Information center for communications-type navigation device

• US 20050234639A1
• Filed: 06/13/2005
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Original Assignee: Katsuaki Tanaka, Kimiya Yamaashi, Kimiyoshi Machii, Kozo Nakamura, Michio Morioka, Shigeru Matsuo, Takaharu Ishida, Yoshinori Endo
• Inventors: Endo, Yoshinori, Matsuo, Shigeru, Nakamura, Kozo, Machii, Kimiyoshi, Ishida, Takaharu, Tanaka, Katsuaki, Morioka, Michio, Yamaashi, Kimiya
• Granted Patent: US 7,233,862 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• 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 21/3655 Timing of guidance instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096816 where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once
• 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 1/096861 where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096866 where the complete route is shown to the driver
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA

Abstract

A communications-type car navigation system including a vehicle-mounted terminal and a server. When transferring, to the terminal, the result of a route searching which the server has performed, the server transfers the data that will satisfy the requirements of a route guiding method which the user wishes. Also, the server transfers the route data that has been compressed. Concerning the map data as well, the server transfers only the necessary attributes thereof. Moreover, the following conditions allow the operability to be enhanced: the selection of a map transferring method and the route guiding method where the driving state has been taken into consideration, and the selection of a guiding unit which the user wishes.

Claims

1. An information center comprising:

a communicator which performs transmission/reception of data;

a route information calculator which creates route information by calculating an optimum route from position information on a starting place and a destination place received at said communicator; and

a guiding point information calculator which creates guiding point information by making reference to said calculated route so as to extract a guiding point at which an advancing course is to be modified,

wherein said guiding point information calculator generates the guiding point information indicating driving direction at the guiding point on the optimum route for guiding,

wherein said guiding point information calculator judges a guiding-mode type indicating whether an intersection point is displayed in an enlarged view in accordance with a degree of complexity of configuration of roads connected to an intersection at said guiding point, and when the guiding point is judged as the guiding-mode type corresponding to a mode for displaying an intersection point in an enlarged-view which superposes the driving direction on a map around the guiding point, a guiding point map including a predetermined area map having the guiding point is created, and

wherein said communicator transmits the guiding point map with the route information and the guiding point information.

5. The information center in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a charge calculator which calculates a communications charge on the basis of the data amount of the information transmitted between a vehicle-mounted terminal and the information center,

wherein the calculated communications charge is notified to the vehicle-mounted terminal via the communicator.

2. An information center comprising:

a communicator which performs transmission/reception of data;

a route information calculator which creates route information by calculating an optimum route from position information on a starting place and a destination place received at said communicator;

a guiding point information calculator which creates guiding point information by making reference to said calculated route so as to extract a guiding point at which an advancing course is to be modified,

wherein said guiding point information calculator generates the guiding point information indicating driving direction at the guiding point on the optimum route for guiding,

wherein said guiding point information calculator judges a guiding-mode type indicating whether an intersection point is displayed in an enlarged view in accordance with a type of road connected to said guiding point, and when the guiding point is judged as the guiding-mode type corresponding to a mode for displaying an intersection point in an enlarged-view which superposes the driving direction on a map around the guiding point, a guiding point map including a predetermined area map having the guiding point is created,

wherein said communicator transmits the guiding point map with the route information and the guiding point information.

6. The information center in accordance with claim 2, further comprising:

a charge calculator which calculates a communications charge on the basis of the data amount of the information transmitted between a vehicle-mounted terminal and the information center,

wherein the calculated communications charge is notified to the vehicle-mounted terminal via the communicator.

3. A method for transmitting a driving map to a vehicle-mounted terminal, performed by an information center, comprising the steps of:

receiving position information on a starting place and a destination place from the vehicle-mounted terminal;

creating route information by calculating an optimum route from the received position information;

creating guiding point information by making reference to the created route so as to extract a guiding point at which an advancing course is to be modified, the guiding point information indicating driving direction at the guiding point on the optimum route for guiding;

judging a guiding-mode type indicating whether an intersection point is displayed in an enlarged view in accordance with a degree of complexity of configuration of roads connected to an intersection at the guiding points;

when the guiding points is judged as the guiding-mode type corresponding to a mode for displaying an intersection point in an enlarged-view which superposes the driving direction on a map around the guiding point, creating a guiding point map including a predetermined area map having the guiding point; and

transmitting the guiding point map with the route information and the guiding point information to the vehicle-mounted terminal.

7. The driving map transmitting method in accordance with claim 3, further including the step of:

calculating a communications charge on the basis of the data amount of the information transmitted between the vehicle-mounted terminal and the information center, and notifying the vehicle-mounted terminal of the calculated communications charge.

4. A method for distributing map, performed by an information center, comprising the steps of:

receiving position information on a starting place and a destination place from the vehicle-mounted terminal;

creating route information by calculating an optimum route from the received position information;

creating guiding point information by making reference to the created route so as to extract a guiding point at which an advancing course is to be modified, the guiding point information indicating driving direction at the guiding point on the optimum route for guiding;

judging a guiding-mode type indicating whether an intersection point is displayed in an enlarged view in accordance with a type of road connected to said guiding point;

when the guiding points is judged as the guiding-mode type corresponding to a mode for displaying an intersection point in an enlarged-view which superposes the driving direction on a map around the guiding point, creating a guiding point map including a predetermined area map having the guiding point; and

transmitting the guiding point map with the route information and the guiding point information to the vehicle-mounted terminal.

8. The driving map transmitting method in accordance with claim 4, further including the step of:

calculating a communications charge on the basis of the data amount of the information transmitted between the vehicle-mounted terminal and the information center, and notifying the vehicle-mounted terminal of the calculated communications charge.