Man navigation system

• US 6,470,267 B1
• Filed: 09/20/2000
• Issued: 10/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Increment P Corporation (Pioneer Corporation), Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Increment P Corporation (Pioneer Corporation)
• Inventors: Nozaki, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US09/665,129
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 701/209, 701/210-213, 340/990, 340/998
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3476 using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map

Abstract

A man navigation system comprises a map display device for retrieving map data on a required area from a database and displaying a map image based on the retrieved map data, a point specifying device for optionally specifying a first point and a second point in the map image displayed by the map display device, a condition setting device for setting a condition for route setting, a route setting device for setting a route connecting the first point and the second point in the map image specified by the point specifying device based on the condition set by the condition setting device, and a route display device for displaying the route set by the route setting device on the map image displayed by the map display device.

Claims

1. A man navigation system comprising:

map display means for retrieving map data on a required area from a database and displaying a map image based on the retrieved map data;

point specifying means for optionally specifying a first point and a second point in the map image displayed by said map display means;

condition setting means for setting a condition for route setting;

route setting means for setting a route connecting the first point and the second point in the map image specified by said point specifying means based on the condition set by said condition setting means;

route display means for displaying the route set by said route setting means on the map image displayed by said map display means;

a user registration database containing user information relating to a user; and

a facility information database containing information relating to facilities in the map image,

wherein said condition setting means evaluates the user information stored in the user registration database and sets said condition based on said user information, and

wherein the route setting means evaluates said condition, determines particular facilities in said facility information database that correspond to said user information based on said condition, and sets said route based on the particular facilities.

2. The man navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said user information includes at least one of a user'"'"'s sex, age, and hobby.

4. The man navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said condition setting means sets, as the route setting condition, at least one condition selected from a time that the user intends to utilize the route, a weather, a season, and a climate.

6. The man navigation system according to claim 4, wherein said route setting means retrieves, from the facility information database, the facilities corresponding to at least one condition selected from the time, the weather, the season or the climate which is set as the route setting condition by said condition setting means, and selects a route including the retrieved facilities as the set route.

8. The man navigation system according to claim 1, wherein said route setting means has a route database storing information about a route on the map image displayed by said map display means and sets a route based on the route information retrieved from the route database.

9. The man navigation system according to claim 8, wherein the route information stored in the route database is related to presence of an arcade.

10. The man navigation system according to claim 8, wherein the route information stored in the route database is related to positions of entrances and exits of public buildings.

14. The man navigation system according to claim 6, wherein the facility information stored in the facility information database is recorded based on a request of an advertisement provider.

15. The man navigation system according to claim 6, wherein said route display means displays the facilities retrieved from the facility information database to be distinguished from other facilities on the map image displayed by said map display means.

3. A man navigation system, comprising:

map display means for retrieving map data on a required area from a database and displaying a map image based on the retrieved map data;

point specifying means for optionally specifying a first point and a second point in the map image displayed by said map display means;

condition setting means for setting a condition for route setting;

route setting means for setting a route connecting the first point and the second point in the map image specified by said point specifying means based on the condition set by said condition setting means;

route display means for displaying the route set by said route setting means on the map image displayed by said map display means,

wherein said condition setting means sets said route setting condition based on user information including at least one of a user'"'"'s sex, age, and hobby, and

wherein the user information is previously recorded in a user registration database and said condition setting means sets the route setting condition by reading the user information from the user registration database.

5. A man navigation system, comprising:

map display means for retrieving map data on a required area from a database and displaying a map image based on the retrieved map data;

point specifying means for optionally specifying a first point and a second point in the map image displayed by said map display means;

condition setting means for setting a condition for route setting;

route setting means for setting a route connecting the first point and the second point in the map image specified by said point specifying means based on the condition set by said condition setting means;

route display means for displaying the route set by said route setting means on the map image displayed by said map display means,

wherein said condition setting means sets said route setting condition based on user information including at least one of a user'"'"'s sex, age, and hobby, and

wherein said route setting means has a facility information database storing information about facilities positioned in the map image displayed by said map display means, retrieves the facilities corresponding to the user information from the facility information database, and selects a route including the retrieved facilities as the set route.

7. The man navigation system according to claim 5, wherein the facility information stored in the facility information database is recorded based on a request of an advertisement provider.

13. The man navigation system according to claim 5, wherein said route display means displays the facilities retrieved from the facility information database to be distinguished from other facilities on the map image displayed by said map display means.

11. A man navigation system, comprising:

map display means for retrieving map data on a required area from a database and displaying a map image based on the retrieved map data;

point specifying means for optionally specifying a first point and a second point in the map image displayed by said map display means;

condition setting means for setting a condition for route setting;

route setting means for setting a route connecting the first point and the second point in the map image specified by said point specifying means based on the condition set by said condition setting means;

route display means for displaying the route set by said route setting means on the map image displayed by said map display means,

wherein said route setting means has a route database storing information about a route on the map image displayed by said map display means and sets a route based on the route information retrieved from the route database, and

wherein the route information stored in the route database is related to a position of a sidewalk provided on both sides of a road.

12. A man navigation system, comprising:

map display means for retrieving map data on a required area from a database and displaying a map image based on the retrieved map data;

point specifying means for optionally specifying a first point and a second point in the map image displayed by said map display means;

condition setting means for setting a condition for route setting;

route setting means for setting a route connecting the first point and the second point in the map image specified by said point specifying means based on the condition set by said condition setting means;

route display means for displaying the route set by said route setting means on the map image displayed by said map display means,

wherein said route setting means has a route database storing information about a route on the map image displayed by said map display means and sets a route based on the route information retrieved from the route database, and

wherein the route information stored in the route database is related to a position of a crosswalk provided on a road.

16. A method of retrieving a route through a man navigation system including a map information providing site, a map database site, and a route setting site, comprising:

in said map information providing site,

receiving starting and destination points from a terminal;

transmitting position information of the staring and destination points in said map information site, and URLs of said map database site and of said route setting site to said terminal;

in said map database site,

receiving the position information from said terminal;

transmitting map data of an area corresponding to the position information to said terminal;

in said route setting site,

receiving the position information from said terminal;

obtaining user information from a user database;

obtaining advertisement information from an advertisement database based on the user information;

retrieving a route on based on the position information, the user information, and the advertisement information; and

transmitting route information to said terminal.

17. A man navigation system, comprising:

map display means for retrieving map data on a required area from a database and displaying a map image based on the retrieved map data;

point specifying means for optionally specifying a first point and a second point in the map image displayed by said map display means;

condition setting means for setting a condition for route setting;

route setting means for setting a route connecting the first point and the second point in the map image specified by said point specifying means based on the condition set by said condition setting means;

route display means for displaying the route set by said route setting means on the map image displayed by said map display means,

wherein user information is previously recorded in a user registration database and said condition setting means sets the route setting condition by reading the user information from the user registration database.

18. A man navigation system, comprising:

a display;

a user registration database;

a controller that retrieves map data corresponding to particular area from a database and instructs said display to display a map image based on the retrieved map data,

an input device that specifies at least one of a first point and a second point in the map image displayed on the display,

wherein the controller determines a route setting condition and determines a route connecting the first point and the second point in the map image based on the route setting condition,

wherein the controller instructs said display to display the route on the display map image, and

wherein user information is previously recorded in said user registration database and said controller sets the route setting condition based on the user information stored in the user registration database.