Navigation system, server system for a navigation system, and computer-readable information recorded medium in which destination prediction program is recorded

• US 6,941,222 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2002
• Issued: 09/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Yano, Kenichiro, Myochin, Kiyonori, Yamauchi, Keiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): To, Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US10/132,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20020161517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 701/202, 701/207, 701/209, 701/210, 701/213, 701/208, 701/211, 701/216, 340/995.14, 340/990, 340/995.1, 340/995.17, 340/995.18, 340/995.23, 340/995, 340/988, 455/456.1, 455/441, 342/359, 342/357.06, 342/357.13
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice

Abstract

A navigation system is provided that allows an appropriate destination point to be set when a vehicle begins to travel without an operator setting a destination point. A navigation system is provided with a system control section and, if a vehicle begins to travel without an operator setting a destination point, destination point information is retrieved. This destination point information is stored in a travel information database on the basis of information about the position of the vehicle, the direction in which the vehicle is progressing and information about the road. The road is which the vehicle is traveling along that was calculated based on the respective signals input from a GPS receiving section and various sensor sections. In addition, if there are candidates for the relevant destination point, candidate destination points are displayed on a display section as predicted destination points.

Claims

1. A navigation system comprising:

a receiving device which receives current position information used for measuring a current position of a mobile body;

a recognizing device which recognizes the current position of the mobile body based on the received current position information;

a database which stores destination point information including at least one of position information about a position of a destination point that was set in the past and route information about a route along which the mobile body traveled up to a destination point that was set in the past;

a predicting device which predicts a destination point towards which the mobile body is currently heading based on the recognized current position of the mobile body and the destination point information stored in the database; and

a notifying device which gives notification of the destination point towards which the mobile body is currently heading that has been predicted by the predicting device.

wherein;

the predicting device predicts the destination point towards which the mobile body is currently heading using additional information that includes at least information on a date and time when the mobile body is moving as a condition for the prediction.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

when the predicting device determines a portion of the route indicated by the route information matches at least one of the recognized current position of the mobile body and a road which the recognized current position of the mobile body belong to,

the predicting device predicts the destination point based on the route information indicating the determined route as the destination point towards which the mobile body is currently heading.

3. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

when the predicting device determines at least one a portion of the route indicated by the route information and the position of the destination point indicated by the position information is present within a predetermined range of at least one of the recognized current position of the mobile body and a road which the recognized current position of the mobile body belong to,

the predicting device predicts the destination point based on at least one of the route information indicating the determined route and the position information indicating the determined position as the destination point towards which the mobile body is currently heading.

4. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

predicting device acquires current route information about the mobile body is currently traveling based on the recognized current position of the mobile body,

after the predicting device has predicted the destination point towards which the mobile body is currently heading,

the predicting device makes a new prediction as to the destination point toward which the mobile body is currently heading based on the stored route information indicating the predicted destination point and the acquired current route information.

5. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

when at least one of a direction in which the mobile body is traveling and road information about a road along which the mobile body is traveling is altered,

the predicting device makes a new prediction as to the destination point towards which the mobile body is currently heading.

6. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

the predicting device predicts the destination point present within a preset range relative to a direction in which the mobile body is traveling as the destination point towards which the mobile body is currently heading.

7. The navigation system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an input device which inputs prediction conditions when the predicting device predicts the destination point towards which the mobile body is currently heading,

wherein the predicting device predicts the destination point towards which the mobile body is currently heading based on the prediction conditions input using the input device.

8. The navigation system according to claim 1, further comprising;

a deciding device which decides that the destination point predicted by the predicting device is the destination point towards which the mobile body is heading,

wherein after the destination point has been decided by the deciding device, the prediction processing by the predicting device to predict a destination point is ended.

9. A server system for a navigation system comprising;

a receiving device which receives current position information about a current position of a terminal device mounted in a mobile body;

a predicting device which predicts a destination point towards which the moving body is currently heading based on the current position information and destination point information including at least one of position information about a position of a destination point that was set in the past and route information about a route along which the mobile body traveled up to a destination point that was set in the past; and

a transmitting device which transmits to the terminal device information about the destination point towards which the moving is currently heading predicted by the predicting device.

wherein;

the predicting device predicts the destination point towards which the mobile body is currently heading using additional information that includes at least information on a date and time when the mobile body is moving as a condition for the prediction.

10. The server system for a navigation system according to claim 9, wherein:

when the predicting device determines a portion of the route indicated by the route information matches at least one of the recognized current position of the mobile body and a road which the recognized current position of the mobile body belong to,

the predicting device predicts the destination point based on the route information indicating the determined route as the destination point towards which the mobile body is currently heading.

11. The server system for a navigation system according to claim 9, wherein:

when the predicting device determines at least one a portion of the route indicated by the route information and the position of the destination point indicated by the position information is present within a predetermined range of at least one of the recognized current position of the mobile body and a road which the recognized current position of the mobile body belong to,

the predicting device predicts the destination point based on at least one of the route information indicating the determined route and the position information indicating the determined position as the destination point towards which the mobile body is currently heading.

