Communication navigation system, communication navigation method, map data transmitting device, and terminal unit

• US 6,892,132 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2002
• Issued: 05/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Increment P Corporation, Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Increment P Corporation, Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Nagamune, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): LOUIS JACQUES, JACQUES H
• Application Number:
  US10/208,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20030028317A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,014 Days
• Field of Search: 701/208, 701/207, 701/209, 701/210, 701/211, 701 23- 26, 701200-202, 340/988, 340/989, 340/990, 340/995.1, 340/981, 340/993, 340/995.17, 340/995.18, 340/995.19, 340/995.11, 340/995.12, 340/995.14, 340/995.15, 342/357.01, 342/357.02, 342/357.06, 342/357.07, 342/357.08, 342/357.09, 342/357.1, 342/357.13, 342/357.17, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/457, 707/1, 707/102, 707/104.1, 709/223, 709/232, 709/238, 709/240
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B

Abstract

A communication navigation system that performs navigation, using map data stored in a map database site and current position data about navigation terminals, by transmitting the map data to the navigation terminals via a communication network such as the Internet, wherein the map data includes data units respectively corresponding to a plurality of display elements for display on a map, and the data units are given respective priority levels. The map database site is provided with a server for transmitting the data units via the communication network according to the respective priority levels. Each navigation terminal is provided with a transmitter/receiver for sequentially receiving the data units transmitted from the server, and a display subsystem for sequentially displaying the display elements respectively corresponding to the data units received by the transmitter/receiver, on the map.

Claims

1. A communication navigation system that performs navigation, using map data stored in a map database site and current position data about navigation terminals, by transmitting the map data to the navigation terminals via a communication network,

wherein the map data includes data units respectively corresponding to a plurality of map display elements, and the data units are given respective priority levels,

the communication navigation system comprising:

a transmitting device in each of the navigation terminals which transmits request information including priority levels which are determined based on the order in which map display elements are displayed by the respective navigation terminal;

a receiving device in the map database site which receives said request information from one or more of the navigation terminals;

a transmitting device in the map database site which transmits data units for all map display elements for a map to the one or more navigation terminals via the communication network, the data units being transmitted according to the respective priority levels included in received request information;

a receiving device in each of the one or more navigation terminals which sequentially receives the data units transmitted from the transmitting device; and

a displaying device in each of the one or more navigation terminals which sequentially displays on the map the map display elements respectively corresponding to the data units received by the receiving devices,

wherein even if all the data units for the map display elements needed for the map are not received, the displaying device displays a map based on the data units for the map display elements that are received.

2. A communication navigation method for performing navigation, using map data stored in a map database site and current position data about navigation terminals, by transmitting the map data to the navigation terminals via a communication network,

wherein the map data includes data units respectively corresponding to a plurality of map display elements, and the data units are given respective priority levels,

the communication navigation method comprising:

a transmitting process in each of the navigation terminals for transmitting request information which includes priority levels which are determined based on the order in which the map display elements are displayed by the respective navigation terminal;

a receiving process in the map database site for receiving said request information from one or more of the navigation terminals;

a transmitting process in the map database site for transmitting data units for all map display elements for a map to the one or more navigation terminals via the communication network, the data units being transmitted according to the respective priority levels included in received request information;

a receiving process in each of the one or more navigation terminals for sequentially receiving the data units transmitted by the transmitting process; and

a displaying process in each of the one or more navigation terminals for sequentially displaying on the map the map display elements respectively corresponding to the data units received by the receiving process,

wherein even if all the data units for the map display elements needed for the map are not received, the displaying process displays a map based on the data units for the map display elements that are received.

