Mobile terminal device having route guiding function and route guiding method utilizing mobile terminal device

• US 20040171391A1
• Filed: 02/19/2004
• Published: 09/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Muramatsu, Toshihiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,471,955 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.6
• 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 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/09 providing processing capability normally carried out by the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/41 Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0054 of actual mobile position, i.e. position calculation on base station

Abstract

A mobile terminal device having a route guiding function of guiding a route by obtaining map information from a server system via a radio communication network includes: a position detecting unit which detects a current position of the mobile terminal device; a bearing detecting unit which detects a first bearing to which the mobile terminal device is directed; a target bearing calculating unit which calculates a second bearing from a current position to the destination; a displaying unit which displays a map based on the acquired map information on a section containing the destination and the current position, displays icon images at a position of the destination and the current position respectively, and displays an icon image indicating the first bearing; and a target capturing unit which produces a sound effect in response to a difference between the first and second bearings.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal device having a route guiding function of guiding a route by obtaining map information from a server system via a radio communication network, comprising:

a position detecting unit which detects a current position of the mobile terminal device;

a bearing detecting unit which detects a first bearing to which the mobile terminal device is directed;

a map information acquiring unit which transmits predetermined specific information to identify a destination and positional information of the current position to the server system, and acquires map information on a section containing the destination and the current position from the server system;

a target bearing calculating unit which calculates a second bearing from a current position to the destination based on the positional information and the specific information;

a displaying unit which displays a map based on the acquired map information, displays predetermined icon images at a position of the destination and the current position respectively, and displays an icon image indicating the first bearing; and

a target capturing unit which produces a sound effect in response to a difference between the firs and second bearings.

2. A mobile terminal device having a route guiding function according to claim 1, wherein the target capturing unit produces different melodies in response to the difference between the first and second bearings.

3. A mobile terminal device having a route guiding function according to claim 1, wherein the target capturing unit blinks the icon image displayed at the position of the destination when the first bearing coincides with the second bearing.

4. A mobile terminal device having a route guiding function of guiding a route by obtaining map information from a server system via a radio communication network, comprising:

a position detecting unit which detects a current position of the mobile terminal device;

a bearing detecting unit which detects a first bearing to which the mobile terminal device is directed;

a map information acquiring unit which transmits predetermined specific information to identify a destination and positional information on the current position to the server system, and acquires map information of a section containing the destination and the current position from the server system;

a target bearing calculating unit which calculates a second bearing from the current position to the destination based on the positional information and the specific information;

a displaying unit which displays a map based on the acquired map information, displays a predetermined icon image at the current position, and displays an icon image indicating the first bearing and an icon image indicating the second bearing; and

a target capturing unit which produces a sound effect in response to a difference between the first and second bearings.

5. A mobile terminal device having a route guiding function according to claim 4, wherein the target capturing unit produces different melodies in response to the difference between the first and second bearings.

6. A route guiding method utilizing a mobile terminal device including a position detecting unit for detecting a current position of the mobile terminal device and a bearing detecting unit for detecting a first bearing to which the mobile terminal device is directed to the mobile terminal device, and a server system, to which the mobile terminal device is connected via a radio communication network and which stores a map database including map information including map image data and information to identify a position on a map, the method comprising the steps of:

causing the server system to execute the steps of,

searching the map information containing a destination and the current position from the map database based on positional information of the current position and specific information of the destination which are transmitted from the mobile terminal device, and

sending the searched map information to the mobile terminal device; and

causing the mobile terminal device to execute the steps of,

transmitting predetermined the specific information designated by a user to the server system,

transmitting the positional information of the current position detected by the position detecting unit to the server system,

receiving the map information sent from the server system,

calculating a second bearing from the current position to the destination based on the positional information and the specific information,

displaying a map based on the acquired map information, displaying predetermined icon images to overlap with a position of the destination and the current position, and displaying an icon image indicating the first bearing, and

producing a sound effect in response to a difference between the first and second bearings.

7. A route guiding method utilizing a mobile terminal device including a position detecting unit for detecting a current position of the mobile terminal device and a bearing detecting unit for detecting a first bearing to which the mobile terminal device is directed to the mobile terminal device, and a server system, to which the mobile terminal device is connected via a radio communication network and which stores a map database including map information including map image data and information to identify a position on a map, the method comprising the steps of:

causing the server system to execute the steps of,

searching the map information containing a destination and the current position from the map database, based on positional information of the current position and specific information of the destination which are transmitted from the mobile terminal device, and

sending the searched map information to the mobile terminal device; and

causing the mobile terminal device to execute the steps of

transmitting the specific information designated by a user to the server system,

transmitting the positional information of the current position detected by the position detecting unit to the server system,

receiving the map information sent from the server system,

calculating a second bearing from the current position to the destination based on the positional information and the specific information,

displaying a map based on the acquired map information, displaying a predetermined icon image at the current position, and displaying an icon image indicating the first bearing and an icon image indicating the second bearing, and

producing a sound effect in response to a difference between the first and second bearings.

8. A computer readable recording medium storing a program for guiding a route with utilizing a mobile terminal device including a position detecting unit for detecting a current position of the mobile terminal device and a bearing detecting unit for detecting a first bearing to which the mobile terminal device is directed to the mobile terminal device, and a server system, to which the mobile terminal device is connected via a radio communication network and which stores a map database including map information including map image data and information to identify a position on a map, wherein

the program causes the server system to execute the steps of,

searching the map information containing a destination and the current position from the map database based on positional information of the current position and specific information of the destination which are transmitted from the mobile terminal device, and

sending the searched map information to the mobile terminal device;

and

the program causes the mobile terminal device to execute the steps of,

transmitting predetermined the specific information designated by a user to the server system,

transmitting the positional information of the current position detected by the position detecting unit to the server system,

receiving the map information sent from the server system,

calculating a second bearing from the current position to the destination based on the positional information and the specific information,

displaying a map based on the acquired map information, displaying predetermined icon images to overlap with a position of the destination and the current position, and displaying an icon image indicating the first bearing, and

producing a sound effect in response to a difference between the first and second bearings.

9. A computer readable recording medium storing a program for guiding a route with utilizing a mobile terminal device including a position detecting unit for detecting a current position of the mobile terminal device and a bearing detecting unit for detecting a first bearing to which the mobile terminal device is directed to the mobile terminal device, and a server system, to which the mobile terminal device is connected via a radio communication network and which stores a map database including map information including map image data and information to identify a position on a map, wherein

the program causes the server system to execute the steps of,

searching the map information containing a destination and the current position from the map database, based on positional information of the current position and specific information of the destination which are transmitted from the mobile terminal device, and

sending the searched map information to the mobile terminal device;

and

the program causes the mobile terminal device to execute the steps of

transmitting the specific information designated by a user to the server system,

transmitting the positional information of the current position detected by the position detecting unit to the server system,

receiving the map information sent from the server system,

calculating a second bearing from the current position to the destination based on the positional information and the specific information,

displaying a map based on the acquired map information, displaying a predetermined icon image at the current position, and displaying an icon image indicating the first bearing and an icon image indicating the second bearing, and

producing a sound effect in response to a difference between the first and second bearings.