Notifying device, notifying method, and recording medium

• US 7,187,269 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2001
• Issued: 03/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohdachi, Eriko, Kawamura, Yuki
• Primary Examiner(s): GOINS, DAVETTA WOODS
• Application Number:
  US10/380,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20040021582A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,017 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340/438, 340/901, 340/902, 340/903, 340/905, 340/988, 340/994, 340/995.1, 340/995.17, 340/990, 340/991, 701/1, 701/200, 701/201, 701/202, 701/209, 701/211, 701/213, 701/117, 701/25, 342/456, 342/457
• US Class Current: 340/425.5
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/006 with transmission via telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0965 responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

The present invention provides a notification apparatus, a notification method, and a recording medium, which are capable of notifying to a user, such a fact that either trouble or an accident happens to occur at a registered point when a target point of a vehicle is made coincident with the registered point which has been previously registered.

The notification apparatus of the present invention is arranged by comprising: an acquisition unit (1) for acquiring target point information A indicative of a target point to which an emergency vehicle is directed; a storage unit (2) for storing therein registered point information B indicative of a registered point which has been previously registered by an owner of the notification apparatus; an identification unit (3) for identifying as to whether or not the target point information A acquired by the acquisition unit (1) is made coincident with the registered point information B stored in the storage unit (2); and a notification unit (4) for notifying an identification result obtained in the identification unit (3) to the owner of this communication apparatus.

Claims

1. A notification apparatus comprising:

an acquisition unit for acquiring target point information capable of specifying a target point to which a vehicle is directed;

a storage unit for previously storing thereinto registered point information capable of specifying a desirable point;

an identification unit for identifying said target point information acquired by said acquisition unit with said registered point information stored in the storage unit to judge as to whether or not said target point information is made coincident with said registered point information; and

a notification unit for notifying an identification result obtained by said identification unit.

2. The notification apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said notification unit notifies the identification result when said target point information is made coincident with said registered point information.

3. The notification apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said notification unit notifies the registered point information which is made coincident with said target point information in connection with the identification result.

4. The notification apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a charging unit for charging a fee to a predetermined charging destination when said target point information is made coincident with said registered point information.

5. The notification apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a conversion unit for converting either a sort of said target point information or a sort of said registered point information when sorts of the target point information and of the registered point information, which are identified with each other by said identification unit, are different from each other.

6. The notification apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein, when at least one of said target point information and said registered point information corresponds to positional information indicative of a predetermined point, said conversion unit converts said positional information into address information by employing a correspondence relationship between the positional information indicative of the predetermined point and address information indicative of an address of said predetermined point.

7. The notification apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said identification unit judges as to whether or not a target point indicated by the target point information which is acquired by said acquisition unit is located within a predetermined range where a registered point is located at a center thereof and said registered point is indicated by the registered point information which is stored in said storage unit.

8. The notification apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said notification unit performs notifying operations indifferent notification systems between when said target point information is made coincident with said registered point information and when said target point is located within said predetermined range of the registered point.

9. The notification apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said identification unit produces a map forming instruction containing at least one of positional information and address information based upon a result of identifying the target point information acquired by said acquisition unit with the registered point information stored in said storage unit,

wherein said storage unit includes a map information storage unit for storing thereinto map information used to display a map,

wherein said notification apparatus further comprises a map forming unit for deriving from said map information storage unit, map information of an area containing all of positions which are indicated by either the positional information or the address information, which are contained in the map forming instruction produced by said identification unit, and for forming such a map information that the positions indicated by either said positional information or said address information are represented as signs,

wherein said notification unit displays the map information which is formed by said map forming unit.

10. The notification apparatus as claimed in claim 9,

wherein said identification unit produces the map forming instruction, while registered point information which is made coincident with said target point information is used as the positional information,

wherein, in case that there is no registered point information which is made coincident with said target point information, said identification unit produces the map forming instruction while both said target point information and the registered point information registered in said storage unit are used as the positional information.

11. The notification apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein, if address information contained in the map forming instruction produced by said identification unit is coarser than address information contained in said map information, said map forming unit derives map information of such address information which is partially made coincident with the address information of said map forming instruction.

12. The notification apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said acquisition unit acquires second target point information capable of specifying a second target point subsequent to the target point information capable of specifying the target point to which the vehicle is directed,

wherein said notification unit notifies said second target point information when said target point information is made coincident with the registered point information stored in said storage unit as a result of the identifying operation by said identification unit.

13. The notification apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a present position detecting unit for detecting a present position of said notification apparatus; and

a route searching unit for searching a route defined from said present position detected by said present position detecting unit up to either said target point or said second target point,

wherein said notification unit notifies the route searched by said route searching unit.

14. The notification apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said storage unit stores thereinto notification destination information indicative of a notification destination to which said notification unit notifies the identification result in correspondence with said registered point information,

wherein said notification unit notifies the identification result to the notification destination which is indicated by said notification destination information, which corresponds to either the registered point information which is made coincident with said target point information by said identification unit or the registered point information in which a target point indicated by said target point information is located in a predetermined range including the registered point at a center thereof.

15. The notification apparatus as claimed in claim 4,

wherein said storage unit stores thereinto charging destination information indicative of a charging destination to which said charging unit charges the fee in correspondence with said registered point information,

wherein said charging unit charges the fee to the charging destination which is indicated by said charging destination information, which corresponds to either the registered point information which is made coincident with said target point information by said identification unit or the registered point information in which a target point indicated by said target point information is located in a predetermined range including the registered point at a center thereof.