3. A map data transmitting apparatus that performs a communication navigation method for performing navigation, using map data stored in a map database site and current position data about navigation terminals, by transmitting the map data to the navigation terminals via a communication network,

wherein the map data includes data units respectively corresponding to a plurality of map display elements, and the data units are given respective priority levels,

the map data transmitting apparatus comprising:

a receiving device which receives a request information including the priority levels from one or more of the navigation terminals which are determined based on the order in which map display elements are displayed by the respective navigation terminal;

a transmitting device which transmits the data units for all map display elements for a map to the one or more navigation terminals via the communication network, the data being transmitted according to the respective priority levels included in received request information, each of the one or more navigation terminals comprising;

a navigation terminal transmitting device which transmits the request information including the priority levels;

a navigation terminal receiving device for sequentially receiving the data units; and

a displaying device which sequentially displays on the map the map display elements respectively corresponding to the data units received by the receiving device,

wherein even if all the data units for the map display elements needed for the map are not received, the displaying device displays a map based on the data units for the map display elements that are received.

4. A terminal unit that performs a communication navigation method for performing navigation, using map data stored in a map database site and current position data about the terminal unit, by transmitting the map data to the terminal unit via a communication network,

wherein the map data includes data units respectively corresponding to a plurality of map display elements, and the data units are given respective priority levels,

the terminal unit comprising:

a transmitting device which transmits request information including priority levels which are determined based on the order in which map display elements are displayed by the terminal unit;

a receiving device which sequentially receives data units transmitted by a transmitting device in the map database site for transmitting data units for all map display elements for a map via the communication network according to the respective priority levels; and

a displaying device which sequentially displays on the map the map display elements respectively corresponding to the data units received by the receiving devices,

wherein even if all the data units for the map display elements needed for the map are not received, the displaying device displays a map based on the data units for the map display elements that are received.

5. The terminal unit according to claim 4, wherein the transmitting device in the map database site transmits the data units with their respective priority levels and the receiving device determines which elements to receive based on the transmitted priority levels.

6. A communication navigation system that performs navigation, using map data stored in a map database site and current position data about navigation terminals, by transmitting the map data to the navigation terminals via a communication network,

wherein the map data includes data units respectively corresponding to a plurality of map display elements, and the data units are given respective priority levels,

the communication navigation system comprising:

a transmitting device in each of the navigation terminals which transmits request information including priority levels based on map scales and the order in which the map display elements are displayed by the respective navigation terminal;

a receiving device in the map database site which receives said request information from one or more navigation terminals;

a transmitting device in the map database site which transmits data units for all map display elements for a map to the one or more navigation terminals via the communication network, the data units being transmitted according to the respective priority levels included in received request information;

a receiving device in each of the one or more navigation terminals which sequentially receives the data units transmitted from the transmitting device; and

a displaying device in each of the one or more navigation terminals which sequentially displays on the map the map display elements respectively corresponding to the data units received by the receiving devices,

wherein even if all the data units for the map display elements needed for the map are not received, the displaying device displays a map based on the data units for the map display elements that are received.

7. A communication navigation method for performing navigation, using map data stored in a map database site and current position data about navigation terminals, by transmitting the map data to the navigation terminals via a communication network,

wherein the map data includes data units respectively corresponding to a plurality of map display elements, and the data units are given respective priority levels,

the communication navigation method comprising:

a transmitting process in each of the navigation terminals for transmitting request information which includes priority levels based on map scales and the order in which map display elements are displayed by the respective navigation terminal;

a receiving process in the map database site for receiving said request information from one or more navigation terminals;

a transmitting process in the map database site for transmitting data units for all map display elements for a map to the one or more navigation terminals via the communication network, the data units being transmitted according to the respective priority levels included in received request information;

a receiving process in each of the one or more navigation terminals for sequentially receiving the data units transmitted by the transmitting process; and

a displaying process in each of the one or more navigation terminals for sequentially displaying on the map the map display elements respectively corresponding to the data units received by the receiving process,

wherein even if all the data units for the map display elements needed for the map are not received, the displaying process displays a map based on the data units for the map display elements that are received.

