Navigation system

• US 20050137795A1
• Filed: 10/08/2004
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kiyomi Sakamoto, Noboru Nomura, Shinji Kubota
• Original Assignee: Kiyomi Sakamoto, Noboru Nomura, Shinji Kubota
• Inventors: Kubota, Shinji, Sakamoto, Kiyomi, Nomura, Noboru
• Granted Patent: US 7,406,380 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3641 Personalized guidance, e.g. limited guidance on previously travelled routes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3655 Timing of guidance instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3673 Labelling using text of road map data items, e.g. road names, POI names

Abstract

A navigation system for providing different modes of navigation guidance to drivers is provided. A smart card stores user information. In a main apparatus, a parameter table storage section stores parameters which are used for controlling the outputting of navigation guidance to an entity. A control section acquires at least one parameter from the parameter table storage section based on the user information stored in the smart card, and thereafter generates information necessary for providing navigation guidance for the entity in accordance with the acquired parameter(s). A display section or an audio output section outputs various information generated by the control section.

Claims

1. A navigation system comprising:

a storage medium operable to store user information;

a parameter storage section operable to store one or more parameters used for controlling a presentation of information necessary for providing navigation guidance for an entity;

a parameter acquisition section operable to acquire at least one parameter from the parameter storage section based on the user information stored in the storage medium;

an information generation section operable to generate information necessary for providing navigation guidance for the entity and for arranging a presentation of the information being generated in accordance with the at least one parameter acquired by the parameter acquisition section;

a traffic information receiving section operable to receive traffic information representing a current traffic situation in a road network; and

an output section operable to output the information generated by the information generation section, wherein

the parameter storage section stores at least one parameter for each range of a plurality of predetermined ranges of age or length of driving career, and

the at least one parameter includes a switching period for switching to the traffic information received by the traffic information receiving section.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1,

wherein,

the storage medium is comprised in a smart card, and

the parameter storage section, the parameter acquisition section, the information generation section, and the output section are comprised in a main apparatus.

3. The navigation system according to claim 2,

wherein,

the entity is a vehicle,

the user information stored in the storage medium is an age of a bearer of an electronic driver'"'"'s license, and

the parameter acquisition section acquires, from the parameter storage section, a set of parameters associated with the age range within which falls the age stored in the storage medium or a length of driving career calculable from a date of issue stored in the storage medium.

4. The navigation system according to claim 3, further comprising:

a cartographic data storage section operable to store a plurality of objects and road network data necessary for drawing a map image which is substantially rectangular-shaped, the road network data representing interconnections between roads on a map,

wherein,

the parameter storage section stores, for each range of the plurality of predetermined ranges of age or length of driving career, a combination of X-direction and Y-direction distances delimiting a maximum scale of the map image to be drawn,

the parameter acquisition section acquires, from the parameter storage section, a combination of X-direction and Y-direction distances associated with the age range or length of driving career range within which falls the age stored in the storage medium or the length of driving career calculable from the date of issue stored in the storage medium, and

the information generation section comprises;

an object/road network data acquisition section operable to acquire, from the cartographic data storage section, necessary objects and road network data for generating a map image of a scale delimited by the combination of X-direction and Y-direction distances acquired by the parameter acquisition section; and

a map image generation section operable to generate a map image by using the objects and road network data acquired by the object/road network data acquisition section, the generated map image having a scale delimited by the combination of X-direction and Y-direction distances,

wherein the output section outputs the map image generated by the map image generation section as information.

5. The navigation system according to claim 4,

wherein,

the cartographic data storage section further stores, for each of a plurality of predetermined degrees of importance, information superimposable on the map image to be drawn,

the parameter storage section further stores, for each range of plurality of predetermined ranges of age or length of driving career, a degree of importance assigned to information to be superimposed on the map image to be drawn,

the parameter acquisition section further acquires, from the parameter storage section, a degree of importance associated with the range within which falls the age stored in the storage medium or a length of driving career calculable from the date of issue stored in the storage medium,

the information generation section further comprises an information acquisition section operable to acquire, from the cartographic data storage section, information associated with the degree of importance acquired by the parameter acquisition section, and

the map image generation section generates the map image so as to selectively present information in accordance with the acquired information associated with the degree of importance.

