Information center for communications-type navigation device

• US 20030191580A1
• Filed: 04/07/2003
• Published: 10/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Original Assignee: Katsuaki Tanaka, Kimiya Yamaashi, Kimiyoshi Machii, Kozo Nakamura, Michio Morioka, Shigeru Matsuo, Takaharu Ishida, Yoshinori Endo
• Inventors: Endo, Yoshinori, Matsuo, Shigeru, Nakamura, Kozo, Machii, Kimiyoshi, Ishida, Takaharu, Tanaka, Katsuaki, Morioka, Michio, Yamaashi, Kimiya
• Granted Patent: US 6,978,208 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/202
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3655 Timing of guidance instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096816 where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096861 where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096866 where the complete route is shown to the driver
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA

Abstract

There is provided a communications-type car navigation system including a vehicle-mounted terminal and a server. When transferring, to the terminal, the result of a route searching which the server has performed, the server transfers the data that will satisfy the requirements of a route guiding method which the user wishes. Also, the server transfers the route data that has been compressed. Concerning the map data as well, the server transfers only the necessary attributes thereof. Moreover, the following conditions allow the operability to be enhanced: the selection of a map transferring method and the route guiding method where the driving state has been taken into consideration, and the selection of a guiding unit which the user wishes.

Claims

1. An information center, comprising:

a communicator which performs transmission/reception of data;

a route information calculator which creates route information by calculating an optimum route from position information on a starting place and a destination place; and

a guiding point information calculator which creates guiding point information by making reference to said calculated route so as to extract a guiding point at which an advancing course is to be modified,

wherein said guiding point information calculator judges a guiding-mode type in correspondence with a road configuration at said guiding point, and thereby creates said guiding point information including said judged guiding-mode type.

2. The information center as claimed in claim 1, wherein said guiding point information calculator judges said guiding-mode type in correspondence with a degree of complexity of said road at said guiding point, and thereby creates said guiding point information including said judged guiding-mode type.

3. The information center as claimed in claim 1, wherein said guiding point information calculator judges said guiding-mode type in correspondence with a type of a road connected to said guiding point, and thereby creates said guiding point information including said judged guiding-mode type.

4. The information center as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a user manager which manages a user who establishes a connection therewith;

a guiding-mode type storage which stores said guiding-mode type on each user basis; and

a guiding-mode type setting means which sets said guiding-mode type,

wherein said guiding point information calculator refers to said guiding-mode type stored in said guiding-mode type storage, and thereby creates said guiding point information including said guiding-mode type to which said reference has been made.

5. The information center as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when an intersection point enlarged-view is selected as said guiding-mode type, said guiding point information calculator creates, as said guiding point information, a guiding point map obtained by extracting a map in a predetermined range including said guiding point, said enlarged-view displaying a guiding direction in a state of being superimposed on said map in a neighborhood of said guiding point.

6. An information center, comprising:

a communicator which performs transmission/reception of data, route information calculator for creating route information by calculating an optimum route from position information on a starting place and a destination place; and

a guiding point information calculator which creates guiding point information by making reference to said calculated route so as to extract a guiding point at which an advancing course is to be modified,

wherein said route information calculator makes a comparison between orbital-track information on a position of a requester and road map information so as to determine a road on which said requester is positioned and an advancing direction thereof, said orbital-track information being received by said communicator, and further, calculates said optimum route from said position information on said destination place obtained by said communicator, and thereby creates said route information.

7. The information center as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

a storage which stores said orbital-track information on said position on a requester basis, said orbital-track information being received by said communicator,

wherein said route information calculator analyzes utilization-frequencies of roads that each requester utilizes from said orbital-track information on said position on a requester basis, and lower a cost parameter of a road whose utilization-frequency is high, thereby creating, as said route information, said high utilization-frequency road with a high priority.

8. An information center, comprising:

a communicator which performs transmission/reception of data, map storing storage a map; and

a map cutter which cuts out map data from position information and scale information,

wherein said information center manages and stores an identification number of a user who makes a map data cutting-out request, said cut-out map area, and updated information on said map information.

9. The information center as claimed in claim 8, wherein, when said map in said information center has been updated, by retrieving said identification number of said user to whom said map in said updated map area has been transmitted, said user is informed of said updating of said map in said information center.

10. The information center as claimed in claim 9, wherein, when delivering said updated map, differential information of said map is delivered.

