Navigation system data recordable by user, recording medium thereof, and methods for recording/reproducing to/from the same

• US 5,535,125 A
• Filed: 04/17/1995
• Issued: 07/09/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Okabe, Masanobu
• Primary Examiner(s): ZANELLI, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US08/425,301
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 364/449, 364/460, 364/443, 395/600, 340/995, 342/357, 342/457, 360/135, 369/275.1, 369/275.3
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 11/10597 Adaptations for transducing various formats on the same or different carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/211 Discs having both read-only and rewritable or recordable areas containing application data; Partial ROM media
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2529 Mini-discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]

Abstract

In a composite disc having a read-only area and a recordable area, user data corresponding to a map information which has been preliminarily recorded in a read-only area, is recorded to the recordable area, so that the user data corresponding to the map information can be written on the magneto-optical disc. Thereby, there can be realized a navigation system in which a large volume of user data can be reserved without a provision of a back-up power source and easiness in use is markedly improved.

Claims

1. A navigation system comprising:

a position sensor for detecting a present position information upon receipt of a radio wave from a satellite and for outputting a position information signal;

user manipulation means for allowing the user to operate said system and for outputting first control signals;

navigation control means, responsive to the first control signals and the position information signal, for calculating a present display position and for generating second control signals and a present display position signal;

recording means, controlled by said second control signals, for recording user digital data from said navigation control means in a second area of an optical disc;

reproducing means, controlled by said second control signals, for reproducing map digital data which has been recorded preliminarily in a first area of said optical disc, and said user digital data recorded in said second area of said optical disc; and

display means for displaying a predetermined display image in accordance with a reproducing signal obtained from said reproducing means and the present display position signal obtained from said navigation control means.

2. A navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said data to be recorded in the second area is any one of locus, date and time, and voice data.

3. A navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said user digital data to be recorded in the second area is made up of a series of one or more linked segments, and wherein each series of linked segments of said user digital data to be recorded in the second area is referenced to said map digital data which has been recorded preliminarily in the first area.

4. A navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said user digital data to be recorded in the second area includes address information on the optical disc of said map digital data which corresponds to said user digital data and which has been recorded preliminarily in the first area.

5. A navigation system according to claim 1 wherein said map digital data which has been recorded preliminarily in said first area of said optical disc includes latitude and longitude information, and wherein a date and time of recording are recorded along with said user digital data to be recorded in the second area.

22. A navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the navigation control means, in response to the first control signals, determines whether or not to record data in the second area and adds the user digital data reproduced from the second area of the optical disc to the map digital data read from the first area to produce combined data and controls the recording means to record the combined data on the second area of the optical disc.

6. An optical disc recording medium comprising:

a read-only recording region having a map subregion on which map digital data are prerecorded and having a program table subregion on which a program table of contents (PTOC) which includes digital addresses of the map digital data on the optical disc recording medium is pre-recorded; and

a recording and reproducing region having a user annotation subregion on which a user of the optical disc recording medium can magneto-optically record annotation digital data information, with respect to the map digital data, and having a user table subregion on which a user table of contents (UTOC) which includes digital addresses of the annotation digital data can be magneto-optically recorded.

7. A recording medium according to claim 6, wherein said annotation digital data is any one of locus data, date and time data, and voice data.

8. A recording medium according to claim 6, wherein said annotation digital data is made up of a series of one or more linked segments and each series is referenced to a portion of said map digital data which has been pre-recorded.

9. A recording medium according to claim 8, wherein said annotation digital data includes address information on the optical disc recording medium of said map digital data.

10. A recording medium according to claim 8, wherein said annotation digital data includes at least any one of latitude and longitude of said map digital data and a date and time.

11. A reproducing method for a navigation system which includes:

a position sensor for detecting a present position information upon receipt of a radio wave from a satellite and for outputting a position information signal;

user manipulation means for allowing the user to operate said system;

navigation control means for calculating a present display position corresponding to a control signal from said user manipulation means and said position information signal output from said position sensor, and for generating control signals;

reproducing means to be controlled by said control signals of said navigation control means and for reproducing map digital data which has been recorded preliminarily in a first area of an optical disc, and annotation digital data recorded in a second area of said optical disc; and

display means for displaying a predetermined display image in accordance with a reproducing signal obtained from said reproducing means and a position display information obtained from said navigation control means;

said reproducing method comprising the steps of;

determining whether or not the system is in a mode for displaying the annotation digital data recorded in the second area;

reading from said second area annotation digital data corresponding to said map digital data read from the first area when said determination step has resulted in a conclusion that the system is in the mode for displaying the annotation digital data recorded in the second area; and

displaying said read data on said display means.

12. A reproducing method according to claim 11, wherein said annotation digital data recorded in the second area includes an address information of said map digital data recorded in the first area.

