Guide route distribution device and guide route distribution method

• US 20100211305A1
• Filed: 02/11/2010
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Miyata, Hiromasa
• Application Number:
  US12/658,557
• Publication Number:
  US 20100211305A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3859 Differential updating map data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096816 where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096866 where the complete route is shown to the driver

Abstract

A guide route distribution device includes a reception unit which receives information indicating a start point, information indicating a destination, map data generation information, and route search program generation information from an on-vehicle terminal, a storage unit, a first route search unit which searches for a first route, a second route search unit which searches for a second route, a comparison determination unit which compares the first route and the second route and determines whether a predetermined guide route update condition is satisfied, and a transmission unit which transmits the second route to the on-vehicle terminal only when the guide route update condition is satisfied.

Claims

1. A guide route distribution device comprising:

a reception unit configured to receive information indicating a start point, information indicating a destination, map data generation information for identifying generation of map data possessed by an mobile terminal, and route search program generation information for identifying generation of a route search program for performing route search of a guide route from the start point to the destination, which is possessed by the mobile terminal, from the mobile terminal;

a storage unit configured to store map data of a plurality of generations including map data possessed by the mobile terminal and route search programs of a plurality of generations including a route search program possessed by the mobile terminal;

a first route search unit configured to search for a first route which is a guide route from the start point to the destination, based on map data of a generation indicated by the map data generation information and a route search program of a generation indicated by the route search program generation information, which are read by the storage unit;

a second route search unit configured to search for a second route which is a guide route from the start point to the destination, based on ap data of a generation equal to or updated from the map data possessed by the mobile terminal and a route search program of a generation equal to or updated from the route search program possessed by the mobile terminal, which are read by the storage unit;

a comparison determination unit configured to compare the first route and the second route and determine whether a predetermined guide route update condition is satisfied; and

a transmission unit configured to transmit the second route to the mobile terminal only when the guide route update condition is satisfied.

2. The guide route distribution device according to claim 1, wherein the comparison determination unit sets that a predicted travel time from the start point to the destination in the second route is less than a predicted travel time from the start point to the destination in the first route by a predetermined time, as the guide route update condition.

3. The guide route distribution device according to claim 1, wherein the comparison determination unit sets that a predicted travel money amount from the start point to the destination in the second route is less than a predicted travel money amount from the start point to the destination in the first route by a predetermined money amount, as the guide route update condition.

4. The guide route distribution device according to claim 1, wherein the comparison determination unit sets that a predicted travel distance from the start point to the destination in the second route is less than a predicted travel distance from the start point to the destination in the first route by a predetermined distance, as the guide route update condition.

5. The guide route distribution device according to claim 1, wherein the reception unit receives the guide route update condition from the mobile terminal.

6. The guide route distribution device according to claim 1, wherein:

the comparison determination unit extracts only a difference portion between the first route and the second route from the map data of a generation equal to or updated from the map data possessed by the mobile terminal,

the transmission unit transmits only the difference portion to the mobile terminal.

7. The guide route distribution device according to claim 1, further comprising a traffic information reception unit configured to receive traffic information,

wherein the second route search unit searches for the second route which is the guide route from the start point to the destination, based on the map data of a generation equal to or updated from the map data possessed by the mobile terminal, the route search program of a generation equal to or updated from the route search program possessed by the mobile terminal, and the traffic information, which are read by the storage unit.

8. A guide route distribution method comprising the steps of:

at a predetermined reception unit, receiving information indicating a start point, information indicating a destination, map data generation information for identifying generation of map data possessed by an mobile terminal, and route search program generation information for identifying generation of a route search program for performing route search of a guide route from the start point to the destination, which is possessed by the mobile terminal, from the mobile terminal;

at a predetermined first route search unit, searching for a first route which is a guide route from the start point to the destination, based on map data of a generation indicated by the map data generation information and a route search program of a generation indicated by the route search program generation information, which are read by a predetermined storage unit;

at a predetermined second route search unit, searching for a second route which is a guide route from the start point to the destination, based on map data of a generation equal to or updated from the map data possessed by the mobile terminal and a route search program of a generation equal to or updated from the route search program possessed by the mobile terminal, which are read by the storage unit;

at a predetermined comparison determination unit, comparing the first route and the second route and determining whether a predetermined guide route update condition is satisfied; and

at a predetermined transmission unit, transmitting the second route to the mobile terminal only when the guide route update condition is satisfied.