NAVIGATION SERVER, NAVIGATION APPARATUS, AND NAVIGATION SYSTEM

• US 20100286906A1
• Filed: 07/17/2007
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Murata, Satoshi, Nogawa, Tadafumi
• Granted Patent: US 9,285,238 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B

Abstract

Provided is a navigation system capable of matching map information used by a navigation apparatus and a navigation server with an appropriate frequency and at an appropriate timing. When there is differential information between the navigation map information and the support map information, index information for identifying the differential information is transmitted from the navigation server to the navigation apparatus and the navigation apparatus outputs preliminary information indicating a brief summary of the differential information generated according to the index information. When a request signal based on a request operation by a user in the navigation apparatus is transmitted from the navigation apparatus to the navigation server, the differential information is transmitted form the navigation server to the navigation apparatus, so that the navigation map information is updated in accordance with the differential information.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus which guides a mobile subject on the basis of communication with a navigation server, comprising:

a navigation map storing element configured to store navigation map information;

a first processing element configured to recognize index information for identifying differential information between the navigation map information stored in the navigation map storing element and support map information stored in a support map storing element provided in the navigation server on the basis of communication with the navigation server; and

a second processing element configured to

recognize a departure or present position and a destination position of the mobile subject,

search or define a navigation route joining the departure or present position and the destination on the basis of the navigation map information,

determine whether the differential information is present in a subject area containing the navigation route on the basis of the index information recognized by the first processing element,

generate and output preliminary information indicating a brief summary of the differential information on the basis of the index information on a condition that it is determined that the differential information is present in the subject area,

determine whether a request operation by a user is present,

transmit a request signal for the differential information to the navigation server on a condition that it is determined that the request operation is present, and

receive the differential information from the navigation server and update the navigation map information on the basis of the differential information.

2. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second processing element is configured to receive the index information representing coordinates of plural locations in a newly opened road which serves as the differential information and output a line joining the plural locations as the preliminary information.

3. A navigation server which supports a guidance of a mobile subject guided by a navigation apparatus on the basis of communication with the navigation apparatus, comprising:

a support map storing element configured to store support map information;

a first support processing element configured to

recognize version information indicating a version of navigation map information stored in a navigation map storing element which is provided in the navigation apparatus, and a navigation identifier for identifying the navigation apparatus, on the basis of communication with the navigation apparatus,

determine whether differential information between the navigation map information and the support map information stored in the support map storing element is present or not on the basis of the version information, and

transmit index information of the differential information to the navigation apparatus identified by the navigation identifier in the case where it is determined that the differential information is present to generate and output preliminary information indicating a brief summary of the differential information; and

a second support processing element configured to transmit the differential information to the navigation apparatus on a condition that a request signal for the differential information in accordance with a request operation by a user performed on the navigation apparatus is received from the navigation apparatus to which the index information is transmitted by the first support processing element.

4. A navigation system comprised of a navigation apparatus and a navigation server which supports a guidance of a mobile subject guided by the navigation apparatus on the basis of communication with the navigation apparatus, in which

the navigation apparatus includes

a navigation map storing element configured to store navigation map information;

a first processing element configured to recognize index information for identifying differential information between the navigation map information stored in the navigation map storing element and support map information stored in a support map storing element provided in the navigation server on the basis of communication with the navigation server; and

a second processing element configured to

recognize a departure or present position and a destination position of the mobile subject;

search or define a navigation route joining the departure or present position and the destination on the basis of the navigation map information,

determine whether the differential information is present in a subject area containing the navigation route on the basis of the index information recognized by the first processing element,

generate and output preliminary information indicating a brief summary of the differential information on the basis of the index information on a condition that it is determined that the differential information is present in the subject area,

determine whether a request operation by a user is present,

transmit a request signal for the differential information to the navigation server on a condition that it is determined that the request operation is present, and

receive the differential information from the navigation server and update the navigation map information on the basis of the differential information;

the navigation server includes

a support map storing element configured to store support map information;

a first support processing element configured to

recognize version information indicating a version of the navigation map information stored in the navigation map storing element which is provided in the navigation apparatus, and a navigation identifier for identifying the navigation apparatus, on the basis of communication with the navigation apparatus,

determine whether differential information between the navigation map information and the support map information stored in the support map storing element is present or not on the basis of the version information, and

transmit index information of the differential information to the navigation apparatus identified by the navigation identifier in the case where it is determined that the differential information is present to generate and output preliminary information indicating a brief summary of the differential information; and

a second support processing element configured to transmit the differential information to the navigation apparatus on a condition that a request signal for the differential information in accordance with a request operation by a user performed on the navigation apparatus is received from the navigation apparatus to which the index information is transmitted by the first support processing element.