Navigation device

• US 8,812,230 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2009
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MEL NavIP LLC (Ni, Wang & Massand, PLLC)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Algahaim, Helal A
• Assistant Examiner(s): WALLACE, DONALD JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US13/262,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20120022788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,896 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/451
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

A navigation device is provided including a data storage unit for storing data, and a service information reception processing unit for receiving service information distributed from an external registration destination facility with which member registration is made, and a service information analyzing processing unit performs a predetermined process on the service information received by the service information reception processing unit to register the service information in the data storage unit. The navigation device further includes a notification condition customization setting unit for setting a notification condition, and a facility icon display processing unit displays whether or not there is an update in service information of a registration destination facility on a map according to the notification condition set by the notification condition customization setting unit.

Claims

1. A navigation device comprising:

a data storage unit for storing data;

a service information reception processing unit for receiving service information at an external registration destination facility with which member registration is made, the service information being distributed from the external registration destination facility;

a service information analyzing processing unit for performing a predetermined process on the service information received by said service information reception processing unit to register the service information in said data storage unit;

a notification condition customization setting unit for setting a notification condition about notification of the service information at the external registration destination facility; and

a facility icon display processing unit for displaying, on a map of a current location and surrounding area of the navigation device, an icon representing a registration destination facility located within an area covered by the displayed map, and for displaying a modified version of the icon on the map in such manner indicating that there is an update in service information at the registration destination facility located within an area covered by the displayed map, according to the notification condition set by said notification condition customization setting unit, said notification condition being satisfied when the service information at the represented registration destination facility has been updated,

wherein the navigation device displays the map on which the icon is displayed in accordance with a navigation function.

2. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said navigation device includes a provided information format extracting processing unit for registering a provided information format used for analyzing the service information distributed from the registration destination facility in the data storage unit, and the service information analyzing processing unit processes the service information received by the service information reception processing unit by using the provided information format registered by said provided information format extracting processing unit, and registers the service information in said data storage unit.

3. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the facility icon display processing unit calculates a distance from a current position to a surrounding registration destination facility, and does not display icons of registration destination facilities which cannot be displayed with a scale of a map currently being displayed.

4. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said navigation device includes a service information control processing unit for deleting and updating service information registered in the data storage unit.

5. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein said navigation device includes a facility service information notification processing unit for presenting a list of registration destination facilities located in an area surrounding a route to a destination and each providing service information having an unexpired notification period.

6. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the notification condition customization setting unit sets a notification condition for each registration destination facility.

7. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the service information reception processing unit receives the service information from the external registration destination facility via the Internet.

8. The navigation device according to claim 1, wherein the displayed icon is selectable by a user in order to display information of a commercial service or product currently offered at the external registration destination facility, the information of the commercial service or product being part of the service information received from the external registration destination facility.