NAVIGATION DEVICE, NAVIGATION METHOD, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20160273930A1
• Filed: 01/08/2016
• Published: 09/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yahoo Japan Corporation (A Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo Japan Corporation (A Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: WADA, YUSUKE, ASAI, KATSUFUMI, AKUTAGAWA, IKUO
• Granted Patent: US 10,077,989 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3438 Rendez-vous, i.e. searching a destination where several users can meet, and the routes to this destination for these users; Ride sharing, i.e. searching a route such that at least two users can share a vehicle for at least part of the route
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA

Abstract

A navigation device navigating a moving body based on position information includes a coordinated operation unit that initiates and ends a coordinated operation among a plurality of navigation devices; a guiding unit that performs navigation in at least one of the navigation devices performing the coordinated operation, while providing a screen display based on a designated position; and a second operating unit that performs a second operation in a navigation device other than a currently navigating navigation device performing the coordinated operation, the second operation including receiving an operation for a function that is not displayed on the screen of the currently navigating navigation device, and reflecting a position acquired as a result of the operation, to the other navigation devices performing the coordinated operation.

Claims

1. A navigation device navigating a moving body based on position information, the navigation device comprising:

a coordinated operation unit that initiates and ends a coordinated operation among a plurality of navigation devices;

a guiding unit that performs navigation in at least one of the navigation devices performing the coordinated operation, while providing a screen display based on a designated position; and

a second operating unit that performs a second operation in a navigation device other than a currently navigating navigation device performing the coordinated operation, the second operation including receiving an operation for a function that is not displayed on the screen of the currently navigating navigation device, and reflecting a position acquired as a result of the operation, to the other navigation devices performing the coordinated operation.

2. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the second operating unit starts the second operation when any of the navigation devices performing the coordinated operation starts navigation.

3. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the second operating unit starts the second operation when the currently navigating navigation device and the coordinated operation unit initiate a coordinated operation.

4. The navigation device according to claim 1 , wherein the coordinated operation unit initiates a coordinated operation between one navigation device and another navigation device, by displaying predetermined identification information on the one navigation device attempting to establish the coordinated operation, and causing the other terminal to read the displayed identification information.

5. The navigation device according to claim 1 , further comprising a share display unit that share-displays at least some of positions related to the other navigation devices performing the coordinated operation, as an icon, for example, on a map screen.

6. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein, when designated one of the positions currently being share-displayed is changed, the share display unit reflects a change, as needed, on a shared display shared among the navigation devices performing the coordinated operation.

7. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein, when a common position is designated among the navigation devices performing the coordinated operation, the share display unit provides a screen display presenting estimated arrival time at which each of the navigation devices performing the coordinated operation is expected to arrive at the common position.

8. The navigation device according to claim 1, further comprising a selecting unit that selects one of an intra-vehicle coordinated operation and an inter-vehicle coordinated operation, wherein

when the intra-vehicle coordinated operation is selected, the second operating unit performs the second operation without the share display unit displaying a position of a vehicle having the navigation device onboard on the map screen;

when the inter-vehicle coordinated operation is selected, the guiding unit in at least one representative navigation device designated for each of vehicles performs navigation, and the second operating unit in each of the navigation devices other than the representative navigation device performs the second operation, and the share display unit in each of the navigation devices involved in the inter-vehicle coordinated operation share-displays a current position of the representative navigation device on the map screen.

9. The navigation device according to claim 8, further comprising a determining unit that determines whether the intra-vehicle coordinated operation or the inter-vehicle coordinated operation is to be used, and whether positions of the respective terminals satisfy a condition for the selected coordinated operation.

10. The navigation device according to claim 8, wherein, while a navigation device having established a coordinated operation with other navigation devices is navigating, the share display unit receives a change in the designated position only from the other navigation devices in the intra-vehicle coordinated operation.

11. The navigation device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a leader setting unit that designates one of the navigation devices involved in the coordinated operation as a leader vehicle; and

a follower navigating unit that outputs, in each of the navigation devices involved in the coordinated operation but excluding the navigation device onboard the leader vehicle, navigation through route search that uses a constantly changing current position of the leader vehicle as a moving destination once the leader vehicle is designated.

12. A navigation device according to claim 11, further comprising:

a transmitting unit that transmits information related to a movement from the leader vehicle to the navigation devices involved in the coordinated operation but excluding the navigation device onboard the leader vehicle, as needed, wherein

the follower navigating unit in each of the navigation devices involved in the coordinated operation but excluding the navigation device onboard the leader vehicle performs required rerouting and navigation based on the information related to the movement transmitted from the leader vehicle.

13. A navigation method performed by a navigation device, the navigation method comprising:

initiating and ending a coordinated operation among a plurality of navigation devices;

navigating in at least one of the navigation devices performing the coordinated operation, while providing a screen display based on a designated position; and

a second operating in a navigation device other than a currently navigating navigation device performing the coordinated operation, the second operation including receiving an operation for a function that is not displayed on the screen of the currently navigating navigation device, and reflecting a position acquired as a result of the operation, to the other navigation devices performing the coordinated operation.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon, wherein the program instructs a computer to perform:

initiating and ending a coordinated operation among a plurality of navigation devices;

navigating in at least one of the navigation devices performing the coordinated operation, while providing a screen display based on a designated position; and

a second operating in a navigation device other than a currently navigating navigation device performing the coordinated operation, the second operation including receiving an operation for a function that is not displayed on the screen of the currently navigating navigation device, and reflecting a position acquired as a result of the operation, to the other navigation devices performing the coordinated operation.