8. A map data transmitting apparatus that performs a communication navigation method for performing navigation, using map data stored in a map database site and current position data about navigation terminals, by transmitting the map data to the navigation terminals via a communication network,

wherein the map data includes data units respectively corresponding to a plurality of map display elements, and the data units are given respective priority levels,

the map data transmitting apparatus comprising:

a receiving device which receives request information from one or more navigation terminals including priority levels based on map scales and the order in which map display elements are displayed by the respective navigation terminal;

a transmitting device which transmits the data units for all map display elements for a map to the one or more navigation terminals via the communication network, the data units being transmitted according to the respective priority levels included in received request information, each of the one or more navigation terminals comprising;

a navigation terminal transmitting device which transmits the request information including the priority levels;

a navigation terminal receiving device for sequentially receiving the data units; and

a displaying device which sequentially displays on the map the map display elements respectively corresponding to the data units received by the receiving device,

wherein even if all the data units for the map display elements needed for the map are not received, the displaying device displays a map based on the data units for the map display elements that are received.

9. A terminal unit that performs a communication navigation method for performing navigation, using map data stored in a map database site and current position data about the terminal unit, by transmitting the map data to the terminal unit via a communication network,

wherein the map data includes data units respectively corresponding to a plurality of map display elements, and the data units are given respective priority levels,

the terminal unit comprising:

a transmitting device which transmits request information including priority levels based on map scales and the order in which map display elements are displayed by the terminal unit;

a receiving device which sequentially receives data units transmitted by a transmitting device in the map database site for transmitting data units for all map display elements for a map via the communication network according to the respective priority levels; and

a displaying device which sequentially displays on the map the map display elements respectively corresponding to the data units received by the receiving device,

wherein even if all the data units for the map display elements needed for the map are not received, the displaying device displays a map based on the display units for the map display elements that are received.

10. The terminal unit according to claim 9, wherein the transmitting device in the map database site transmits the data units with their respective priority levels and the receiving device determines which elements to receive based on the transmitted priority levels.

11. A server for a navigation system which includes one or more terminals for displaying maps, the server comprising:

storage for storing display elements having priority levels that are based on the scales of maps on which the display elements are displayed and the order in which the display elements are to be displayed when received by the terminals;

a receiver for receiving from at least one terminal a map request for a map having a specified scale;

a processing unit for processing the received map request and retrieving display elements for the map from the storage; and

a transmitter for transmitting the retrieved display elements to the at least one terminal in accordance with the priority levels of the retrieved display elements for the specified scale so that even if all the display elements needed for the complete map are not received by the at least one terminal, the at least one terminal generates a partial map by sequentially displaying the display elements that are received in accordance with their priorities.

12. The server according to claim 11, wherein the processing unit retrieves all display elements for the map from the storage and the transmitter transmits all the display elements to the at least one terminal in accordance with the priority levels of the retrieved display elements for the specified scale.

13. The server according to claim 11, wherein the display elements are transmitted along with their corresponding priority levels.

14. The server according to claim 11, wherein the priority levels are set in accordance with user information stored in the storage.

15. The server according to claim 11, wherein m priority levels are provided for display elements of a map of a first scale and n priority levels are provided for display elements of a map of a second scale different than the first scale, where m and n are different.

16. A terminal for a navigation system in which a server stores display elements having priority levels that are based on the scales of maps on which the display elements are displayed and the order in which the display elements are to be displayed when received by the terminal, the terminal comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting to the server a map request for a map having a specified scale;

a receiver for receiving display elements transmitted from the server in accordance with the priority levels of the display elements for the specified scale; and

a display for displaying the received display elements in a sequence based on the priority levels,

wherein even if all the display elements needed for the complete map are not received, the terminal generates a partial map by sequentially displaying the display elements that are received in accordance with their priorities.

17. The terminal according to claim 16, wherein the transmitter, the receiver and the display are embodied in an in-vehicle terminal.

18. The terminal according to claim 16, wherein the transmitter, the receiver and the display are embodied in a portable terminal.

19. The terminal according to claim 16, wherein the transmitter, the receiver and the display are embodied in a personal digital assistant.

20. The terminal according to claim 16, wherein the transmitter, the receiver and the display are embodied in a wireless telephone.

21. The terminal according to claim 16, wherein the display elements are transmitted from the server with their respective priority levels and the receiver determines which display elements to receive based on the transmitted priority levels.