System and method for providing telematics service

• US 7,860,645 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T Map Mobility Company Limited (SK Telecom Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: SK Corporation (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Cho, Won-Hee, Choi, In-Joon, Park, Min-Hui, Park, Jin-Kyung, Kim, Do-Sung
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith; Jack
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dager; Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US11/571,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20080275637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,007 Days
• Field of Search: 701117-124, 701200-215, 701/302, 340988-996, 455403-420, 455/457
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers

Abstract

The telematics service providing system generates a path from the departure point to the destination based on traffic information, generates guidance information for each guidance point where a turn to a direction that is different from the current progress direction of the client is needed on the generated path, clips a vicinity map covering a predetermined area with reference to the guidance point from the total map to generate a guidance point vicinity map, converts the generated guidance point vicinity map into a format displayable by the client, and provides the converted map to the client terminal. Accordingly, confusion caused by complex crossroads or paths that need consecutive and same direction turns may be prevented, the client terminal may not need a memory for storing large-volume geographic information data, and the client may not additionally need to upgrade the geographic information data.

Claims

1. A telematics service providing system for providing path information from a departure point to a destination to a client terminal through a radio communication network, comprising:

a map database for storing total map information;

an optimized path generator for generating a path from the departure point to the destination;

a guidance information generator for generating guidance information for each guidance point where a turn to another direction that is different from the client'"'"'s current progress direction is needed for the generated path;

a guidance point vicinity map generator for generating a guidance point vicinity map that is generated by clipping a vicinity map covering a predetermined area with reference to the guidance point from the total map stored in the map database according to the generated guidance information; and

a telematics service provider for providing path information including the generated guidance point vicinity map to the client terminal and excluding a superimposed guidance point vicinity map provided to the client terminal,

wherein the guidance point vicinity map generator is configured to generate the guidance point vicinity map for the guidance point by clipping a vicinity map including a first area covering a first circle area having a predetermined radius from the guidance point, a second area covering a second circle area having the predetermined radius from a first vertex that is distant with a predetermined distance from the guidance point in a forward direction and a third area covering a third circle area having the predetermined radius from a second vertex that is distant with a predetermined distance from the guidance point in a backward direction.

2. The telematics service providing system of claim 1,

wherein the optimized path generator generates the path by applying traffic information.

3. The telematics service providing system of claim 1, further comprising a per-type service provider for providing path information including the guidance point vicinity map and guidance information to the client terminal according to a predetermined telematics service type.

4. The telematics service providing system of claim 3, wherein the predetermined telematics service type comprises at least one of:

a first type for providing path information from the departure point to the destination based on a turn by turn (TBT) method including a direction turn icon;

a second type for providing vicinity maps of the departure point and the destination, and providing residual path information based on the TBT method;

a third type for providing vicinity maps of the departure point and the destination, and selectively providing the guidance point vicinity map, and providing path information based on the TBT method to residual paths; and

a fourth type for providing vicinity maps of the departure point and the destination and the guidance point vicinity map.

5. The telematics service providing system of claim 1,

wherein the telematics service provider provides path information including the generated guidance point vicinity map and a proper number corresponding to the generated guidance point vicinity map to the client terminal, and determines whether the guidance point vicinity map provided to the client terminal is superimposed by using the proper number.

6. The telematics service providing system of claim 5,

wherein the client terminal comprises:

a vicinity map manager for managing the guidance point vicinity map and the proper number provided through the radio communication network;

a vicinity map reuser for reusing the guidance point vicinity map received in advance and generating total path information based on the proper number;

a screen display for displaying the generated path information on a monitor of the client terminal; and

a voice output unit for outputting speech broadcast related to provision of the generated path information.

7. The telematics service providing system of claim 6,

wherein the vicinity map reuser deletes or stores the guidance point vicinity map and the proper number provided through the radio communication network according to the client'"'"'s request.

8. The telematics service providing system of claim 1,

wherein the guidance information comprises proper numbers of the respective guidance points, turn types, crossroad titles, direction titles, and per-link linear road information, and the per-link linear road information includes at least one of a road title, a road class, a title number, and a vertex list.

9. The telematics service providing system of claim 1,

wherein when it is determined that the path from the current location to the destination is changed from among the path information provided to the client terminal, the telematics service provider provides information on the checked path to the client terminal according to the client'"'"'s request.

10. The telematics service providing system of claim 1,

wherein the telematics service providing system comprises:

a path database for storing path information including opening and closing of new roads and turn information of crossroads;

a guidance information database for storing information related to the generated guidance information;

a map database for storing map information including national maps and other nations'"'"' maps; and

a vicinity map database for storing information related to the generated guidance point vicinity map.

11. A telematics service providing method for providing path information from a departure point to a destination to a client terminal through a radio communication network, comprising:

a) generating a path from the departure point to the destination;

b) generating guidance information for each guidance point where a turn to another direction that is different from the client'"'"'s current progress direction is needed for the generated path;

c) generating a guidance point vicinity map by clipping a vicinity map covering a predetermined area with reference to the guidance point from a total map stored in a map database according to the generated guidance information;

d) providing path information including the generated guidance point vicinity map to the client terminal and excluding a superimposed guidance point vicinity map provided to the client terminal; and

e) generating the guidance point vicinity map for the guidance point by clipping a vicinity map including a first area covering a first circle area having a predetermined radius from the guidance point, a second area covering a second circle area having the predetermined radius from a first vertex that is distant with a predetermined distance from the guidance point in a forward direction and a third area covering a third circle area having the predetermined radius from a second vertex that is distant with a predetermined distance from the guidance point in a backward direction.

12. The telematics service providing method of claim 11,

wherein a) comprises generating the path by applying traffic information.

13. The telematics service providing method of claim 11,

wherein c) comprises generating vicinity maps of the departure point and the destination by clipping a vicinity map covering a predetermined area with reference to the departure point and the destination from the total map.

14. The telematics service providing method of claim 13,

wherein d) comprises providing path information including the generated guidance point vicinity map to the client terminal by using at least one type of:

a first type for providing path information from the departure point to the destination based on a turn by turn (TBT) method including a direction turn icon;

a second type for providing vicinity maps of the departure point and the destination, and providing residual path information based on the TBT method;

a third type for providing vicinity maps of the departure point and the destination, and selectively providing the guidance point vicinity map, and providing path information based on the TBT method to residual paths; and

a fourth type for providing vicinity maps of the departure point and the destination and a guidance point vicinity map.

15. The telematics service providing method of claim 11,

wherein d) comprises providing a proper number corresponding to the guidance point together with the guidance point vicinity map to the client terminal.

16. The telematics service providing method of claim 15,

wherein d) comprises:

checking whether a guidance point that is repeated with the guidance point provided to the client terminal is found on the path to the destination by using the proper number; and

providing vicinity maps of residual points excluding the vicinity map of the repeated guidance point together with respective proper numbers to the client terminal.

17. The telematics service providing method of claim 11, wherein d)

comprises:

checking a traffic condition on the path information provided to the client terminal; and

providing guidance information on a checked path to the client terminal according to the client'"'"'s request when it is checked that the path from the location where the client terminal is provided to the destination is changed according to the traffic condition.