Item search device

• US 20060047422A1
• Filed: 07/12/2005
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Fukumi, Makoto
• Granted Patent: US 7,577,521 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence

Abstract

An item search device comprises the following: a downtown information acquiring unit that acquires downtown information about downtowns; a search condition setting unit for setting search conditions for search for the downtowns; and a downtown search unit that searches desired downtowns from the downtown information based on the search conditions. With this structure, the user can appropriately and efficiently find a desired downtown.

Claims

1. An item search device comprising:

a downtown information acquiring unit that acquires downtown information about downtowns;

a search condition setting unit that sets search conditions for the downtowns; and

a downtown search unit that searches for desired downtowns from the downtown information based on the search conditions.

2. The item search device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a map data storing unit that stores electronic map data,

wherein the downtown information is stored in the map data storing unit,

wherein the downtown information is defined as areas where a predetermined number of stores or facilities are located within a predetermined range, and

wherein the downtown information acquiring unit acquires the downtown information from the map data storing unit.

3. The item search device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a downtown information setting unit that sets a predetermined range contained in the downtown information and a predetermined number of stores or facilities; and

a downtown information storing unit that stores the downtown information regarding which the downtown information setting unit sets,

wherein the downtown information acquiring unit acquires the downtown information from the downtown information storing unit.

4. The item search device according to claim 1,

wherein the downtown information contains scales of the downtowns,

wherein the search condition setting unit sets a scale of a downtown as the search condition, and

wherein the downtown search unit conducts a search using the scale of a downtown as the search condition.

5. The item search device according to claim 1

wherein the downtown information contains durations after establishment of the downtowns,

wherein the search condition setting unit sets a duration after establishment of a downtown as the search condition, and

wherein the downtown search unit conducts a search using the duration after establishment of a downtown as the search condition.

6. The item search device according to claim 1,

wherein the downtown information contains types of the downtowns,

wherein the search condition setting unit sets a type of a downtown as the search condition, and

wherein the downtown search unit conducts a search using information about the type of a downtown as the search condition.

7. The item search device according to claim 1,

wherein the downtown information contains degrees of name recognition of the downtowns,

wherein the search condition setting unit sets a degree of name recognition of a downtown as the search condition, and

wherein the downtown search unit conducts a search using information about the degree of name recognition of a downtown as the search condition.

8. The item search device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a present position detecting unit that detects a present position of a vehicle; and

a distance computation unit that computes a distance between the present position of the vehicle and a downtown,

wherein the search condition setting unit sets the computed distance as the search condition, and

wherein the downtown search unit conducts a search using the computed distance as the search condition.

9. The item search device according to claim 8, further comprising:

a traveling direction detecting unit that detects a traveling direction of the vehicle,

wherein the search condition setting unit sets a traveling direction of the vehicle as the search condition, and

wherein the downtown search unit conducts a search using the traveling direction of the vehicle as the search condition.

10. The item search device according to claim 8, further comprising:

a guided route search unit that searches for guided routes to a downtown,

wherein the search condition setting unit sets a guided route as the search condition, and

wherein the downtown search unit conducts a search using the guided route as the search condition.

11. The item search device according to claim 8, further comprising:

a toll estimating unit that estimates a toll required to arrive at a downtown,

wherein the search condition setting unit sets a toll as the search condition, and

wherein the downtown search unit conducts a search using the toll as the search condition.

12. The item search device according to claim 8, further comprising:

an estimated time required computing unit that computes an estimated time required to arrive at a downtown,

wherein the search condition setting unit sets an estimated time required as the search condition, and

wherein the downtown search unit conducts a search using the estimated time required as the search condition.

13. The item search device according to claim 8,

wherein the downtown search unit segments an area within a range of the distance computed from the present position of the vehicle into mesh areas in a predetermined size, and searches the mesh areas for a downtown.

14. The item search device according to claim 13,

wherein the downtown search unit searches the mesh areas based on distances between the vehicle and the mesh areas.

15. The item search device according to claim 13,

wherein the downtown search unit searches the mesh areas based on a traveling direction of the vehicle.

16. The item search device according to claim 13, further comprising:

a search object setting unit that sets a mesh area as a search object,

wherein the downtown search unit searches the mesh area set as the search object.

17. The item search device according to claim 1,

wherein the downtown information contains information about categories of stores or facilities, the item search device further comprising:

a categorizing unit that categorizes the stores or facilities located in a downtown that is searched for; and

a search refinement unit that searches for a desired store or facility from the categorized stores or facilities by search refinement.

18. The item search device according to claim 17, further comprising:

a displaying unit that displays a result of searching for a downtown or a result of the search refinement.

19. The item search device according to claim 17, further comprising:

a routing assistance unit that shows routes to a downtown that is searched for or a downtown that is searched for by search refinement.