Map display device

• US 7,173,546 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2004
• Issued: 02/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Gomi, Akihiro, Suzuki, Hidenobu, Inayoshi, Hiromichi, Mikame, Masami
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass; Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walk; Samuel J.
• Application Number:
  US10/923,722
• Publication Number:
  US 20050057494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 340/995.1, 34099514-99517, 701/200, 701/208, 701/209
• US Class Current: 340/995.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3611 using character input or menus, e.g. menus of POIs character input methods in general G06F3/0233
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

When a control circuit extracts data of an entity corresponding to a phone number, the control circuit retrieves phone numbers that accord, with respect to lower seven digits of a phone number, with the inputted phone number from among phone numbers included in retrieval data. After the entity having the phone number corresponding to the inputted phone number is extracted, a map including the entity extracted is displayed based on the position information of the entity extracted. Accordingly, even when the area code of the phone number is changed, the map including the corresponding entity can be displayed.

Claims

1. A map display device comprising:

a map-data storage that memorizes map data;

a display unit that displays a map based on the map data memorized in the map-data storage;

an input unit for inputting a phone number having a string of digits, which is grouped into a group of higher digits and a group of lower digits in order;

an entity-data storage that correlates and memorizes a plurality of phone numbers and entity data including position information of a plurality of entities corresponding to the plurality of phone numbers;

an extracting unit that extracts, from the entity-data storage, entity data of a certain entity corresponding to a phone number having a group of lower digits that accords with a group of lower digits of the inputted phone number; and

a display control unit that causes the display unit to display a map including the certain entity based on the position information of the entity data of the certain entity.

2. The map display device of claim 1,

wherein the entity data further includes name information of the plurality of entities,

wherein, when the extracting unit extracts, from the entity-data storage, entity data of a group of entities corresponding to phone numbers that accord, with respect to the group of lower digits, with the inputted phone number, wherein the group of entities are included in the plurality of entities,

the display control unit causes the display unit to display a list of names of the group of entities based on the name information of the group of entities, and

wherein, when a specific entity is selected from among the group of entities included in the list displayed,

the display control unit causes the display unit to display a map including the specific entity.

3. The map display device of claim 1,

wherein, when the phone number that the certain entity corresponds to is only one phone number that accords, with respect to the group of lower digits, with the inputted phone number,

the display control instantly causes the display unit to display a map including the certain entity.

4. The map display device of claim 1,

wherein the extracting unit uses, as the group of lower digits, digits excluding an area code from the inputted phone number.

5. The map display device of claim 1, further comprising:

an input control unit that allows a subsequent input of a digit through the input unit,

wherein, each time a digit of a phone number is inputted, the extracting unit narrows down phone numbers that accord, with respect to an inputted portion of the group of lower digits, with an inputted portion of the phone number, and

wherein the input control unit allows the subsequent input of a digit that is included as a subsequently inputted digit in the phone numbers narrowed down.

6. The map display device of claim 1,

wherein the extracting unit searches the entity-data storage for entity data of a given entity corresponding to a phone number that entirely accords with the inputted phone number, and

wherein, when the entity data of the given entity is not found,

the extracting unit extracts, from the entity-data storage, entity data of an entity corresponding to a phone number having a group of lower digits that accords with a group of lower digits of the inputted phone number.

7. A map display device of comprising:

a map-data storage that memorizes map data;

a display unit that displays a map based on the map data memorized in the map-data storage;

an input unit for inputting a phone number;

an entity-data storage that correlates and memorizes a plurality of phone numbers and entity data including position information of a plurality of entities corresponding to the plurality of phone numbers;

an extracting unit that extracts, from the entity-data storage, entity data of a certain entity corresponding to a phone number that accords, with respect to a group of lower digits of a phone number, with the inputted phone number; and

a display control unit that causes the display unit to display a map including the certain entity based on the position information of the entity data of the certain entity,

wherein the extracting unit searches the entity-data storage for entity data of a given entity corresponding to a phone number that entirely accords with the inputted phone number, and

wherein, when the entity data of the given entity is not found,

the extracting unit extracts, from the entity-data storage, entity data of a entity corresponding to a phone number that most closely accords with the inputted phone number.

8. An entity retrieving method that uses a phone number and is provided in a map display device that includes:

a map-data storage that memorizes map data;

a display unit that displays a map based on the map data memorized in the map-data storage;

an input unit for inputting a phone number; and

an entity-data storage that correlates and memorizes a plurality of phone numbers and entity data including position information of a plurality of entities corresponding to the plurality of phone numbers, each phone number having a string of digits grouped into a group of higher digits and a group of lower digits in order,

the method comprising steps of;

extracting, from the entity-data storage, entity data of a certain entity corresponding to a phone number that accords, with respect to a group of lower digits of a phone number, with the inputted phone number; and

causing the display unit to display a map including the certain entity based on the position information of the entity data of the certain entity.

9. The entity retrieving method of claim 8,

wherein the entity data further includes name information of the plurality of entities, and

wherein, when entity data of a group of entities corresponding to phone numbers that accord, with respect to the group of lower digits, with the inputted phone number is extracted from the entity-data storage, wherein the group of entities are included in the plurality of entities,

the entity retrieving method further comprising steps:

causing the display unit to display a list of names of the group of entities based on the name information of the group of entities, and

causing the display unit to display a map including a specific entity when the specific entity is selected from among the group of entities included in the list displayed.