Communication navigation system, communication navigation method, route guidance information transmitting device, and terminal unit

• US 20030028314A1
• Filed: 07/31/2002
• Published: 02/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Increment P Corporation, Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Increment P Corporation, Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Nagamune, Akira
• Granted Patent: US 6,842,693 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/202
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/03 Cooperating elements; Interaction or communication between different cooperating elements or between cooperating elements and receivers

Abstract

A communication navigation system includes a server SV that transmits route guidance information to terminal units T via the Internet IN, and a transmitter/receiver 15, provided in each terminal unit T, for transmitting specification data that specifies a type of necessary route guidance information, to the server SV via the Internet IN. The server SV transmits only the route guidance information of the type specified by the specification data, to the terminal unit T.

Claims

1. A communication navigation system that performs navigation, using map data stored in a map database site and current position data about navigation terminals, by transmitting the map data to the navigation terminals via a communication network, the communication navigation system comprising:

a route guidance information transmitting device which transmits route guidance information to each of the navigation terminals via the communication network; and

an information specifying device, provided at each of the navigation terminals, which transmits specification data for specifying a type of necessary route guidance information, to the route guidance information transmitting device via the communication network,

wherein the route guidance information transmitting device transmits only the route guidance information of the type specified by the specification data, to each of the navigation terminals.

2. The communication navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the route guidance information transmitting device includes a storage device which stores the type of route guidance information necessary for each of the navigation terminals in association with identification information for identifying each of the navigation terminals,

each of the navigation terminals transmits the identification information as the specification data to the information specifying device, and

the route guidance information transmitting device transmits only the route guidance information of the type stored while associated with the identification information transmitted from the information specifying device, to each of the navigation terminals.

3. A communication navigation method for performing navigation, using map data stored in a map database site and current position data about navigation terminals, by transmitting the map data to the navigation terminals via a communication network, the communication navigation method comprising:

an information specifying process for transmitting specification data for specifying a type of necessary route guidance information, from each of the navigation terminals to a route guidance information transmitting device via the communication network; and

a route guidance information transmitting process for transmitting only the route guidance information of the type specified by the specification data, from the route guidance information transmitting device to each of the navigation terminals via the communication network.

4. The communication navigation method according to claim 3, wherein the route guidance information transmitting process transmits the route guidance information from the route guidance information transmitting device including a storage device which stores the type of route guidance information necessary for each of the navigation terminals in association with identification information for identifying each of the navigation terminals, to each of the navigation terminals via the communication network,

the information specifying process transmits specification data for specifying a type of necessary route guidance information, from each of the navigation terminals to the route guidance information transmitting device via the communication network, and

the route guidance information transmitting process transmits only the route guidance information of the type stored while associated with the identification information transmitted from each of the navigation terminals, from the route guidance information transmitting device to each of the navigation terminals.

5. A route guidance information transmitting apparatus that executes a communication navigation method for performing navigation, using map data stored in a map database site and current position data about navigation terminals, by transmitting the map data to the navigation terminals via a communication network,

wherein the route guidance information transmitting apparatus transmits only the route guidance information of the type specified by specification data transmitted from each of the navigation terminals, to each of the navigation terminals via the communication network.

6. A terminal unit that executes a communication navigation method for performing navigation, using map data stored in a map database site and current position data about navigation terminals, by transmitting the map data to the navigation terminals via a communication network,

wherein the terminal unit transmits specification data for specifying a type of necessary route guidance information to a route guidance information transmitting device via the communication network, the route guidance information transmitting device for transmitting only the route guidance information of the type specified by the specification data to each of the navigation terminals via the communication network.