Apparatus and method for presenting navigation information based on instructions described in a script

• US 6,748,316 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2001
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Takayama, Kuniharu, Sekiguchi, Minoru, Maeda, Yoshiharu, Naito, Hirohisa, Horai, Hisayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US09/991,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20020099499A1
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 701/208, 701/201, 701/211, 701/209, 701/200, 705/5, 705/6, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3644 Landmark guidance, e.g. using POIs or conspicuous other objects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3655 Timing of guidance instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096861 where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096888 where input information is obtained using learning systems, e.g. history databases
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

A navigation script includes time and point information for navigation and information for guidance, and describes an instruction sequence which can represent these information in time series in a mark-up language. According to the structured data generated from the navigation script, an instruction corresponding to a current time or point is executed, so that information for guidance to be presented is output.

Claims

1. A navigation plan creating apparatus for creating a navigation plan obtained by combining information for guidance, comprising:

an associating unit to associate one of a range and a point on map information with guidance information;

a route setting unit to set a specified route on the map information based on a point to be included in the specified route; and

a creating unit to automatically create a navigation plan by extracting the guidance information associated with the specified route, the navigation plan being represented by a navigation script composed of an instruction sequence based on a predetermined specification, in which at least one of time and point information, together with the guidance information for the specified route according to at least one of a presentation time and a presentation point, are described using a set of combinations of a name which identifies a type of information and contents thereof that relate the guidance information to the at least one of time and point information.

2. The navigation plan creating apparatus according to claim 1,

further comprising a guidance information management database to manage the guidance information associated with the map information for each attribute including at least one of season, time, and a user type, and

wherein said creating unit creates the navigation plan suiting a specified attribute by referencing said guidance information management database.

3. The navigation plan creating apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said associating unit specifies one of a valid time period and a valid time limit when associating with the guidance information;

and

wherein said creating unit performs one of a process of creating a navigation plan by extracting one of only guidance information within the valid time period and only guidance information up to the valid time limit when extracting the guidance information associated with the set route, and a process of creating a navigation plan having a condition relating to one of the valid time period and the valid time limit.

4. The navigation plan creating apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said associating unit specifies a state including at least one of a direction in which a range is entered and a speed at which the range is entered when specifying the range;

and

wherein said creating unit performs one of a process of creating a navigation plan by extracting only information satisfying a condition including at least one of a direction in which a range on the set route is entered and a speed at which the range is entered when extracting the guidance information associated with the route, and a process for creating the navigation plan having a condition relating to the state including at least one of the direction in which the range on the set route is entered and the speed at which the range is entered.

5. A navigation plan creating method for creating a navigation plan obtained by combining information for guidance with the use of a computer, comprising:

associating one of a range and a point on map information with guidance information;

setting a specified route on the map information based on a point to be included in the specified route; and

creating a navigation plan by extracting the guidance information associated with the specified route, the navigation plan being represented by a navigation script composed of an instruction sequence based on a predetermined specification, in which at least one of time and point information, together with the guidance information for the specified route according to at least one of a presentation time and a presentation point, are described using a set of combinations of a name which identifies a type of information and contents thereof that relate the guidance information to the at least one of time and point information.

6. A computer-readable storage medium on which is recorded a program for implementing with a computer creation of a navigation plan obtained by combining information for guidance by executing a process comprising:

associating one of a range and a point on map information with guidance information;

setting a specified route on the map information based on a point to be included in the specified route; and

creating a navigation plan, by extracting the guidance information associated with the specified route, the navigation plan being represented by a navigation script composed of an instruction sequence based on a predetermined specification, in which at least one of time and point information, together with the guidance information for the specified route according to at least one of a presentation time and a presentation point, are described using a set of combinations of a name which identifies a type of information and contents thereof that relate the guidance information to the at least one of time and point information.