Navigation server, navigation apparatus, and navigation system

• US 9,285,238 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2007
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Nogawa, Tadafumi, Murata, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Danneman, Paul
• Application Number:
  US12/377,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20100286906A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,164 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching
• 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 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B

Abstract

Provided is a navigation system capable of matching map information used by a navigation apparatus and a navigation server with an appropriate frequency and at an appropriate timing. When there is differential information between the navigation map information and the support map information, index information for identifying the differential information is transmitted from the navigation server to the navigation apparatus and the navigation apparatus outputs preliminary information indicating a brief summary of the differential information generated according to the index information. When a request signal based on a request operation by a user in the navigation apparatus is transmitted from the navigation apparatus to the navigation server, the differential information is transmitted form the navigation server to the navigation apparatus, so that the navigation map information is updated in accordance with the differential information.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus which guides a mobile subject on the basis of communication with a navigation server, comprising:

a navigation map storing element which stores navigation map information;

a first processing element which;

recognizes index information which includes latitude and longitude of each of a plurality of locations on a road and a road category of the road, and which relates to a part of differential information between the navigation map information stored in the navigation map storing element and support map information stored in a support map storing element provided in the navigation server on the basis of communication with the navigation server,

wherein the index information comprises information relating to what subject areas contain the differential information such that the navigation apparatus is not updated until a request is received from the navigation apparatus; and

a second processing element which;

recognizes a departure or present position and a destination position of the mobile subject,

searches or defines a navigation route joining the departure or present position and the destination position on the basis of the navigation map information,

determines whether the differential information is present in a subject area containing the navigation route on the basis of the index information recognized by the first processing element,

connects the plurality of locations on the road included in the index information, and generates and automatically outputs preliminary information indicating a brief summary of the differential information on the basis of the road category of the road on a condition that it is determined that the differential information is present in the subject area,

wherein the preliminary information indicating the brief summary comprises at least one of a rough position of a new road, a road category of the new road, and an open time period of the new road,

determines whether a request operation by a user is present,

transmits a request signal for the differential information to the navigation server in response to determining that the differential information is present in the subject area containing the navigation route based on the index information and in response to determining that the request operation is present, and

receives the differential information from the navigation server, and

updates the navigation map information on the basis of the differential information,

wherein upon updating the navigation map information, deletes the differential information and the index information to avoid lowering available memory in the navigation apparatus.

2. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the memory stores the differential information and the index information of the differential information.

3. A navigation server which supports a guidance of a mobile subject guided by a navigation apparatus on the basis of communication with the navigation apparatus, comprising:

a support map storing element which stores support map information;

a first support processing element which;

recognizes version information indicating a version of navigation map information stored in a navigation map storing element which is provided in the navigation apparatus,

recognizes a navigation identifier for identifying the navigation apparatus, on the basis of communication with the navigation apparatus,

determines whether newly-opened road information of differential information between the navigation map information and the support map information stored in the support map storing element is present on the basis of the version information, and

transmits index information, which comprises an index of the differential information to the navigation apparatus identified by the navigation identifier in the case where it is determined that the differential information is present,

generates and automatically outputs preliminary information,

wherein the index information comprises information relating to what subject areas contain the differential information such that the navigation apparatus is not updated until a request is received from the navigation apparatus,

wherein the preliminary information comprises at least one of a rough position of the newly-opened road, a road category of the newly-opened road, and an open time period of the newly-opened road; and

a second support processing element which;

transmits the differential information to the navigation apparatus in response to determining that the differential information is present in a subject area containing a determined navigation route based on the index information and in response to determining that a request signal for the differential information in accordance with a request operation by a user performed on the navigation apparatus is received from the navigation apparatus to which the index information is transmitted by the first support processing element, and

updates the navigation map information on the basis of the differential information,

wherein upon updating the navigation map information, deletes the differential information and the index information to avoid lowering available memory in the navigation apparatus.

4. A navigation system comprising:

a navigation apparatus and a navigation server which supports a guidance of a mobile subject guided by the navigation apparatus on the basis of communication with the navigation apparatus, in which the navigation apparatus includes a navigation map storing element configured to store navigation map information;

a first processing element which recognizes index information comprising differential information between the navigation map information stored in the navigation map storing element and support map information stored in a support map storing element provided in the navigation server on the basis of communication with the navigation server,

wherein the index information comprises information relating to what subject areas contain the differential information such that the navigation apparatus is not updated until a request is received from the navigation apparatus; and

a second processing element which;

recognizes a departure or present position and a destination position of the mobile subject;

searches or defines a navigation route joining the departure or present position and the destination on the basis of the navigation map information,

determines whether the differential information comprising newly-opened road information is present in a subject area containing the navigation route on the basis of the index information recognized by the first processing element,

generates and automatically outputs preliminary information on a condition that it is determined that the differential information is present in the subject area,

determines whether a request operation by a user is present,

transmits a request signal for the differential information to the navigation server in response to determining that the differential information is present in a subject area containing a determined navigation route based on the index information and in response to determining-that the request operation is present, and

receives the differential information from the navigation server, and

updates the navigation map information on the basis of the differential information and in response to receiving the request,

wherein upon updating the navigation map information, deletes the differential information and the index information to avoid lowering available memory in the navigation apparatus; and

wherein the navigation server includes;

a support map storing element which stores support map information;

a first support processing element which;

recognizes version information indicating a version of the navigation map information stored in the navigation map storing element which is provided in the navigation apparatus,

recognizes a navigation identifier for identifying the navigation apparatus, on the basis of communication with the navigation apparatus,

determines whether newly-opened road information of differential information between the navigation map information and the support map information stored in the support map storing element is present on the basis of the version information,

transmits index information which comprises a part of the newly-opened road information and which includes latitude and longitude of each of a plurality of locations on the newly-opened road information and a road category of the newly opened road information of the differential information to the navigation apparatus identified by the navigation identifier in the case where it is determined that the differential information is present to generate and output preliminary information including a line joining the plurality of locations on the newly opened road and based on the road category of the newly opened road, and

if the index information is present in the subject area, prevents repeated transmissions of the differential information to the navigation apparatus; and

a second support processing element which;

transmits the differential information to the navigation apparatus on a condition that a request signal for the differential information in accordance with a request operation by a user performed on the navigation apparatus is received from the navigation apparatus to which the index information is transmitted by the first support processing element.

5. The navigation system according to claim 4, wherein the memory stores the differential information and the index information of the differential information.