Mobile terminal device having route guiding function and route guiding method utilizing mobile terminal device

• US 7,471,955 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2004
• Issued: 12/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Muramatsu, Toshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Addy; Anthony S
• Application Number:
  US10/780,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20040171391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,776 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.2, 455/414.3, 4554561-457, 455/404.2, 455/566, 455/404.1, 455/466, 455/517, 455/550.1, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/569.2, 455/575.9, 701209-215, 340/995.2, 340/995.17, 340/995.19, 340/995.28
• US Class Current: 455/456.6
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/09 providing processing capability normally carried out by the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/41 Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0054 of actual mobile position, i.e. position calculation on base station

Abstract

A mobile terminal device having a route guiding function of guiding a route by obtaining map information from a server system via a radio communication network includes: a position detecting unit which detects a current position of the mobile terminal device; a bearing detecting unit which detects a first bearing to which the mobile terminal device is directed; a target bearing calculating unit which calculates a second bearing from a current position to the destination; a displaying unit which displays a map based on the acquired map information on a section containing the destination and the current position, displays icon images at a position of the destination and the current position respectively, and displays an icon image indicating the first bearing; and a target capturing unit which produces a sound effect in response to a difference between the first and second bearings.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal device having a route guiding function of guiding along a route by obtaining map information from a server system via a radio communication network, comprising:

a position detecting unit which detects a current position of the mobile terminal device;

a bearing detecting unit which detects a first bearing to which the mobile terminal device is directed;

a map information acquiring unit which transmits predetermined specific information to identify a destination and positional information of a current position to the server system, and acquires map information on a section containing the destination and the current position from the server system;

a target bearing calculating unit which calculates a second bearing from a current position to the destination based on the positional information and the predetermined specific information;

a judging unit that judges whether a difference between the first bearing and the second bearing is less than or greater than a predetermined value, or is equal to the predetermined value;

a displaying unit which displays a map based on the map information acquired from said map information acquiring unit, displays predetermined icon images at a position of the destination and the current position respectively, and displays an icon image indicating the first bearing; and

a target capturing unit which produces a first melody when the judging unit judges that the difference is less than the predetermined value, produces no melody when the judging unit judges that the difference is greater than the predetermined value, and produces a second melody when the judging unit judges that the difference is equal to the predetermined value.

3. The mobile terminal device having a route guiding function according to claim 1, further comprising a relative bearing calculating unit which calculates the difference between the first bearing and the second bearing.

4. The mobile terminal device having a route guiding function according to claim 3, further comprising means for displaying another icon image indicating the second bearing on said displaying unit.

5. The mobile terminal device having a route guiding function according to claim 1, wherein the position information of the current position is indicated by a latitude A of the current position and a longitude B of the current position, and the predetermined specific information to identify a destination is indicated by a latitude C of the destination and a longitude D of the destination;

and

wherein the second bearing is calculated by a formula;

θ

=arc tan (the latitude C−

the latitude A)/(the longitude D−

the longitude B).

2. A mobile terminal device having a route guiding function of guiding along a route by obtaining map information from a server system via a radio communication network, comprising:

a position detecting unit which detects a current position of the mobile terminal device;

a bearing detecting unit which detects a first bearing to which the mobile terminal device is directed;

a map information acquiring unit which transmits predetermined specific information to identify a destination and positional information on a current position to the server system, and acquires map information of a section containing the destination and the current position from the server system;

a target bearing calculating unit which calculates a second bearing from the current position to the destination based on the positional information and the specific information;

a judging unit that judges whether a difference between the first bearing and the second bearing is less than or greater than a predetermined value, or is equal to the predetermined value;

a displaying unit which displays a map based on the map information acquired from said map information acquiring unit, displays a predetermined icon image at the current position, and displays an icon image indicating the first bearing and an icon image indicating the second bearing; and

a target capturing unit which produces a first melody when the judging unit judges that the difference is less than the predetermined value, produces no melody when the judging unit judges that the difference is greater than the predetermined value, and produces a second melody when the judging unit judges that the difference is equal to the predetermined value.