6. The navigation system according to claim 3,

wherein,

the parameter acquisition section acquires, from the parameter storage section, a switching period associated with the range within which falls the age stored in the storage medium or the length of driving career calculable from the date of issue stored in the storage medium,

the information generation section comprises a display timing determination section operable to determine whether a time to display information has been reached or not based on the switching period acquired by the parameter acquisition section, and

if the display timing determination section determines that the time to display information has been reached, the output section displays the traffic information received by the traffic information receiving section as information.

7. The navigation system according to claim 3, further comprising:

a cartographic data storage section operable to store at least road network data representing interconnections between roads on a map,

a route search section operable to search for a route from a designated start point to a designated end point by using the road network data stored in the cartographic data storage section,

wherein,

the parameter storage section further stores, for each range of the plurality of predetermined ranges of age or length of driving career, a sound volume level at which to provide a voice navigation guidance for the entity in accordance with the route searched for by the route search section, and an outputting distance from a navigation event in advance of which the voice guidance is outputted,

the parameter acquisition section further acquires, from the parameter storage section, a sound volume level and an outputting distance associated with the age stored in the storage medium or a length of driving career calculable from the date of issue stored in the storage medium, and

the information generation section comprises;

a voice guidance determination section operable to determine whether a time to output the voice guidance has been reached or not based on the outputting distance acquired by the parameter acquisition section, and

a voice guidance generation section operable to generate the voice guidance when the voice guidance determination section determines that the time to output the voice guidance has been reached,

wherein the output section outputs the voice guidance generated by the voice guidance generation section as information in accordance with the sound volume level acquired by the parameter acquisition section.

13. The navigation system according to claim 11,

wherein,

the entity is a vehicle,

the user information stored in the storage medium is an age of a driver of the vehicle, and

the parameter acquisition section acquires, from the parameter storage section, a set of parameters associated with the age range within which falls the age stored in which the storage medium or a length of driving career calculable from a date of issue stored in the storage medium.

14. The navigation system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a cartographic data storage section operable to store a plurality of objects and road network data necessary for drawing a map image which is substantially rectangular-shaped, the road network data representing interconnections between roads on a map,

wherein,

the parameter storage section stores, for each range of the plurality of predetermined ranges of age or length of driving career, a combination of X-direction and Y-direction distances delimiting a maximum scale of the map image to be drawn,

the parameter acquisition section acquires, from the parameter storage section, a combination of X-direction and Y-direction distances associated with the age range or length of driving career range within which falls the age stored in the storage medium or the length of driving career calculable from the date of issue stored in the storage medium, and

the information generation section comprises;

an object/road network data acquisition section operable to acquire, from the cartographic data storage section, necessary objects and road network data for generating a map image of a scale delimited by the combination of X-direction and Y-direction distances acquired by the parameter acquisition section; and

a map image generation section operable to generate a map image by using the objects and road network data acquired by the object/road network data acquisition section, the generated map image having a scale delimited by the combination of X-direction and Y-direction distances, p1 wherein the output section outputs the map image generated by the map image generation section as information.

15. The navigation system according to claim 14,

wherein,

the cartographic data storage section further stores, for each of a plurality of predetermined degrees of importance, information superimposable on the map image to be drawn,

the parameter storage section further stores, for each range of the plurality of predetermined ranges of age or length of driving career, a degree of importance assigned to information to be superimposed on the map image to be drawn,

the parameter acquisition section further acquires, from the parameter storage section, a degree of importance associated with the range within which falls the age stored in the storage medium or a length of driving career calculable from the date of issue stored in the storage medium,

the information generation section further comprises an information acquisition section operable to acquire, from the cartographic data storage section, information associated with the degree of importance acquired by the parameter acquisition section, and

the map image generation section generates the map image so as to selectively present information in accordance with the acquired information associated with the degree of importance.

16. The navigation system according to claim 13,

wherein,

the parameter acquisition section acquires, from the parameter storage section, a switching period associated with the range within which falls the age stored in the storage medium or the length of driving career calculable from the date of issue stored in the storage medium,

the information generation section comprises a display timing determination section operable to determine whether a time to display information has been reached or not based on the switching period acquired by the parameter acquisition section, and

if the display timing determination section determines that the time to display information has been reached, the output section displays the traffic information received by the traffic information receiving section as information.

