Navigation system for transmitting real-time information allowing instant judgement of next action

• US 6,643,581 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2001
• Issued: 11/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Ooishi, Tsukasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US09/949,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20020128770A1
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/207, 701/208, 701/209, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station

Abstract

A server receives real-time information indicating a ground road traffic state and the like from a satellite or a camera at certain time intervals, and updates and records the real-time information in a database. If receiving positional information such as a present position from a navigator of a client, the server determines an information extraction range based on the positional information, extracts real-time information falling within the determined information extraction range from the database and transmits the extracted real-time information to the navigator through a satellite communication network. A main body unit of the navigator receives the real-time information and the navigator displays the received real-time information on a display unit. As a result, the present invention can transmit real-time information allowing a client to instantly judge a next action while moving by vehicle.

Claims

1. A navigation system comprising:

a database holding real-time information indicating a ground state;

a server receiving positional information including a present position of a client through a communication network, determining, as an information extraction range, a certain range on a map wider than a surrounding area of said present position based on said positional information, extracting, as real-time information to be transmitted, real-time information falling within said information extraction range and having a transmittable largest data quantity from said database, adding a header identifiable by said client to the extracted real-time information and transmitting the header-added real-time information through said communication network at random; and

a navigator transmitting said positional information to said server through said communication network, receiving information from said server through said communication network, detecting said extracted real-time information from the received information while using said header, and displaying the detected real-time information.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

said server determines a certain range on an orthogonal coordinate with said present position set as an origin, as said information extraction range.

3. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

said server updates the real-time information held by said database at certain time intervals or every time the positional information from the client is received.

4. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

said navigator extracts real-time information falling within a designated range inputted by the client from said received real-time information based on the designated range inputted by the client, and displays the extracted real-time information.

5. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

said real-time information is a traffic state from said present position to a destination.

6. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

said navigator transmits moving time of the client from said present position to said server through said communication network;

and

said server detects a range in which the client can move within said moving time based on traffic states of roads around said present position, and determines the detected range as said information extraction range.

7. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

said real-time information includes a congested state of a restaurant;

said navigator transmits a request inputted by the client to make a reservation at said restaurant to said server through said communication netowrk; and

said server receives said reservation request through said communication network, executes said requested reservation, and transmits an execution result to said navigator through said communication network.

8. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

said real-time information includes a congested state of a shop, an article display state and a traffic state near the shop.

9. A navigation system comprising:

a database holding real-time information indicating a ground state;

a server receiving positional information including a present position of a client through a communication network, determining, as an information extraction range, a certain region on a map wider than a surrounding area of said present position based on said positional information, extracting, as information to be transmitted, real-time information failing within said information extraction range from said database, adding a header identifiable by said client to the extracted real-time information, and transmitting the header-added real-time information through said communication network at random; and

a navigator transmitting said positional information to said server through said communication network, receiving information from said server through said communication network, detecting said extracted real-time information from the received information while using said header, and displaying the detected real-time information, wherein

said server receives surrounding information on the client from a plurality of clients, and updates the real-time information in said database using the received surrounding information.

10. The navigation system according to claim 9, wherein

said surrounding information is information on an electrical system of a vehicle taken by said client.

11. The navigation system according to claim 9, wherein

said surrounding information is a history of the vehicle taken by said client.

12. The navigation system according to claim 9, wherein

said surrounding information is a wiper speed of the vehicle taken by said client.

13. The navigation system according to claim 9, wherein

said server receives said surrounding information from said plurality of clients at certain time intervals.

14. The navigation system according to claim 9, wherein

said server extracts the real-time information falling within said information extraction range from the real-time information updated using said surrounding information, and transmits the extracted real-time information to said navigator through said communication network.