Navigation system

• US 20040254721A1
• Filed: 04/26/2004
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Saiki, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,058,507 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3438 Rendez-vous, i.e. searching a destination where several users can meet, and the routes to this destination for these users; Ride sharing, i.e. searching a route such that at least two users can share a vehicle for at least part of the route
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3685 the POI's being parking facilities
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station

Abstract

A navigation system, which can determine a place suitable for meeting as a meeting place, is disclosed. This navigation system obtains positional information of mobile units, and extracts candidates for a meeting place from adequate meeting places registered in advance. The navigation system automatically selects or a user manually selects one place from the extracted candidates, and determines the selected one as the meeting place. The navigation system transmits the information about the meeting place to the other mobile units, so that the mobile units can meet each other at the right meeting place free from any place-caused inconvenience.

Claims

1. A navigation system comprising:

positional information obtaining means for obtaining positional information of mobile units;

extracting means for extracting candidates for a meeting place based on the obtained positional information from adequate meeting places registered in advance;

meeting place determining means for selecting one place as the meeting place from the extracted candidates for the meeting place; and

transmitting means for transmitting the selected meeting place to the mobile units.

2. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the transmitting means provides the mobile units with at least one of map information to the meeting place, route guidance to the meeting place, an expected arrival time, and an expected meeting time.

3. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the adequate meeting places include at least one of a station, bus-stop, supermarket, convenience store, park, public office, community center, school, shopping mall, cinema complex, parking lot, open space, and intersection.

4. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein each one of the adequate meeting places is assigned with a priority as a meeting place, and the meeting place determining means selects one place from the candidates according to the priorities.

5. The navigation system of claim 4, wherein the priority is determined by taking into account availability of a parking lot and an expected arrival time at the candidates.

6. The navigation system of claim 4 further comprising:

display means for displaying the candidates together with the priorities; and

operating means for selecting manually the meeting place.

7. A navigation system comprising:

positional information obtaining means for obtaining positional information of one mobile unit itself and other mobile units;

extracting means for extracting candidates for a meeting place based on the obtained positional information from adequate meeting places registered in advance;

meeting place determining means for selecting one place as the meeting place from the extracted candidates for the meeting place; and

transmitting means for transmitting the selected meeting place to the other mobile units.

8. The navigation system of claim 7, wherein the transmitting means provides the mobile units with at least one of map information to the meeting place, route guidance to the meeting place, an expected arrival time, and an expected meeting time.

9. The navigation system of claim 7, wherein the adequate meeting places include at least one of a station, bus-stop, supermarket, convenience store, park, public office, community center, school, shopping mall, cinema complex, parking lot, open space, and intersection.

10. The navigation system of claim 7, wherein each one of the adequate meeting places is assigned with a priority as a meeting place, and the meeting place determining means selects one place from the candidates according to the priorities.

11. The navigation system of claim 10, wherein the priority is determined by taking into account availability of a parking lot and an expected arrival time at the candidates.

12. The navigation system of claim 10 further comprising:

display means for displaying the candidates together with the priorities; and

operating means for selecting manually the meeting place.

13. A navigation system comprising:

a plurality of movable navigation devices; and

a center device that can communicate with the plurality of movable navigation devices;

wherein the movable navigation devices includes at least one of;

positional information obtaining means for obtaining positional information of the navigation devices;

extracting means for extracting candidates for a meeting place based on the obtained positional information from adequate meeting places registered in advance;

meeting place determining means for selecting one place as the meeting place from the extracted candidates for the meeting place; and

transmitting means for transmitting the selected meeting place to the mobile unit,

wherein the center device includes all the foregoing means except the means that the navigation devices include.

14. The navigation device as defined in claim 13 including at least one of:

positional information obtaining means for obtaining positional information of one navigation device itself and other navigation devices;

extracting means for extracting candidates for a meeting place based on the obtained positional information from adequate meeting places registered in advance;

meeting place determining means for selecting one place as the meeting place from the extracted candidates for the meeting place; and

transmitting means for transmitting the selected meeting place to the center device.