System for and method of providing map information

• US 6,477,526 B2
• Filed: 04/09/1999
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Increment P Corporation, Pioneer Electronics (USA) Incorporated (Pioneer Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Increment P Corporation, Pioneer Electronics (USA) Incorporated (Pioneer Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakano, Toshiaki, Hayashi, Giichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Corrielus, Jean M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALAM, SHAHID AL
• Application Number:
  US09/289,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20020059296A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 340/990, 340/995, 701/201-202, 701/206, 701/208, 701/209-211, 701/200, 707/100, 707/200, 707/10, 707/104, 707/4, 707/104.1, 707/102, 711/157, 711/173, 709/217-219
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

The route calculation server receives starting point data and destination data corresponding to a starting point and a destination which a user designates by the user terminal, and calculates a route from the starting point to the destination. The map server includes a map database, and communicates with the user terminal via the network. The route calculation server stores calculated route data together with route identification information associated with the route data, and transmits the route identification information to the user terminal via the network. The map server receives the route identification information from the user terminal via the network, obtains the route data associated with the route identification information from the route calculation server, produces route display picture data including map picture on which the calculated route is represented, and transmits the route display picture data to the user terminal.

Claims

1. A map information providing system comprising:

a main server for communicating with a user terminal via a network;

a route calculation server for receiving starting point data and destination data corresponding to a starting point and a destination which a user designates by the user terminal, and for calculating a route from the starting point to the destination;

a map server comprising a map database and for communicating with the user terminal via the network;

wherein the route calculation server stores calculated route data together with route identification information associated with the calculated route data, the calculated route data comprising a string of data indicating X and Y coordinates of points on the route and comprising no picture data, and transmits the route identification information and outline information of the route associated with the calculated route data to the user terminal via the network, and

wherein the map server receives the route identification information from the user terminal via the network, obtains the route data associated with the route identification information from the route calculation server, produces route display picture data including map picture on which the calculated route is represented by emphasized lines on the basis of said string of data indicating said X and Y coordinates, and transmits the route display picture data to the user terminal, the route display picture data compressed in predetermined format.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the route calculation server receives calculation condition information, which the user designates by the user terminal, via the network, and calculates the route which satisfies the calculation condition information.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the route display picture data comprises map picture data of a single map picture on which the starting point, the destination and the calculated route are represented.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein the route points on the calculated route are additionally represented on the single map picture.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the route identification information comprises an identification sequence assigned by the route calculation server based on the calculated route data.

5. A map information providing method performed in a system which provides route information to a user of a user terminal via a network and which comprises a map server including a map database and connected to the network, and a main server connected to the network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving starting point data and destination data corresponding to a starting point and a destination which a user designates by the user terminal, and calculating a route from the starting point to the destination;

storing calculated route data of the calculated route together with route identification information associated with the calculated route data, the calculated route data comprising a string of data indicating X and Y coordinates of points on the route and comprising no picture data;

transmitting the route identification information and outline information of the route associated with the calculated route data to the user terminal via the network;

at the map server, receiving the route identification information from the user terminal;

at the map server, obtaining the route data associated with the route identification information, producing route display picture data including map picture on which calculated route is represented by emphasized lines on the basis of said string of data indicating said X and Y coordinates by referring to the map database, and transmitting the route display picture data to the user terminal, the route display picture data compressed in predetermined format.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the step of calculating the route comprising the steps of:

receiving calculation condition information that the user designates by the user terminal; and

calculating the route which satisfies the calculation condition information.

9. The system according to claim 5, wherein the route identification information comprises an identification sequence assigned by the route calculation server based on the calculated route data.

7. A map information providing method performed in a system which provides route information to a user of a user terminal via a network and which comprises a map server including a map database, a main server and a route calculation server which are connected to the network, the method comprising the steps of:

at the main server, receiving starting point data and destination data corresponding to a starting point and a destination, which a user designates by the user terminal, via the network;

transmitting the starting point data and the destination data from the main server to the route calculation server via the network;

at the route calculation server, calculating a route from the starting point to the destination and storing calculated route data of the calculated route together with route identification information associated with the calculated route data, the calculated route data comprising a string of data indicating X and Y coordinates of points on the route and comprising no picture data;

transmitting the route data and the route identification data from the route calculation server to the main server;

transmitting the route identification information and outline information of the route associated with the calculated route data from the main server to the user terminal via the network;

at the map server, transmitting the route identification information to the route calculation server and receiving the route data associated with the route identification information from the route calculation server; and

at the map server, producing route display picture data including map picture, on which the calculated route is represented by emphasized lines on the basis of said string of data indicating said X and Y coordinates, based on the map database, transmitting the route display picture data to the user terminal, and controlling the user terminal to display the route display picture data, the route display picture data compressed in predetermined format.

10. The system according to claim 7, wherein the route identification information comprises an identification sequence assigned by the route calculation server based on the calculated route data.