Method for route guidance, and terminal equipment and central apparatus for use therein

• US 20040044470A1
• Filed: 05/27/2003
• Published: 03/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Kitagawa, Masahiko, Matsuoka, Ryousuke, Shiotani, Akihiko, Kashiwagi, Kuniaki, Hayashi, Shinichi
• Application Number:
  US10/445,659
• Publication Number:
  US 20040044470A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/209
• 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

Abstract

Terminal equipment receives map image information from a central apparatus along with recommended-route information generated by the central apparatus and presenting a recommended route leading from present position to destination, and the terminal equipment displays both the map information and the recommended-route information. When it is detected that the terminal equipment has deviated from the recommended route, the present position of the terminal equipment is transmitted to the central apparatus, and the central apparatus, based on the received present position, searches for a new route and transmits newly generated recommended-route information to the terminal equipment, which displays the newly received recommended route by superimposing it onto the already received map.

Claims

1. A method for route guidance in which terminal equipment transmits the present position of the terminal equipment and a destination to a central apparatus, receives map image information from the central apparatus along with recommended-route information generated by the central apparatus and presenting a recommended route leading from the present position to the destination, and displays both the map image information and the recommended-route information, wherein

when the terminal equipment recognizes that the present position of the terminal equipment is off the recommended route, the terminal equipment transmits the present position to the central apparatus, receives information of a recommended route newly searched for by the central apparatus, and displays the new recommended-route information together with the already received map image information.

4. A method for route guidance as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein of the information concerning the recommended route newly searched for by the central apparatus, the terminal equipment receives only a portion not included in the original recommended-route information, and displays both the map image information and the recommended-route information.

25. A method for route guidance as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the map image information and the recommended-route information generated by the central apparatus and presenting the recommended route from the present position to the destination are received as separate files.

2. A method for route guidance in which terminal equipment transmits the present position of the terminal equipment and a destination to a central apparatus, receives map image information from the central apparatus along with recommended-route information generated by the central apparatus and presenting a recommended route leading from the present position to the destination, and displays both the map image information and the recommended-route information, wherein

the terminal equipment transmits the present position of the terminal equipment to the central apparatus at predetermined intervals of time and, when the central apparatus recognizes that the present position is off the route, the terminal equipment receives, from the central apparatus, information of a recommended route newly searched for based on the present position, and displays the new recommended-route information together with the already received map image information.

22. A method for route guidance as claimed in claim 2, wherein the present position of the terminal equipment is transmitted from the terminal equipment to the central apparatus at appropriate intervals of time.

3. A method for route guidance in which terminal equipment transmits the present position of the terminal equipment and a destination to a central apparatus, receives map image information from the central apparatus along with recommended-route information generated by the central apparatus and presenting a recommended route leading from the present position to the destination, and displays both the map image information and the recommended-route information, wherein

when the central apparatus obtains information concerning a traffic impediment that exists on the recommended route along which the terminal equipment is moving, the terminal equipment receives image information of a recommended route newly searched for and generated by the central apparatus so as to detour around the traffic impediment, and the terminal equipment displays the new recommended-route information together with the already received map image information.

5. A method for route guidance in which terminal equipment transmits the present position of the terminal equipment and a destination to a central apparatus, receives map image information from the central apparatus along with recommended-route information generated by the central apparatus and presenting a recommended route leading from the present position to the destination, and displays both the map image information and the recommended-route information, wherein

the map image information and the recommended-route information are stored in the central apparatus by being divided into a plurality of portions, and the terminal equipment receives the divided portions in sequence based on the present position.

6. A method for route guidance as claimed in claim 5, wherein the map image information and the recommended-route information are divided at an intersection halfway along the recommended route.

7. A method for route guidance as claimed in claim 5, wherein the map image information and the recommended-route information are divided at prescribed intervals of distance along the recommended route.

8. Terminal equipment which transmits the present position of the terminal equipment and a destination to a central apparatus, receives map image information from the central apparatus along with recommended-route information generated by the central apparatus and presenting a recommended route leading from the present position to the destination, and displays both the map image information and the recommended-route information, wherein

when the terminal equipment recognizes that the present position thereof is off the recommended route, the terminal equipment transmits the present position to the central apparatus, receives information of a recommended route newly searched for by the central apparatus, and displays the new recommended-route information together with the already received map image information.

9. Terminal equipment which transmits the present position of the terminal equipment and a destination to a central apparatus, receives map image information from the central apparatus along with recommended-route information generated by the central apparatus and presenting a recommended route leading from the present position to the destination, and displays both the map image information and the recommended-route information, wherein

the terminal equipment transmits the present position thereof to the central apparatus at predetermined intervals of time and, when the central apparatus recognizes that the present position is off the route, the terminal equipment receives, from the central apparatus, information of a recommended route newly searched for by the central apparatus based on the present position, and displays the new recommended-route information together with the already received map image information.

23. Terminal equipment as claimed in claim 9, wherein the terminal equipment transmits the present position thereof at appropriate intervals of time to the central apparatus.

10. Terminal equipment which transmits the present position of the terminal equipment and a destination to a central apparatus, receives map image information from the central apparatus along with recommended-route information generated by the central apparatus and presenting a recommended route leading from the present position to the destination, and displays both the map image information and the recommended-route information, wherein

when the central apparatus obtains information concerning a traffic impediment that exists on the recommended route along which the terminal equipment is moving, the terminal equipment receives, from the central apparatus, information of a recommended route newly searched for and generated by the central apparatus so as to detour around the traffic impediment, and the terminal equipment displays the new recommended-route information together with the already received map image information.

