Map display control apparatus, map information update apparatus, map information update system and control method thereof

• US 6,879,909 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2002
• Issued: 04/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Original Assignee: Xanavi Informatics Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Hitoshi, Minagawa, Hiroshi, Hirano, Hideaki, Aikawa, Tetsumori
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Broadhead, Brian J
• Application Number:
  US10/042,287
• Publication Number:
  US 20040015325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• Field of Search: 701/208, 701/210, 701/211, 340/905, 340/995.11, 340/995.12, 340/995.13, 340/995.17
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3889 Transmission of selected map data, e.g. depending on route

Abstract

A map information update system has: a map display control apparatus; and a map information update apparatus. The map display control apparatus includes a map display control unit, a communication control unit, a map information transmission unit and a map information reception unit. The map display control unit controls the display device so as to update the map displayed on the display device based upon the updated information related to the map. The map information update apparatus includes a communication control unit, a map information update reception unit, a map display update data base unit, and an updated map information transmission unit that transmits information related to the map updated by the map information update unit to the map display control apparatus via the communication control unit.

Claims

1. A map display control apparatus comprising:

a map display control unit that controls a display device so as to display a map on the display device based upon map display data;

a communication control unit that connects with a second control apparatus via a digital mobile telephone system to engage in exchange of digital data;

a map information transmission unit that transmits information related to the map currently displayed on the display device to the second control apparatus via the communication control unit, the information related to the map being sufficient information to allow the second control apparatus to reproduce the map currently displayed on the display device; and

a map information reception unit that receives from the second control apparatus via the communication control unit information related to an updated map based upon the reproduced map by the second control apparatus from the sufficient information, wherein;

the map display control unit controls the display device so as to update the map displayed on the display device based upon the information related to the updated map received at the map information reception unit.

2. A map display control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a voice communication control unit that allows an operator of the second control apparatus and a user of the map display control apparatus to conduct a voice conversation.

3. A map information update apparatus comprising:

a communication control unit that connects via a digital mobile telephone system with a map display control apparatus, which controls a display device so as to display a map on the display device based upon map display data, to engage in exchange of digital data;

a map information update reception unit that receives information related to the map currently displayed on the display device from the map display control apparatus via the communication control unit, the information related to the map being sufficient information to reproduce at the map information update apparatus the map currently displayed on the display device of the map display control apparatus;

a map display update data base unit that stores map display data for update related to the map display data utilized by the map display control apparatus;

a map information update unit that reproduces the map currently displayed on the display device of the map display control apparatus by using the received information related to the map and updates the man based upon the reproduced man and the map display data for update related to the map display data utilized by the map display control apparatus; and

an updated map information transmission unit that transmits the information related to the map updated by the map information update unit to the map display control apparatus via the communication control unit.

4. A map information update apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a voice communication control unit that allows an operator of the map information update apparatus and a user of the map display control apparatus to conduct a voice conversation.

5. A map information update system comprising:

a map display control apparatus; and

a map information update apparatus, wherein

the map display control apparatus comprises;

a map display control unit that controls a display device so as to display a map on the display device based upon first map display data;

a first communication control unit that connects with the map information update apparatus via a digital mobile telephone system to engage in exchange of digital data;

a map information transmission unit that transmits information related to the map currently displayed on the display device to the map information update apparatus via the first communication control unit;

a second communication control unit that allows an operator of the map information update apparatus and a user of the map display control apparatus to conduct a voice conversation;

a map information reception unit that receives information related to a map updated by the map information update apparatus from the map information update apparatus via the first communication control unit; and

the map display control unit being enabled to control the display device so as to update the map displayed on the display device based upon the updated information related to the map received at the map information reception unit, and

the map information update apparatus comprises;

a third communication control unit that connects with the map display control apparatus via the digital mobile telephone system to engage in exchange of digital data;

a map information update reception unit that receives information related to the map currently displayed on the display device from the map display control apparatus via the third communication control unit;

a map display update data base unit that stores map display data for update related to the map display data utilized by the map display control apparatus;

a fourth communication control unit that allows an operator of the map information update apparatus and a user of the map display control apparatus to conduct a voice conversation with the second communication control unit at the map display control apparatus;

a map information update unit that updates the information related to the map based upon the voice conversation between the operator of the map information update apparatus and the user of the map display control apparatus by using the map display data for update related to the map display data utilized by the map display control apparatus; and

an updated map information transmission unit that transmits the information related to the map updated by the map information update unit to the map display control apparatus via the third communication control unit.

6. A map information update system according to claim 5, wherein the information related to the map transmitted from the map display control apparatus to the map information update apparatus is information necessary to reproduce at the map information update apparatus the map currently displayed on the display device of the map display control apparatus.

7. A map information update system according to claim 5, wherein the information related to the map is map display control information enabling control on how a map should be displayed by using the map display data.

8. A map information update system according to claim 5, wherein the information related to the map includes information related to a map scale.

