Navigation system, navigation apparatus, and data center

• US 9,127,954 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2012
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Kutomi, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): EVANS, GARRETT F
• Application Number:
  US13/599,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20130080054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3889 Transmission of selected map data, e.g. depending on route
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3896 Transmission of map data from central databases
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

A navigation system includes a navigation apparatus, a data center, a communication-defective region acquisition device, a communication-defective region search device, and a target region specify device. The data center performs transmits an update data of a target region to the navigation apparatus. The communication-defective region acquisition device acquires information of a communication-defective region. The communication-defective region search device searches for a part of the communication-defective region as a target communication-defective region, which includes a route scheduled to go through. The target region specify device specifies the target region based on the target communication-defective region. The data center includes an update data transmission device that transmits the update data of the target region to the navigation apparatus before the navigation apparatus enters the target communication-defective region.

Claims

1. A navigation system comprising:

a navigation apparatus that performs a route guidance, the navigation apparatus storing map data including a plurality of segment data elements, the map data being indicative of a map of an area, each of the plurality of segment data elements being indicative of a corresponding segment included in the area;

a data center that performs a data communication with the navigation apparatus to transmit update data of a target region, which is included in the area, to the navigation apparatus, the target region including one or more target segments whose segment data elements are to be updated by the update data, the update data of the target region being transmitted per segment data element;

a communication-defective region acquisition device that acquires information of a communication-defective region, the communication-defective region being included in the area and being defined as a region where the data communication becomes defective;

a communication-defective region search device that, every time a vehicle travels across two adjacent segments of the area, searches in real time for a part of the communication-defective region as a target communication-defective region, which includes a route scheduled to go through; and

a target region specify device that, every time the vehicle travels across the two adjacent segments of the area, specifies in real time the target region based on the target communication-defective region, wherein,

the data center includes an update data transmission device that transmits the update data of the target region to the navigation apparatus before the navigation apparatus enters the target communication-defective region,

the target region specify device specifies the target region in such a manner that the target region includes the target communication-defective region,

the communication-defective region search device sets, without depending on a preset guidance route, and based on a travelling direction and a present position of the vehicle, at least a part of a predetermined area, which includes a road ahead in the travelling direction, as the route scheduled to go through, and

the target region specify device specifies, without depending on a preset guidance route, the target region in such a manner that the target region includes the at least a part of the predetermined area set based on the travelling direction and the present position of the vehicle.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1,

wherein the communication-defective region acquisition device acquires information of the communication-defective region based on static area map information indicative of the communication-defective region.

3. The navigation system according to claim 2,

wherein the static area map information indicates a region where the data communication is originally disabled due to a positional relationship between the region and a wireless base station.

4. The navigation system according to claim 1,

wherein the communication-defective region acquisition device acquires information of the communication-defective region based on dynamic external information indicative of the communication-defective region.

5. The navigation system according to claim 4,

wherein the dynamic external information indicates a real-time communication status performed by a probe and an infrastructure.

6. The navigation system according to claim 1,

wherein the communication-defective region is defined as a region, where the data communication is disabled.

7. The navigation system according to claim 1,

wherein the communication-defective region is defined as a region, where a communication speed of the data communication is lower than a predetermined communication speed.

8. The navigation system according to claim 7,

wherein the target region specify device specifies the target region based on the communication speed of the data communication.

9. The navigation system according to claim 1,

wherein, when one of the one or more target segments has a non-latest segment data element that has not undergone a latest update, the update data transmission device transmits a corresponding update data of the one of the one or more target segments.

10. The navigation system according to claim 1,

wherein the update data transmission device transmits the update data of the target region when the target region includes a newly created road.

11. The navigation system according to claim 1,

wherein the update data transmission device transmits the update data of the target region when the target region includes roads divided from the route scheduled to go through.

12. The navigation system according to claim 1,

wherein the data center includes the communication-defective region acquisition device, the communication-defective region search device, and the target region specify device.

13. The navigation system according to claim 1,

wherein the navigation apparatus includes the communication-defective region acquisition device, the communication-defective region search device, and the target region specify device.

14. The navigation system according to claim 1,

wherein the navigation apparatus is equipped to a vehicle, and the data center is disposed at a place outside of the vehicle.

15. A navigation apparatus, comprising:

a storage that stores map data including a plurality of segment data elements, the map data being indicative of a map of an area and each of the plurality of segment data elements being indicative of a corresponding segment included in the area;

a communication device that receives an update data of a target region included in the area from a data center, the target region including one or more target segments whose segment data elements are to be updated by the update data, the update data of the target region being transmitted by the data center per segment data element; and

a controller that performs a route guidance based in part on the map data,

the data center comprising;

a communication-defective region acquisition device that acquires information of a communication-defective region, the communication-defective region being included in the area and being defined as a region where the data communication becomes defective;

a communication-defective region search device that, every time a vehicle travels across two adjacent segments of the area, searches in real time for a part of the communication-defective region as a target communication-defective region, which includes a route scheduled to go through;

a target region specify device that, every time the vehicle travels across the two adjacent segments of the area, specifies in real time the target region based on the target communication-defective region; and

an update data transmission device that transmits the update data of the target region to the navigation apparatus before the navigation apparatus enters the target communication-defective region, wherein

the target region specify device specifies the target region in such a manner that the target region includes the target communication-defective region,

the communication-defective region search device sets, without depending on a preset guidance route, and based on a traveling direction and a present position of the vehicle, at least a part of a predetermined area, which includes a road ahead in the traveling direction, as the route scheduled to go through, and

the target region specify device specifies, without depending on a preset guidance route, the target region in such a manner that the target region includes the at least a part of the predetermined area set based on the traveling direction and the present position of the vehicle.

16. A data center, which performs a data communication with a navigation apparatus,

the navigation apparatus storing a map data including a plurality of segment data elements, the map data being indicative of a map of an area and each of the plurality of segment data elements being indicative of a corresponding segment included in the area,

the data center transmitting an update data of a target region included in the area to the navigation apparatus, the target region including one or more target segments whose segment data elements are to be updated by the update data and the update data of the target region being transmitted per segment data element, and

the navigation apparatus performing a route guidance based in part on the map data, the data center comprising:

a communication-defective region acquisition device that acquires information of a communication-defective region, the communication-defective region being included in the area and being defined as a region where the data communication becomes defective;

a communication-defective region search device that, every time a vehicle travels across two adjacent segments of the area, searches in real time for a part of the communication-defective region as a target communication-defective region, which includes a route scheduled to go through;

a target region specify device that, every time the vehicle travels across the two adjacent segments of the area, specifies in real time the target region based on the target communication-defective region; and

an update data transmission device that transmits the update data of the target region to the navigation apparatus before the navigation apparatus enters the target communication-defective region, wherein

the target region specify device specifies the target region in such a manner that the target region includes the target communication-defective region,

the communication-defective region search device sets, without depending on a preset guidance route, and based on a traveling direction and a present position of the vehicle, at least a part of a predetermined area, which includes a road ahead in the traveling direction, as the route scheduled to go through, and

the target region specify device specifies, without depending on a preset guidance route, the target region in such a manner that the target region includes the at least a part of the predetermined area set based on the traveling direction and the present position of the vehicle.