Navigation apparatus and medium recording program therefor

• US 6,377,886 B1
• Filed: 07/29/1998
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ikegami, Masayuki, Imai, Takeshi, Sawada, Hideshi, Youfu, Toshihide, Gotou, Shinichirou
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US09/124,756
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701/208, 701/211, 340/995, 395/200.33, 709/203, 342/357.09, 342/357.1
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network

Abstract

A vehicle mounted unit 1 has a WWW browser for analyzing and discriminating HTML files obtained from the Internet. The HTML files are provided with a tag for the navigation apparatus (extension tag) in addition to a normal tag. The normal tag includes a descriptive statement which is now widely used on the Internet. The extension tag includes a descriptive statement newly defined for the navigation apparatus, and controls the operation of the vehicle unit 1. The vehicle unit 1 discriminates the normal tag and the extension tag at the time of receiving the HTML file, and in the case of a normal tag, executes normal operation (screen display such as characters), and in the case of an extension tag, executes functions for the navigation apparatus.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus communicating with an information center comprises:

reception means for receiving an information file which contains at least one of one or more normal tags and one or more extension tags from said information center, said normal tag being a descriptor which can be processed by a browser and said extension tag being a descriptor which cannot be processed by said browser;

display function executing means for displaying a function selection menu based on said normal tag in said received information file;

selection means for selecting a function from said function selection menu; and

navigation function executing means for executing a navigation function based on said received information file.

2. A navigation apparatus communicating with an information center comprises:

reception means for receiving an information file which contains at least one of one or more normal tags and one or more extension tags from said information center, said normal tag being a descriptor which can be processed by a browser and said extension tag being a descriptor which cannot be processed by said browser;

display function executing means for displaying a function selection menu based on said normal tag in said received information file;

selection means for selecting a destination set function from said function selection menu; and

navigation function executing means for setting positional information indicated by said extension tag in said information file as a destination.

3. A navigation apparatus communicating with an information center comprises:

reception means for receiving an information file which contains at least one of one or more normal tags and one or more extension tags from said information center, said normal tag being a descriptor which can be processed by a browser and said extension tag being a descriptor which cannot be processed by said browser;

display function executing means for displaying a function selection menu based on said normal tag in said received information file;

selection means for selecting a mark set function from said function selection menu; and

navigation function means for executing registering position information indicated by said extension tag in said information file into a recording list of said navigation apparatus.

4. A navigation apparatus communicating with an information center comprises:

reception means for receiving an information file which contains at least one of one or more normal tags and one or more extension tags from said information center, said normal tag being a descriptor which can be processed by a browser and said extension tag being a descriptor which cannot be processed by said browser;

display function executing means for displaying a function selection menu based on said normal tag in said received information file;

selection means for selecting a search function from said function selection menu;

transmission means for transmitting positional information stored in said navigation apparatus to said information center; and

navigation function executing means for displaying a search result obtained by said information center based on said transmitted positional information.

5. A navigation apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

said navigation function executing means further sets positional information from said search result as a destination.

6. A navigation apparatus comprising:

reception means for receiving an information file which contains at least one of one or more normal tags and one or more extension tags from an information center, said normal tag being a descriptor which can be processed by a browser and said extension tag being a descriptor which cannot be processed by said browser;

discriminating means for analyzing said received information file and for discriminating whether said received information file is described by said normal tag or described by said extension tag;

display function executing means for displaying a predetermined image based on said normal tag in said received information file; and

navigation function executing means for executing a navigation function based on said extension tag in said received information file.

7. A computer readable storage medium which stores a program, and said program enables a computer to act as a navigation apparatus communicating with an information center comprises:

reception means for receiving an information file which contains at least one of one or more normal tags and one or more extension tags from said information center, said normal tag being a descriptor which can be processed by a browser and said extension tag being a descriptor which cannot be processed by said browser;

display function executing means for displaying a function selection menu based on said normal tag in said received information file;

selection means for selecting a function from said function selection menu; and

navigation function executing means for executing a navigation function based on said received information file.

