Navigation system, data server, traveling route establishing method and information providing method

• US 6,604,045 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2002
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Fujita, Susumu, Takagi, Toru, Kuroda, Koichi, Ishiwaka, Takuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US10/283,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20030083807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 279 Days
• Field of Search: 701/202-213, 701/200, 701/201, 342/357--35
• US Class Current: 701/202
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3623 using a camera or code reader, e.g. for optical or magnetic codes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3685 the POI's being parking facilities

Abstract

A navigation system, portable information processing device and its control program, data server, information processing server, navigation method, traveling route establishing method, information providing method, and area information providing method are disclosed having a portable terminal (10,54,210) to read out code data, indicative of area information of a destination and routed spots, from a print product (112,114). The code data are converted into area information and stored in a storage unit (23,66,72, 123,223,232,323), from which particular area information is retrieved and transmitted to an on-vehicle navigation device (30,58,104,230) by which a traveling route of the vehicle is established on the basis of area information to guide the vehicle to the destination.

Claims

1. A navigation system for executing route guidance for a vehicle, comprising:

a portable information processing device operative to read out code data indicative of map information from a print product and to transmit the code data;

a code data processing unit operative to convert the code data into area information indicative of a location on a map coordinate system, to store the area information, to read out the stored area information and to transmit the read out area information; and

an on-vehicle navigation device installed on a vehicle and operative to establish a traveling route in response to the area information transmitted from the code data processing unit to execute route guidance for the vehicle along the established traveling route.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

the portable information processing device includes a portable terminal having a code data read out unit to read out the code data from the print product, and a communication unit operative to transmit the read out code data to the code data processing device; and

the code data processing unit includes a data server including a communication unit to receive code data from the portable terminal, and a code data conversion unit operative to convert the received code data into the area information to be stored in a storage unit.

3. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

the code data processing unit is incorporated in the portable information processing device; and

the portable information processing device includes a scanner unit to read out the code data from the print product, a code data conversion unit operative to convert the code data into the area information to be stored in a storage unit, and a communication unit operative to transmit the area information to the on-vehicle navigation device.

4. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

the on-vehicle navigation device has a small-size battery to enable the area information to be received from the information processing unit when a main power supply of the on-vehicle navigation device is turned off.

5. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

the portable information processing device is operative in response to a user'"'"'s operational input to provide a request command to compel the area information to be transmitted from the code processing device to the on-vehicle navigation device.

6. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

the portable information processing device and the on-vehicle navigation device include short-range communication units, respectively, operative to perform data communication in short-range distances, respectively; and

wherein when a communication link is established between the portable information processing device and the on-vehicle navigation device via the short-range communication units, the area information is transmitted from the code data processing device to the on-vehicle navigation device.

7. The navigation system according to claim 2, wherein:

the storage unit of the data server includes a registration area for each user; and

wherein the registration area is enabled to store area information correlated with code data from the portable terminal of another user.

8. The navigation system according to claim 2, wherein:

the storage unit of the data server includes a common registration area to be occupied with a plurality of users; and

wherein the area information stored in the common registration area are enabled to be received with a plurality of the non-vehicle navigation devices.

9. The navigation system according to claim 3, wherein:

the portable information processing device is operative to transmit the area information to and receive the area information from another portable information processing device.

10. The navigation system according to claim 9, wherein:

the portable information processing device is operative to download the area information from another portable information processing device.

11. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

the print product has printed thereon the code data indicative of area information of a destination and routed spots or of a given command, and supplementary code data which specifies the relevant print product;

the portable information processing device includes a portable terminal having a code data read out unit to read out the code data and supplementary code data from the print product, and a communication unit operative to transmit the code data and the supplementary code data to the code data processing device; and

the code data processing device includes an information processing server with which the on-vehicle navigation device is operative to communicate, the information server being operative to produce information interpretable with the on-vehicle navigation device on the basis of respective code data, read out with the read out unit from the print product, and identification information specifying the on-vehicle navigation device to cause interpretable information to be transmitted to the navigation device.

12. The navigation system according to claim 11, wherein:

the on-vehicle navigation device is operative to obtain the respective code data from the code data read out unit, to transmit the respective code data, together with the identification information of the relevant on-vehicle navigation device, to the information processing server, and to receive the interpretable information from the information processing server.