16. The notification apparatus as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

a registration unit for referring said registered point information, said notification destination information, or said charging destination information;

for deleting said registered point information, said notification destination information, or said charging destination information from said recording unit; and

for adding said registered point information, said notification destination information, or said charging destination information to said recording unit.

17. The notification apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said storage unit stores thereinto identification degree information which determines a range of an identifying operation when said target point information is identified with said registered point information,

wherein said identification unit identifies said target point information with said registered point information based upon said identification degree information,

wherein said notification unit notifies the identification result in different notification systems in response to said identification degree information.

18. A notification method using a notification apparatus equipped with a storage unit for previously storing thereinto registered point information capable of specifying a desirable point, comprising:

an acquisition step for acquiring target point information capable of specifying a target point to which a vehicle is directed;

an identification step for identifying said target point information acquired by said acquisition step with said registered point information stored in the storage unit to judge as to whether or not said target point information is made coincident with said registered point information; and

a notification step for notifying an identification result obtained by said identification step.

19. The notification method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said notification step notifies the identification result when said target point information is made coincident with said registered point information.

20. The notification method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said notification step notifies the registered point information which is made coincident with said target point information in connection with the identification result.

21. The notification method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said notification method is comprised of a charging step for charging a fee to a predetermined charging destination when said target point information is made coincident with said registered point information.

22. The notification method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising:

a conversion step for converting either a sort of said target point information or a sort of said registered point information when sorts of the target point information and of the registered point information, which are identified with each other by said identification step, are different from each other.

23. The notification method as claimed in claim 22, wherein, when at least one of said target point information and said registered point information corresponds to positional information indicative of a predetermined point, said conversion step converts said positional information into address information by employing a correspondence relationship between the positional information indicative of the predetermined point and address information indicative of an address of said predetermined point.

24. The notification method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said identification step judges as to whether or not a target point indicated by the target point information which is acquired by said acquisition step is located within a predetermined range where a registered point is located at a center thereof and said registered point is indicated by the registered point information which is stored in said storage unit.

25. The notification method as claimed in claim 24, wherein said notification step performs notifying operations in different notification systems between when said target point information is made coincident with said registered point information and when said target point is located within said predetermined range of the registered point.

26. The notification method as claimed in claim 18,

wherein said storage unit includes a map information storage unit for storing map information used to display a map,

wherein said identification step includes a map forming instruction producing step which produces a map forming instruction containing at least one of positional information and address information based upon a result of identifying the target point information acquired by said acquisition step with the registered point information stored in said storage unit,

wherein said notification method further comprises a map forming step for deriving from said map information storage unit, map information of an area containing all of positions which are indicated by either the positional information or the address information, which are contained in the map forming instruction produced by said map forming instruction producing step, and for forming such a map information that the positions indicated by either said positional information or said address information are represented as signs,

wherein said notification step displays the map information which is formed by said map forming step.

27. The notification method as claimed in claim 26,

wherein said map forming instruction producing step produces the map forming instruction, while registered point information which is made coincident with said target point information is used as the positional information,

wherein, in a case that there is no registered point information which is made coincident with said target point information, said map forming instruction producing step produces the map forming instruction while both said target point information and the registered point information registered in said storage unit are used as the positional information.

28. The notification method as claimed in claim 26,

wherein, if address information contained in the map forming instruction produced by said map forming instruction producing step is coarser than address information contained in said map information, said map forming step derives map information of such address information which is partially made coincident with the address information of said map forming instruction.

29. The notification method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising:

a second acquisition step for acquiring second target point information capable of specifying a second target point, subsequent to said acquisition step,

wherein said notification step notifies said second target point information when said target point information is made coincident with the registered point information stored in said storage unit as a result of the identifying operation by said identification step.

30. The notification method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising:

a present position detecting step for detecting a present position of said notification apparatus; and

a route searching step for searching a route defined from said present position detected by said present position detecting step up to either said target point or said second target point,

wherein said notification step notifies the route searched by said route searching step.

31. The notification method as claimed in claim 18,

wherein said storage unit stores thereinto notification destination information indicative of a notification destination to which said notification step notifies the identification result in correspondence with said registered point information,

wherein said notification step notifies the identification result to the notification destination which is indicated by said notification destination information, which corresponds to either the registered point information which is made coincident with said target point information by said identification step or the registered point information in which a target point indicated by said target point information is located in a predetermined range including the registered point at a center thereof.

32. The notification method as claimed in claim 21,

wherein said storage unit stores thereinto charging destination information indicative of a charging destination to which said charging step charges a fee in correspondence with said registered point information,

wherein said charging step charges the fee to the charging destination which is indicated by said charging destination information, which corresponds to either the registered point information which is made coincident with said target point information by said identification step or the registered point information in which a target point indicated by said target point information is located in a predetermined range including the registered point at a center thereof.

33. The notification method as claimed in claim 18,

wherein said storage unit stores there into identification degree information which determines a range of an identifying operation when said target point information is identified with said registered point information,

wherein said identification step identifies said target point information with said registered point information based upon said identification degree information,

wherein said notification step notifies the identification result in different notification systems in response to said identification degree information.

34. A computer readable recording medium wherein a program for causing a computer to execute the notification method recited in claim 18 is recorded.