8. A computer readable storage medium which stores a program, and said program enables a computer to act as a navigation apparatus communicating with an information center comprises:

reception means for receiving an information file which contains at least one of one or more normal tags and one or more extension tags from said information center, said normal tag being a descriptor which can be processed by a browser and said extension tag being a descriptor which cannot be processed by said browser;

display function executing means for displaying a function selection menu based on said normal tag in said received information file;

selection means for selecting a destination set function from said function selection menu; and

navigation function executing means for setting positional information indicated by said extension tag in said information file as a destination.

9. A computer readable storage medium which stores a program, and said program enables a computer to act as a navigation apparatus communicating with an information center comprises:

reception means for receiving an information file which contains at least one of one or more normal tags and one or more extension tags from said information center, said normal tag being a descriptor which can be processed by a browser and said extension tag being a descriptor which cannot be processed by said browser;

display function executing means for displaying a function selection menu based on said normal tag in said received information file;

selection means for selecting a mark set function from said function selection menu; and

navigation function executing means for registering positional information indicated by said extension tag in said information file into a recording list of said navigation apparatus.

10. A computer readable storage medium which stores a program, and said program enables a computer to act as a navigation apparatus communicating with an information center comprises:

reception means for receiving an information file which contains at least one of one or more normal tags and one or more extension tags from said information center, said normal tag being a descriptor which can be processed by a browser and said extension tag being a descriptor which cannot be processed by said browser;

display function executing means for displaying a function selection menu based on said normal tag in said received information file;

selection means for selecting a search function from said function selection menu;

transmission means for transmitting positional information stored in said navigation apparatus to said information center; and

navigation function executing means for displaying a search result obtained by said information center based on said transmitted positional information.

11. A computer readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein

said navigation function executing means further sets positional information from said search result as a destination.

12. A computer readable storage medium which stores a program, and said program enables a computer to act as a navigation apparatus comprising:

reception means for receiving an information file which contains at least one of one or more normal tags and one or more extension tags from an information center, said normal tag being a descriptor which can be processed by a browser and said extension tag being a descriptor which cannot be processed by said browser;

discriminating means for analyzing said received information file and for discriminating whether said received information file is described by said normal tag or described by said extension tag;

display function executing means for displaying a predetermined image based on said normal tag in said received information file; and

navigation function setting means for setting a navigation function based on said extension tag in said received information file.

13. A navigation apparatus communicating with an information center comprises:

a reception device for receiving an information file which contains at least one of one or more normal tags and one or more extension tags from said information center, said normal tag being a descriptor which can be processed by a browser and said extension tag being a descriptor which cannot be processed by said browser;

a display function executing device for displaying a function selection menu based on said normal tag in said received information file;

a selection device for selecting a function from said function selection menu; and

a navigation function executing device for executing a navigation function based on said received information file.

14. A navigation apparatus communicating with an information center comprises:

a reception device for receiving an information file which contains at least one of one or more normal tags and one or more extension tags from said information center, said normal tag being a descriptor which can be processed by a browser and said extension tag being a descriptor which cannot be processed by said browser;

a display function executing device for displaying a function selection menu based on said normal tag in said received information file;

a selection device for selecting a destination set function from said function selection menu; and

a navigation function executing device for setting positional information indicated by said extension tag in said information file as a destination.

15. A navigation apparatus communicating with an information center comprises:

a reception device for receiving an information file which contains at least one of one or more normal tags and one or more extension tags from said information center, said normal tag being a descriptor which can be processed by a browser and said extension tag being a descriptor which cannot be processed by said browser;

a display function executing device for displaying a function selection menu based on said normal tag in said received information file;

a selection device for selecting a mark set function from said function selection menu; and

a navigation function device for executing registering position information indicated by said extension tag in said information file into a recording list of said navigation apparatus.

