MOBILE-BODY NAVIGATION SYSTEM, NAVIGATION APPARATUS AND SERVER APPARATUS

• US 20090210152A1
• Filed: 12/24/2008
• Published: 08/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: KAWA, Noriaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,260,544 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3889 Transmission of selected map data, e.g. depending on route
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3896 Transmission of map data from central databases

Abstract

A mobile-body navigation system comprises;

• • a navigation apparatus that is disposed in a mobile body and includes a position detection portion for detecting a position of the mobile body, a transmitter-receiver portion, a processing portion, a display portion, and a storage medium;
  • a radio communication apparatus for carrying out interactive radio communication with the transmitter-receiver portion; and
  • a server apparatus that includes a map information database;
    wherein the server apparatus repeats extraction of high-priority map information for map display from the map information database based on a mobile-body position that is detected by the position detection portion and received via the transmitter-receiver portion and via the radio communication apparatus, and repeats transmission of the extracted map information to the transmitter-receiver portion via the radio communication apparatus,

the processing portion receives the map information via the transmitter-receiver portion, makes the storage medium store the received map information, and makes the display portion display a map based on the stored map information and on the mobile-body position detected by the position detection portion.

Claims

1. A mobile-body navigation system, comprising:

a navigation apparatus that is disposed in a mobile body and includes a position detection portion for detecting a position of the mobile body, a transmitter-receiver portion, a processing portion, a display portion, and a storage medium;

a radio communication apparatus for carrying out interactive radio communication with the transmitter-receiver portion; and

a server apparatus that includes a map information database;

wherein the server apparatus repeats extraction of high-priority map information for map display from the map information database based on a mobile-body position that is detected by the position detection portion and received via the transmitter-receiver portion and via the radio communication apparatus, and repeats transmission of the extracted map information to the transmitter-receiver portion via the radio communication apparatus,

the processing portion receives the map information via the transmitter-receiver portion, makes the storage medium store the received map information, and makes the display portion display a map based on the stored map information and on the mobile-body position detected by the position detection portion.

2. The mobile-body navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

the processing portion transmits destination information to the radio communication apparatus via the transmitter-receiver portion,

the server apparatus receives the destination information via the radio communication apparatus, searches for a route based on the received destination information and on the received mobile-body position, and transmits a route search result to the transmitter-receiver portion via the radio communication apparatus, and

the processing portion receives the route search result via the transmitter-receiver portion, makes the storage medium store the route search result, and makes the display portion display a route based on the route search result stored in the storage medium.

3. The mobile-body navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

the navigation apparatus includes an operation portion,

if map scale change operation is carried out on the operation portion during the time of the map display, the server apparatus repeats extraction of map information that has high priority and is changed in scale for map display from the map information database based on a mobile-body position that is detected by the position detection portion and received via the transmitter-receiver portion and via the radio communication apparatus, and repeats transmission of the extracted map information to the transmitter-receiver portion via the radio communication apparatus,

the processing portion receives the map information via the transmitter-receiver portion, makes the storage medium store the received map information, and makes the display portion display a map based on the stored map information and on the mobile-body position detected by the position detection portion.

4. The mobile-body navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

after the server apparatus transmits the high-priority map information for map display, the server apparatus extracts high-priority map information for map display in a different scale from the map information database, and transmits the extracted map information to the transmitter-receiver portion via the radio communication apparatus, and

the processing portion receives the map information via the transmitter-receiver portion, and makes the storage medium store the received map information.

5. The mobile-body navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter-receiver portion and the radio communication apparatus communicate with each other in an always-on connection state without occupying a line.

6. The mobile-body navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

each of contractor identification ID and contractor specification ID is able to be set to be or not to be transmittable from the navigation apparatus to the server apparatus, and

if the contractor identification ID is set to be transmittable, the server apparatus confirms that the contractor is a proper contractor based on the contractor identification ID that is received from the processing portion via the transmitter-receiver portion and via the radio communication apparatus, and starts to extract and transmit the high-priority map information for the map display.

7. The mobile-body navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

the navigation apparatus includes at least one kind of sensor, and

the processing portion transmits information detected by the sensor to the radio communication apparatus via the transmitter-receiver portion, and the server apparatus receives and obtains the detected information via the radio communication apparatus.

8. The mobile-body navigation system according to claim 7, wherein

if the processing portion receives a detected information request from the server apparatus via the radio communication apparatus and via the transmitter-receiver portion, the processing portion transmits the detected information.

9. The mobile-body navigation system according to claim 8, wherein

the server apparatus calculates a reward based on the obtained detected information.

10. The mobile-body navigation system according to claim 7, wherein

each kind of the detected information is able to be set to be or not to be transmittable from the navigation apparatus to the server apparatus.

