Map search system

• US 7,225,076 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2003
• Issued: 05/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Sugawara, Yoshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CUONG H
• Application Number:
  US10/718,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20040138810A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/202, 701/201, 701207-208, 701/209, 701/210, 701/213, 701/212, 701/35, 701/211, 340/990, 340/988, 340/995, 707/3
• 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

Abstract

Retrieving an on-map position is executed within a targeted search area that is one of search areas. Search information items are stored for retrieving. Each of the search information items is related to one of the search areas. Area-designating information items are also stored for designating one of the search areas. When a user selects, as a search item, one of address-book information items, address information included in the selected address-book information item is collated with the area-designating information items. A corresponding search area is thereby automatically designated as the updated targeted search area. Thus, based on the address-book information and area-designating information, the targeted search area is automatically switched into a search area that includes the retrieved on-map position. User'"'"'s procedure in retrieving the on-map position can be thereby reduced.

Claims

1. A map search system, comprising:

a map data storing unit for storing a plurality of stored information items, each of the plurality of stored information items being assigned to one of a plurality of possible search areas;

an area-designating information storage unit for storing a plurality of area-designating information items, each of the plurality of stored area-designating information items identifying one of the plurality of search areas;

a designating unit for designating a first search area as a target search area for retrieval, the first search area being chosen from the plurality of possible search areas;

a retrieving unit configured to search the target search area and retrieve one of the plurality of stored information items assigned to the target search area;

an input unit for receiving an input item, the input item including a search area-designating information item; and

a switching determination unit for determining whether the search area-designating item identifies the target search area;

a search-area switching unit for switching the target search area from the first search area to a second search area associated with, the search area-designating information item, when the switching determination unit determines that the search area-designating item does not identify the target search area, the second search area being chosen from the plurality of possible search areas.

2. The map search system of claim 1,

wherein the plurality of stored area-designating items include information items that indicate areas, each of which is capable of designating one of the plurality of possible search areas.

3. The map search system of claim 1, further comprising:

an address-book storing unit for storing at least names that relate to positions and are associated with the plurality of stored area-designating items,

wherein the search-area switching unit switches the target search area from the first search area into the second search area based on the search area-designating item associated with one of the names that is inputted.

4. The map search system of claim 1, further comprising:

a communicating unit for communicating with a portable storage medium that includes an address-book storing unit for storing at least names that relate to positions and are associated with the plurality of stored area-designating items,

wherein the search-area switching unit switches the target search area from the first search area to the second search area based on the search area-designating item associated with one of the names that is inputted.

5. The map search system of claim 1,

wherein the search-area switching unit includes a notifying unit for notifying that the target search area is switched from the first search area to the second search area when the given search area-designating item is designated by an input item.

6. The map search system of claim 1,

wherein the search-area switching unit switches back the target search area from the second search area to the first search area after a given period of time.

7. The map search system of claim 1,

wherein the map search system is adapted to a car navigation device.

8. A search area designating method used in a map search system that stores (i) a plurality of information items, each of the plurality of information items being assigned to one of a plurality of search areas, and (ii) a plurality of stored search area-designating items, each of the plurality of stored search area-designating items identifying one of the plurality of search areas, the search area designating method comprising:

designating a first search area selected from the plurality of search areas as a target search area for retrieval;

receiving an input item, the input item including a received search area-designating information item;

determining whether the received search area-designating information item identifies the first search area;

switching the target search area from the first search area to a second search area when the received search area-designating information item is determined to not identify the first search area, the second search area being associated with the received search area-designating information item, the second search area being selected from the plurality of search areas; and

searching the target search area to retrieve one of the plurality of information items.