Route search device and method, information providing device and method, and route search system

• US 8,996,306 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2010
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kodan, Tomoki, Shimizu, Yasuhiro, Usami, Ichiro, Kozakai, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, ROBERT T
• Application Number:
  US13/500,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20120209509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,623 Days
• Field of Search: 701/411, 701/420, 701/445, 701/446, 701/450, 701/451, 701/461, 701/462, 701/484, 701/485, 701/518, 701/520, 701/510
• US Class Current: 701/445
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application

Abstract

A route search device including a database in which map information and facility information are stored, a reference location information obtaining unit that obtains reference location information as location information of a given point from an outside of the route search device, a location information obtaining unit that obtains location information of a desired facility from the outside, a corresponding location information obtaining unit that obtains corresponding location information as location information of a point corresponding to the given point, from the database, a location correction factor calculating unit that calculates a location correction factor, a location correction factor storage unit that stores the location correction factor, a location information correcting unit that corrects the location information of the desired facility, using the location correction factor, and a route searching unit that makes a search for a route to the desired facility, based on the corrected location information.

Claims

1. A route searching method implemented by a route search device that is installed on a mobile unit and has a database in which facility information and map information are stored, comprising:

obtaining reference location information as location information of a given point, from an outside of the route search device;

obtaining location information of a desired facility from the outside;

obtaining corresponding location information as location information of a point corresponding to the given point, from the database;

calculating a location correction factor used for correcting the location information of the desired facility, based on the reference location information and the corresponding location information;

storing the location correction factor;

correcting the location information of the desired facility, using the location correction factor;

determining whether the corrected location information of the desired facility indicates a point within a region of facility information stored in the database and for which an arrival location is set; and

making a search for a route to the desired facility and displaying the route thus found, wherein a search for a route is made to the arrival location when it is determined that the corrected location information of the desired facility indicates a point within the region of the facility for which the arrival location is set, or a search for a route is made to a location indicated by the corrected location information when it is determined that the corrected location information of the desired facility does not indicate a point within the region of the facility for which the arrival location is set.

2. An information providing method implemented by an information providing device that provides information to a route search device that is installed on a mobile unit, wherein the route search device stores map information and facility information, the method comprising:

obtaining reference location information as location information of a given point, from an outside of the route search device;

obtaining location information of a desired facility from the outside of the route search device;

obtaining corresponding location information as location information of a point corresponding to the given point, from a database in which map information and facility information similar to the map information and facility information stored in the route search device are stored;

calculating a location correction factor used for correcting the location information of the desired facility, based on the reference location information and the corresponding location information;

storing the location correction factor;

correcting the location information of the desired facility, using the location correction factor;

determining whether the corrected location information of the desired facility indicates a point within a region of an arrival location set and stored in the database; and

transmitting the corrected location information or the arrival location to the route search device, the route search device making a search for a route to the desired facility and displaying the route thus found, wherein the corrected location information of the desired facility is transmitted to the route search device when it is determined that the corrected location information of the desired facility does not indicate a point within the region of the facility for which the arrival location is set, or the arrival location for the facility is transmitted to the route search device when it is determined that the corrected location information of the desired facility indicates a point within the region of the facility for which the arrival location is set.

3. A route search device installed on a mobile unit, comprising:

a database in which map information and facility information are stored;

a reference location information obtaining unit that obtains reference location information as location information of a given point from an outside of the route search device;

a location information obtaining unit that obtains location information of a desired facility from the outside of the route search device;

a corresponding location information obtaining unit that obtains corresponding location information as location information of a point corresponding to the given point, from the database;

a location correction factor calculating unit that calculates a location correction factor used for correcting the location information of the desired facility, based on the reference location information and the corresponding location information;

a location correction factor storage unit that stores the location correction factor;

a location information correcting unit that corrects the location information of the desired facility, using the location correction factor;

a determining unit that determines whether the corrected location information of the desired facility indicates a point within a region of facility information stored in the database and for which an arrival location is set; and

a route searching unit that makes a search for a route to the desired facility and displays the route thus found, wherein the route searching unit makes a search for a route to the arrival location when the determining unit determines that the corrected location information of the desired facility indicates a point within the region of the facility for which the arrival location is set, or the route searching unit makes a search for a route to a location indicated by the corrected location information when the determining unit determines that the corrected location information of the desired facility does not indicate a point within the region of the facility for which the arrival location is set.

4. The route search device according to claim 3, wherein

the reference location information obtaining unit makes access to a communication network, and obtains the location information of the given point from a terminal unit connected to the communication network.

5. The route search device according to claim 3, wherein

the location correction factor calculating unit calculates the location correction factor when a geodetic system of the reference location information is different from that of the corresponding location information.

