Portable navigation device and system, and online navigation service in wireless communication network

• US 6,868,337 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2002
• Issued: 03/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Muramatsu, Toshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US10/145,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20020173906A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 701/208, 701/211, 701/213, 701/201, 340/995.12, 340/995.24, 340/995.27, 342/357.08, 342/357.09, 342/357.1
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers

Abstract

A portable communication device comprises a GPS module for determining the present position, an electronic compass module for detecting an azimuth, a display, and a wireless communicator. Herein, the position information representing the destination and present position is transmitted towards the navigation server, which in turn provides the map information including the destination and present position, based on which corresponding icon symbols are indicated in the map displayed on the screen. In addition, the azimuth is also indicated by an angle departing from a north direction of the map information. Specifically, an azimuthal arrow symbol is displayed in proximity to the icon symbol representing the present position in the map, or the icon symbol is inclined by the aforementioned angle. Thus, it is possible to create images for navigation that are appropriately displayed on the screen and are recognizable in viewing without using expensive graphic processing.

Claims

1. A navigation system comprising:

a portable communication device, the portable communication device including a subsystem wherein a user of the portable communication device may designate a first icon to represent the portable communication device and a second icon to represent a second communication device, the second communication device being identified by at least a phone number listed in a database in the first communication device; and

a navigation server, connected with the portable communication device via a network, for providing a prescribed navigation service online in response to a request of the portable communication device,

wherein upon receipt of position information representing a present position of the portable communication device, the navigation server sends map information including the present position of the portable communication device, so that the portable communication device displays the first icon over a position on the map information representing the present position of the portable communication device, and the portable communication device displays the second icon over a position on the map information representing the present position of the second communication device, and the portable communication device also indicates an azimuth thereof as an angle departing from a reference direction corresponding to a north direction of the map information.

3. A navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the portable communication device displays an azimuthal arrow symbol representing the azimuth thereof in proximity to the icon symbol representing the present position thereof on the map information.

4. A navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the portable communication device indicates the azimuth thereof by inclining the icon symbol representing the present position thereof by the angle departing from the reference direction corresponding to the north direction of the map information.

2. A navigation system comprising:

a portable communication device, the portable communication device including a subsystem wherein a user of the portable communication device may designate a first icon to represent the portable communication device and a second icon to represent a destination; and

a navigation server, connected with the portable communication device via a network, for providing a prescribed navigation service online in response to a request of the portable communication device,

wherein upon receipt of position information representing a destination and a present position of the portable communication device, the navigation server sends map information including the destination and the present position of the portable communication device, so that the portable communication device displays the second icon representing the destination and the first icon representing the present position of the portable communication device on the map information downloaded thereto from the navigation server, and the portable communication device also indicates an azimuth thereof as an angle departing from a reference direction corresponding to a north direction of the map information.

5. A navigation system according to claim 2, wherein the destination corresponds to a position of a second portable communication device with which the portable communication device is communicating, so that the portable communication device receives latitude and longitude information specifying the destination from the second portable communication device,

and said communication is initiated by establishing a call connection by selecting an icon from a database representing the second communication device.

6. A navigation system according to claim 2, wherein the portable communication device receives latitude and longitude information specifying the destination from the navigation server.

7. A portable communication device applicable to a navigation system having a navigation server for providing a prescribed navigation service online as requested, said portable communication device comprising:

a global positioning device for measuring a present position of the portable communication device;

an azimuth detector for detecting an azimuth directed by the portable communication device;

a memory for storing at least a plurality of phone numbers and a plurality of icons, wherein a user of the portable communication device may designate a first icon to represent the portable communication device and a second icon to represent a phone number stored in the memory;

display for displaying various information data on a screen;

a wireless communicator for transmitting position information representing the present position towards the navigation server and for correspondingly receiving and downloading map information including the present position from the navigation server; and

a navigation display controller for controlling the display to display an icon symbol representing the present position on the map information while indicating the azimuth by an angle departing from a reference direction corresponding to a north direction of the map information.

9. A portable communication device according to claim 7, wherein the navigation display controller controls the display to display an azimuthal arrow symbol representing the azimuth in proximity to the icon symbol representing the present position on the map information.

10. A portable communication device according to claim 7, wherein the navigation display controller controls the display to indicate the azimuth by inclining the icon symbol representing the present position by the angle departing from the reference direction corresponding to the north direction of the map information.

8. A portable communication device applicable to a navigation system having a navigation server for providing a prescribed navigation service online as requested, said portable communication device comprising:

a global positioning device for measuring a present position of the portable communication device;

an azimuth detector for detecting an azimuth directed by the portable communication device;

a memory for storing at least a plurality of phone numbers and a plurality of icons, wherein a user of the portable communication device may designate a first icon to represent the portable communication device and a second icon to represent a phone number stored in the memory;

a display for displaying various information data on a screen;

a wireless communicator for transmitting position information representing a destination and the present position towards the navigation server and for correspondingly receiving and downloading map information including the destination and the present position from the navigation server; and

a navigation display controller for controlling the display to display icon symbols representing the destination and the present position on the map information while indicating the azimuth by an angle departing from a reference direction corresponding to a north direction of the map information.

11. A portable communication device according to claim 8, wherein the destination corresponds to a position of a second portable communication device, so that the wireless communicator receives from the second portable communication device latitude and longitude information specifying the destination, based on which the navigation display controller controls the display to display the icon symbol representing the destination on the map information.

12. A portable communication device according to claim 8, wherein the wireless communicator receives from the navigation server latitude and longitude information specifying the destination, based on which the navigation display controller controls the display to display the icon symbol representing the destination on the map information.

13. A portable communication device that is connectible with a navigation server for providing a prescribed navigation service as requested via a network, comprising:

a memory for storing at least a plurality of phone numbers and a plurality of icons, wherein a user of the portable communication device may designate a first icon to represent the portable communication device and a second icon to represent a phone number stored in the memory;

a GPS module for receiving signals from GPS satellites to determine a present position, which is two-dimensionally defined using a latitude and a longitude;

an electronic compass module for detecting an azimuth;

a display for displaying various data on a screen;

a wireless communicator for transmitting position information representing the present position towards the navigation server and for correspondingly receiving and downloading map information including the present position from the navigation server; and

a navigation display controller for controlling the display to display the first icon representing the portable communication device at the present position on the map information while indicating the azimuth by an angle departing from a north direction of the map information and the second icon at the present position of a communication device assigned the phone number on the map information.

14. A portable communication device according to claim 13, wherein a user designates a third icon to represent a destination and the wireless communicator downloads from the navigation server the map information including the destination and present position, based on which the navigation display controller controls the display to display the third icon representing the destination in addition to the first icon representing the present position on the map information.

15. A portable communication device according to claim 13, wherein the navigation display controller indicates the azimuth by displaying an azimuthal arrow symbol in proximity to the icon symbol representing the present position on the map information.

16. A portable communication device according to claim 15, wherein response to the detected azimuth, the azimuthal arrow symbol is selected from among a plurality of azimuthal arrow symbols, which are allocated to plurality of azimuthal ranges respectively.

17. A portable communication device according to claim 13, wherein the navigation display controller indicates the azimuth by inclining the icon symbol representing the present position by the angle departing from the north direction of the map information.