FACILITY INFORMATION OUTPUT DEVICE, FACILITY INFORMATION OUTPUT METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIUM STORING FACILITY INFORMATION OUTPUT PROGRAM

• US 20090144268A1
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: NAGASE, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 8,099,414 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/92 Navigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/921 Spatial

Abstract

Facility information for a destination facility and facility information for a neighboring facility of the destination facility are accepted as search conditions. The destination facility that neighbors the neighboring facility is identified by using a database that defines a neighboring relationship between the facilities. The facility information for the identified destination facility is outputted.

Claims

1. A facility information output device, comprising:

a database that contains facility information of each of a plurality of facilities;

an input unit for receiving first and second search queries;

a facility search unit for searching the facility information contained in the database for (i) a first facility that has the facility information satisfying the first query and that has a neighboring relationship with a second facility and (ii) the second facility that has the facility information satisfying the second query; and

a facility information output unit for outputting the facility information of at least the first facility found by the facility search unit.

2. The facility information output device according to claim 1, wherein

the facility search unit includes a neighboring relationship determination unit for determining whether the neighboring relationship exists between the first facility and the second facility.

3. The facility information output device according to claim 2, wherein

said database further comprises, in association with the facility information of each of the facilities, neighboring facility information that indicates whether said facility has a neighboring relationship with another facility, and

the neighboring relationship determination unit is configured to determine whether the neighboring relationship exists based on the neighboring facility information.

4. The facility information output device according to claim 2, wherein

the facility information of each of the facilities includes location information, and

the neighboring relationship determination unit is configured to determine whether the neighboring relationship exists based on the location information.

5. The facility information output device according to claim 1, wherein

the facility search unit is configured to, in response to said first query, return a list of candidate facilities that have the facility information satisfying the first query;

the facility information output unit is configured to output said list with the facility information of the candidate facilities;

the input unit is configured to, in response to user interaction with the outputted list, enable receipt of the second query; and

the facility search unit is configured to, in response to said second query, perform a refined search to identify the first facility from among the candidate facilities on the list.

6. The facility information output device according to claim 5, wherein

said database further comprises, in association with the facility information of each of the facilities, neighboring facility information that identifies any neighboring facility that said each facility has a neighboring relationship with;

and

the facility search unit is configured to perform the refined search by, for each of the candidate facilities, determining whether the facility information of any neighboring facility identified in the neighboring facility information of said each candidate facility satisfies the second query.

7. The facility information output device according to claim 5, wherein

the facility information of each of the facilities includes location information, and

the facility search unit is configured to perform the refined search by, based on the location information of each of the candidate facilities, determining whether the facility information of any facility within a neighborhood of said each candidate facility satisfies the second query.

8. The facility information output device according to claim 7, wherein the facility search unit includes a neighboring facility determination unit for identifying any neighboring facility that has a neighboring relationship with each of the candidate facilities by

identifying candidate neighboring facilities and neighboring roads within a specified range from said each candidate facility, based on the location information of said each candidate facility;

and

among the candidate neighboring facilities, identifying those that are accessible from the neighboring roads as the neighboring facilities for said each candidate facility, based on the location information of said candidate neighboring facilities.

9. The facility information output device according to claim 8, wherein the neighboring facility determination unit is configured to identify the neighboring roads for said each candidate facility by:

identifying nodes within the specified range from said each candidate facility, based on the location information of said each candidate facility;

identifying roads that link said nodes as candidate neighboring roads; and

among the candidate neighboring roads, identifying those that are within a specified distance from said each candidate facility as the neighboring roads.

10. The facility information output device according to claim 8, wherein the neighboring facility determination unit is configured to identify the neighboring facilities accessible from the neighboring roads by:

among the candidate neighboring facilities, identifying those that are within a specified distance from the neighboring roads.

11. A facility information output method using a database that contains facility information of each of a plurality of facilities, said method comprising:

in response to first and second search queries, searching the facility information contained in the database for (i) a first facility that has the facility information satisfying the first query and that has a neighboring relationship with a second facility and (ii) the second facility that has the facility information satisfying the second query; and

outputting the facility information of at least the first facility found by the facility search unit.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising

determining whether the neighboring relationship exists between the first facility and the second facility.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein

said database further comprises, in association with the facility information of each of the facilities, neighboring facility information that indicates whether said facility has a neighboring relationship with another facility, and

said determining comprises determining whether the neighboring relationship exists based on the neighboring facility information.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein

the facility information of each of the facilities includes location information, and

said determining comprises determining whether the neighboring relationship exists based on the location information.

15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

in response to said first query, returning a list of candidate facilities that have the facility information satisfying the first query;

outputting said list with the facility information of the candidate facilities;

in response to user interaction with the outputted list, receiving the second query; and

in response to said second query, performing a refined search to identify the first facility from among the candidate facilities on the list.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein

said database further comprises, in association with the facility information of each of the facilities, neighboring facility information that identifies any neighboring facility that said each facility has a neighboring relationship with;

and

the refined search includes, for each of the candidate facilities, determining whether the facility information of any neighboring facility identified in the neighboring facility information of said each candidate facility satisfies the second query.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein

the facility information of each of the facilities includes location information, and

the refined search includes, based on the location information of each of the candidate facilities, determining whether the facility information of any facility within a neighborhood of said each candidate facility satisfies the second query.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein said determining in the refined search includes

identifying candidate neighboring facilities and neighboring roads within a specified range from said each candidate facility, based on the location information of said each candidate facility;

and

among the candidate neighboring facilities, identifying those that are accessible from the neighboring roads as the neighboring facilities for said each candidate facility, based on the location information of said candidate neighboring facilities.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the neighboring roads for said each candidate facility are identified by:

identifying nodes within the specified range from said each candidate facility, based on the location information of said each candidate facility;

identifying roads that link said nodes as candidate neighboring roads; and

among the candidate neighboring roads, identifying those that are within a specified distance from said each candidate facility as the neighboring roads.

20. A computer-readable medium containing a facility information output program that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the method of claim 11.