Navigation apparatus, server apparatus, navigation method, and navigation program

• US 8,380,434 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2011
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Navitime Japan Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Navitime Japan Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Suzuki, Yusuke, Onishi, Keisuke, Kikuchi, Shin
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US13/028,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20110144906A1
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701208-209, 701/533, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995.13, 715/845, 709/224
• US Class Current: 701/533
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• 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 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096816 where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice

Abstract

A navigation device performs a route guidance based on a route from a current location to a destination, the navigation device being connected to a server for searching the route. A navigation method for the navigation device includes sending a request for searching the route to the server and receiving information on the route from the server. The method also includes measuring an elapsed time from a start of the route guidance, and performing the route guidance based on the information received. The method further includes cutting off a communication with the server and coming into a standby state, upon a determination that the elapsed time measured has reached a predetermined time and when the route is being guided or a current location is being checked, to decrease a bandwidth usage between the navigation device and the server and to reduce a communication charge associated with the bandwidth usage.

Claims

1. A navigation method for a navigation device that performs a route guidance based on a route from a current location to a destination, the navigation device being connected to a server for searching the route, the navigation method comprising:

sending a request for searching the route to the server;

receiving information on the route from the server;

measuring an elapsed time from a start of the route guidance;

performing the route guidance based on the information received; and

cutting off, upon a determination that the elapsed time measured has reached a predetermined time, communications with the server and an external device even while the route is being guided or a current location received from the external device is being checked, and coming into a standby state to decrease bandwidth usages between the navigation device and the server and between the navigation device and the external device, and to reduce a communication charge associated with the bandwidth usages.

2. A navigation method for a navigation device that performs a route guidance based on a route from a current location to a destination, the navigation device being connected to a server for searching the route, the navigation method comprising:

sending a request for searching the route to the server;

receiving information on the route from the server;

performing the route guidance based on the information received;

calculating an amount of the information received;

adding the amount of information received to an amount of information that was previously sent and saved in a memory; and

cutting off, upon a determination that the amount saved in the memory has reached a predetermined amount, communications with the server and an external device even while the route is being guided or a current location received from the external device is being checked, and coming to a standby state to decrease bandwidth usages between the navigation device and the server and between the navigation device and the external device, and to reduce a communication charge associated with the bandwidth usages.

3. A navigation method for a server that searches a route from a current location of a navigation device to a destination, the navigation method comprising:

sending information on the route to the navigation device;

calculating an amount of the information sent;

adding the amount of information sent to an amount of information that was previously sent and saved in a memory; and

stopping, upon a determination that the amount saved in the memory has reached a predetermined amount, the sending the information, even while the route is being guided by the navigation device, to decrease a bandwidth usage between the navigation device and the server and to reduce a communication charge associated with the bandwidth usage.

4. The navigation method according to claim 3, wherein the amount of the information sent is acquired from a header of a packet.