11. Terminal equipment as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein of the information concerning the recommended route newly searched for by the central apparatus, the terminal equipment receives only a portion not included in the original recommended-route information, and displays both the map image information and the recommended-route image information.

26. Terminal equipment as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the map image information and the recommended-route information generated by the central apparatus and presenting the recommended route from the present position to the destination are received as separate files.

12. Terminal equipment which transmits the present position of the terminal equipment and a destination to a central apparatus, receives map image information from the central apparatus along with recommended-route information generated by the central apparatus and presenting a recommended route leading from the present position to the destination, and displays both the map image information and the recommended-route information, wherein

the map image information and the recommended-route information are stored in the central apparatus by being divided into a plurality of portions, and the terminal equipment receives the divided portions in sequence based on the present position.

13. Terminal equipment as claimed in claim 12, wherein the map image information and the recommended-route information are divided at an intersection halfway along the recommended route.

14. Terminal equipment as claimed in claim 12, wherein the map image information and the recommended-route information are divided at prescribed intervals of distance along the recommended route.

15. A central apparatus which receives from terminal equipment the present position of the terminal equipment and a destination, generates recommended-route information by searching for a route leading from the received present position to the destination, and transmits map image information to the terminal equipment along with the recommended-route information presenting the recommended route leading from the present position to the destination, wherein

when the terminal equipment recognizes that the present position thereof is off the recommended route, the central apparatus receives the present position transmitted from the terminal equipment, and generates and transmits information of a newly searched-for recommended route.

18. A central apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein of the information concerning the newly searched-for recommended route, the central apparatus generates and transmits only a portion not included in the original recommended-route information.

27. A central apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the map image information and the recommended-route information presenting the recommended route from the present position to the destination are transmitted as separate files to the terminal equipment.

16. A central apparatus which receives from terminal equipment the present position of the terminal equipment and a destination, generates recommended-route information by searching for a route leading from the received present position to the destination, and transmits map image information to the terminal equipment along with the recommended-route information presenting the recommended route leading from the present position to the destination, wherein

the central apparatus receives the present position of the terminal equipment from the terminal equipment at predetermined intervals of time and, when the central apparatus recognizes that the present position is off the route, the central apparatus generates and transmits information of a recommended route newly searched for based on the present position.

24. A central apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the central apparatus receives the present position of the terminal equipment at appropriate intervals of time from the terminal equipment.

17. A central apparatus which receives from terminal equipment the present position of the terminal equipment and a destination, generates recommended-route information by searching for a route leading from the received present position to the destination, and transmits map image information to the terminal equipment along with the recommended-route information presenting the recommended route leading from the present position to the destination, wherein

the central apparatus, based on information concerning a traffic impediment, newly searches for a recommended route so as to detour around the traffic impediment, and generates and transmits information of the newly searched-for recommended route.

19. A central apparatus which receives from terminal equipment the present position of the terminal equipment and a destination, generates recommended-route information by searching for a route leading from the received present position to the destination, and transmits map image information to the terminal equipment along with the recommended-route information presenting the recommended route leading from the present position to the destination, wherein

the central apparatus stores therein the map image information and the recommended-route information by dividing the respective information into a plurality of portions, and transmits the divided portions in sequence based on the present position.

20. A central apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the map image information and the recommended-route information are divided at an intersection halfway along the recommended route.

21. A central apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the map image information and the recommended-route information are divided at prescribed intervals of distance along the recommended route.

28. A method for route guidance in which terminal equipment transmits the present position of the terminal equipment and a destination to a central apparatus, receives map image information from the central apparatus along with recommended-route information generated by the central apparatus and presenting a recommended route leading from the present position to the destination, and displays the map image information and the recommended-route information by superimposing one onto the other, wherein

when the terminal equipment transmits the present position thereof and the destination to the central apparatus, the terminal equipment also transmits routes that the terminal equipment has passed in the past, and receives the recommended-route information that the central apparatus generated by considering the frequency of use of the routes.

29. A method for route guidance in which terminal equipment transmits the present position of the terminal equipment and a destination to a central apparatus, and receives, from the central apparatus, map image information generated by the central apparatus by writing on a map a recommended route leading from the present position to the destination, wherein

the terminal equipment receives only a map of a region in the vicinity of the recommended route that the central apparatus extracted from the map image information.

30. Terminal equipment comprising:

a position detecting section for detecting the present position of the terminal equipment;

a communication section for communicating with a central apparatus;

a map image information storing section for storing map image information received via the communication section from the central apparatus; and

a map image information combining section for combining the image information with recommended-route information received via the communication section from the central apparatus, wherein, when the position detecting section detects that the present position is off the route, the map image information combining section receives image information of a recommended route newly searched for by the central apparatus, and combines the new recommended-route image information with the already received map image information.

31. A central apparatus comprising:

a communication section for communicating information to and from terminal equipment;

a map database having map image information stored therein; and

a route searching section for searching for a recommended route based on the present position of the terminal equipment and a destination received via the communication section, wherein information of the recommended route searched for by the route searching section is transmitted along with the map image information retrieved from the map database and, when the communication section receives information indicating that the terminal equipment has deviated from the recommended route, information of a newly searched-for recommended route is transmitted from the communication section without re-transmitting the map image information.