12. The server system for a navigation system according to claim 9, wherein:

the predicting device acquires current route information about the mobile body is currently traveling based on the recognized current position of the mobile body,

after the predicting device has predicted the destination point towards which the mobile body is currently heading,

the predicting device makes a new prediction as to the destination point toward which the mobile body is currently heading based on the stored route information indicating the predicted destination point and the acquired current route information.

13. The server system for a navigation system according to claims 9, wherein:

when at least one of a direction in which the mobile body is traveling and road information about a road along which the mobile body is traveling is altered,

the predicting device makes a new prediction as to the destination point towards which the mobile body is currently heading.

14. The server system for a navigation system according to claim 9, wherein:

the predicting device predicts the destination point present within a preset range relative to a direction in which the mobile body is traveling as the destination point towards which the mobile body is currently heading.

15. The server system for a navigation system according to claim 9, wherein:

the receiving device receives notification that prediction conditions for predicting the destination point towards which the mobile body is currently heading have been input into the terminal device, and

the predicting device predicts the destination point towards which the mobile body is currently heading based on the received prediction conditions.

16. The server system for a navigation system according to claim 9, wherein:

the predicting device puts an end to predict the destination point when the receiving device receives notification that the destination point has been decided by the terminal device.

17. An information recorded medium wherein a destination point prediction program is recorded so as to be read by a computer, the computer included in a navigation system for navigating a mobile body, the program causing the computer to function as:

a predicting device which predicts a destination point information towards which the mobile body is currently heading based on a recognized current position of the mobile body and destination point information including at least one of position information about a position of a destination point that was set in the past and route information about a route alone which the mobile body traveled up to a destination point that was set in the past; and

a notifying device which gives notification of the destination point towards which the mobile body is currently heading that has been predicted by the predicting device.

wherein the program further causes the computer to function as;

the predicting device predicts the destination point towards which the mobile body is currently heading using additional information that includes at least information on a date and time when the mobile body is moving as a condition for the prediction.

18. The information recorded medium according to claim 17, wherein the program further causes the computer to function as:

when the predicting device determines a portion of the route indicated by the route information matches at least one of the recognized current position of the mobile body and a road which the recognized current position of the mobile body belong to,

the predicting device predicts the destination point based on the route information indicating the determined route as the destination point towards which the mobile body is currently heading.

19. The information recorded medium according to claim 17, wherein the program further causes the computer to function as:

when the predicting device determines at least one a portion of the route indicated by the route information and the position of the destination point indicated by the position information is present within a predetermined range of at least one of the recognized current position of the mobile body and a road which the recognized current position of the mobile body belong to,

the predicting device predicts the destination point based on at least one of the route information indicating the determined route and the position information indicating the determined position as the destination point towards which the mobile body is currently heading.

20. The information recorded medium according to claim 17, wherein the program further causes the computer to function as:

predicting device acquires current route information about the mobile body is currently traveling based on the recognized current position of the mobile body,

after the predicting device has predicted the destination point towards which the mobile body is currently heading,

the predicting device makes a new prediction as to the destination point toward which the mobile body is currently heading based on the stored route information indicating the predicted destination point and the acquired current route information.

21. The information recorded medium according to claim 17, wherein the program further causes the computer to function as:

when at least one of a direction in which the mobile body is traveling and road information about a road along which the mobile body is traveling is altered,

the predicting device makes a new prediction as to the destination point towards which the mobile body is currently heading.

22. The information recorded medium according to claim 17, wherein the program further causes the computer to function as:

the predicting device predicts the destination point present within a preset range relative to a direction in which the mobile body is traveling as the destination point towards which the mobile body is currently heading.

23. The information recorded medium according to claim 17,

wherein the program further causes the computer to function as:

a predicting device predicts the destination point towards which the moving body is currently heading based on conditions, if the conditions for predicting the destination point are input.

24. A navigation system, comprising a control circuit that recognizes a current position of a mobile body, and

a memory that stores past route information leading to a past destination point to which the mobile body traveled in the past.

wherein the control circuit predicts a new destination point based on at least a portion of the past route information.

wherein the control circuit predicts the new destination point based on at least one of a current date and time.

25. The system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the past route information includes at least one of (1) route points on a route that the mobile body traveled in the past and (2) road identifying information about a road that the mobile body traveled in the past, and

wherein the control circuit predicts the new destination point based on at least one of the route points and the road identifying information.

26. The system as claimed in claim 25, wherein the control circuit predicts the new destination point based on at least one of the recognized current position of the mobile body and a road corresponding to the recognized current position.

27. The system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the control circuit predicts the new destination point based on a current traveling direction of the mobile body.

28. The system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the control circuit predicts the new destination point based on a current traveling direction of the mobile body.

29. A navigation system, comprising a control circuit that recognizes a current position of a mobile body, and

a memory that stores information about a past destination point to which the mobile body traveled in the past,

wherein the control circuit predicts a new destination point based on at least the past destination point.

wherein the control circuit predicts the new destination point based on at least one of a current date and time.

30. The system as claimed in claim 29, wherein the control circuit predicts the new destination point based on at least one of the recognized current position of the mobile body and a road corresponding to the recognized current position.

31. The system as claimed in claim 29, wherein the control circuit predicts the new destination point based on a current traveling direction of the mobile body.