Destination search device and destination search method

• US 20050154720A1
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kurosawa, Takeshi, Takishita, Hideyuki
• Application Number:
  US10/987,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20050154720A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3611 using character input or menus, e.g. menus of POIs character input methods in general G06F3/0233
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

For a plurality of points of interest associated with each other, a plurality of pieces of point of interest name data representing names of points of interest is stored in association with a single piece of telephone number data. When a telephone number is entered, a plurality of pieces of point of interest name data is displayed so as to be selectable.

Claims

1. A destination search device for searching for a destination on the basis of entered telephone number data, comprising:

a telephone number input unit for entering a plurality of pieces of telephone number data;

a storage unit for storing the plurality of pieces of telephone number data, a plurality of pieces of point of interest name data representing names of points of interest, and a plurality of pieces of position data representing positions of the points of interest and for storing association information such that the plurality of pieces of point of interest name data is associated with the plurality of pieces of position data in a 1;

1 relationship and such that the plurality of pieces of telephone number data is associated with the plurality of pieces of position data or the plurality of pieces of point of interest name data in a 1;

n relationship, n representing an integer of 1 or more; and

a control unit, wherein when a plurality of pieces of point of interest name data or a plurality of pieces of position data is associated with a piece of telephone number data entered by the telephone number input unit, the plurality of pieces of point of interest name data that is associated with the piece of telephone number data is acquired from the storage unit and displayed so as to be selectable by a user, and when only a single piece of point of interest name data or only a single piece of position data is associated with the piece of telephone number data entered by the telephone number input unit, one or both of the single piece of point of interest name data and the single piece of position data that are associated with the piece of telephone number data are acquired from the storage unit.

2. The destination search device according to claim 1, wherein:

the association information associates the plurality of pieces of telephone number data, the plurality of pieces of point of interest name data, and the plurality of pieces of position data in a 1;

1;

1 relationship; and

the association information associates n pieces of associated point of interest name data with each other.

3. The destination search device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit displays a map using position data corresponding to point of interest name data selected by a user from the plurality of pieces of point of interest name data displayed so as to be selectable or the single piece of position data corresponding to the piece of telephone number data entered by the telephone number input unit.

4. The destination search device according to claim 1, wherein:

the association information associates the plurality of pieces of telephone number data, the plurality of pieces of point of interest name data, and the plurality of pieces of position data in a 1;

1;

1 relationship; and

the association information associates n pieces of associated position data with each other.

5. The destination search device according to claim 4, wherein the control unit displays a map using position data corresponding to point of interest name data selected from the plurality of pieces of point of interest name data displayed so as to be selectable or the single piece of position data corresponding to the piece of telephone number data entered by the telephone number input unit.

6. The destination search device according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit includes:

a first storage unit for associating and storing the plurality of pieces of telephone number data, the plurality of pieces of point of interest name data, and the plurality of pieces of position data in a 1;

1;

1 relationship; and

a second storage unit for associating and storing the plurality of pieces of point of interest name data and the plurality of pieces of position data in a 1;

1 relationship and for associating and storing a plurality of pieces of associated point of interest name data with a piece of telephone number data.

7. The destination search device according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit includes:

a first storage unit for associating and storing the plurality of pieces of telephone number data, the plurality of pieces of point of interest name data, and the plurality of pieces of position data in a 1;

1;

1 relationship; and

a second storage unit for storing association information for associating a plurality of pieces of associated point of interest name data with each other.

8. The destination search device according to claim 6, wherein the control unit displays a map using position data corresponding to point of interest name data selected by a user from the plurality of pieces of point of interest name data displayed so as to be selectable or the single piece of position data corresponding to the piece of telephone number data entered by the telephone number input unit.

9. The destination search device according to claim 7, wherein the control unit displays a map using position data corresponding to point of interest name data selected by a user from the plurality of pieces of point of interest name data displayed so as to be selectable or the single piece of position data corresponding to the piece of telephone number data entered by the telephone number input unit.

10. The destination search device according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit includes:

a first storage unit for associating and storing the plurality of pieces of telephone number data, the plurality of pieces of point of interest name data, and the plurality of pieces of position data in a 1;

1;

1 relationship; and

a second storage unit for associating and storing the plurality of pieces of point of interest name data and the plurality of pieces of position data in a 1;

1 relationship and for associating and storing a plurality of pieces of associated position data with a piece of telephone number data.

11. The destination search device according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit includes:

a first storage unit for associating and storing the plurality of pieces of telephone number data, the plurality of pieces of point of interest name data, and the plurality of pieces of position data in a 1;

1;

1 relationship; and

a second storage unit for storing association information for associating a plurality of pieces of associated position data with each other.

12. The destination search device according to claim 10, wherein the control unit displays a map using position data corresponding to point of interest name data selected by a user from the plurality of pieces of point of interest name data displayed so as to be selectable or the single piece of position data corresponding to the piece of telephone number data entered by the telephone number input unit.

13. The destination search device according to claim 11, wherein the control unit displays a map using position data corresponding to point of interest name data selected by a user from the plurality of pieces of point of interest name data displayed so as to be selectable or the single piece of position data corresponding to the piece of telephone number data entered by the telephone number input unit.

14. The destination search device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit displays a map using position data corresponding to point of interest name data selected by a user from the plurality of pieces of point of interest name data displayed so as to be selectable or the single piece of position data corresponding to the piece of telephone number data entered by the telephone number input unit.

15. A destination search method, executed by a computer, for searching for a destination on the basis of entered telephone number data, comprising:

receiving an input of the telephone number data;

determining whether or not a plurality of pieces of point of interest name data representing names of points of interest that correspond to the received telephone number data is included in a storage unit;

acquiring the plurality of pieces of point of interest name data from the storage unit and displaying the plurality of pieces of point of interest name data so as to be selectable by a user when it is determined that the plurality of pieces of point of interest name data that correspond to the received telephone number data exists; and

acquiring from the storage unit only a single piece of point of interest name data that corresponds to the received telephone number data and displaying the single piece of point of interest name data when it is determined that only the single piece of point of interest name data corresponds to the received telephone number data.

16. The destination search method according to claim 15, further comprising displaying a map using position data corresponding to point of interest name data selected by a user from the plurality of pieces of point of interest name data displayed or position data corresponding to the single piece of point of interest name data acquired.

17. A destination search method, executed by a computer, for searching for a destination on the basis of entered telephone number data, comprising:

receiving an input of the telephone number data;

determining whether or not a plurality of pieces of position data representing positions of points of interest that correspond to the received telephone number data is included in a storage unit;

acquiring from the storage unit a plurality of pieces of point of interest name data representing names of the points of interest that correspond to the plurality of pieces of position data and displaying the plurality of pieces of point of interest name data so as to be selectable by a user when it is determined that the plurality of pieces of position data that correspond to the received telephone number data exists; and

acquiring from the storage unit a single piece of point of interest name data corresponding to a single piece of position data and displaying the single piece of point of interest name data when it is determined that only the single piece of position data corresponds to the received telephone number data.

18. The destination search method according to claim 17, further comprising displaying a map using position data corresponding to point of interest name data selected by a user from the plurality of pieces of point of interest name data displayed or the single piece of position data acquired.