Guide Route Search Device and Guide Route Search Method

• US 20080033633A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JVC Kenwood Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kenwood (JVC Kenwood Corporation)
• Inventors: Kaneda, Masaki, Akiyoshi, Hiromi, Mabuchi, Youko, Iwami, Yuko, Ueno, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,822,539 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

There are provided a guide route search device and a guide route search method for searching a guide route via a plurality of points as well as a computer program for realizing the method. A guide route satisfying the route point condition such as a stay time at each point is searched. According to another aspect of the invention, after searching a guide route, an operator can perform a correction such as addition, deletion, or modification of the route points or rearrangement of the arrival order at the points. It is possible to judge whether the guide route after the correction satisfies the route point condition. According to still another aspect of the invention, a guide route is superimposed together with the current position on the map image. The map color and/or brightness is changed according to the arrival time at a route point.

Claims

1. A guide route search device, comprising:

a designation unit adapted to designate at least two or more destinations;

a creation unit adapted to create plural route patterns in which orders of visit to the plural destinations are different from one another; and

a judgment unit adapted to judge whether the plural route patterns are route patterns that satisfy destination conditions in all the destinations.

2. The guide route search device according to claim 1, further comprising a selection unit adapted to select a guide pattern that satisfies the destination conditions in all the destinations as a guide route.

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

an adjustment unit adapted to perform, for route patterns judged as not satisfying the destination conditions at least at one destination by the judgment unit, adjustment of a non-traveling time such that the route patterns satisfy the destination conditions in all the destinations; and

a selection unit adapted to select a specific route pattern out of the route patterns judged as satisfying the destination conditions in all the destinations by the judgment unit and the route patterns updated by the adjustment unit.

4. The guide route search device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an update unit adapted to update, for route patterns judged as not satisfying the destination conditions at least at one destination by the judgment unit, the route patterns such that the route patterns satisfy the destination conditions in all the destinations; and

a display unit adapted to display at least two route patterns out of the route patterns judged as satisfying the destination conditions in all the destinations by the judgment unit and the route patterns updated by the updating means.

6. The guide route search device according to claim 1, further comprising a route pattern edition unit, for route patterns in which destinations are judged as satisfying the destination conditions by the judgment unit, any one of addition of destinations, deletion of destinations, change of destinations, and rearrangement of destinations as correction of the route patterns and causing the judgment unit to judge whether destinations in the route patterns after the correction satisfy the destination conditions.

7. The guide route search device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a display unit adapted to display the guide route selected by the selecting means on a map image together with an image indicating a location of the guide route search device itself before route guide;

a movement unit adapted to move the image indicating a location of the guide route search device itself along the guide route;

a time calculation unit adapted to calculate an arrival time at a location of the image moved by the moving means; and

an update unit adapted to change a color and/or brightness of the map image according to the arrival time calculated.

9. The guide route search device according to claim 7, wherein the judgment unit includes a destination condition update unit adapted to update, when the destination for each genre is not in a business hour of the destination, updating the destination conditions for each genre such that the destination conditions for each genre are in a business hour of the route point.

10. The guide route search device according to claim 2, wherein that the selection unit judges whether route points of identical or similar genres continue in the route pattern and, when destinations of identical or similar genres do not continue, selects the route pattern as the guide route.

11. The guide route search device according to claim 6, wherein the route pattern edition unit inserts, in the case in which a new destination is inserted in a certain insertion place in route patterns in which destinations are judged as satisfying the destination conditions by the judgment unit, when it is judged by the judgment unit that destinations in the route patterns after correction do not satisfy the destination conditions, the new destination in another insertion place on the guide route.

12. The guide route search device according to claim 6, characterized in that, the guide route search device inserts, when the route pattern edition unit executes addition of a destination, a new destination in each of plural insertion places, in which a destination can be inserted, on route patterns in which destinations are judged as satisfying the destination conditions by the judgment unit to create plural route patterns and causes the judgment unit to judge whether destinations satisfy the destination conditions for each of the plural route patterns created.

5. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

13. A guide route search device, comprising:

a designation unit adapted to designate at least two or more destinations;

a creation unit adapted to create plural route patterns in which orders of visiting the plural destinations are different from one another; and

a display unit adapted to display at least two route patterns among the plural route patterns created by the creation unit.

14. A guide route search device, comprising:

a first designation unit adapted to designate at least two or more destinations;

a second designation unit adapted to designate a stay time in each of the plural destinations;

a creation unit adapted to create route patterns including visiting order information and guide time information of the plural destinations taking into account the stay time designated in each of the destinations; and

a route pattern selection unit adapted to set one of the route patterns created by the creation unit as a guide route.

15. The guide route search device according to claim 14, wherein

the first designation unit designates a stay time includes selection unit adapted to select one stay time data out of plural stay time data at the destination, and

the stay time in each of the destinations is taken into account on the basis of the stay time data selected.

17. The guide route search device according to claim 15, wherein the stay time selection unit operates to select optimum one stay time data out of plural stay time data provided for each driver, each male or female, each fellow passenger group, each age, each season, each day of week, each time frame, or each number of people and/or passenger type of people guided on the guide route.

16. (canceled)

18. A guide route search method, the method comprising the steps of:

designating at least two or more destinations;

creating plural route patterns in which orders of visiting the plural destinations are different from one another; and

judging whether the plural route patterns are route patterns that satisfy destination conditions in all the destinations.

19. A guide route search method, the method comprising the steps of:

designating at least two or more destinations;

creating plural route patterns in which orders of visiting the plural destinations are different from one another; and

displaying at least two route patterns among the plural route patterns created in the creating step.

20. A guide route search method, the method comprising the steps of:

designating at least two or more destinations;

designating a stay time in each of the destinations;

creating route patterns including visiting order information and guide time information of the plural destinations taking into account the stay time designated in each of the destinations; and

selecting one of the route patterns created in the creating step as a guide route.

21. A computer program for causing a guide route search method to operate, the guide route search method comprising the steps of:

designating at least two or more destinations;

creating plural route patterns in which orders of visiting the plural destinations are different from one another; and

judging whether the plural route patterns are route patterns that satisfy destination conditions in all the destinations.

22. A computer program for causing a guide route search method to operate, the guide route search method comprising the steps of:

designating at least two or more destinations;

creating plural route patterns in which orders of visiting the plural destinations are different from one another; and

displaying at least two route patterns among the plural route patterns created in the creating step.

23. A computer program for causing a guide route search method to operate, the guide route search method comprising the steps of:

designating at least two or more destinations;

designating a stay time in each of the destinations;

creating route patterns including visiting order information and guide time information of the plural destinations taking into account the stay time designated in each of the destinations; and

selecting one of the route patterns created in the creating step as a guide route.