11. The mobile-body navigation system according to claim 7, wherein

if the server apparatus finds out based on the obtained detected information that the mobile body seems to be running on a road whose data are not shown on the map presented by the map information database, the server apparatus predicts a come-in road into which the mobile body comes from an existing road, transmits an take-image request to the navigation apparatus that has a camera and is disposed in a mobile body which is going to run by the predicted come-in road, and receives and obtains a taken image from the navigation apparatus that receives the image take request and takes the image of a condition of the road with the camera.

12. The mobile-body navigation system according to claim 7, wherein

if the server locates based on the obtained detected information a road where a traffic jam is predicted to occur, the server transmits an take-image request to a navigation apparatus that has a camera and is disposed in a mobile body which is going to run or running on the road, and receives and obtains a taken image from the navigation apparatus that receives the take-image request and takes the mage of a condition of the road with the camera.

13. The mobile-body navigation system according to claim 7, wherein

the at least one kind of sensor includes a temperature sensor and/or a humidity sensor, and at a request from another navigation apparatus, the server apparatus transmits obtained temperature information and/or humidity information to said another navigation apparatus.

14. The mobile-body navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

the server apparatus transmits an take-image request to the navigation apparatus which has a camera and is disposed in a mobile body which is going to run or running by a building that seems to be changing from the condition shown in the map presented by the map information database, and receives and obtains a taken image from the navigation apparatus that receives the take-image request and takes the image of a condition of the building with the camera.

15. The mobile-body navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

the navigation system includes a camera,

the processing portion transmits an image of a sky condition taken by the camera to the radio communication apparatus via the transmitter-receiver apparatus, and

the server apparatus receives and obtains the taken image via the radio communication apparatus and transmits the obtained taken image or weather information based on the obtained taken image to another navigation apparatus at a request from said another navigation apparatus.

16. The mobile-body navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

the server apparatus simultaneously transmits warning information via the radio communication apparatus to a plurality of navigation apparatuses that are connected to the radio communication apparatus over radio.

17. The mobile-body navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

the server apparatus transmits software to the transmitter-receiver portion via the radio communication apparatus, and

the processing portion receives the software via the transmitter-receiver portion, makes the storage medium store the received software, and installs the stored software.

18. The mobile-body navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

the navigation apparatus includes a fuel amount sensor and a notice portion,

if the processing portion finds out that a fuel amount detected by the fuel sensor is equal to or less than a given amount, the processing portion transmits a fuel supply information request to the server apparatus via the transmitter-receiver portion and via the radio communication apparatus,

the server apparatus receives the request, retrieves a fuel supply facility where it is predictably possible to reach within the business time on fuel of the current amount based on the fuel amount detected by the fuel amount sensor and on the business time information about fuel supply facilities that the server apparatus has, and transmits fuel supply information on the retrieved fuel supply facility to the transmitter-receiver portion via the radio communication apparatus, and

the processing portion receives the fuel supply information via the transmitter-receiver portion, and makes the notice portion release a notice of choices of fuel supply means based on the received fuel supply information.

19. The mobile-body navigation system according to claim 18, wherein

the business time information about the fuel supply facilities is able to be registered from a terminal over a line such as the Internet by a service provider of each facility.

20. The mobile-body navigation system claim 1, wherein

the navigation apparatus includes a notice portion and an operation portion,

if a given operation is carried out on the operation portion, the processing portion transmits a nearby available facility information request to the server apparatus via the transmitter-receiver portion and via the radio communication apparatus,

the server apparatus receives the request, retrieves a nearby facility where it is predictably possible to reach within the business time based on the business time information about facilities that the server apparatus has, and transmits nearby available facility information on the retrieved nearby facility to the transmitter-receiver portion via the radio communication apparatus, and

the processing portion receives the nearby available facility information via the transmitter-receiver portion, and makes the notice portion release a notice based on the nearby available facility information.

21. The mobile-body navigation system according to claim 20, wherein

the business time information about the facilities is able to be registered from a terminal over a line such as the Internet by a service provider of each facility.

22. A navigation apparatus disposed in a mobile body, comprising a position detection portion and a storage medium,

the navigation apparatus transmits a map information request including a mobile-body position detected by the position detection portion to a server apparatus by radio communication;

receives map information based on the mobile-body position from the server apparatus by radio communication;

makes the storage medium store the received map information; and

carries out map display based on the stored map information and on the mobile-body position detected by the position detection portion.

23. A server apparatus, the server apparatus receives a map information request including a mobile-body position detected by a navigation apparatus from the navigation apparatus by radio communication, and transmits map information based on the received mobile-body position to the navigation apparatus by radio communication.