Wireless method and system for providing navigation information

• US 6,633,809 B1
• Filed: 08/15/2000
• Issued: 10/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Sano, Koichi, Aizono, Takeiki, Shioya, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US09/639,524
• Time in Patent Office: 1,155 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/208, 701/211, 701/213, 701/214, 340/990, 340/995, 340/991, 455/456, 342/357.09
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application

Abstract

According to the present invention, techniques for sharing and providing navigation information. Embodiments according to the invention can exchange geographic location information between two or more devices using a wireless communications connection. Navigation information, including geographic locations, as well as information related to sites at the geographic locations can be stored by the various devices and exchanged in response to a specific request made by a user or a general upload/download process. Specific embodiments include systems, methods and apparatuses.

Claims

1. A portable information processing apparatus for providing navigation information for a car navigation apparatus, said portable information processing apparatus comprising:

a processor,

a memory configured with information representative of a plurality of geographic locations including position related information corresponding to each of said geographic locations,

a communication interface,

a display,

an input device, and

a bus, interconnecting said processor, said memory, said communication interface, said display, and said input device;

wherein responsive to said input device receiving a selection of at least one of said geographic locations, said communication interface establishes a wireless communication connection to said car navigation apparatus;

said processor forwards said at least one geographic location and its corresponding position information via said wireless communication connection to said car navigation apparatus, said car navigation apparatus displaying a map based on said at least one geographic location and said corresponding position information.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processor causes a list of locations from which said at least one geographic location is selected to be displayed on said display.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said communication interface, upon receiving information about said at least one of a plurality of locations, provides said information to said processor, and said processor stores said information into said memory.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said memory further comprises a flash memory.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said communications interface employs at least one of an Infrared Data Association (IRDA) protocol, a Bluetooth protocol and an i-mode protocol.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is embodied in at least one of a portable device, a semi-portable device, a device affixed to a vehicle.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is embodied in at least one of a vehicle navigation system, a cellular telephone, a personal data assistant (PDA), a portable computer and a car navigation apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said memory stores position related information comprising at least one of an address, a telephone number, at least one of a plurality of coordinates, a latitude and longitude, a narrative comment, advertising, traffic information, and associated points of interest.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said portable information processing apparatus receives fare to at least one geographic location from said car navigation apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said portable information processing apparatus sends payment instructions related to said fare.

11. A car navigation apparatus for presenting navigation information, said car navigation apparatus comprising:

a processor,

a memory configured with information representative of a plurality of geographic locations including position related information corresponding to each of said geographic locations,

a communication interface,

a display,

an input device,

a global positioning system receiver, and

a bus, interconnecting said processor, said memory said communication interface, said display, said input device, and said global positioning system receiver;

wherein said communication interface is configured to establish a wireless communication connection to a portable information processing apparatus, and thereupon receives requests via said wireless communication connection from said portable information processing apparatus; and

wherein, responsive to receiving said requests, said processor causes said global positioning system receiver to provide said position related information corresponding to geographic locations in said requests; and

thereupon, said processor causes said display to present a map presentation of said position related information retrieved from said global positioning system.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a CD/DVD ROM; and

wherein said processor causes said CD/DVD ROM to said provide position related information corresponding to geographic locations in said requests, and thereupon said processor causes display of said position related information on said map presentation.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said position related information comprises at least one of an address, a telephone number, at least one of a plurality of coordinates, a latitude and longitude, a narrative comment, advertising, traffic information and associated points of interest.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein responsive to a request from a portable unit, said processor causes said position related information retrieved from said global positioning system to be sent via said wireless communication connection.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said memory further comprises a flash memory.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said communications interface employs at least one of an Infrared Data Association (IRDA) protocol, a Bluetooth protocol and an i-mode protocol.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said apparatus is embodied as at least one of a portable device, a semi-portable device and a navigational device affixed to a vehicle.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said apparatus is embodied in at least one of a cellular telephone, a personal data assistant (PDA), a portable computer and a car navigation apparatus.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said portable information processing apparatus receives fare to at least one geographic location from said car navigation apparatus.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said portable information processing apparatus sends payment instructions related to said fare.

21. A portable information processing apparatus for providing navigation information for a car navigation apparatus, said portable information processing apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

a communication interface;

a display;

an input device; and

a bus, interconnecting said processor, said memory, said communication interface, said display, and said input device,

wherein said communication interface is operable to establish a wireless communication connection exclusive of a telephone network to said car navigation apparatus in response to said input device receiving a selection of at least one of a plurality of geographic locations,

said processor forwarding position related information corresponding to said at least one geographic location via said wireless communication connection to said car navigation apparatus, said car navigation apparatus displaying a map based on said at least one geographic location and said corresponding position related information.