13. The navigation system according to claim 11, wherein:

the information processing server is operative to receive the respective code data, read out from the print product with the code data read out unit, and the identification information specifying the code data read out unit, and to produce the information interpretable with the on-vehicle navigation device on the basis of the respective code data and the identification information, with the interpretable information being transmitted to the on-vehicle navigation device.

14. The navigation system according to claim 11, wherein:

the information processing server is operative to receive the respective code data, read out from the print product with the code data read out unit, and the identification information specifying the code data read out unit, and to produce the information interpretable with the on-vehicle navigation device on the basis of the respective code data and the identification information, with the interpretable information being transmitted to the on-vehicle navigation device.

15. The navigation system according to claim 11, wherein:

the information processing server is operative to provide an operation command of a command system suited to the on-vehicle navigation device as the information interpretable with the on-vehicle navigation device.

16. The navigation system according to claim 11, wherein:

the information processing server is operative to produce a map data in a format suited to the on-vehicle navigation device as the information interpretable with the on-vehicle navigation device.

17. The navigation system according to claim 2, wherein:

the portable terminal has a display unit and is operative to cause information related to the code data to be displayed over the display unit.

18. The navigation system according to claim 17, wherein:

the portable terminal is operative to calculate a relative positional relationship of the destination and routed spots represented with the code data and to cause an image of the relative positional relationship to be displayed over the display unit.

19. The navigation system according to claim 17, wherein:

the portable terminal is operative to receive information of a principal road in an area covering the destination and routed spots represented with the read out code data from the data server and to cause an image of a positional relationship related to the principal road to be displayed over the display unit.

20. The navigation system according to claim 17, wherein:

the portable terminal includes a compilation processing unit operative to compile the area information of the destination and routed spots represented with the read out code data and is operative to cause a compiled content resulting from the compilation processing unit to be displayed over the display unit.

21. The navigation system according to claim 17, wherein:

the portable terminal is operative to calculate a relative positional relationship of the destination and routed spots represented with the code data and to cause an image of the relative positional relationship to be displayed over the display unit.

22. The navigation system according to claim 17, wherein:

the portable terminal include a memory unit operative to store the read out code data with information indicative of read out time or a location at which read out is executed and to cause information correlated with the code data stored in the memory unit to be displayed over the display unit in a list of the information on request.

23. The navigation system according to claim 17, wherein:

the portable terminal is operative to transmit the code data, selected from the list of information displayed over the display unit on the basis of information indicative of the read out time or the location at which the read out is executed, to the data server.

24. The navigation system according to claim 2, wherein:

the data server is operative to respond to a request from the portable terminal or from the on-vehicle navigation device, to obtain the area information of the destination and routed spots and to transmit the obtained area information to the portable terminal or the on-vehicle navigation device.

25. The navigation system according to claim 24, further comprising:

an information server storing therein related information associated with the area information; and

the data server is operative to access to the information server on the basis of the area information in response to a request from the portable terminal or the on-vehicle navigation device to cause the related information to be provided with the portable terminal or the on-vehicle navigation device.

26. The navigation system according to claim 25, wherein:

the data server includes a server management table described with a list of the information server to permit the data server to access to the information server.

27. The navigation system according to claim 26, wherein:

the information server includes a parking lot reservation management server which performs a reservation management of a parking lot; and

the data server is operative to access to the parking lot reservation management server for executing a reservation procedure of the parking lot therein in response to the request from the portable terminal or from the on-vehicle navigation device.

28. The navigation system according to claim 26, wherein:

the information server includes a tourist information providing server which provides a real time based tourist spot information; and

the data server is operative to access to the tourist information providing server for obtaining the real time based tourist spot information in response to the request from the portable terminal or the on-vehicle navigation device and to transmit the real time based tourist spot information to the portable terminal or the on-vehicle navigation device.

29. The navigation system according to claim 26, wherein:

the information server includes a traffic information providing server which provides a real time based traffic information; and

the data server is operative to access to the traffic information providing server for obtaining the real time based traffic information in response to the request from the portable terminal or the on-vehicle navigation device and to transmit the real time based traffic information to the portable terminal or the on-vehicle navigation device.

