Traffic information collecting system for navigation device

• US 20070198176A1
• Filed: 03/18/2005
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Original Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Inventors: Amaya, Shinichi, Endo, Yoshinori
• Granted Patent: US 8,019,535 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/102 using electrical means

Abstract

An information center (5000) for collecting traffic information stores in its memory device the latest map data. Then, it is determined through a terminal device (5030) whether or not history information has been recorded in a data recording medium (800) mounted in a navigation device (1000), and when it is determined that the history information has been recorded, the map data in the data recording medium are updated to the latest map data. The data recording medium (800) is removable from the navigation device (1000). Statistical traffic information may be updated along with the updating of the map data. Further, when history information is directly uploaded to the information center, an identifier is attached to the uploaded information.

Claims

1. A system comprising an information center device, a terminal machine connected to said information center device, and a navigation device which is mountable on a moving object, wherein,

said navigation device comprises,

a recording medium being rewritable on which map data is recorded, and

history information recording means which records drive history information of said moving object in said recording medium, and

said terminal machine comprises,

a judging means which judges whether or not said drive history information is recorded in said recording medium,

map updating means which reads out said drive history information when it is determined the drive history information is recorded in said recording medium, and records the map data received from said information center device, in a recording medium prepared for said navigation device, and

said information center device comprises,

a storage unit which stores map data,

a sending means which sends said map data to said terminal machine, and

a receiving means which receives said drive history information from said terminal machine.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein,

said terminal machine comprises a means which reads out said drive history information, and thereafter erases said drive history information recorded in the recording medium that is prepared for said navigation device.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein,

said terminal machine comprises a map judging means which determines whether or not the map data recorded in the recording medium prepared for said navigation device is older than the map data received from said information center, and

said map updating means records the map data received from said information center device into the recording medium prepared for said navigation device, when it is determined that the map data recorded in the recording medium prepared for said navigation device is older than the map data received from said information device.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein,

the storage unit in said information center device stores statistical traffic information,

said information center device includes a means which sends said statistical traffic information to said terminal machine, and

said terminal machine comprises a means which records the statistical traffic information received from said information center device in the recording medium provided in said navigation device, when it is determined that the drive history information is recorded in the recording medium prepared for said navigation device.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein,

said navigation device comprises a means which records recording ratio of said drive history information, and

said terminal machine comprises a means which displays an update charge that is defined in accordance with the recording ratio of said drive history information.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein,

Said navigation device comprises a means which mounts and demounts said recording medium.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein,

said navigation device comprises,

a sending means which is connected to said information center device and sends said drive history information to the information center device, and

a recording means which records in said recording medium, sending identification information which distinguishes between the drive history information having already been sent to said information center device and the drive history information having not been sent thereto yet, wherein,

said sending means excludes the drive history information having already been sent to said information center device from a target for sending.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein,

said navigation device comprises,

a sending means which is connected to said information center device and sends said drive history information to the information center device, and

a recording means which records in said recording medium, sending identification information which distinguishes between the drive history information having already been sent to said information center device and the drive history information having not been sent thereto yet, and,

said information center device comprises an information selecting means in which, when said information center device receives from said terminal machine, the drive history information with identification information being attached, indicating that the information has already been sent, the information center device erases any one of redundant drive history information.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein,

when said information selecting means receives from said terminal machine, the drive history information to which the identification information is attached indicating that the drive history information has already been sent, the drive history information sent by the sending means of said navigation device is erased.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein,

said navigation device comprises,

a sending means which is connected to said information center device, and sends said drive history information to the information center device, and

an erasing means which erases from said recording medium, the drive history information having been sent to said information center device.

11. A terminal machine which rewrites data in a recording medium prepared for a navigation device which is mountable on a moving object, wherein,

said recording medium records map data, and

said terminal machine comprises,

a judging means which judges whether or not drive history information of said moving object is recorded in said recording medium, and

a map updating means which reads out said drive history information when it is determined that the drive history information is recorded in said recording medium, and records the map data stored in its own storage unit into the recording medium prepared for said navigation device.

12. The navigation device according to claim 11, comprises,

a history information recording means which records drive history information of said moving object into said recording medium.

13. The navigation device according to claim 12, comprises a recording request accepting means which accepts a request whether or not the drive history information is recorded in said recording medium, wherein,

said history information recording means records in said recording medium, the drive history information having been collected, if said recording request accepting means requests to record the drive history information.

14. The navigation device according to claim 12, comprising a type accepting means which accepts a selection of type of the drive history information to be recorded, wherein,

said history information recording means records in said recording medium, the drive history information of a type that is selected for recording in said type accepting means.

15. The navigation device according to claim 12, comprising,

a means which displays an advantage when the drive history information is recorded in said recording medium.

16. The navigation device according to claim 12, comprising,

a means which erases information regarding a particular road or information regarding a particular date and time, from the drive history information recorded in said recording medium

17. The navigation device according to claim 12, wherein,

said history information recording means encrypts the drive history information having been collected, and records the encrypted information in said recording medium.

18. A data rewriting method in a terminal machine which performs data rewriting in the recording medium prepared for a navigation device which is mountable on a moving object, wherein,

map data is recorded in said recording medium, and

said terminal machine executes,

a recording judging step which judges whether or not drive history information of said moving object is recorded in said recording medium, and

a map updating step in which when said recording judging step determines that the drive history information is recorded in said recording medium, said drive history information is read out, and recorded in an external storage unit, as well as recording the map data recorded in said external storage unit in a recording medium which is mountable on said navigation device.