Navigation system and method

• US 7,421,335 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2004
• Issued: 09/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Nagase, Kenji, Kawai, Masao, Yoshikawa, Kazutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US10/979,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20050143905A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/201, 701/117, 701/119, 701/35, 701/202, 701/204, 340/995.13, 340/905, 455/456.1, 455/441, 455/466, 455/404.02
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096888 where input information is obtained using learning systems, e.g. history databases

Abstract

A navigation system collects life information associated with a user and extracts a life pattern from the collected life information. The navigation system registers the extracted life pattern as life pattern information. The navigation system determines a predicted start time and a predicted destination based on the life pattern information and generates predicted traffic information associated with a geographical area including the destination and associated with a time range including the predicted start time.

Claims

1. A navigation system comprising:

a controller that;

collects life information associated with a user;

extracts a life pattern from the collected life information;

registers the extracted life pattern as life pattern information; and

determines a predicted start time and a predicted destination based on the life pattern information;

generates predicted traffic information associated with a geographical area including the destination and associated with a time range including the predicted start time.

2. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the controller:

transmits a start signal to a navigation apparatus before the predicted start time thereby causing the navigation apparatus to be started; and

transmits, after the navigation apparatus is started, the predicted traffic information to the navigation apparatus.

3. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the controller:

searches for a route to the destination based on the predicted traffic information, wherein information associated with the route detected by the search is transmitted to the navigation apparatus before the predicted start time.

4. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the life information is information associated with daily life and related to driving a vehicle or information associated with a schedule and related to driving the vehicle.

5. The navigation system of claim 4, wherein the information associated with daily life and related to driving the vehicle is driving data of the vehicle or data indicating the schedule of a user.

6. The navigation system of claim 5, wherein the data indicating the schedule of the user includes the time at which the user wakes up.

7. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the geographical area includes a predicted starting point.

8. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the controller extracts the life pattern by statistically processing the collected life information.

9. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the life information associated with the user is collected from an information terminal.

10. An information server including the navigation system of claim 1.

11. A method for providing information comprising:

collecting life information associated with a user;

extracting a life pattern from the collected life information;

registering the extracted life pattern as life pattern information;

determining a predicted start time and a predicted destination based on the life pattern information; and

generating predicted traffic information associated with a geographical area including the destination and associated with a time range including the predicted start time.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting a start signal to a navigation apparatus before the predicted start time thereby causing the navigation apparatus to be started; and

transmitting, after the navigation apparatus is started, the predicted traffic information to the navigation apparatus.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

searching for a route to the destination based on the predicted traffic information; and

transmitting information associated with the route detected by the search to the navigation apparatus before the predicted start time.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the life information is information associated with daily life and related to driving a vehicle or information associated with a schedule and related to driving the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the information associated with daily life and related to driving the vehicle is driving data of the vehicle or data indicating the schedule of a user.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the data indicating the schedule of the user includes the time at which the user wakes up.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the geographical area includes a predicted starting point.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein extracting the life pattern from the collected life information comprises statistically processing the collected life information.

19. A navigation system comprising:

means for collecting life information associated with a user;

means for extracting a life pattern from the collected life information;

means for registering the extracted life pattern as life pattern information;

means for determining a predicted start time and a predicted destination based on the life pattern information; and

means for generating predicted traffic information associated with a geographical area including the destination and associated with a time range including the predicted start time.