COMMUNICATION NAVIGATION SYSTEM AND METHOD, COMMUNICATION CENTER APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING MAP INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION NAVIGATION TERMINAL, PROGRAM STORAGE DEVICE AND COMPUTER DATA SIGNAL EMBODIED IN CARRIER WAVE

• US 6,801,851 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2002
• Issued: 10/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Kawakami, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gibson, Eric M.
• Application Number:
  US10/228,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20030040866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701/202, 701/207, 701/209, 701/211, 701/212, 701/213, 340/995.1, 340/995.12, 340/995.14, 340/995.15, 340/995.19, 340/995.2, 340/995.23, 342/357.09, 342/357.13
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance

Abstract

A communication navigation system is provided with a communication center apparatus (3) and a communication navigation terminal (5), which perform two-way communication on a communication network (1, 2). The communication center apparatus for providing map information is provided with: a search device (74) for searching for a recommendation route with respect to the request of route search from the communication navigation terminal; and a wireless device (73) for wirelessly transmitting guidance position information including information indicating a direction or a route to be advanced and/or information indicating a location of each one of a plurality of guidance positions located on the recommendation route. The communication navigation terminal is provided with a display processing device (43) for displaying the recommendation route by connecting the plurality of guidance positions by interpolation according to the content of the received guidance position information.

Claims

1. A communication navigation system comprising:

a communication center apparatus; and

a communication navigation terminal, which perform two-way communication on a communication networK,

(i) the communication center apparatus comprising;

a map database for storing therein map database information including information for route search, which enables a search for recommended route from an origin to a destination;

a search device for searching for the recommended route with respect to route search request information tha indicates the origin and the destination and that is received through the communication network, on the basis of the information for route search; and

a center side communication device for wirelessly transmitting, through the communication network, guidance position information including at least any one of information indicating a location of each one of a plurality of guidance positions located on the searched recommended route, information indicating a direction in which to proceed at each one of the plurality of guidance positions and information indicating a route on which to proceed at each one of the plurality of guidance positions,

the guidance position information being transmitted separately from the map database information, and

(ii) the communication navigation terminal comprising;

a terminal side communication device for receiving the guidance position information wirelessly transmitted separately from the map database information; and

a display processing device for displaying a route, which is obtained by connecting the plurality of guidance positions on a map shown with map information for display according to the contents of the received guidance position information, as the recommended route on the map.

2. A communication navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal side communication device transmits the route search request information and the center side communication device receives the route search request information.

3. A communication navigation system according to claim 1, further comprising a user communication terminal, which performs two-way communication on the communication network and which transmits the route search request information.

4. A communication navigation system according to claim 1, wherein if the searched recommended route includes an expressway, the plurality of guidance positions includes at least one of a parking area, a service area, and an interchange on the expressway.

5. A communication navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the center side communication device thins out the plurality of guidance positions according to the type of the searched recommended route, and transmits the guidance position information with respect to each one of the thinned guidance positions.

6. A communication navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the center side communication device thins out the plurality of guidance positions according to a map scale corresponding to the information for route search used when searching for the recommended route, and transmits the guidance position information with respect to each one of the thinned guidance positions.

7. A communication navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the center side communication device thins out the plurality of guidance positions according to a map scale of the map information for display used at the display processing device, and transmits the guidance position information with respect to each one of the thinned guidance positions.

8. A communication navigation system according to claim 1, wherein a map scale corresponding to the information for route search used when searching for the recommended route agrees with a map scale of the map information for display used at the display processing device.

9. A communication navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the route search request information includes one or more a passing places that exist between the origin and the destination and

the search device searches for the recommended route with respect to the route search request information including the one or more passing places.

10. A communication navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the route search request information comprises screen information including character information, and is transmitted and received according to a two-way communication method.

11. A communication navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the route search request information includes character information, and is transmitted according to a one-way communication method.

12. A communication navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the route search request information includes transmission time information indicating a time point for transmitting the guidance position information,

the communication center apparatus further comprises a timing device for determining the a time point based on the transmission time information and

the center side communication device transmits the guidance position information at the determined time point.