16. A navigation apparatus communicating with an information center comprises:

a reception device for receiving an information file which contains at least one of one or more normal tags and one or more extension tags from said information center, said normal tag being a descriptor which can be processed by a browser and said extension tag being a descriptor which cannot be processed by said browser;

a display function executing device for displaying a function selection menu based on said normal tag in said received information file;

a selection device for selecting a search function from said function selection menu;

a transmission device for transmitting positional information stored in said navigation apparatus to said information center; and

a navigation function executing device for displaying a search result obtained by said information center based on said transmitted positional information.

17. A navigation apparatus according to claim 16, wherein

said navigation function executing device further sets positional information from said search result as a destination.

18. A navigation apparatus comprising:

a reception device for receiving an information file which contains at least one of one or more normal tags and one or more extension tags from an information center, said normal tag being a descriptor which can be processed by a browser and said extension tag being a descriptor which cannot be processed by said browser;

a discriminating device for analyzing said received information file and for discriminating whether said received information file is described by said normal tag or described by said extension tag;

a display function executing device for displaying a predetermined image based on said normal tag in said received information file; and

a navigation function executing device for executing a navigation function based on said extension tag in said received information file.

19. A computer readable storage medium which stores a program, and said program enables a computer to act as a navigation apparatus communicating with an information center, wherein said program performs the following steps comprising:

a reception step for receiving an information file which contains at least one of one or more normal tags and one or more extension tags from said information center, said normal tag being a descriptor which can be processed by a browser and said extension tag being a descriptor which cannot be processed by said browser;

a display function executing step for displaying a function selection menu based on said normal tag in said received information file;

a selection step for selecting a function from said function selection menu; and

a navigation function executing step for executing a navigation function based on said received information file.

20. A computer readable storage medium which stores a program, and said program enables a computer to act as a navigation apparatus communicating with an information center, wherein said program performs the following steps comprising:

a reception step for receiving an information file which contains at least one of one or more normal tags and one or more extension tags from said information center, said normal tag being a descriptor which can be processed by a browser and said extension tag being a descriptor which cannot be processed by said browser;

a display function executing step for displaying a function selection menu based on said normal tag in said received information file;

a selection step for selecting a destination set function from said function selection menu; and

a navigation function executing step for setting positional information indicated by said extension tag in said information file as a destination.

21. A computer readable storage medium which stores a program, and said program enables a computer to act as a navigation apparatus communicating with an information center, wherein said program performs the following steps comprising:

a reception step for receiving an information file which contains at least one of one or more normal tags and one or more extension tags from said information center, said normal tag being a descriptor which can be processed by a browser and said extension tag being a descriptor which cannot be processed by said browser;

a display function executing step for displaying a function selection menu based on said normal tag in said received information file;

a selection step for selecting a mark set function from said function selection menu; and

a navigation function executing step for registering positional information indicated by said extension tag in said information file into a recording list of said navigation apparatus.

22. A computer readable storage medium which stores a program, and said program enables a computer to act as a navigation apparatus communicating with an information center, wherein said program performs the following steps comprising:

a reception step for receiving an information file which contains at least one of one or more normal tags and one or more extension tags from said information center, said normal tag being a descriptor which can be processed by a browser and said extension tag being a descriptor which cannot be processed by said browser;

a display function executing step for displaying a function selection menu based on said normal tag in said received information file;

a selection step for selecting a search function from said function selection menu;

a transmission step for transmitting positional information stored in said navigation apparatus to said information center; and

a navigation function executing step for displaying a search result obtained by said information center based on said transmitted positional information.

23. A computer readable storage medium according to claim 22, wherein

said navigation function executing step further sets positional information from said search result as a destination.

24. A computer readable storage medium which stores a program, and said program enables a computer to act as a navigation apparatus, wherein said program performs the following steps comprising:

a reception step for receiving an information file which contains at least one of one or more normal tags and one or more extension tags from an information center, said normal tag being a descriptor which can be processed by a browser and said extension tag being a descriptor which cannot be processed by said browser;

a discriminating step for analyzing said received information file and for discriminating whether said received information file is described by said normal tag or described by said extension tag;

a display function executing step for displaying a predetermined image based on said normal tag in said received information file; and

a navigation function setting step for setting a navigation function based on said extension tag in said received information file.