17. The navigation system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a cartographic data storage section operable to store at least road network data representing interconnections between roads on a map,

a route search section operable to search for a route from a designated start point to a designated end point by using the road network data stored in the cartographic data storage section,

wherein,

the parameter storage section further stores, for each range of the plurality of predetermined ranges of age or length of driving career, a sound volume level at which to provide a voice navigation guidance for the entity in accordance with the route searched for by the route search section, and an outputting distance from a navigation event in advance of which the voice guidance is outputted,

the parameter acquisition section further acquires, from the parameter storage section, a sound volume level and an outputting distance associated with the age stored in the storage medium or a length of driving career calculable from the date of issue stored in the storage medium, and

the information generation section comprises;

a voice guidance determination section operable to determine whether a time to output the voice guidance has been reached or not based on the outputting distance acquired by the parameter acquisition section, and

a voice guidance generation section operable to generate the voice guidance when the voice guidance determination section determines that the time to output the voice guidance has been reached,

wherein the output section outputs the voice guidance generated by the voice guidance generation section as information in accordance with the sound volume level acquired by the parameter acquisition section.

18. The navigation system according to claim 11, further comprising:

a route search section operable to search for a route from a designated start point to a designated end point,

wherein, for a given route, the amount of information to be included in the presentation of the information being generated differs based on the user information stored in the storage medium.

19. The navigation system according to claim 18, wherein the user information stored in the storage medium represents an age or a length of driving career.

20. The navigation system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a route search section operable to search for a route from a designated start point to a designated end point,

wherein, for a given route, the presentation of the information being generated differs based on the user information stored in the storage medium.

21. The navigation system according to claim 20, wherein the user information stored in the storage medium represents an age or a length of driving career.

8. A navigation method for providing navigation guidance for an entity, by using user information and one or more parameters used for controlling a presentation of information necessary for providing the navigation guidance, comprising:

acquiring user information;

acquiring at least one parameter based on the acquired user information

generating information necessary for providing the navigation guidance for the entity and arranging a presentation of the information being generated in accordance with the at least one acquired parameter; and

outputting the generated information, wherein

the at least one acquired parameter is a switching period for switching to traffic information received by a traffic information receiving section.

9. The navigation method according to claim 8, wherein the method is implemented by a computer program.

10. The navigation method according to claim 9, wherein the computer program is recorded in a storage medium.

11. A navigation system comprising:

a storage medium operable to store user information;

a parameter storage section operable to store one or more parameters used for controlling the presentation of information necessary for providing navigation guidance for an entity;

a parameter acquisition section operable to acquire at least one parameter from the parameter storage section based on the user information stored in the storage medium;

an information generation section operable to generate information necessary for providing navigation guidance for the entity and for determining an amount of information to be included in the presentation of the information being generated in accordance with the at least one parameter acquired by the parameter acquisition section;

a traffic information receiving section operable to receive traffic information representing a current traffic situation in a road network; and

an output section for outputting the information generated by the information generation section, wherein

the parameter storage section stores at least one parameter for each range of a plurality of predetermined ranges of age or length of driving career, and

the at least one parameter includes a switching period for switching to the traffic information received by the traffic information receiving section.

12. The navigation system according to claim 11,

wherein,

the storage medium is comprised in a smart card, and

the parameter storage section, the parameter acquisition section, the information generation section, and the output section are comprised in a main apparatus.

22. A navigation system comprising:

a storage medium operable to store user information;

a parameter storage section operable to store one or more parameters used for controlling a presentation of information necessary for providing navigation guidance for an entity;

a parameter acquisition section operable to acquire at least one parameter from the parameter storage section based on the user information stored in the storage medium;

an information generation section operable to generate information necessary for providing navigation guidance for the entity and for arranging a presentation of the information being generated in accordance with the at least one parameter acquired by the parameter acquisition section;

a cartographic data storage section operable to store a plurality of objects and road network data necessary for drawing a map image which is substantially rectangular-shaped, the road network data representing interconnections between roads on a map;

a map image generation section operable to generate a map image by using the objects and road network data, and

an output section operable to output the information generated by the information generation section, wherein

the cartographic data storage section stores, for each range of a plurality of predetermined ranges of age or length of driving career, a degree of importance assigned to information to be superimposed on the map image to be drawn, and

the map image generation section generates the map image so as to selectively present information having a degree of importance satisfying the degrees of importance stored for each range of the plurality of predetermined ranges of age or length of driving career.