13. A communication center apparatus for performing two-way communication on a communication network with a communication navigation terminal provided with:

(i) a terminal side communication device for receiving guidance position information that is wirelessly transmitted separately from map database information and that includes at least any one of information indicating a location of each one of a plurality of guidance positions, information indicating a direction in which to proceed at each one of the plurality of guidance positions and information indicating a route on which to proceed at each one of the plurality of guidance positions; and

(ii) a display processing device for displaying a route, which is obtained by connecting the plurality of guidance positions on a map shown with map information for display according to the contents of the received guidance position information, as a recommended route on the map,

the communication center apparatus comprising;

a map database for storing therein the map database information including information for route search, which enables a search for the recommended route;

a search device for searching for the recommended route with respect to route search request information that indicates an origin and a destination and that is received through the communication network, on the basis of the information for route search; and

a center side communication device for wirelessly transmitting, through the communication network, the guidance position information on each one of the plurality of guidance positions located on the searched recommended route,

the guidance position information being transmitted separately from the map database information.

14. A communication navigation terminal for performing two-way communication on a communication network with a communication center apparatus provided with:

(i) a map database for storing therein map database information including information for route search, which enables a search for a recommended route from an origin to a destination;

(ii) a search device for searching for the recommended route with respect to route search request information that indicates the origin and the destination and that is received through the communication network, on the basis of the information for route search; and

(iii) a center side communication device for wirelessly transmitting, through the communication network, guidance position information including at least any one of information indicating a location of each one of a plurality of guidance positions located on the searched recommended route, information indicating a direction in which to proceed at each one of the plurality of guidance positions and information indicating a route on which to proceed at each one of the plurality of guidance positions, the guidance position information being transmitted separately from the map database information.

the communication navigation terminal comprising;

a terminal side communication device for receiving the guidance position information wirelessly transmitted separately from the map database information; and

a display processing device for displaying a route, which is obtained by connecting the plurality of guidance positions on a map shown with map information for display according to the contents of the received guidance position information, as the recommended route on the map.

15. A communication navigation method executed in a communication navigation system comprising:

a communication center apparatus and a communication navigation terminal, which perform two-way communication on a communication network,

the communication navigation method comprising;

(i) at the communication center apparatus,

a search process of searching for a recommended route with respect to route search request information indicating an origin and a destination received through the communication network on the basis of information for route search that is included in map database information stored in a map database and that enables a search for the recommended route from the origin to the destination; and

a center side communication process of wirelessly transmitting, through the communication network, guidance position information including at least any one of information indicating a location of each one of a plurality of guidance positions located on the searched recommended route, information indicating a direction in which to proceed at each one of the plurality of guidance positions and information indicating a route on which to proceed at each one of the plurality of guidance positions, the guidance position information being transmitted separately from the map database information, and

(ii) at the communication navigation terminal,

a terminal side communication process of receiving the guidance position information wirelessly transmitted separately from the map database information; and

a display processing process of displaying a route, which is obtained by connecting the plurality of guidance positions on a map shown with map information for display according to the contents of the received guidance position information, as the recommended route on the map.

16. A program storage device readable by a computer for tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform a communication navigation method at a communication center apparatus in a communication navigation system, the communication navigation system comprising the communication center apparatus and a communication navigation terminal, the communication center apparatus performing two-way communication on a communication network with the communication navigation terminal, the communication navigation terminal comprising:

(i) a terminal side communication device for receiving guidance position information that is wirelessly transmitted separately from map database information and that includes at least any one of information indicating a location of each one of a plurality of guidance positions, information indicating a direction in which to proceed at each one of the plurality of guidance positions and information indicating a route on which to proceed at each one of the plurality of guidance positions; and

(ii) a display processing device for displaying a route, which is obtained by connecting the plurality of guidance positions on a map shown with map information for display according to the contents of the received guidance position information, as a recommended route on the map,

the communication navigation method comprising;

a search process of searching for the recommended route with respect to route search request information indicating an origin and a destination received through the communication network on the basis of information for route search that is included in the map database information stored in a map database and that enables a search for the recommended route from the origin to the destination; and

a center side communication process of wirelessly transmitting, through the communication network, the guidance position information on each one of the plurality of guidance positions located on the searched recommended route,

the guidance position information being transmitted separately from the map database information.

17. A program storage device readable by a computer for tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform a communication navigation method at a communication navigation terminal in a communication navigation system, the communication navigation system comprising a communication center apparatus and the communication navigation terminal, the communication navigation terminal performing two-way communication on a communication network with the communication center apparatus, the communication center apparatus comprising:

(i) a map database for storing therein map database information including information for route search, which enables a search for a recommended route from an origin to a destination;

(ii) a search device for searching for the recommended route with respect to route search request information that indicates the origin and the destination and that is received through the communication network, on the basis of the information for route search; and

(iii) a center side communication device for wirelessly transmitting, through the communication network, guidance position information including at least any one of information indicating a location of each one of a plurality of guidance positions located on the searched recommended route, information indicating a direction in which to proceed at each one of the plurality of guidance positions and information indicating a route on which to proceed at each one of the plurality of guidance positions, the guidance position information being transmitted separately from the map database information.

the communication navigation method comprising;

a terminal side communication process of receiving the guidance position information wirelessly transmitted separately from the map database information; and

a display processing process of displaying a route, which is obtained by connecting the plurality of guidance positions on a map shown with map information for display according to the contents of the received guidance position information, as the recommended route on the map.

18. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave and representing a series of instructions which cause a computer to perform a communication navigation method at a communication center apparatus in a communication navigation system, the communication navigation system comprising the communication center apparatus and a communication navigation terminal, the communication center apparatus performing two-way communication on a communication network with the communication navigation terminal, the communication navigation terminal comprising:

(i) a terminal side communication device for receiving guidance position information that is wirelessly transmitted separately from map database information and that includes at least any one of information indicating a location of each one of a plurality of guidance positions, information indicating a direction in which to proceed at each one of the plurality of guidance positions and information indicating a route on which to proceed at each one of the plurality of guidance positions; and

(ii) a display processing device for displaying a route, which is obtained by connecting the plurality of guidance positions on a map shown with map information for display according to the contents of the received guidance position information, as a recommended route on the map,

the communication navigation method comprising;

a search process of searching for the recommended route with respect to route search request information indicating an origin and a destination received through the communication network on the basis of information for route search that is included in the map database information stored in a map database and that enables a search for the recommended route from the origin to the destination; and

a center side communication process of wirelessly transmitting, through the communication network, the guidance position information on each one of the plurality of guidance positions located on the searched recommended route,

the guidance position information being transmitted separately from the map database information.

19. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave and representing a series of instructions which cause a computer to perform a communication navigation method at a communication navigation terminal in a communication navigation system, the communication navigation system comprising a communication center apparatus and the communication navigation terminal, the communication navigation terminal performing two-way communication on a communication network with the communication center apparatus, the communication center apparatus comprising:

(i) a map database for storing therein map database information including information for route search, which enables a search for a recommended route from an origin to a destination;

(ii) a search device for searching for the recommended route with respect to route search request information that indicates the origin and the destination and that is received through the communication network, on the basis of the information for route search; and

(iii) a center side communication device for wirelessly transmitting, through the communication network, guidance position information including at least any one of information indicating a location of each one of a plurality of guidance positions located on the searched recommended route, information indicating a direction in which to proceed at each one of the plurality of guidance positions and information indicating a route on which to proceed at each one of the plurality of guidance positions, the guidance position information being transmitted separately from the map database information,

the communication navigation method comprising;

a terminal side communication process of receiving the guidance position information wirelessly transmitted separately from the map database information; and

a display processing process of displaying a route, which is obtained by connecting the plurality of guidance positions on a map shown with map information for display according to the contents of the received guidance position information, as the recommended route on the map.

20. A terminal for a navigation system comprising:

an input device for inputting a request for navigation information; and

a communication circuit for sending the request over a communication network to a communication center apparatus,

wherein the request includes time data indicative of a future time at which the communication center apparatus should send a response to the request to the terminal.

21. The terminal according to claim 20, wherein the navigation information comprises guidance position information.

22. The terminal according to claim 21, wherein the guidance position information comprises one or more of information indicating a location of each one of a plurality of guidance positions located on a recommended route;

information indicating a direction in which to proceed at each one of the plurality of guidance positions; and

information indicating a route on which to proceed each one of the plurality of guidance positions.

23. The terminal according to claim 21, wherein the guidance position information comprises information indicating a location of each one of a plurality of guidance positions located on a recommended route and information regarding how to proceed at one or more of the guidance positions.

24. A communication center apparatus for a navigation system comprising:

a receiver for receiving a request for navigation information communicated from a navigation terminal over a communication network; and

a processing system for processing the request,

wherein the request includes time data indicative of a future time at which the communication center apparatus should send a response to the request to the terminal and the processing system uses the time data to send the response to the terminal at the future time.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the navigation information comprises guidance position information.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the guidance position information comprises one or more of information indicating a location of each one of a plurality of guidance positions located on a recommended route;

information indicating a direction in which to proceed at each one of the plurality of guidance positions; and

information indicating a route on which to proceed at each one of the plurality of guidance positions.

27. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the guidance position information comprises information indicating a location of each one of a plurality of guidance positions located on a recommended route and information regarding how to proceed at one or more of the guidance positions.