Guidance information generating device, guidance information generating method and guidance information generating program

• US 9,008,968 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2012
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Sugiura, Hiroaki, Nagase, Kenji, Tanaka, Kuniaki, Yamamoto, Toshiki, Kodan, Tomoki, Saito, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US14/125,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20140195156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/533
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3605 Destination input or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3685 the POI's being parking facilities

Abstract

Search criterion information, which indicates a search criterion is transmitted to a search server, destination point information on a destination point, which is a point found by the search server based on the search criterion, is obtained, a candidate point database that stores candidate point information on a candidate point connected to a road in association with the candidate point is searched, the candidate point associated with the candidate point information having a similarity to the destination point information, higher than or equal to a predetermined reference similarity, is identified as an arrival point, and first guidance information that indicates a first route to the arrival point is generated when the arrival point has been identified and second guidance information that indicates a second route to a point closest to the destination point among points on roads is generated when the arrival point has not been identified.

Claims

1. A guidance information generating device characterized by comprising:

a search criterion information transmission unit that transmits search criterion information, which indicates a search criterion, to a search server (20) that is a search provider on Internet;

a destination point information acquisition unit that acquires destination point information on a destination point including information indicating a position of the destination point, name of the destination point, address of the destination point and telephone number of the destination point, which is a point searched in a destination point database stored in the search server on the basis of the search criterion and which is searched among points including points not connected to a road, from the search server;

an arrival point identifying unit that searches a candidate point database stored in the guidance information generating device that stores candidate point information on a candidate point connected to the road in association with the candidate point, and that identifies the candidate point associated with the candidate point information including at least one of name of the candidate point matching to the name of the destination point and telephone number of the candidate point matching to the telephone number of the destination point, as an arrival point; and

a guidance information generating unit that generates first guidance information that indicates a first route to the arrival point when the arrival point has been identified and that generates second guidance information that indicates a second route to a point closest to the destination point among points on roads when the arrival point has not been identified;

wherein the guidance information generating unit generates the first guidance information that causes a display device to display the first route and a position of the destination point when the arrival point has been identified.

2. The guidance information generating device according to claim 1, wherein the guidance information generating unit generates the second guidance information that indicates the second route and a position of the destination point when the arrival point has not been identified.

3. The guidance information generating device according to claim 1, wherein the candidate point is a point corresponding to a facility in which a parking space is provided.

6. The guidance information generating device according to claim 2, wherein the candidate point is a point corresponding to a facility in which a parking space is provided.

4. A guidance information generating method for a guidance information generating device, comprising:

transmitting search criterion information, which indicates a search criterion, to a search server that is a search provider on Internet;

acquiring destination point information on a destination point including information indicating a position of the destination point, name of the destination point, address of the destination point and telephone number of the destination point, which is a point searched in a destination point database stored in the search server on the basis of the search criterion and which is searched among points including points not connected to a road, from the search server;

searching a candidate point database stored in the guidance information generating device that stores candidate point information on a candidate point connected to the road in association with the candidate point, and identifying the candidate point, associated with the candidate point information including at least one of name of the candidate point matching to the name of the destination point and telephone number of the candidate point matching to the telephone number of the destination point, as an arrival point; and

generating first guidance information that indicates a first route to the arrival point when the arrival point has been identified and generating second guidance information that indicates a second route to a point closest to the destination point among points on roads when the arrival point has not been identified;

in case each of the candidate point information and the destination point information indicates information on a plurality of information items, and

generating the first guidance information that causes a display device to display the first route and a position of the destination point when the arrival point has been identified.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a guidance information generating program that causes a computer to perform a guidance information generating function for a guidance information generating device, the guidance information generating function comprising:

transmitting search criterion information, which indicates a search criterion, to a search server that is a search provider on Internet;

acquiring destination point information on a destination point including information indicating a position of the destination point, name of the destination point, address of the destination point and telephone number of the destination point, which is a point searched in a destination point database stored in the search server on the basis of the search criterion and which is searched among points including points not connected to a road, from the search server;

searching a candidate point database stored in the guidance information generating device that stores candidate point information on a candidate point connected to the road in association with the candidate point, and identifying the candidate point, associated with the candidate point information including at least one of name of the candidate point matching to the name of the destination point and telephone number of the candidate point matching to the telephone number of the destination point, as an arrival point; and

generating first guidance information that indicates a first route to the arrival point when the arrival point has been identified and generating second guidance information that indicates a second route to a point closest to the destination point among points on roads when the arrival point has not been identified,

in case each of the candidate point information and the destination point information indicates information on a plurality of information items,

generating the first guidance information that causes a display device to display the first route and a position of the destination point when the arrival point has been identified.