Communication navigation system and method, communication center apparatus, communication navigation terminal, program storage device and computer data signal embodied in carrier wave

• US 6,826,474 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2002
• Issued: 11/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: PIP Holdings Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Increment P Corporation, Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Sakai, Akira, Miyahara, Hiroshi, Fujita, Toru, Nambata, Ippei, Hashida, Masaya
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US10/231,454
• Publication Number:
  US 20030060974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/201, 701/207, 701/208, 701/209, 701/211, 701/212, 701/213, 701/214, 342/357.07, 342/357.06, 342/357.09, 342/357.1, 342/357.12, 342/357.13
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09685 where the complete route is computed only once and not updated
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096866 where the complete route is shown to the driver
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice

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 is provided with: a search device (74) for searching for an optimum route with respect to the request of route search from the communication navigation terminal on the basis of information for route search and a communication device (73) for wirelessly transmitting coordinates information at a plurality of positions on this optimum route. The communication navigation terminal is provided with a communication device (38) for receiving the coordinates information and a display processing device (43) for displaying the optimum route on the basis of this received coordinates information.

Claims

1. A communication navigation system comprising a communication center apparatus and a communication navigation terminal,

(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 an optimum route from an origin to a destination by predetermined algorithm;

a search device for searching for the optimum 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 by the predetermined algorithm; and

a center side communication device for wirelessly transmitting, through the communication network, coordinates information at a plurality of positions arranged on the searched optimum route, and

(ii) the communication navigation terminal comprising;

a terminal side communication device for receiving the coordinates information wirelessly transmitted; and

a display processing device for displaying the optimum route on a map on the basis of the received coordinates information and map information for display.

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 the center side communication device further transmits order information that indicates order of the plurality of positions arranged on the optimum route, and

the display processing device displays the optimum route on the basis of the order information in addition to the coordinates information.

5. A communication navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the coordinates information includes latitude and longitude, or latitude, longitude and altitude at the plurality of positions on the optimum route.

6. A communication navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the coordinates information includes information that indicates absolute coordinates of at least one of the plurality of positions on the optimum route, and information that indicates relative coordinates of at least another one of the plurality of positions on the optimum route with respect to the absolute coordinates.

7. A communication navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the route search request information indicates at least one passing place that exists between the origin and the destination and that is intended to be passed through in addition to the origin and the destination and

the search device searches for the optimum route with respect to the route search request information indicating the origin, the destination and the at least one passing place.

8. A communication navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the number of the plurality of positions is varied with a scale of a map corresponding to map information used for the search for the optimum route at the search device.

9. A communication navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the map database information includes map information having a scale equal to chat of the map information for display to be used at the display processing device, and

the search device searches for the optimum route on the basis of the map information included in the map database information.

10. A communication navigation system according to claim 9, wherein the center side communication device receives scale information indicating a scale of the map information for display to be used at the display processing device together with the route search request information, and

the search device selects map information having a scale equal to that indicated by the received scale information from among a plurality of map information having various scales, and searches for the optimum route on the basis of the selected map information.

11. A communication navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the center side communication device transmits scale information that indicates a scale of map information which is used for the search for the optimum route at the search device.

12. 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.

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

14. A communication navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the route search request information includes transmission time information indicating a time point supposed to transmit the coordinates information,

the communication center apparatus further comprises a timing device for measuring a time point shown by the transmission time information and

the center side communication device transmits the coordinates information at the time point shown by the transmission time information according to the time measurement by the timing device.

22. The communication navigation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication center apparatus and the communication navigation terminal perform two-way communication on a communication network.

25. The communication navigation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the map information corresponding to the received coordinates information is located at said communication navigation terminal and is not transmitted in conjunction with the received coordinates information.

29. The communication navigation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said coordinates information is transmitted in conjunction with no other map information.

15. A communication center apparatus for performing communication with a navigation terminal on a communication network,

comprising:

a map database for storing therein map database information including information for route search, which enables a search for an optimum route from an origin to a destination on a map by predetermined algorithm;

a search device for searching for the optimum 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 by the predetermined algorithm; and

a center side communication device for transmitting, through the communication network, coordinates information at a plurality of positions arranged on the searched optimum route.