13. A reproducing method according to claim 11, wherein said annotation digital data recorded in the second area includes at least any one of a latitude and a longitude corresponding to said map digital data recorded in the first area, and date and time data.

14. A reproducing method for a navigation system which includes;

a position sensor for detecting a present position information upon receipt of a radio wave from a satellite and for outputting a position information signal;

user manipulation means for allowing the user to operate said system;

navigation control means for calculating a present display position from said position information signal in response to a first control signal from said user manipulation means, and for generating second control signals;

recording means to be controlled by said second control signals of said navigation control means and for recording user digital data from said navigation control means in a second area of an optical disc;

reproducing means to be controlled by said second control signals of said navigation control means and for reproducing a map digital data which has been recorded preliminarily in a first area of said optical disc, and said user digital data recorded in said second area of said optical disc; and

display means for displaying a predetermined display image in accordance with a reproducing signal obtained from said reproducing means and display position information obtained from said navigation control means;

said reproducing method comprising the steps of;

determining whether or not to record data in the second area; and

adding said user digital data reproduced from the second area of said optical disc to said map digital data read from said first area to produce combined data when said determination step has resulted in a conclusion that the system is in a recording mode and recording the combined data to said second area of said optical disc.

15. A reproducing method according to claim 14, wherein said user digital data recorded in the second area includes an address information of said map digital data recorded in the first area.

16. A reproducing method according to claim 14, wherein said user digital data recorded in the second area includes at least any one of the latitude and longitude corresponding to said map digital data recorded in the first area, and a date and time of recording.

17. A navigation method comprising the steps of:

detecting a present position information upon receipt of a radio wave from a satellite and for outputting a position information signal;

interactively inputting first control signals and user digital data;

calculating, in response to the first control signals and the position information signal, a present position and generating second control signals and a present display position signal;

recording, in response to the second control signals, user digital data in a second area of an optical disc;

reproducing pre-recorded map digital data, in response to the second control signals, from a first area of the optical disc and said user digital data recorded in the second area of the optical disc; and

displaying a predetermined display image in accordance with a reproducing signal obtained during the reproducing step and the present display position signal.

18. A navigation method according to claim 17, wherein the step of recording as user digital data in the second area comprises recording any one of locus, date and time, and voice data.

19. A navigation method according to claim 17, wherein the step of recording user digital data comprises recording segments of user digital data, each segment being referenced to the map digital data which has been pre-recorded in the first area.

20. A navigation method according to claim 17, wherein the user digital data to be recorded in the second area includes address information on the optical disc of the map digital data which has been recorded preliminarily in the first area.

21. A navigation method according to claim 17 wherein the latitude and longitude of the map digital data which has been pre-recorded in the first area, and a date and time of recording are recorded along with the user digital data to be recorded in the second area.

23. A navigation system comprising:

a position sensor for detecting a present position information upon receipt of a radio wave from a satellite and for outputting a position information signal;

user manipulation means for allowing the user to determine operation modes and for outputting first control signals;

navigation control means, responsive to the first control signals and the position information signal, for calculating a present position information and for generating second control signals and a present position signal respectively;

reproducing means, controlled by said second control signals, for reproducing map digital data which has been recorded preliminarily in a first area of an optical disc and user digital data recorded in a second area of said optical disc;

recording means, controlled by said second control signals, for recording data from said navigation control means in said second area of said optical disc; and

display means for displaying a predetermined display image in accordance with at least one of said reproducing map digital data obtained from said reproducing means, the present position signal obtained from said navigation control means and inputted data from said user manipulation means.

24. A navigation system according to claim 23, wherein said data to be recorded in the second area is any one of locus, date and time, and voice data.

25. A navigation system according to claim 23, wherein each segment of a plurality of segments of said user digital data to be recorded in the second area is referenced to said map digital data which has been recorded preliminarily in the first area.

26. A navigation system according to claim 23, wherein said user digital data to be recorded in the second area includes address information on the optical disc of said map digital data which has been recorded preliminarily in the first area.

27. A navigation system according to claim 23 wherein latitude and longitude data of said map information which has been recorded preliminarily in the first area, and a date and time of recording are recorded along with said user digital data to be recorded in the second area.

44. A navigation system according to claim 23, wherein the navigation means, in response to the first control signals, determines whether or not to record data in the second area and adds the user digital data reproduced from the second area of the optical disc to the map digital data read from the first area to produce combined data and controls the recording means to record the combined data on the second area of the optical disc.

28. An optical disc recording medium including read-only areas and recordable and reproducible areas comprising:

a first read-only area on which map digital data is pre-recorded;

a second read-only area on which a program table of contents for recorded address information on the optical disc recording medium is pre-recorded;

a first recordable and reproducible area on which a user of the optical disc recording medium can magneto-optically record annotation digital data information;

a second recordable and reproducible area on which a user table of contents for recorded address information for annotation digital data on the optical disc recording medium can be recorded.