11. An information center, comprising:

a communicator which performs transmission/reception of data,

a route information calculator which creates route information by calculating an optimum route from position information on a starting place and a destination place; and

a guiding point information calculator which creates guiding point information by making reference to said calculated route so as to extract a guiding point at which an advancing course is to be modified,

wherein said communicator judges that route guidance information has been requested, and adds said route guidance information to said guiding point information and said route information, and further creates route guidance data to which link information which makes reference to said route information from said guiding point information has been added, said communicator then transmitting said route guidance data to a request source.

12. The information center as claimed in claim 11, wherein said route information is created by searching said optimum route from said position information on said starting place and said destination place, and by converting the optimum route into data where said latitudes/longitudes of said points are arranged in necessary number as route searching data.

13. The information center as claimed in claim 11, wherein said route information is created by searching said optimum route from said position information on said starting place and said destination place, and by calculating differences of said points from latitudes/longitudes of points before and behind said points, and converting said differential data into data where said differences are arranged in necessary number as route searching data.

14. The information center as claimed in claim 12, wherein said route information has route selector of a predetermined road type, said route information also converting said route data of said selected road type into data where said route data are arranged in necessary number.

15. The information center as claimed in claim 11, wherein said route information is created by searching said optimum route from said position information on said starting place and said destination place, by converting link data into data where said link data are arranged in necessary number as route searching data, an ID that is unique for each road connecting two intersection points being attached to said link data.

16. The information center as claimed in claim 11, wherein said guiding point information includes information of any one of or a combination of guiding point map data obtained by extracting a map in a predetermined range including said guiding point, guiding arrow data for indicating a direction of a road to enter at said guiding point, and guiding voice data for guiding, with a voice, said road to enter at said guiding point.

17. The information center as claimed in claim 16, wherein, in said creation of said guiding point map data, said guiding point information calculator differentiates a type of said road to enter at said guiding point and, in correspondence with said road type judged, determines an area where said guiding point map data should be created.

18. The information center as claimed in claim 16, wherein said guiding point information calculator creates said guiding arrow data, said guiding arrow data including position information on said guiding point, said road type of said road to enter at said guiding point and that of a road to leave thereat, and an angle formed between said road to enter and said road to leave.

19. The information center as claimed in claim 16, wherein said guiding point information calculator creates said guiding voice data including position information on said guiding point and voice guidance data.

20. An information center, comprising:

a communicator which performs transmission/reception of data,

a route information calculator which creates route information by calculating an optimum route from position information on a starting place and a destination place; and

a guiding point information calculator which creates guiding point information by making reference to said calculated route so as to extract a guiding point at which an advancing course is to be modified,

wherein it is judged that route guidance information has been requested, said optimum route being searched from said position information on said starting place and said destination place, said route information converted into schematic configuration data being transmitted to a request source, said route guidance information including said guiding point information and said route information being transmitted if further detailed route information is requested.

21. An information center, comprising:

a communicator which performs transmission/reception of data,

a route information calculator which creates route information by calculating an optimum route from position information on a starting place and a destination place; and

a guiding point information calculator which creates guiding point information by making reference to said calculated route so as to extract a guiding point at which an advancing course is to be modified,

wherein route history storing storage route information and guidance information requested in a past on each user basis, and said route information calculated from said starting place at which each user had started and said destination place extract route information that differs from said route information stored in said route history storage, said extracted route information and guiding point information corresponding thereto being then transmitted.

22. The information center as claimed in claim 21, wherein it is judged whether or not a re-searching of said route has been requested, and if said re-searching is judged to have been requested, a route is extracted where said first searching result and said re-searching result differ from each other, said extracted route information and guiding point information corresponding thereto being then transmitted.

23. The information center as claimed in claim 21, wherein it is judged whether or not a route searching of a return route has been requested, and if said route searching of said return route is judged to have been requested, a route is extracted where said route searching results differ between said approach route and said return route, said route information on said extracted return route and guiding point information corresponding thereto being then transmitted.

24. An information center, comprising:

a communicator which performs transmission/reception of data, storage a map database, and map extractor which extracts, from position information and scale information, map data in a predetermined area including said position,

wherein said map extractor further includes means which extracts and editing map information with a predetermined attribute in correspondence with a utilization purpose of said map.

25. The information center as claimed in claim 24, wherein said map extractor includes, as said means which extracts and editing said map information with said predetermined attribute, means which creates a road configuration and means which creates a connection relationship between said road configuration and said road.