Navigation system and navigation equipment

• US 7,071,843 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2003
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Matsukawa, Toshiki, Hashida, Masaya, Naganuma, Mayumi
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US10/421,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20030201912A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• Field of Search: 340/995.12, 340/995.22, 340/995.19, 340/995.21, 340/995.23, 340/995.1, 340/990, 340/988, 701/208, 701/209, 701/211, 701/213
• US Class Current: 340/995.12
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096816 where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once

Abstract

A navigation system and navigation equipment which reduce the time required for radio transmissions to implement fast navigational guidance. The navigation equipment communicates bi-directionally by radio with a navigation server, thereby providing navigational guidance. The navigation equipment transmits position data delivered by a GPS receiver to the navigation server through a communication device and acquires, from the communication device, map data for display indicative of a map of a surrounding area including a self-location provided by the position data sent back from the navigation server. The navigation equipment then performs map matching between road information contained in the acquired map data for display and the position information, thereby determining a current position on the road, thereby displaying a map in the form of an image on a display unit in accordance with the map data for display and displaying the current position determined by the map matching on the map displayed in the form of an image.

Claims

1. A navigation system including a mobile unit and a navigation server communicating with each other over a radio communication network, wherein said mobile unit comprises:

a communicating unit for communicating bi-directionally with said navigation server over said radio communication network;

a positioning unit for determining a self-location of the mobile unit;

a control unit for transmitting position information delivered by said positioning unit to said navigation server through said communicating unit, and for acquiring, from said communicating unit, map information for display indicative of a map of a surrounding area including the self-location provided by said position information sent back from said navigation server, to perform map matching between road information included in said acquired map information for display and position information determined by said positioning unit, thereby determining a current position of the mobile unit on a road; and

a display unit for displaying a map in the form of an image in accordance with said map information for display and for displaying said current position determined by said control unit on said map displayed in the form of an image,

wherein, when having received said position information transmitted from said mobile unit, said navigation server sends map information for display, corresponding to the map of the surrounding area including the self-location of said mobile unit determined by said received position information, back to said mobile unit,

wherein said navigation server uses road information to produce optimum route information, and

wherein the road information included in the map information for display is formed by data having a smaller capacity than the road information which is for use in producing the optimum route information by the navigation server.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein, when having received the position information indicative of the self-location transmitted from said mobile unit and information with regard to a destination, said navigation server searches for an optimal route from the self-location to said destination and sends route information formed of only road information with regard to a road including said optimal route back to said mobile unit, and

wherein, instead of performing map matching between the road information included in said map information for display and position information determined by said positioning unit, said control unit performs map matching between the route information sent back from said navigation server and the position information determined by said positioning unit, thereby determining a current position to be displayed on said display unit.

3. The navigation system according to claim 2, wherein, when having determined that the route information sent back from said navigation server and the position information determined by said positioning unit do not satisfy a predetermined condition, said control unit performs map matching between the road information included in said map information for display and the position information determined by said positioning unit, thereby determining a current position to be displayed on said display unit.

4. Navigation equipment comprising:

a communicating unit for communicating bi-directionally with a navigation server over a radio communication network;

a positioning unit for determining a self-location;

a control unit for transmitting position information delivered by said positioning unit to said navigation server through said communicating unit, and for acquiring, from said communicating unit, map information for display indicative of a map of a surrounding area including the self-location provided by said position information sent back from said navigation server, to perform map matching between road information included in said acquired map information for display and the position information determined by said positioning unit, thereby determining a current position of a mobile unit on a road; and

a display unit for displaying a map in the form of an image in accordance with said map information for display and for displaying said current position determined by said control unit on said map displayed in the form of an image,

wherein said control unit transmits the position information delivered by said positioning unit and information with regard to a destination to said navigation server, and acquires route information indicative of an optimal route and formed of only road information with regard to a road to said destination from the self-location provided by the position information sent back from said navigation server, to perform map matching between the route information sent back from said navigation server and the position information determined by said positioning unit, instead of performing map matching between the road information included in said map information for display and the position information determined by said positioning unit, thereby determining a current position to be displayed on said display unit.

5. The navigation equipment according to claim 4, wherein, when having determined that the route information sent back from said navigation server and the position information determined by said positioning unit do not satisfy a predetermined condition, said control unit performs map matching between the road information included in said map information for display and the position information determined by said positioning unit, thereby determining a current position to be displayed on said display unit.

6. A navigation system, comprising:

a mobile unit capable of communicating with a navigation server over a radio communication network,

wherein said mobile unit comprises;

a communication device that communicates bi-directionally with said navigation server over said radio communication network;

a positioning device that determines a self-location of the mobile unit;

a controller that transmits position information determined by said positioning device to said navigation server through said communication device, and that receives map information from said navigation server through said communication device,

wherein said map information represents a map of a surrounding area including said self-location,

wherein said controller performs map matching between road information included in said map information and said position information determined by said positioning device to determine a current position of said mobile unit on a road represented by said road information,

wherein said navigation server uses road information to produce optimum route information, and

wherein the road information included in the map information for display is formed by data having a smaller capacity than the road information which is for use in producing the optimum route information by the navigation server.

7. The navigation system according to claim 6, further comprising:

a display device that displays an image of a map based on said map information and that displays said current position determined by said controller on said image of said map.

8. The navigation system according to claim 6, wherein said navigation server transmits said map information to said controller through said communication device.

9. A method of navigating a vehicle with a navigation system, the method comprising:

determining a self-location of the vehicle;

sending first transmission data to a navigation server over a communication network;

receiving second transmission data from said navigation server over said communication network,

wherein said second transmission data includes map data including a predetermined minimal amount of data for displaying line segments, which represent roads, on a displaying device,

wherein said navigation server uses road information to produce optimum route information, and

wherein said map data includes road information which is formed by data having a smaller capacity than another road information which is for use in producing the optimum route information by the navigation server.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said first transmission data comprises position data and destination data.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said first transmission data further comprises identification code data.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said first transmission data comprises identification code data and position data.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein said second transmission data includes map data representing a predetermined minimal amount of data for displaying line segments, which represent only roads included in an optimal route determined by said navigation server, on a displaying device.