29. A recording medium according to claim 28, wherein said annotation digital data is any one of locus data, date and time data, and voice data.

30. A recording medium according to claim 28, wherein said annotation digital data is made up of segments and each segment is referenced to a portion of said map digital data which has been pre-recorded.

31. A recording medium according to claim 30, wherein said annotation digital data includes address information on the optical disc recording medium of said map digital data.

32. A recording medium according to claim 30, wherein said annotation digital data includes at least any one of the latitude and longitude of said map digital data and a date and time.

33. A reproducing method for a navigation system which includes:

a position sensor for detecting a present position information upon receipt of a radio wave from a satellite and for outputting a position information signal;

user manipulation means for allowing the user to determine operation modes of said system and for outputting a first control signal;

navigation control means for calculating a present position information corresponding to said first control signal from said user manipulation means, and for a generating second control signal respectively;

reproducing means to be controlled by said second control signal of said navigation control means and for reproducing map digital data which has been recorded preliminarily in a first area of an optical disc, and annotation digital data recorded in a second area of said optical disc; and

display means for displaying a predetermined display image in accordance with at least one of reproduced map digital data obtained from said reproducing means, the present position information obtained from said navigation control means and inputted data from said user manipulation means;

said reproducing method comprising the steps of;

(a) determining whether or not said system is in a mode for displaying the annotation digital data recorded in the second area;

(b) reading from said second area annotation digital data corresponding to said map digital data read from the first area when it is determined in step (a) that the system is in the mode for displaying the annotation digital data recorded in the second area; and

(c) displaying said read data on said display means.

34. A reproducing method according to claim 33, wherein said reading step includes reading annotation digital data recorded in the second area which includes an address information of said map digital data corresponding to said data recorded in the first area.

35. A reproducing method according to claim 33, wherein said reading step includes reading annotation digital data recorded in the second area which includes at least any one of a latitude and a longitude corresponding to said map digital data recorded in the first area, and date and time data.

36. A recording method for a navigation system which includes:

a position sensor for detecting a present position information upon receipt of a radio wave from a satellite and for outputting a position information signal;

user manipulation means for allowing the user to determine operating modes of said system and for outputting a first control signal;

navigation control means for calculating a present position information in accordance with said position information signal in response to said first control signal from said user manipulation means, and for generating a second control signal respectively;

reproducing means to be controlled by said second control signal of said navigation control means and for reproducing map digital data which has been recorded preliminarily in a first area of an optical disc, and annotation digital data recorded in a second area of said optical disc; and

display means for displaying a predetermined display image in accordance with at least one of said reproducing map digital data obtained from said reproducing means, the present position information obtained from said navigation control means and inputted data from said user manipulation means;

said recording method comprising the steps of;

(a) determining whether or not to record data in the second area;

(b) adding said annotation digital data reproduced from the second area of said optical disc to said map digital data read from said first area to produce combined data when said step (a) has resulted in a conclusion that the system is in a recording mode and recording the combined data to said optical disc;

(c) reading from said second area annotation digital data corresponding to said map digital data read from the first area when step (a) has resulted in a conclusion that the system is in the mode for displaying the annotation digital data recorded in the second area; and

(d) displaying said read annotation digital data on said display means.

37. A reproducing method according to claim 36, wherein said reading step includes reading annotation digital data recorded in the second area which includes an address information of said map digital data recorded in the first area.

38. A reproducing method according to claim 36, wherein said reading step includes reading annotation digital data recorded in the second area which includes at least any one of the latitude and longitude corresponding to said map digital data recorded in the first area, and a date and time of recording.

39. A navigation method comprising steps of:

detecting a present position information upon receipt of a radio wave from a satellite and for outputting a position information signal;

interactively inputting a first control signal and user digital data;

calculating, in response to said first control signal and the position information signal, a present position and generating a second control signal and a present position signal;

reproducing pre-recorded map digital data, in response to the second control signal, from a first area of an optical disc and user digital data recorded in a second area of the optical disc;

recording, in response to said second control signal, the user digital data in the second area of the optical disc; and

displaying a predetermined display image in accordance with at least one of said reproducing prerecorded map digital data, said present position signal and said inputted user digital data.

40. A navigation method according to claim 39, wherein the step of recording as user digital data in the second area comprises recording any one of locus, date and time, and voice data.

41. A navigation method according to claim 39, wherein the step of recording user digital data comprises recording segments of user digital data, each segment being referenced to the map digital data which has been pre-recorded in the first area.

42. A navigation method according to claim 39, wherein the recording step includes recording user digital data in the second area that includes address information on the optical disc of the map digital data which has been recorded preliminarily in the first area.

43. A navigation method according to claim 39 wherein the recording step includes recording the latitude and longitude of the map digital data which has been pre-recorded in the first area, and a date and time of recording along with the user digital data to be recorded in the second area.