NAVIGATION SYSTEM AND METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT

• US 20090157299A1
• Filed: 02/19/2009
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Mafune, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,788,001 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A navigation system (500) is provided with: a navigation apparatus (510); a server apparatus (520) and a route information transmittance apparatus (530), which are inter-communicable via a communication network (540). The route information transmittance apparatus is provided with: an input device (531) for inputting route search information indicating an instruction of a route search; and a transmittance device (532) for transmitting the route search information to the server apparatus. The server apparatus is provided with: a server side communication device (521) for receiving the route search information; an authentication device (522) for authenticating whether or not the route search information is available; and a search device (523) for performing the route search on the basis of the authenticated route search information. The server side communication device transmits search result information indicating a searched route to the navigation apparatus. The navigation apparatus is provided with: a terminal side communication device (511) for receiving the search result information; and a route guidance device (512) for performing a route guidance on the basis of the search result information.

Claims

1. A navigation system having a navigation apparatus, a server apparatus and a route information transmittance apparatus, which are capable of transferring and receiving information in bidirectional intercommunication via a communication network,

(i) said route information transmittance apparatus comprising:

an input device for inputting route search information which includes destination information and is required for performing a route search; and

a transmittance device for transmitting the inputted route search information to said server apparatus,

(ii) said server apparatus comprising;

a server side communication device for receiving the route search information transmitted from said route information transmittance apparatus;

a judgment device for judging whether or not the destination information identifies appropriately the destination position in performing the route search; and

a search device for performing the route search on the basis of the route search information which is judged to identify appropriately the destination position in the case where the destination information is judged to identify appropriately the destination position in performing the route search, wherein said server side communication device further transmits search result information indicating a route searched by said search device to said navigation apparatus, and

(iii) said navigation apparatus comprising;

a terminal side communication device for receiving the search result information; and

a route guidance device for performing a route guidance on the basis of the received search result information.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1, said navigation apparatus further comprising a measurement device for measuring a current position of a movable body on which said navigation apparatus is mounted, wherein said terminal side communication device transmits movable body position information indicating the measured position to said server apparatus, said server side communication device receives the movable body position information, and said search device performs the route search on the basis of the route search information which is judged to identify appropriately the destination position and the received movable body position information.

3. The navigation system according to claim 4, wherein said terminal side communication device transmits the movable body position information after the route search information is judged to identify appropriately the destination position.

4. The navigation system according to claim 1, said route information transmittance apparatus or said server apparatus further comprising a position identification device for identifying a current position of said route information transmittance apparatus, wherein said search device performs the route search, on the basis of the route search information which is judged to identify appropriately the destination position, under an assumption in which the identified position is simulated as a current position of a movable body on which said navigation apparatus is mounted.

5. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said judgment device judges that the route search information is available if the destination information which is included in the route search information includes a character string recognizable by said search device.

6. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said judgment device includes a storing device for storing initial setting information, and judges whether or not the route search information identifies appropriately the destination position, with reference to the initial setting information and the route search information.

7. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the route search information includes sender information indicating a sender who transmits the route search information.

8. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the route search information includes search object information designating said navigation apparatus for which the route search is performed on the basis of the route search information.

9. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the route search information further includes “

on route site”

, and said judgment device further judges whether or not the “

on route site”

information identifies appropriately the position of a “

on route site”

in performing the route search.

10. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the route search information further includes date information indicating at least one of date and time point when said search device performs the route search on the basis of the route search information, and said judgment device further judges whether or not the date information identifies appropriately at least one of date and time point in performing the route search.

11. The navigation system according to claim 1, said navigation apparatus further comprising a display confirmation device for confirming whether or not a result of the route search is to be displayed and/or outputted.

12. A navigation method in a navigation system having a navigation apparatus, a server apparatus and a route information transmittance apparatus, which are capable of transferring and receiving information in bidirectional inter-communication via a communication network,

(i) at said route information transmittance apparatus, said method comprising:

an input process of inputting route search information which includes destination information and is required for performing a route search; and

a transmittance process of transmitting the inputted route search information to said server apparatus,

(ii) at said server apparatus, said method comprising;

a server side communication process of receiving the route search information transmitted at said transmittance process;

a judgment process of judging whether or not the destination information identifies appropriately the destination position in performing the route search; and

a search process of performing the route search on the basis of the route search information which is judged to identify appropriately the destination position in the case where the destination information is judged to identify appropriately the destination position in performing the route search, wherein at said server communication process, search result information indicating a route searched at said search process is further transmitted to said navigation apparatus, and

(iii) at said navigation apparatus, said method comprising;

a terminal side communication process of receiving the search result information; and

a route guidance process of performing a route guidance on the basis of the received search result information.

13. A computer program product in a computer-readable medium for tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer provided for a navigation system having a navigation apparatus, a server apparatus and a route information transmittance apparatus, which are capable of transferring and receiving information in bidirectional inter-communication via a communication network,

(i) said route information transmittance apparatus comprising:

an input device for inputting route search information which includes destination information and is required for performing a route search; and

a transmittance device for transmitting the inputted route search information to said server apparatus,

(ii) said server apparatus comprising;

a server side communication device for receiving the route search information transmitted from said route information transmittance apparatus;

a judgment device for judging whether or not the destination information identifies appropriately the destination position in performing the route search; and

a search device for performing the route search on the basis of the route search information which is judged to identify appropriately the destination position in the case where the destination information is judged to identify appropriately the destination position in performing the route search, wherein said server communication device further transmits search result information indicating a route searched by said search device to said navigation apparatus, and

(iii) said navigation apparatus comprising;

a terminal side communication device for receiving the search result information; and

a route guidance device for performing a route guidance on the basis of the received search result information, wherein the program of instructions is to make the computer function as at least one of the devices which is comprised in each of said navigation apparatus said server apparatus and said route information transmittance apparatus.