Navigation terminal, navigation system, navigation program and drive guide method

• US 20040054467A1
• Filed: 09/11/2003
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Kawakami, Takashi, Sakai, Akira
• Granted Patent: US 6,988,036 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• 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 1/096894 where input is assisted by the navigation device, i.e. the user does not type the complete name of the destination, e.g. using zip codes, telephone numbers, progressively selecting from initial letters

Abstract

When the drive guide is performed by acquiring the drive route information from the information center, a control unit of the navigation terminal receives the information of a partial drive route in the total drive route connecting the place of departure and the place of destination and starts the drive guide on the basis of the received information of partial drive route, even if the information of the total drive route connecting the place of departure and a place of destination is not received.

Claims

1. A navigation terminal comprising:

a positioning unit for positioning a current location of a mobile unit;

a setting unit for setting up a place of departure and a place of destination;

a communication unit for transmitting and receiving information to and from an information center;

a temporary storage unit for storing the drive route information received by the communication unit; and

a drive guide unit for guiding the driving on the basis of the current location positioned by the positioning unit and the drive route information stored in the temporary storage unit, wherein

when the drive route information received by the communication unit is the information of a partial drive route in the total drive route connecting the place of destination and the place of departure that are set up by the setting unit, the guide unit starts the drive guide on the basis of the received information of the partial drive route.

2. The navigation terminal according to claim 1, wherein

the navigation terminal receives the remaining drive route information from an end of the partial drive route to the place of destination while the guide unit is making the drive guide on the basis of the information of the partial drive route.

3. A navigation system comprising:

a navigation terminal including a positioning unit for positioning a current location of a mobile unit, a setting unit for setting up a place of departure and a place of destination, a communication unit for transmitting and receiving information to and from an information center, a temporary storage unit for storing the drive route information received by the communication unit, and a drive guide unit for guiding the driving on the basis of the current location positioned by the positioning unit and the drive route information stored in the temporary storage unit;

an information center having a center communication unit for receiving the information indicating the place of departure and the place of destination transmitted by the communication unit; and

a drive route calculation part for calculating the drive route on the basis of the information indicating the place of departure and the place of destination received by the center communication unit, wherein

when the drive route information received by the communication unit is the information of a partial drive route in the total drive route connecting the place of destination and the place of departure that are set up by the setting unit, the guide unit starts the drive guide on the basis of the received information of the partial drive route.

4. A computer program making a computer function as a navigation terminal comprising:

a positioning unit for positioning a current location of a mobile unit;

a setting unit for setting up a place of departure and a place of destination;

a communication unit for transmitting and receiving information to and from an information center;

a temporary storage unit for storing the drive route information received by the communication unit; and

a drive guide unit for guiding the driving on the basis of the current location positioned by the positioning unit and the drive route information stored in the temporary storage unit, wherein

when the drive route information received by the communication unit is the information of a partial drive route in the total drive route connecting the place of destination and the place of departure that are set up by the setting unit, the guide unit starts the drive guide on the basis of the received information of the partial drive route.

5. A computer program making a computer function as a navigation system comprising:

a navigation terminal including a positioning unit for positioning a current location of a mobile unit, a setting unit for setting up a place of departure and a place of destination, a communication unit for transmitting and receiving information to and from an information center, a temporary storage unit for storing the drive route information received by the communication unit, and a drive guide unit for guiding the driving on the basis of the current location positioned by the positioning unit and the drive route information stored in the temporary storage unit;

an information center having a center communication unit for receiving the information indicating the place of departure and the place of destination transmitted by the communication unit; and

a drive route calculation part for calculating the drive route on the basis of the information indicating the place of departure and the place of destination received by the center communication unit, wherein

when the drive route information received by the communication unit is the information of a partial drive route in the total drive route connecting the place of destination and the place of departure that are set up by the setting unit, the guide unit starts the drive guide on the basis of the received information of the partial drive route.

6. A drive guide method for use at a navigation terminal, the navigation terminal including a positioning unit for positioning a current location of a mobile unit, a setting unit for setting up a place of departure and a place of destination, a communication unit for transmitting and receiving information to and from an information center, a temporary storage unit for storing the drive route information received by the communication unit;

and a drive guide unit for guiding the driving on the basis of the current location positioned by the positioning unit and the drive route information stored in the temporary storage unit, the method comprising;

receiving information from the information center by the communication unit; and

starting the drive guide by the guide unit on the basis of the received information, when the drive route information received by the communication unit is the information of a partial drive route in the total drive route connecting the place of destination and the place of departure that are set up by the setting unit.