Communication navigation system, communication navigation method, route guidance information transmitting device, and terminal unit

• US 6,879,908 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2002
• Issued: 04/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Increment P Corporation (Pioneer Corporation), Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Increment P Corporation (Pioneer Corporation), Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Takenaga, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tan Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US10/264,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20030109983A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 701/202, 701/211, 701/209, 701/210, 701/212, 701/200, 701/201, 701/207, 701/208, 340/990, 340/905, 340/988, 340/995.1, 342/463, 731/78.R
• US Class Current: 701/202
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

A communication navigation method comprises a first procedure in which a terminal unit requests a server to transmit an information segment necessary for a first current part of guidance via the Internet, a second procedure in which the server transmits to the terminal unit the information segment requested by the first procedure, via the Internet, a third procedure in which after the second procedure, the terminal unit requests the server to transmit an information segment necessary for a second current part of the guidance via the Internet, and a fourth procedure in which the server transmits to the terminal unit the information segment requested by the third procedure, via the Internet. The information segment transmitted by the fourth procedure is an update of the information segment transmitted by the second procedure.

Claims

1. A communication navigation method for performing navigation, using map data stored in a server and current position data about a navigation terminal, by transmitting the map data to the navigation terminal via a communication network, the communication navigation method comprising:

a requesting process in which the navigation terminal requests the server to transmit an information necessary for an immediate part of guidance via the communication network; and

sends a memory capacity of the navigation terminal to the server;

a dividing process in which an information which is searched by the server from a starting point to a destination point specified by a user, is divided into some segments judged by the server according to the terminal memory; and

a transmitting process in which the server transmits the requested divided information which is the closest point information to the navigation terminal, to the navigation terminal via the communication network,

wherein the requested information is a map data which is updated at the time of the server receiving the navigation terminal requests.

2. The communication navigation method according to claim 1, wherein each of the information segments comprises route information indicative of a route.

3. The communication navigation method according to claim 1, wherein each of the information segments comprises guidance information used to implement the guidance.

4. A communication navigation method for performing navigation, using map data stored in a server and current position data about a navigation terminal, by transmitting the map data to the navigation terminal via a communication network, the communication navigation method comprising:

a first procedure in which the navigation terminal requests the server to transmit an information segment necessary for a first current part of guidance via the communication network and sends a memory capacity of the navigation terminal to the server;

a second procedure in which the server transmits to the navigation terminal the first information segment of the information segments, which are map data from a starting point to a destination point specified by a user and searched by the server, which is divided into some segments judged by the server according to the terminal memory, via the communication network;

a third procedure in which after the second procedure, the navigation terminal requests the server to transmit a next one of the information segment necessary for a second current part of the guidance via the communication network; and

a fourth procedure in which the server transmits to the navigation terminal the information segment requested by the third procedure, via the communication, network,

wherein the information segment transmitted by the fourth procedure is an update segment of the information segments at the time of the third procedure.

5. The communication navigation system according to claim 4, wherein each of the information segments comprises route information indicative of a route.

6. The communication navigation system according to claim 4, wherein each of the information segments comprises guidance information used to implement the guidance.

7. A communication navigation system for performing navigation, using map data stored in a server and current position data about a navigation terminal, by transmitting the map data to the navigation terminal via a communication network, the communication navigation system comprising:

a navigation terminal which requests a server to transmit an information necessary for an immediate part of guidance via the communication network and sends a memory capacity of the navigation terminal to the server;

a server which divides information which is searched by the server form a starting point to a destination point specified by a user, into some segments judged by the server according to the terminal memory and transmits the requested divided information which is the closest oint information to the navigation terminal, to the navigation terminal via the communication network,

wherein the requested information is a map data which is updated at the time of the server receiving the navigation terminal requests.

8. The communication navigation system according to claim 7, wherein each of the information segments comprises route information indicative of a route.

9. The communication navigation system according to claim 7, wherein each of the information segments comprises guidance information used to implement the guidance.