6. A route guiding method utilizing a mobile terminal device including a position detecting unit for detecting a current position of the mobile terminal device and a bearing detecting unit for detecting a first bearing to which the mobile terminal device is directed to the mobile terminal device, and a server system, to which the mobile terminal device is connected via a radio communication network and which stores a map database including map information including map image data and information to identify a position on a map, the method comprising the steps of:

causing the server system to execute the steps of,

searching the map information containing a destination and the current position from the map database based on positional information of the current position and specific information of the destination which are transmitted from the mobile terminal device, and

sending the map information obtained in said step of searching the map information to the mobile terminal device; and

causing the mobile terminal device to execute the steps of,

transmitting the specific information designated by a user to the server system,

transmitting the positional information of the current position detected by the position detecting unit to the server system,

receiving the map information sent from the server system,

calculating a second bearing from the current position to the destination based on the positional information and the specific information,

judging whether a difference between the first bearing and the second bearing is less than or greater than a predetermined value, or is equal to the predetermined value;

displaying a map based on the map information acquired in said step of searching the map information, displaying predetermined icon images to overlap with a position of the destination and the current position, and displaying an icon image indicating the first bearing, and

producting a first melody when the judging unit judges that the difference is less than the predetermined value, producing no melody when the judging unit judges that the difference is greater than the predetermined value, and producing a second melody when the judging unit judges that the difference is equal to the predetermined value.

7. The mobile terminal device having a route guiding function according to claim 6, further comprising a relative bearing calculating unit which calculates the difference between the first bearing and the second bearing.

8. The mobile terminal device having a route guiding function according to claim 6, wherein the position information of the current position is indicated by a latitude A of the current position and a longitude B of the current position, and the predetermined specific information to identify a destination is indicated by a latitude C of the destination and a longitude D of the destination;

and

wherein the second bearing is calculated by a formula;

θ

=arc tan (the latitude C−

the latitude A)/(the longitude D−

the longitude B).

9. A computer readable recording medium storing a program for guiding along a route with utilizing a mobile terminal device including a position detecting unit for detecting a current position of the mobile terminal device and a bearing detecting unit for detecting a first bearing to which the mobile terminal device is directed to the mobile terminal device, and a server system, to which the mobile terminal device is connected via a radio communication network and which stores a map database including map information including map image data and information to identify a position on a map, wherein

the program causes the server system to execute the steps of,

searching the map information containing a destination and the current position from the map database based on positional information of the current position and specific information of the destination which are transmitted from the mobile terminal device, and

sending the map information obtained in said step of searching the map information to the mobile terminal device;

and

the program causes the mobile terminal device to execute the steps of,

transmitting the specific information designated by a user to the server system,

transmitting the positional information of the current position detected by the position detecting unit to the server system,

receiving the map information sent from the server system,

calculating a second bearing from the current position to the destination based on the positional information and the specific information,

judging whether a difference between the first bearing and the second bearing is less than or greater than a predetermined value, or is equal to the predetermined value;

displaying a map based on the map information acquired in said step of searching the map information, displaying predetermined icon images to overlap with a position of the destination and the current position, and displaying an icon image indicating the first bearing, and

producing a first melody when the judging unit judges that the difference is less than the predetermined value, producing no melody when the judging unit judges that the difference is greater than the predetermined value, and producing a second melody when the judging unit judges that the difference is equal to the predetermined value.

10. The route guiding method utilizing a mobile terminal device according to claim 9, further comprising the step of:

calculating a relative bearing which is the difference between the first bearing and the second bearing.

