Information processing apparatus, route navigator, information processing method, and computer program storage medium

• US 9,631,937 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2015
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Toshikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US14/796,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20160003633A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 701527, 701533
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles

Abstract

An information processing apparatus may be implemented as a route navigator, which uses a route navigation method and a computer program product. A processing circuit is used to calculate respective passage frequencies of passageway segments in a passage history. The processing circuit then selects a navigation route to a destination, includes at least one passageway segment with a passage frequency that is a low or zero passage frequency.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

circuitry configured to;

determine a movement mode of the information processing apparatus;

retrieve width information related to a passage from a memory;

retrieve a number of passage times based on passage history information in accordance with the determined movement mode; and

search a navigation route based on the number of passage times and the width information.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to calculate a number of passages based on movement condition of the information processing apparatus.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to register a place based on user input, and create icon information to display an icon at the place on a map.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the icon information comprises information that corresponds to the place.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to register a place based on online information.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to display information that corresponds to the navigation route on a map, and change the displayed information based on a number of passages.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to set an area on a map, and to search the navigation route based on the set area on the map.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the set area is an exception area, and wherein the circuitry is further configured to search the navigation route outside of the set area.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to search the navigation route based on condition information of each position on a map.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the condition information includes at least one of a length, a width, a type, a structure, or a gradient of each position on the map.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine the movement mode based on a state of attachment of the information processing apparatus with respect to a cradle.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine the state of attachment as an attached state where the information processing apparatus is attached to the cradle, or as a detached state where the information processing apparatus is detached from the cradle.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the number of passage times corresponds to a passage frequency of the passage.

14. An information processing method, comprising:

in an information processing apparatus;

determining a movement mode of the information processing apparatus;

retrieving width information related to a passage from a memory;

retrieving a number of passage times based on passage history information in accordance with the determined movement mode; and

searching a navigation route based on the number of passage times and the width information.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform operations, comprising:

determining a movement mode of an information processing apparatus;

retrieving width information related to a passage from a memory;

retrieving a number of passage times based on passage history information in accordance with the determined movement mode; and

searching a navigation route based on the number of passage times and the width information.