Navigation system, hand-held terminal, data transfer system and programs executed therein

• US 6,807,484 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2002
• Issued: 10/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Inoue, Akira, Azuma, Kazuyoshi, Yamazaki, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc-Coleman, Marthe Y.
• Application Number:
  US10/112,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20020169551A1
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• Field of Search: 701/213, 701/208, 701/209, 701/214, 701/207, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995, 340/995.1, 455/403, 455/414, 455/456, 455/457
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network

Abstract

When there is no continuity between a current position data acquired by the car navigation system and a previous position data acquired by the car navigation system, the car navigation system determines a current position of a vehicle based on position data transmitted from a personal digital assistant (PDA). In this way, the current position of the vehicle can be determined immediately.

Claims

1. A navigation system for a vehicle, the navigation system comprising:

a position data receiving means for receiving at least one set of position data from a hand-held terminal, wherein each of the at least one set of position data indicates a corresponding position of the hand-held terminal;

a position data acquiring means for acquiring successive sets of position data based on a GPS signal transmitted from at least one GPS satellite, wherein each of the successive sets of position data indicates a corresponding position of the vehicle; and

a control means that executes at least one predetermined process based on at least one of the successive sets of the position data, which are acquired by the position data acquiring means, wherein;

the control means checks existence of the continuity between a current set of position data and the previous set of position data, both of which are acquired by the position data acquiring means at a predetermined interval;

when the control means determines that the continuity between the current set of position data and the previous set of position data, both of which are acquired by the position data acquiring means, exists, the control means determines a current position of the vehicle based on the current set of position data and the previous set of position data, both of which are acquired by the position data acquiring means, and

when the control means determines that the continuity between the current set of position data and the previous set of position data, both of which are acquired by the position data acquiring means, does not exist, the control means uses the current set of position data, which is acquired by the position data acquiring means, and one of the at least one set of position data, which is received from the hand-held terminal, only upon existence of continuity between the current set of position data, which is acquired by the position data acquiring means, and the one of the at least one set of position data, which is received from the hand-held terminal.

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

the control means checks the existence of the continuity between the current set of position data and the previous set of position data, both of which are acquired by the position data acquiring means, based on a relative distance between the position of the vehicle, which is indicated by the current set of position data, and the position of the vehicle, which is indicated by the previous set of position data; and

the control means determines the existence of the continuity between the current set of position data, which is acquired by the position data acquiring means, and the one of the at least one set of position data, which is received from the hand-held terminal, based on a relative distance between the position of the vehicle, which is indicated by the current set of position data, and the position of the hand-held terminal, which is indicated by the one of the at least one set of position data.

3. The navigation system according to claim 1, further comprising a display means, wherein the control means controls the display means to display a map of map data that corresponds to at least one of the at least one set of position data, which is received from the hand-held terminal.

4. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the position data receiving means receives the at least one set of position data from the hand-held terminal through wireless communication.

5. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the control means determines that the continuity between the current set of position data and the previous set of position data, both of which are acquired by the position data acquiring means, exists when a distance between the position of the vehicle, which is indicated by the current set of position data, and the position of the vehicle, which is indicated by the previous set of position data, is equal to or less than a predetermined amount.

6. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined interval is a predetermined distance.

7. The data transfer system comprising a hand-held terminal and a navigation system, wherein:

the hand-held terminal includes;

a position data acquiring means for acquiring at least one set of position data, wherein each of the at least one set of position data indicates a corresponding position of the hand-held terminal, and the position data acquiring means includes a network-assisted positioning type GPS positioning means for performing GPS positioning with aid of network assistance based on a GPS signal transmitted from at least one GPS satellite;

a position data transmitting means for transmitting the at least one set of position data, which is acquired by the position data acquiring means; and

a control means that transmits the at least one set of position data, which is acquired by the position data acquiring means, from the position data transmitting means to the navigation system;

the navigation system is for a vehicle and includes;

a position data receiving means for receiving the at least one set of position data from the hand-held terminal;

a position data acquiring means for acquiring successive sets of position data based on a GPS signal transmitted from at least one GPS satellite, wherein each of the successive sets of position data, which are acquired by the position data acquiring means of the navigation system, indicates a corresponding position of the vehicle; and

a control means that executes at least one predetermined process based on at least one of the successive sets of the position data, which are acquired by the position data acquiring means of the navigation system;

the control means of the navigation system checks existence of continuity between a current set of position data and a previous set of position data, both of which are acquired by the position data acquiring means of the navigation system at a predetermined interval;

when the control means of the navigation system determines that the continuity between the current set of position data and the previous set of position data, both of which are acquired by the position data acquiring means of the navigation system, exists, the control means of the navigation system determines a current position of the vehicle based on the current set of position data and the previous set of position data, both of which are acquired by the position data acquiring means of the navigation system; and

when the control means of the navigation system determines that the continuity between the current set of position data and the previous set of position data, both of which are acquired by the position data acquiring means of the navigation system, does not exist, the control means of the navigation system uses the current set of position data, which is acquired by the position data acquiring means of the navigation system, and one of the at least one set of position data, which is acquired by the position data acquiring means of the hand-held terminal, only upon existence of continuity between the current set of position data, which is acquired by the position data acquiring means of the navigation system, and the one of the at least one set of position data, which is acquired by the position data acquiring means of the hand-held terminal.

8. The data transfer system according to claim 7, wherein:

the control means of the navigation system checks the existence of the continuity between the current set of position data and the previous set of position data, both of which are acquired by the position data acquiring means of the navigation system, based on a relative distance between the position of the vehicle, which is indicated by the current set of position data, and the position of the vehicle, which is indicated by the previous set of position data; and

the control means of the navigation system determines the existence of the continuity between the current set of position data, which is acquired by the position data acquiring means of the navigation system, and the one of the at least one set of position data, which is acquired by the position data acquiring means of the hand-held terminal, based on a relative distance between the position of the vehicle, which is indicated by the current set of position data, and the position of the hand-held terminal, which is indicated by the one of the at least one set of position data.

9. The data transfer system according to claim 7, wherein:

the navigation system further includes a display means; and

the control means of the navigation system controls the display means to display a map of map data that corresponds to at least one of the at least one set of position data, which is acquired by the position data acquiring means of the hand-held terminal.

10. The data transfer system according to claim 7, wherein the position data receiving means of the navigation system receives the at least one set of position data from the position data transmitting means of the hand-held terminal through wireless communication.

11. The data transfer system according to claim 7, wherein the control means of the navigation system determines that the continuity between the current set of position data and the previous set of position data, both of which are acquired by the position data acquiring means of the navigation system, exists when a distance between the position of the vehicle, which is indicated by the current set of position data, and the position of the vehicle, which is indicated by the previous set of position data, is equal to or less than a predetermined amount.

12. The data transfer system according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined interval is a predetermined distance.