10. A communication navigation system for implementing a communication navigation method for performing navigation, using map data stored in a server and current position data about a navigation terminal, by transmitting the map data to the navigation terminal via a communication network, the communication navigation method comprising:

a first procedure in which the navigation terminal requests the server to transmit an information segment necessary for a first current part of guidance via the communication network and sends a memory capacity of the navigation terminal to the server;

a second procedure in which the server transmits to the navigation terminal the first information segment of the information segments, which are map data from a starting point to a destination point specified by a user and searched by the server, which is divided into some segments judged by the server according to the terminal memory, via the communication network;

a third procedure in which after the second procedure, the navigation terminal requests the server to transmit a next one of the information segments necessary for a second current part of the guidance via the communication network; and

a fourth procedure in which the server transmits to the navigation terminal the information segment requested by the third procedure, via the communication network,

wherein the information segment transmitted by the fourth procedure is an update segment of the information segments at the time of the third procedure.

11. The communication navigation system according to claim 10, wherein each of the information segments comprises route information indicative of a route.

12. The communication navigation system according to claim 10, wherein each of the information segments comprises guidance information used to implement the guidance.

13. A terminal unit hat implements a communication navigation method for performing navigation, using map data stored in a server and current position data about a navigation terminal, by transmitting the map data to the navigation terminal via a communication network, as the navigation terminal, the communication navigation method comprising:

a requesting process in which the navigation terminal requests the server to transmit an information necessary for an immediate part of guidance via the communication network and sends a memory capacity of the navigation terminal to the server;

a dividing process in which an information which is searched by the server from a starting point to a destination point specified by a use, is divided into some segments judged by the server according to the terminal memory; and

a transmitting process in which the server transmits the requested divided information which is the closest point information to the navigation terminal, to the navigation terminal via the communication network,

wherein the requested information is a map data which is updated at the time of the server receiving the terminal requests.

14. The terminal unit according to claim 13, wherein each of the information segments comprises route information indicative of a route.

15. The terminal unit according to claim 13, wherein each of the information segments comprises guidance information used to implement the guidance.

16. A terminal unit that implements a communication navigation method for performing navigation, using map data stored in a server and current position data about a navigation terminal, by transmitting the map data to the navigation terminal via a communication network, as the navigation terminal, the communication navigation method comprising:

a first procedure in which the navigation terminal requests the server to transmit an information segment necessary for a first current part of guidance via the communication network and sends a memory capacity of the navigation terminal to the server;

a second procedure in which the server transmits to the navigation terminal the first information segment of the information segments, which are map data from a starting point to a destination point specified by a user and searched by the server, which is divided into some segments judged by the server according to the terminal memory, via the communication network;

a third procedure in which after the second procedure, the navigation terminal requests the server to transmit a next one of the information segments necessary for a second current part of the guidance via the communication network; and

a fourth procedure in which the server transmits to the navigation terminal the information segment requested by the third procedure, via the communication network,

wherein the information segment transmitted by the fourth procedure is an update segment of the information segments at the time of the third procedure.

17. The terminal unit according to claim 16, wherein each of the information segments comprises route information indicative of a route.

18. The terminal unit according to claim 16, wherein each of the information segments comprises guidance information used to implement the guidance.

19. A navigation terminal unit that implements a communication navigation method for performing navigation, using map data stored in a server and current position data about a navigation terminal, by transmitting the map data to the navigation terminal via a communication network,

wherein the server transmits a requested divided information which is the closest point information to the navigation terminal from the navigation terminal to the navigation terminal via the communication network, and

the navigation terminal requests the server to transmit an information necessary for an immediate part of guidance via the communication network and sends a memory capacity of the navigation terminal to the server.

20. The terminal unit according to claim 19, wherein each of the information segments comprises route information indicative of a route.

21. The terminal unit according to claim 19, wherein each of the information segments comprises guidance information used to implement the guidance.