Method and apparatus for communicating map and route guidance information for vehicle navigation

• US 7,342,516 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2004
• Issued: 03/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kato, Manabu, Atarashi, Yoshitaka, Matsuo, Shigeru, Okude, Mariko, Kawamata, Yukihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): BUGG, GEORGE A
• Application Number:
  US10/959,316
• Publication Number:
  US 20050140524A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• Field of Search: 340/995.19
• US Class Current: 340/995.19
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096866 where the complete route is shown to the driver
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA

Abstract

A route information supply system comprises a reception module which receives information on a current position and a destination from a terminal device by communication, a map data storage module storing at least detailed map data and summary map data, a traffic information storage module which stores traffic information, a route search module which searches for a guidance route based on the current position and the destination, a map information generation module which generates map information on an area containing the searched route by use of the map data storage module, and an output module which outputs the generated map information to the terminal device. When an event satisfying a prescribed condition regarding the traffic information exists in the area, the map information generation module generates map information on an area in the vicinity of a point where the event has occurred by use of the detailed map data.

Claims

1. A route information supply system comprising:

reception means which receives information on a current position and a destination from a terminal device by communication;

map data storage means storing at least two kinds of map data, one of which is detailed map data and the other of which is summary map data, the two kinds of map data being differentiated into a plurality of levels by fineness of each stored information of road data, background data and name data;

traffic information storage means which stores traffic information;

route search means which searches for a guidance route based on the current position and the destination;

map information generation means for defining a map information generation area of delivery map including searched guidance route of map information of delivery map including a searched guidance route by utilizing said map data storing means, generating map information of said delivery map utilizing detailed level map data information of said delivery map for a circle of a predetermined diameter of which center of the circle is the current position and destination received by said reception means and an area within a predetermined distance along the searched guidance route, generating map information of said delivery map utilizing summary level map data for another area in said map information object area, and if an event satisfying a prescribed condition regarding the traffic information exists in a circle of predetermined diameter in the map information generation area of delivery map including searched guidance route of said map information of said delivery map, generation map information of said delivery map utilizing detailed level map data for the event area; and

output means which outputs the generated map information of said delivery map to the terminal device.

2. The route information supply system according to claim 1, wherein when an event satisfying a prescribed condition regarding the traffic information exists in the map information generation area of delivery map including searched guidance route of said map information, the route search means further searches for a detour route taking the event into consideration, and the map information generation means further generates map information on an area in the vicinity of the searched detour route by use of the detailed map data.

3. The route information supply system according to claim 1, wherein when an event satisfying a prescribed condition regarding the traffic information exists in the map information generation area of delivery map including searched guidance route of said map information and a prescribed instruction is received from the terminal device, the route search means further searches for a detour route taking the event into consideration, and the map information generation means further generates map information on an area in the vicinity of the searched detour route by use of the detailed map data.

4. A route information supply method for receiving information on a current position and a destination from a terminal device by communication and searching a guidance route from the current position to the destination for supplying the searched guidance route to said terminal apparatus comprising the steps of:

acquiring traffic information;

referring to a map data storage device storing at least detailed map data and summary map data, the two kinds of map data being differentiated into a plurality of levels by fineness of each stored information of road data, background data and name data;

determining a map information generation area of delivery map including searched guidance route of map information of delivery map including the searched guidance route;

generating map information of said delivery map utilizing said detailed map data information of said delivery map for a circle of a predetermined diameter of which center of the circle is the current position and the destination, and an area within a predetermined distance along said searched guidance route;

generating map information of said delivery map utilizing said summary level map data for the remainder of the map information generation area of delivery map including searched guidance route of said map information;

when phenomena for satisfying a prescribed condition exists in said acquired traffic information for the map information generation area of delivery map including searched guidance route of said map information of said delivery map, generating map information utilizing said detailed level map data for an area in a circle of a predetermined diameter in the vicinity of the phenomena; and

transmitting the generated map information of said delivery map to said terminal apparatus.

5. The route information supply method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of searching for a detour route taking the event satisfying the prescribed condition regarding the traffic information into consideration and generating map information on an area in the vicinity of the searched detour route by use of the detailed map data when the event satisfying the prescribed condition regarding the traffic information exists in the area.

6. The route information supply method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of searching for a detour route taking the event satisfying the prescribed condition regarding the traffic information into consideration and generating map information on an area in the vicinity of the searched detour route by use of the detailed map data when the event satisfying the prescribed condition regarding the traffic information exists in the area and a prescribed instruction is received from the terminal device.