Route guide system

• US 6,278,941 B1
• Filed: 02/28/2001
• Issued: 08/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushikikaisha Equos Research
• Original Assignee: Kabushikikaisha Equos Research
• Inventors: Yokoyama, Shoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US09/720,430
• Time in Patent Office: 174 Days
• Field of Search: 701/24, 701/209, 701/25, 701/26, 701/208, 701/213, 701/214, 340/990, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096822 where the segments of the route are transmitted to the vehicle at different locations and times
• 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 1/096861 where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096866 where the complete route is shown to the driver
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice

Abstract

In order to enable a location function for telling the present position on a screen as a function usually used when traveling in a known area to be always used by its lone, a navigation apparatus 100 mounted on a car stores display map data in it, and displays a map of an area around a present position and the present position together on a display portion 106. It is attained to reduce the amount of stored data and the burden of processing on the navigation apparatus 100 by receiving a traveling route to a destination from a center apparatus 150 in case that a traveling route guidance to the destination is needed. Data of the whole traveling route to a destination are not transmitted at one time but data of only a traveling route from the present position to a specific distance ahead are transmitted at one time and thereby it is possible to reduce the amount of data of communication and start the car earlier. And by newly finding a traveling route to the destination before each transmission of a divided route, it is possible to transmit the optimum traveling route in consideration of the latest traffic information.

Claims

1. A route guidance system composed of a navigation apparatus mounted on a car and a center apparatus communicating with a plurality of navigation apparatuses, wherein;

said navigation apparatus comprising;

a storage means for having background map data stored in it,

a present position detecting means for detecting the present position of the car,

a display device,

a location means for reading a background map around the present position detected by said present position detecting means from said background map data storage means and displaying the background map on said display device, and displaying said present position on the background map,

a car side communication means for transmitting said detected present position and request information necessary for setting a destination in the center apparatus, and receiving a traveling route found to the destination from the center apparatus, and

a route guidance means for guiding a user on the traveling route received by this communication means;

said center apparatus comprising;

a background map database,

a destination database storing in it detailed information related to a destination for setting the destination,

a traveling road database for finding a route to a destination,

a destination setting means for setting a destination meeting request information transmitted from said navigation apparatus by means of said destination database,

a route finding means for searching and finding a traveling route from the present position of a car transmitted from said navigation apparatus to a destination set by said destination setting means by means of said traveling road database, and

a center side communication means for receiving said request information and said present position through communication with said navigation apparatus, and transmitting a traveling route found by said route finding means.

4. A route guidance system according to claim 1, wherein;

said center side communication means is provided with a background map database storing in it background map data about a wide specific area, reads background map data required by said navigation apparatus from said background map database and transmits the background map data to said navigation apparatus which has performed the request for transmission, and

said navigation apparatus stores background map data of a given area smaller than said specific area into a background map data storage means, and comprises a request means for requesting said center apparatus to transmit background map data of an area outside a given area stored in said background map data storage means through said car side communication means, and a second storage means for temporarily storing in it the background map data required to be transmitted by this request means.

5. A route guidance system according to claim 4, wherein;

said navigation apparatus is provided with basic destination setting data consisting of typical destinations and a simple destination setting means for simply setting a destination according to said basic destination setting data, and

said location means displays a destination set by said simple destination setting means together with a background map and the present position displayed on said display device.

6. A route guidance system according to claim 1, wherein;

said navigation apparatus is provided with basic destination setting data consisting of typical destinations and a simple destination setting means for simply setting a destination according to said basic destination setting data, and

said location means displays a destination set by said simple destination setting means together with a background map and the present position displayed on said display device.

2. A route guidance system composed of a navigation apparatus mounted on a car and a center apparatus communicating with a plurality of navigation apparatuses, said center apparatus dividing, and transmitting a traveling route found to a destination to said navigation apparatus, wherein;

said navigation apparatus comprising;

a background map data storage means for having background map data stored in it,

a present position detecting means for detecting the present position of the car,

a display device,

a location means for reading a background map around the present position detected by said present position detecting means from said background map data storage means and displaying the background map on said display device, and displaying said present position on the background map,

a car side communication means for transmitting request information necessary for setting a destination in the center apparatus, and receiving a traveling route from the center apparatus, and

a route guidance means for guiding a user on the traveling route received by this communication means;

said center apparatus comprising;

a destination database storing in it detailed information related to a destination for setting the destination,

a traveling road database for finding a route to a destination

an updating means for updating said traveling road database,

a destination setting means for setting a destination meeting request information transmitted from said navigation apparatus by means of said destination database,

a route finding means for searching and finding a traveling route to a destination set by said destination setting means by means of said traveling road database before each transmission of a divided traveling route to said navigation apparatus,

a route dividing means for dividing a traveling route found by said route finding means and generating a traveling route to be transmitted, and

a center side communication means for receiving said request information through communication with said navigation apparatus, and transmitting a traveling route generated by said route dividing means.

3. A route guidance system according to claim 2, wherein;

said navigation apparatus transmits a request for transmission of a divided route to said center apparatus,

said route finding means of said center apparatus finds a traveling route to a destination each time it receives a request for transmission of a divided route or in case that the cause of a traveling failure such as a traffic accident occurs on the traveling route lastly transmitted.

7. A route guidance system according to claim 2, wherein;

said center side communication means is provided with a background map database storing in it background map data about a wide specific area, reads background map data required by said navigation apparatus from said background map database and transmits the background map data to said navigation apparatus which has performed the request for transmission, and

said navigation apparatus stores background map data of a given area smaller than said specific area into a background map data storage means, and comprises a request means for requesting said center apparatus to transmit background map data of an area outside a given area stored in said background map data storage means through said car side communication means, and a second storage means for temporarily storing in it the background map data required to be transmitted by this request means.

8. A route guidance system according to claim 3, wherein;

said center side communication means is provided with a background map database storing in it background map data about a wide specific area, reads background map data required by said navigation apparatus from said background map database and transmits the background map data to said navigation apparatus which has performed the request for transmission, and

said navigation apparatus stores background map data of a given area smaller than said specific area into a background map data storage means, and comprises a request means for requesting said center apparatus to transmit background map data of an area outside a given area stored in said background map data storage means through said car side communication means, and a second storage means for temporarily storing in it the background map data required to be transmitted by this request means.

9. A route guidance system according to claim 2, wherein;

said navigation apparatus is provided with basic destination setting data consisting of typical destinations and a simple destination setting means for simply setting a destination according to said basic destination setting data, and

said location means displays a destination set by said simple destination setting means together with a background map and the present position displayed on said display device.

10. A route guidance system according to claim 3, wherein;

said navigation apparatus is provided with basic destination setting data consisting of typical destinations and a simple destination setting means for simply setting a destination according to said basic destination setting data, and

said location means displays a destination set by said simple destination setting means together with a background map and the present position displayed on said display device.