Route Guidance Server, Navigation Apparatus, Route Guidance System, and Route Guidance Method

• US 20100332132A1
• Filed: 06/29/2010
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA), Hitachi Automotive Systems Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Komine, Hirofumi, Mizuno, Michihito, Oohara, Yuji, Amaya, Shinichi, Suzuki, Kenji, Okude, Mariko
• Granted Patent: US 8,483,950 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/210
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3476 using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• 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

Abstract

A position coordinate based route transmitted from a server is reconstructed as a route of link numbers or node numbers in map data of navigation apparatus without error. A route guidance server searches a route from a start point to end point designated by a navigation apparatus; selects all or a part of nodes included in the searched route as route nodes; sets complementary points to the respective selected route nodes on the route and at a distance longer than a predetermined distance from the respective route nodes; and transmits information including coordinate information on the route nodes and complementary points as route information to the navigation apparatus. Then, based on the coordinate information on the route nodes and complementary points transmitted from the server, the navigation apparatus identifies the route nodes and road links connecting the route nodes by identification numbers in map data the navigation apparatus it self has.

Claims

1. A route guidance server providing a navigation apparatus with route information on a searched route,

the route guidance server comprising:

a route point information creation section that selects all or a part of nodes included in the searched route from the start point to the end point as route nodes, and sets a point, which is on the searched route and more than a predetermined distance apart from each of the selected route node, as a complementary point for the each of the selected route nodes; and

a route information transmission section that transmits to the navigation apparatus the route information inclusive of coordinate information on the each of the selected route nodes and coordinate information on the complementary point set for the each of the selected route nodes.

2. The route guidance server according to claim 1,

wherein, in selecting the route nodes, the route point information creation section refers to the map data, and preferentially selects from the nodes included in the route from the start point to the end point nodes with a larger number of branches than others.

3. The route guidance server according to claim 1, further holding traffic amount data for traffic amount on each road link,

wherein, in selecting the route nodes, the route point information creation section refers to the map data and the traffic amount data, and preferentially selects from the nodes included in the route from the start point to the end point nodes of which a branch distribution rate is larger than others, the branch distribution route representing a degree of distribution of a traffic amount from an incoming link to the node being distributed into outgoing links.

4. The route guidance server according to claim 1, further holding traffic status data of each road link which indicates a degree of difficulty in passing through the each road link due to a traffic congestion or traffic restriction,

wherein, in selecting the route nodes, the route point information creation section refers to the map data and the traffic status data, searches road links which are in a vicinity of the route from the start point to the end point for a passing avoidance road link, the passing avoidance road link, whose degree of the difficulty in passing through is high and which is to be avoided to pass through, and selects as the route node a node being on the route and connected through an road link excluded from the route with a node on an incoming side of the passing avoidance road link, if the passing avoidance link is present in the vicinity.

5. The route guidance server according to claim 1, further holding traffic status data of each road link which indicates a degree of difficulty in passing through the each road link due to a traffic congestion and traffic restriction,

wherein, in selecting the route nodes, the route point information creation section refers to the map data and the traffic status data, searches road links which are on the route from the start point to the end point or in a surrounding of the route for a passing avoidance road link, the passing avoidance road link, whose degree of the difficulty in passing through is high and which is to be avoided to pass through, and transmits information on position coordinates and attributes of a passing avoidance road link in addition to the route information to the navigation apparatus if the passing avoidance road link is present on the route.

6. The route guidance server according to claim 1, further holding toll information on toll for a toll road,

wherein, in selecting the route nodes, the route point information creation section refers to the toll information, and selects, from the nodes included in the route from the start point to the end point, a node at which a toll calculation structure of the toll road changes as one of the route nodes.

7. A navigation apparatus comprising:

a route point identification section that identifies route nodes included in a route from a start point to an end point and road links connecting the route nodes, based on coordinate information on the route nodes and coordinate information on complementary points being set for the route nodes, using identification numbers of map data with which the navigation apparatus is provided, and

a route searching section that searches the route from the start point to the end point, the route running through the identified route nodes and the road links, based on the map data with which the navigation apparatus is provided.

8. The navigation apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein, if the information on the start point and the end point included in the route search request information is different from information on the start point and the end point newly received after the route search request information is transmitted, the route searching section further searches, based on the map data with which the navigation is provided, a first route from the newly received start point to the start point included in the route search request information and a second route from the end point included in the route search request information to the newly received end point, and

wherein route information on a route formed by combining the first route, the route previously searched based on the route information transmitted from the route guidance server and the map data with which the navigation apparatus is provided, and the second route, is displayed on the display device.

9. A route guide system comprising:

a navigation apparatus that receives information on a start point and an end point of a route to be searched and transmits route search request information including the information on the start point and end point; and

a route guidance server storing map data, which searches the route from the start point to the end point referring to the map data and provides a navigation apparatus with route information on the searched route,

the route guidance server selecting all or a part of nodes included in the searched route from the start point to the end point as route nodes, and sets a point, which is on the route and more than a predetermined distance apart from each of the selected route node, as a complementary point for the each of the selected route nodes; and

transmitting to the navigation apparatus the route information inclusive of coordinate information on the each of the selected route nodes and coordinate information on the complementary point set for the each of the selected route nodes,

the navigation apparatus identifying the route nodes and the road links connecting the route nodes, based on the coordinate information on the route nodes and the coordinate information on the complementary points included in the route information transmitted from the route guidance server, using identification numbers of the map data with which the navigation apparatus is provided, searching the route from the start point to the end point, the route running through the identified route nodes and the road links, based on the map data with which the navigation apparatus is provided, and displaying the route information on the searched route on a display device.

10. A route guide method comprising:

a route guidance server

selecting all or a part of nodes included in a searched route from a start point to an end point as route nodes, and sets a point, which is on the searched route and more than a predetermined distance apart from each of the selected route node, as a complementary point for the each of the selected route nodes, and

transmitting to a navigation apparatus the route information inclusive of coordinate information on the each of the selected route nodes and coordinate information on the complementary point set for the each of the selected route nodes, and

the navigation apparatus

identifying the route nodes and road links connecting the route nodes, based on the coordinate information on the route nodes and the coordinate information on the complementary points included in the route information transmitted from the route guidance server, using identification numbers of map data with which the navigation apparatus is provided,

searching the searched route from the start point to the end point, the route running through the identified route nodes and the road links, based on the map data with which the navigation apparatus is provided, and

displaying the route information on the searched route on a display device.