11. A computer readable recording medium storing a program for guiding along a route with utilizing a mobile terminal device including a position detecting unit for detecting a current position of the mobile terminal device and a bearing detecting unit for detecting a first bearing to which the mobile terminal device is directed to the mobile terminal device, and a server system, to which the mobile terminal device is connected via a radio communication network and which stores a map database including map information including map image data and information to identify a position on a map, wherein

the program causes the server system to execute the steps of,

searching the map information containing a destination and the current position from the map database, based on positional information of the current position and specific information of the destination which are transmitted from the mobile terminal device, and

sending the map information obtained in said step of searching the map information to the mobile terminal device;

and

the program causes the mobile terminal device to execute the steps of,

transmitting the specific information designated by a user to the server system,

transmitting the positional information of the current position detected by the position detecting unit to the server system,

receiving the map information sent from the server system,

calculating a second bearing from the current position to the destination based on the positional information and the specific information,

judging whether a difference between the first bearing and the second bearing is less than or greater than a predetermined value, or is equal to the predetermined value;

displaying a map based on the map information acquired in said step of searching the map information, displaying a predetermined icon image at the current position, and displaying an icon image indicating the first bearing and an icon image indicating the second bearing, and

producing a first melody when the judging unit judges that the difference is less than the predetermined value, producing no melody when the judging unit judges that the difference is greater than the predetermined value, and producing a second melody when the judging unit judges that the difference is equal to the predetermined value.

12. A computer readable recording medium storing a program for guiding along a route with utilizing a mobile terminal device including a position detecting unit for detecting a current position of the mobile terminal device and a bearing detecting unit for detecting a first bearing to which the mobile terminal device is directed to the mobile terminal device, and a server system, to which the mobile terminal device is connected via a radio communication network and which stores a map database including map information including map image data and information to identify a position on a map, wherein

the program causes the server system to execute the steps of,

searching the map information containing a destination and the current position from the map database based on positional information of the current position and specific information of the destination which are transmitted from the mobile terminal device, and

sending the map information obtained in said step of searching the map information to the mobile terminal device;

and

the program causes the mobile terminal device to execute the steps of,

transmitting the specific information designated by a user to the server system,

transmitting the positional information of the current position detected by the position detecting unit to the server system,

receiving the map information sent from the server system,

calculating a second bearing from the current position to the destination based on the positional information and the specific information,

judging whether a difference between the first bearing and the second bearing is less than or greater than a predetermined value, or is equal to the predetermined value;

displaying a map based on the map information acquired in said step of searching the map information, displaying predetermined icon images to overlap with a position of the destination and the current position, and displaying an icon image indicating the first bearing, and

producing a first melody when the judging unit judges that the difference is less than the predetermined value, produces a second melody when the judging unit judges that the difference is greater than the predetermined value, and produces no melody when the judging unit judges that the difference is equal to the predetermined value.

13. The computer readable recording medium storing a program for guiding along a route with utilizing a mobile terminal device according to claim 12, further comprising the step of:

calculating a relative bearing which is the difference between the first bearing and the second bearing.

14. A computer readable recording medium storing a program for guiding along a route with utilizing a mobile terminal device including a position detecting unit for detecting a current position of the mobile terminal device and a bearing detecting unit for detecting a first bearing to which the mobile terminal device is directed to the mobile terminal device, and a server system, to which the mobile terminal device is connected via a radio communication network and which stores a map database including map information including map image data and information to identify a position on a map, wherein

the program causes the server system to execute the steps of,

searching the map information containing a destination and the current position from the map database, based on positional information of the current position and specific information of the destination which are transmitted from the mobile terminal device, and

sending the map information obtained in said step of searching the map information to the mobile terminal device;

and

the program causes the mobile terminal device to execute the steps of,

transmitting the specific information designated by a user to the server system,

transmitting the positional information of the current position detected by the position detecting unit to the server system,

receiving the map information sent from the server system,

calculating a second bearing from the current position to the destination based on the positional information and the specific information,

judging whether a difference between the first bearing and the second bearing is less than or greater than a predetermined value, or is equal to the predetermined value;

displaying a map based on the map information acquired in said step of searching the map information, displaying a predetermined icon image at the current position, and displaying an icon image indicating the first bearing and an icon image indicating the second bearing, and

producing a first melody when the judging unit judges that the difference is less than the predetermined value, produces a second melody when the judging unit judges that the difference is greater than the predetermined value, and produces no melody when the judging unit judges that the difference is equal to the predetermined value.