Information distribution system, method, and program

• US 20060025924A1
• Filed: 07/22/2005
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Nagase, Kenji, Tomita, Hiroshi, Minami, Toshiaki, Yoshikawa, Kazutaka
• Application Number:
  US11/186,977
• Publication Number:
  US 20060025924A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3476 using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3694 Output thereof on a road map

Abstract

Information distribution systems, methods, and/or programs register a point which meets predetermined registration conditions as a register point; select a predetermined register point as a predicted arrival display point; calculate a predicted arrival time at the predicted arrival display point; and display the predicted arrival on a map screen. Systems, methods, and/or programs obtain map data and traffic congestion information, including a plurality of congestion areas; set a priority for each congestion area; and display congestion detail information for a congestion area on the map screen based on the set priority. Systems, methods, and/or programs determine a priority for a register point; and display the register point on the map screen when the priority of the register point is greater than a predetermined value.

Claims

1. An information distribution system, comprising:

a controller that;

registers a point which meets predetermined registration conditions as a register point;

selects a predetermined register point as a predicted arrival display point;

calculates a predicted arrival time at the predicted arrival display point; and

displays the predicted arrival time on a map screen.

2. The information distribution system of claim 1, wherein the controller:

searches for a route from a current point to the predicted arrival display point.

3. The information distribution system of claim 1, wherein the registration conditions are met when the point is used during traveling.

4. The information distribution system of claim 3, wherein the registration conditions are met by at least one of the following:

when a predetermined point is set as a destination;

when the vehicle stops at a predetermined point;

when an expressway or tollway is used;

when the vehicle passes through a main intersection; and

when the vehicle turns at an intersection.

5. The information distribution system of claim 1, wherein the predicted arrival time is a required time to travel from a current position to the predicted arrival display point.

6. The information distribution system of claim 1, wherein the controller:

stores a frequency count for the register point; and

selects, if the frequency count is greater than a threshold level, the register point as the predicted arrival display point.

7. The information distribution system of claim 1, wherein the controller:

obtains map data and traffic congestion information, including a plurality of congestion areas;

sets a priority for each congestion area; and

displays congestion detail information for a congestion area on the map screen based on the set priority.

8. The information distribution system of claim 7, wherein the controller sets the priority for each congestion area by evaluating at least one of:

a site of congestion, a direction of congestion, a road type, a congestion degree, a congestion length, and a distance to the site of congestion.

9. The information distribution system of claim 1, wherein the controller:

determines a priority for the register point; and

displays the register point on the map screen when the priority of the register point is greater than a predetermined value.

10. A navigation apparatus, comprising the information distribution system of claim 1.

11. An information distribution method, comprising:

registering a point which meets predetermined registration conditions as a register point;

selecting a predetermined register point as a predicted arrival display point;

calculating a predicted arrival time at the predicted arrival display point; and

displaying the predicted arrival time on a map screen.

12. The information distribution method of claim 11, further comprising:

searching for a route from a current point to the predicted arrival display point.

13. The information distribution method of claim 11, wherein registering the point which meets the predetermined registration conditions as the register point comprises registering the point when the point is used during traveling.

14. The information distribution method of claim 13, registering the point which meets the predetermined registration conditions as the register point comprises registering the point when at least one of the following occurs:

when a predetermined point is set as a destination;

when the vehicle stops at a predetermined point;

when an expressway or tollway is used;

when the vehicle passes through a main intersection; and

when the vehicle turns at an intersection.

15. The information distribution method of claim 11, wherein calculating the predicted arrival time comprises calculating a required time to travel from a current position to the predicted arrival display point.

16. The information distribution method of claim 11, further comprising:

storing a frequency count for the register point; and

selecting, if the frequency count is greater than a threshold level, the register point as the predicted arrival display point.

17. The information distribution method of claim 11, further comprising:

obtaining map data and traffic congestion information, including a plurality of congestion areas;

setting a priority for each congestion area; and

displaying congestion detail information for a congestion area on the map screen based on the set priority.

18. The information distribution method of claim 17, wherein setting a priority for each congestion area comprises setting the priority by evaluating at least one of:

a site of congestion, a direction of congestion, a road type, a congestion degree, a congestion length, and a distance to the site of congestion.

19. The information distribution method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a priority for the register point; and

displaying the register point on the map screen when the priority of the register point is greater than a predetermined value.

20. A storage medium storing a set of program instructions executable on a data processing device and usable to distribute information, the instructions comprising:

instructions for registering a point which meets predetermined registration conditions as a register point;

instructions for selecting a predetermined register point as a predicted arrival display point;

instructions for calculating a predicted arrival time at the predicted arrival display point; and

instructions for displaying the predicted arrival time on a map screen.