16. A communication navigation terminal for performing two-way communication with a communication center apparatus on a communication network, the communication center navigation comprising:

a map database for storing therein map database information including information for route search, which enables a search for an optimum route from an origin to a destination by predetermined algorithm;

a search device for searching for the optimum 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 by the predetermined algorithm; and

a center side communication device for wirelessly transmitting, through the communication network, coordinates information at a plurality of positions arranged on the searched optimum route,

the communication navigation terminal comprising;

a terminal side communication device for receiving the coordinates information wirelessly transmitted; and

a display processing device for displaying the optimum route on a map on the basis of the received coordinates information and map information for display.

17. 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, by a predetermined algorithm, for an optimum route from a origin to a destination 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 information for route search which is included in map data base information stored in a map database and which enables a search for the optimum route from the origin to the destination according to the predetermined algorithm; and

a center side communication process of wirelessly transmitting, through the communication network, coordinates information at a plurality of positions arranged on the searched optimum route, and

(ii) at the communication navigation terminal;

a terminal side communication process of receiving the coordinates information wirelessly transmitted; and

a display process of displaying the optimum route on a map on the basis of the received coordinates information and map information for display.

18. 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:

a terminal side communication device for receiving coordinates information wirelessly transmitted; and

a display processing device for displaying an optimum route from an origin to a destination on a map on the basis of the received coordinates information and map information for display,

the communication navigation method comprising;

a search process of searching, by a predetermined algorithm, for the optimum 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 information for route search which is included in map data base information stored in a map database and which enables a search for the optimum route from the origin to the destination according to the predetermined algorithm; and

a center side communication process of wirelessly transmitting, through the communication network, the coordinates information at a plurality of positions arranged on the searched optimum route.

19. 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:

a map database for storing therein map database information including information for route search, which enables a search for an optimum route from an origin to a destination by predetermined algorithm;

a search device for searching for the optimum 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 by the predetermined algorithm; and

a center side communication device for wirelessly transmitting, through the communication network, coordinates information at a plurality of positions arranged on the searched optimum route,

the communication navigation method comprising;

a terminal side communication process of receiving the coordinates information wirelessly transmitted; and

a display process of displaying the optimum route on a map on the basis of the received coordinates information and map information for display.

20. 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:

a terminal side communication device for receiving coordinates information wirelessly transmitted; and

a display processing device for displaying an optimum route from an origin to a destination on a map on the basis of the received coordinates information and map information for display,

the communication navigation method comprising;

a search process of searching, by a predetermined algorithm, for the optimum 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 information for route search which is included in map data base information stored in a map database and which enables a search for the optimum route from the origin to the destination according to the predetermined algorithm; and

a center side communication process of wirelessly transmitting, through the communication network, the coordinates information at a plurality of positions arranged on the searched optimum route.

21. 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:

a map database for storing therein map database information including information for route search, which enables a search for an optimum route from an origin to a destination by predetermined algorithm;

a search device for searching for the optimum 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 by the predetermined algorithm; and

a center side communication device for wirelessly transmitting, through the communication network, coordinates information at a plurality of positions arranged on the searched optimum route,

the communication navigation method comprising;

a terminal side communication process of receiving the coordinates information wirelessly transmitted; and

a display process of displaying the optimum route on a map on the basis of the received coordinates information and map information for display.

23. A communication navigation terminal, comprising:

a communication device that receives coordinates information from a remote source after a request for an optimum route is sent to the remote source; and

a display processing device that displays the optimum route on a map on the basis of the received coordinates information and map information for display.

24. The communication navigation terminal as claimed in claim 23, wherein the request for the optimum route is sent from the communication device to the remote source.

26. The communication navigation system as claimed in claim 23, wherein said coordinates information is not transmitted in conjunction with the map information.

27. The communication navigation system as claimed in claim 23, wherein the map information corresponding to the received coordinates information is located at the communication navigation terminal and is not transmitted in conjunction with the received coordinates information.

28. The communication navigation system as claimed in claim 23, wherein said coordinate information is transmitted in conjunction with no other map information.

30. A communication navigation system, comprising:

a mobile navigation terminal; and

a transmission circuit that wirelessly communicates with the mobile navigation terminal,

wherein the transmission circuit transmits coordinate information to the mobile navigation terminal,

wherein the mobile navigation terminal generates route data based on the received coordinate information and map information, and

wherein the map information corresponding to the received coordinate information is located at said mobile navigation terminal and is not transmitted to the mobile navigation terminal in conjunction with the coordinate information.

31. The communication navigation system as claimed in claim 30, wherein the coordinate information is transmitted in conjunction with no other map information.