side database and the information from the client terminal-side database are selectively used.

32. A client terminal which communicates with a server that has a server-side database, determines a server route which is a route from the place of departure to the destination using information stored in the server-side database when information specifying a place of departure and a destination is given, and transmits information regarding a guiding point included in the server route obtained to an external device, and which performs a route navigation for a user from the place of departure to the destination, the client terminal comprising:

a client terminal-side database; and

a controller that transmits at least information specifying the place of departure and the destination to the server, obtains a point that can be a first guiding point that is a guiding point adjacent to the place of departure as a first guiding candidate point by searching information stored in the client terminal-side database, acquires information regarding a guiding point of the obtained server route through transmission from the server, determines whether the obtained first guiding candidate point includes a point identical to the first guiding point specified by the acquired information regarding the guiding point of the server route, and performs the route navigation regarding a segment from the place of departure to the first guiding point using the information stored in the client terminal-side database if it is determined that there is a first guiding candidate point identical to the first guiding point, and for performing the route navigation by acquiring information regarding a segment from the place of departure to the first guiding point from the server if it is determined that there is not a first guiding candidate point identical to the first guiding point.

33. A client terminal according to claim 32, wherein the controller determines whether a position of the first guiding point is the same as a position of the first guiding candidate point.

34. A client terminal according to claim 33, wherein the controller further performs at least one of a determination as to whether an incoming direction into the first guiding point is the same as an incoming direction into the first guiding candidate point, a determination as to whether an outgoing direction from the place of departure toward the first guiding point is the same as an outgoing direction from the place of departure toward the first guiding candidate point, a determination as to whether a distance between the place of departure and the first guiding point is the same as a distance between the place of departure and the first guiding candidate point, and a determination as to whether a type of a road between the place of departure and the first guiding point is the same as a type of a road between the place of departure and the first guiding candidate point.

35. A route navigation system which performs a route navigation for a user of a client terminal from a place of departure to a destination, comprising:

a server that determines a server route that is a route from the place of departure to the destination using information stored in a server-side database based on information for specifying the place of departure and the destination which information is transmitted from the client terminal and transmits guiding point information regarding a guiding point included in the server route obtained to the client terminal; and

the client terminal that transmits at least the information for specifying the place of departure and the destination to the server, acquires the guiding point information of the server route from the server, obtains a point that can be an adjacent guiding point that is a guiding point adjacent to an arbitrary guiding point of guiding points specified by the acquired guiding point information, at a destination side of the arbitrary guiding point, as an adjacent guiding candidate point by searching information stored in a client terminal-side database, determines whether the adjacent guiding candidate point includes a point identical to an adjacent guiding point of the server route which is a guiding point adjacent to the destination side of the arbitrary guiding point and which is specified by the acquired guiding point information, performs the route navigation regarding a segment from the arbitrary guiding point to the adjacent guiding point of the server route using the information stored in the client terminal-side database if there is an adjacent guiding candidate point identical to the adjacent guiding point of the server route, and performs the route navigation by acquiring information regarding a segment from the arbitrary guiding point to the adjacent guiding point of the server route from the server if there is not an adjacent guiding candidate point identical to the adjacent guiding point of the server route,

wherein the route navigation is performed while the information from the server-side database and the information from the client terminal-side database are selectively used.

36. A client terminal which communicates with a server that has a server-side database, determines a server route which is a route from the place of departure to the destination using information stored in the server-side database when information specifying a place of departure and a destination is given, and performs a route navigation for a user from the place of departure to the destination, the client terminal comprising:

a client terminal-side database; and

a controller that transmits at least information specifying the place of departure and the destination to the server, searching guiding point information regarding a guiding point of the obtained server route, obtaining a point that can be an adjacent guiding point that is a guiding point adjacent to an arbitrary guiding point of guiding points specified by the received guiding point information, at a destination side of the arbitrary guiding point, as an adjacent guiding candidate point by searching information stored in a client terminal-side database, determining whether the adjacent guiding candidate point includes a point identical to an adjacent guiding point of the server route which is a guiding point adjacent to the destination side of the arbitrary guiding point and which is specified by the received guiding point information, and performs the route navigation regarding a segment from the arbitrary guiding point to the adjacent guiding point of the server route using the information stored in the client terminal-side database if there is an adjacent guiding candidate point identical to the adjacent guiding point of the server route and performs the route navigation by acquiring information regarding a segment from the arbitrary guiding point to the adjacent guiding point of the server route from the server if there is not an adjacent guiding candidate point identical to the adjacent guiding point of the server route.