30. The navigation system according to claim 24, wherein:

the data server is operative to obtain display data causing the area information of the destination and routed spots to be displayed in an image over the portable terminal or the on-vehicle navigation device in response to the request from the portable terminal or the on-vehicle navigation device and to transmit the display data to the portable terminal or the on-vehicle navigation device.

31. An on-vehicle navigation device adapted to be installed on a vehicle to provide information to guide the vehicle to a destination, comprising:

a code data read out unit operative to read out code data, indicative of desired area information or a given command and code data specifying a print product, from the print product;

an information producing unit operative to produce information interpretable with an on-vehicle navigation device on the basis of respective code data read out with the code data read out unit and identification information specifying the on-vehicle navigation device; and

a traveling route determination processing unit operative to determine a traveling route indicative of a destination and routed spots on the basis of the information produced with the information producing unit.

32. A data server adapted to communicate with an on-vehicle navigation device to be installed on a vehicle, the data server comprising:

a first section to receive code data;

a second section including a conversion unit to convert code data into area information indicative of a location on a coordinate system;

a third section including a storage unit to store the area information;

a fourth section including a read out unit to read out the area information from the storage unit on request; and

a fifth section to transmit the area information to an on-navigation device.

33. The data server according to claim 32, wherein:

the code data includes data read out with a portable terminal from a print product;

wherein the data server receives the code data from the portable terminal.

34. The data server according to claim 33, wherein:

the storage unit includes a registration area for each user; and

wherein the registration area is enabled to store the area information associated with code area received from a portable terminal of another user.

35. The data server according to claim 34, wherein:

the registration area for each user is managed in terms of identification information allocated to the portable terminal or the on-vehicle navigation device; and

wherein when storing the area information and reading out the area information from the storage unit, the registration area is specified on the basis of the identification information to allow the area information to be stored therein or to be read out.

36. The data server according to claim 33, wherein:

the storage unit includes a common registration area occupied with a plurality of users; and

wherein the area information stored in the common registration area are enabled to be transmitted to a plurality of on-vehicle navigation devices.

37. The data server according to claim 33, wherein:

the common registration area is managed with identification information allocated to portable terminals of respective users or on-vehicle navigation devices ; and

wherein when storing the area information in and reading out the area information from the common registration area, the registration area is specified on the basis of the identification information to allow the area information to be stored therein or to be read out.

38. A navigation system for executing route guidance for a vehicle, comprising:

portable information processing means for reading out code data indicative of map information from a print product, and a communication unit which allows the code data to be transmitted;

code data processing means for converting the code data into corresponding area information indicative of a location on a map coordinate system, to store the area information, to read out the stored area information and to transmit the read out area information; and

on-vehicle navigation means for establishing a traveling route in response to the area information transmitted from the code data processing means to execute route guidance for the vehicle along the established traveling route.

39. A method of navigating a vehicle, the method comprising:

reading out code data indicative of map information from a print product, and causing the code data to be transmitted;

converting the code data into corresponding area information indicative of a location on a map coordinate system, to store the area information, to read out the stored area information and to transmit the read out area information; and

establishing a traveling route in response to the area information transmitted from the code data processing means to execute route guidance for a vehicle along the established traveling route.

40. A method of establishing a traveling route of a vehicle in an on-vehicle navigation device installed on the vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving code data, read out from a print product and transmitted from a portable terminal;

converting the code data into area information indicative of a location on a coordinate system with the data server;

storing the area information in a storage unit;

reading out the area information from the storage unit;

transmitting the area information to a on-vehicle navigation device; and

establishing a traveling route of a vehicle based on the area information with the on-vehicle navigation device.

41. A method of providing information to be executed with a data server between a portable terminal and an on-vehicle navigation device over a network, the method comprising:

receiving code data read out from a print product and transmitted from a portable terminal serving as a code data transmission source;

converting code data into area information indicative of a location on a coordinate system;

identifying the portable terminal and storing the area information in a storage unit;

identifying the code data transmission source upon request from the portable terminal or an on-vehicle navigation device for particular area information to be transmitted and reading out the particular area information from among the area information stored in the storage unit; and

transmitting the particular area information to the on-vehicle navigation device.