6. The route search device according to claim 3, wherein

the reference location information comprises location information of a given facility.

7. The route search device according to claim 3, wherein

the location correction factor is a difference between a location indicated by the reference location information and a location indicated by the corresponding location information.

8. An information providing device that provides information to a route search device installed on a mobile unit, comprising:

a database in which map information and facility information similar to map information and facility information stored in the route search device are stored;

a reference location information obtaining unit that obtains reference location information as location information of a given point, from an outside of the route search device;

a location information obtaining unit that obtains location information of a desired facility, from the outside of the route search device;

a corresponding location information obtaining unit that obtains corresponding location information as location information of a point corresponding to the given point, from the database;

a location correction factor calculating unit that calculates a location correction factor used for correcting the location information of the desired facility, based on the reference location information and the corresponding location information;

a location correction factor storage unit that stores the location correction factor;

a location information correcting unit that corrects the location information of the desired facility, using the location correction factor;

a determining unit that determines whether the corrected location information of the desired facility indicates a point within a region of an arrival location is set and stored in the database; and

a corrected location information transmitting unit that transmits the corrected location information or the arrival location to the route search device, the route search device making a search for a route to the desired facility and displaying the route thus found, wherein the corrected location information transmitting unit transmits the corrected location information of the desired facility to the route search device when the determining unit determines that the corrected location information of the desired facility does not indicate a point within the region of the facility for which the arrival location is set, or the corrected location information transmitting unit transmits the arrival location for the facility to the route search device when the determining unit determines that the corrected location information of the desired facility indicates a point within the region of the facility for which the arrival location is set.

9. A route search system for a mobile unit, comprising:

a route search device that is installed on the mobile unit and obtains location information of a desired facility from an outside thereof; and

an information providing device that provides information to the route search device including;

a database in which map information and facility information similar to map information and facility information stored in the route search device are stored;

a reference location information obtaining unit that obtains reference location information as location information of a given point, from the outside of the route search device;

a corresponding location information obtaining unit that obtains corresponding location information as location information of a point corresponding to the given point, from the database;

a location correction factor calculating unit that calculates a location correction factor used for correcting the location information of the desired facility, based on the reference location information and the corresponding location information;

a location correction factor storage unit that stores the location correction factor; and

a location correction factor transmitting unit that transmits the location correction factor to the route search device, wherein

the route search device includes;

a location correction factor obtaining unit that obtains the location correction factor from the information providing device;

a location information correcting unit that corrects the location information of the desired facility, using the location correction factor;

a determining unit that determines whether the corrected location information of the desired facility indicates a point within a region of facility information stored in the database and for which an arrival location is set; and

a route searching unit that makes a search for a route to the desired facility and displays the route thus found, wherein the route searching unit makes a search for a route to the arrival location when the determining unit determines that the corrected location information of the desired facility indicates a point within the region of the facility for which the arrival location is set, or the route searching unit makes a search for a route to a location indicated by the corrected location information when the determining unit determines that the corrected location information of the desired facility does not indicate a point within the region of the facility for which the arrival location is set.

10. A route search system for a mobile unit, comprising:

a route search device that is installed on the mobile unit and obtains location information of a desired facility from an outside thereof; and

an information providing device that provides information to the route search device, including;

a database in which map information and facility information similar to map information and facility information stored in the route search device are stored;

a reference location information obtaining unit that obtains reference location information as location information of a given point, from the outside of the route search device;

a location information obtaining unit that obtains location information of a desired facility from the outside of the route search device;

a corresponding location information obtaining unit that obtains corresponding location information as location information of a point corresponding to the given point, from the database;

a location correction factor calculating unit that calculates a location correction factor used for correcting the location information of the desired facility, based on the reference location information and the corresponding location information;

a location correction factor storage unit that stores the location correction factor;

a location information correcting unit that corrects the location information of the desired facility, using the location correction factor;

a determining unit that determines whether the corrected location information of the desired facility indicates a point within a region of an arrival location set and stored in the database; and

a corrected location information transmitting unit that transmits the corrected location information or the arrival location to the route search device, wherein the corrected location information transmitting unit transmits the corrected location information of the desired facility to the route search device when the determining unit determines that the corrected location information of the desired facility does not indicate a point within the region of the facility for which the arrival location is set, or the corrected location information transmitting unit transmits the arrival location for the facility to the route search device when the determining unit determines that the corrected location information of the desired facility indicates a point within the region of the facility for which the arrival location is set, wherein

the route search device includes;

a location information obtaining unit that obtains the corrected location information or the arrival location, from the information providing device; and

a route searching unit that makes a search for a route to the desired facility, based on the corrected location information or the arrival location, and displays the route thus found.