9. A map information update according to claim 5, wherein the information related to the map includes information indicating whether or not traffic jab information is to be displayed.

10. A navigation system comprising:

a current position detection unit that detects a current position thereof;

a map display control unit that controls a display device so as to display a map on the display device for road guidance based upon the current position detected by the current position detection unit and map display data;

a communication control unit that connects with a second control apparatus via a digital mobile telephone system to engage in exchange of digital data;

a map information transmission unit that transmits information related to the map currently displayed on the display device to the second control apparatus via the communication control unit, the information related to the map being sufficient information to allow the second control apparatus to reproduce the map currently displayed on the display device; and

a map information reception unit that receives from the second control apparatus via the communication control unit information related to an updated map based upon the reproduced map by the second control apparatus from the sufficient information, wherein;

the map display control unit controls the display device so as to update the map displayed on the display device based upon the information related to the updated map received at the map information reception unit.

11. A map information update control method comprising:

displaying a map based upon map display data at a navigation apparatus;

transmitting information related to the map currently displayed at the navigation apparatus, from the navigation apparatus to a center system;

reproducing, at the center system, the map currently displayed at the navigation apparatus based upon the information related to the map transmitted from the navigation apparatus;

updating, by an operator at the center system, the map reproduced at the center system based upon a telephone conversation between a user of the navigation apparatus and the operator at the center system, wherein the user of the navigation apparatus informs the operator of a desire to change the map currently displayed at the navigation apparatus;

transmitting the information related to the map updated at the center system, from the center system to the navigation apparatus; and

updating the map currently displayed at the navigation apparatus based upon the information related to the updated map transmitted from the center system.

12. A map display control method comprising:

a map display control step in which a display device is controlled so as to display a map on the display device based upon map display data;

a communication control step in which digital data are exchanged with a second control apparatus via a digital mobile telephone system;

a map information transmission step in which information related to the map currently displayed on the display device is transmitted to the other control apparatus, the information related to the map being sufficient information to allow the second control apparatus to reproduce the map currently displayed on the display device; and

a map information reception step in which information related to the map updated based upon the reproduced map by the second control apparatus is received from the second control apparatus, wherein;

in the map display control step the display device is controlled so as to update the map displayed on the display device based upon the information related to the updated map received through the map information reception step.

13. A map information update control method for a map information update apparatus comprising:

a communication control step in which digital data are exchanged via a digital mobile telephone system with a map display control apparatus that controls a display device so as to display a map on the display device based upon map display data;

a map information update reception step in which information related to the map currently displayed on the display device is received from the map display control apparatus, the information related to the map being sufficient information to reproduce at the map information update apparatus the map currently displayed on the display device of the map display control apparatus; and

a map information update step in which the map currently displayed on the display device of the map display control apparatus is reproduced by using the received information related to the map and is updated based upon the reproduced map and map display data for update which are stored in the map information update apparatus and related to the map display data utilized by the map display control apparatus; and

an updated map information transmission step in which the information related to the map updated through the map information update step is transmitted to the map display control apparatus.

14. A computer-readable computer program product containing a map display control program used in a map display control apparatus, the map display control program comprising:

map display control instructions for controlling a display device so as to display a map on the display device based upon map display data;

communication control instructions for exchanging digital data with a second control apparatus via a digital mobile telephone system;

map information transmission instructions for transmitting information related to the map currently displayed on the display device to the other control apparatus, the information related to the map being sufficient information to allow the second control apparatus to reproduce the map currently displayed on the display device; and

map information reception instructions for receiving information related to the map updated based upon the reproduced map by the second control apparatus from the second control apparatus, wherein;

in response to the map display control instructions, the display device is controlled so as to update the map displayed on the display device based upon the information related to the updated map received in response to the map information reception instructions.

15. A computer-readable computer program product according to claim 14, wherein the computer-readable computer program product is a recording medium on which the control program is recorded.

16. A computer-readable computer program product according to claim 14, wherein the computer-readable computer program product is in a carrier wave in which the control program is modulated as a data signal.

17. A computer-readable computer program product containing a map information update control program used in a map information update apparatus, the map information update control program comprising:

communication control instructions for exchanging digital data with a map display control apparatus, which controls a display device so as to display a map on the display device based upon map display data, via a digital mobile telephone system;

map information update reception instructions for receiving information related to the map currently displayed on the display device from the map display control apparatus, the information related to the map being sufficient information to reproduce at the map information update apparatus the map currently displayed on the display device of the map display control apparatus;

map information update instructions for reproducing the map currently displayed on the display device of the map display control apparatus by using the received information related to the map and updating the map based upon the reproduced map and map display data for update which are stored within the map information update device and related to the map display data utilized by the map display control apparatus; and

update map information transmission instructions for transmitting the information related to the map updated in response to the map information update instructions to the map display control apparatus.

18. A computer-readable computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the computer-readable computer program product is a recording medium on which the control program is recorded.

19. A computer-readable computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the computer-readable computer program product is in a carrier wave in which the control program is modulated as a data signal.