Navigation device, navigation method, and non-transitory computer readable storage medium

• US 10,077,989 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2016
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yahoo Japan Corporation (A Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo Japan Corporation (A Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Wada, Yusuke, Asai, Katsufumi, Akutagawa, Ikuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiltey, Nicholas K
• Application Number:
  US14/991,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20160273930A1
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3438 Rendez-vous, i.e. searching a destination where several users can meet, and the routes to this destination for these users; Ride sharing, i.e. searching a route such that at least two users can share a vehicle for at least part of the route
• 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: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA

Abstract

A navigation device navigating a moving body based on position information includes a coordinated operation unit that initiates and ends a coordinated operation among a plurality of navigation devices; a guiding unit that performs navigation in at least one of the navigation devices performing the coordinated operation, while providing a screen display based on a designated position; and a second operating unit that performs a second operation in a navigation device other than a currently navigating navigation device performing the coordinated operation, the second operation including receiving an operation for a function that is not displayed on the screen of the currently navigating navigation device, and reflecting a position acquired as a result of the operation, to the other navigation devices performing the coordinated operation.

Claims

1. A navigation system navigating a moving body based on position information, the navigation system comprising a navigation device including:

a global positioning system (GPS) configured to detect the position information of the navigation device;

a communication device configured to communicate with at least one second navigation device; and

a processor operatively coupled with the GPS and the communication device, the processor being programmed to;

detect, by the GPS, the position information of the navigation device;

initiate a coordinated operation with the at least one second navigation device based on the detected position information compared to a position of the second navigation device, or based on a predetermined association with the at least one second navigation device;

determine whether the at least one second navigation device is currently performing navigation by communicating with the at least one second navigation device via the communication device;

in response to determining that the at least one second navigation device is not currently performing navigation, perform navigation via the GPS based on the detected position information and a designated position; and

in response to determining that the at least one second navigation device is currently performing navigation, perform a second operation of a function that is not displayed on a display screen of the at least one second navigation device, the second operation being based on the position information and information related to navigation, and cause the at least one second navigation device performing navigation to display a position acquired as a result of the second operation.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to start the second operation when any of the navigation devices performing the coordinated operation starts navigation.

3. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to start the second operation when the currently navigating navigation device and the coordinated operation is initiated.

4. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to start the coordinated operation between the first navigation device and the at least one second navigation device, by displaying predetermined identification information on the one navigation device attempting to establish the coordinated operation, and causing the other navigation device to read the displayed identification information.

5. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to share-display at least some of positions related to other navigation devices performing the coordinated operation, as an icon on a map screen.

6. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein, when a designated one of positions currently being share-displayed is changed, the processor is programmed to reflect a change, as needed, on a shared display shared among the navigation devices performing the coordinated operation.

7. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein, when a common position is designated among the navigation devices performing the coordinated operation, the processor is programmed to provide a screen display presenting estimated arrival time at which each of the navigation devices performing the coordinated operation is expected to arrive at a common position.

8. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

the processor is programmed to select one of an intra-vehicle coordinated operation and an inter-vehicle coordinated operation;

when the intra-vehicle coordinated operation is selected, the processor is programmed to perform the second operation without displaying a position of a vehicle having the navigation device onboard on a map screen; and

when the inter-vehicle coordinated operation is selected, at least one representative navigation device designated for each vehicle performs navigation, each of the navigation devices other than the representative navigation device performs the second operation, and each of the navigation devices involved in the inter-vehicle coordinated operation share-displays a current position of the representative navigation device on the map screen.

9. The navigation system according to claim 8, wherein the processor is programmed to determine whether the intra-vehicle coordinated operation or the inter-vehicle coordinated operation is to be used, and whether positions of the respective navigation device satisfy a condition for the selected coordinated operation.

10. The navigation system according to claim 8, wherein, while one navigation device having established the coordinated operation with other one navigation device is navigating, the processor is programmed to receive a change in a designated position only from the other navigation devices in the intra-vehicle coordinated operation.

11. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to:

designate one of the navigation devices involved in the coordinated operation as a leader vehicle; and

output, in each of the navigation devices involved in the coordinated operation excluding the navigation device onboard the leader vehicle, navigation through route search that uses a constantly changing current position of the leader vehicle as a moving destination once the leader vehicle is designated.

12. The navigation system according to claim 11, wherein the processor is programmed to:

transmit information related to a movement from the leader vehicle to the navigation devices involved in the coordinated operation excluding the navigation device onboard the leader vehicle; and

in each of the navigation devices involved in the coordinated operation excluding the navigation device onboard the leader vehicle, perform required rerouting and navigation based on the information related to the movement transmitted from the leader vehicle.

13. A navigation method performed by a navigation system including a navigation device, the navigation device including a global positioning system (GPS) configured to detect the position information of the navigation device, a communication device configured to communicate with at least one second navigation device, and a processor operatively coupled with the GPS and the communication device, the navigation method comprising:

detecting, by the GPS, the position information of the navigation device;

initiating and ending a coordinated operation with the at least one second navigation device based on the detected position information compared to a position of the second navigation device, or based on a predetermined association with the at least one second navigation device;

determining whether the at least one second navigation device is currently performing navigation by communicating with the at least one second navigation device via the communication device;

in response to determining that the at least one second navigation device is not currently performing navigation, navigating via the GPS based on the detected position information and a designated position; and

in response to determining that the at least one second navigation device is currently performing navigation, performing a second operation of a function that is not displayed on a display screen of the at least one second navigation device, the second operation being based on the position information and information related to navigation, and cause the at least one second navigation device performing navigation to display a position acquired as a result of the second operation.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon, wherein the program instructs a computer to perform:

detecting, by a global positioning system (GPS), position information of a navigation device;

initiating and ending a coordinated operation with an at least one second navigation device based on the detected position information compared to a position of the second navigation device, or based on a predetermined association with the at least one second navigation device;

determining whether the at least one second navigation device is currently performing navigation by communicating with the at least one second navigation device via a communication device;

in response to determining that the at least one second navigation device is not currently performing navigation, navigating via the GPS based on the detected position information and a designated position; and

in response to determining that the at least one second navigation device is currently performing navigation, performing a second operation of a function that is not displayed on a display screen of the at least one second navigation device, the second operation being based on the position information and information related to navigation, and cause the at least one second navigation device performing navigation to display a position acquired as a result of the second operation.

15. A navigation system navigating a moving body based on position information, the navigation system comprising:

a first terminal and a second terminal,

the first terminal including;

a first global positioning system (GPS) configured to detect position information of the first terminal;

a first communication device configured to communicate with the second terminal and a control server providing navigation; and

a processor operatively coupled with the first GPS and the first communication device, the processor being programmed to;

initiate a coordinated operation with the second terminal;

transmit a designated position information, the detected position information, and

a coordinated information to the control server over a network and receive route information calculated by and stored in the control server over the network from the control server, the transmitting and receiving corresponding to a first operation; and

display the route information on a screen display of the first terminal, and

the second terminal including;

a second global positioning system (GPS) configured to detect position information of the second terminal;

a second communication device configured to communicate with the first terminal and the control server; and

a processor operatively coupled with the second GPS and the second communication device, the processor being programmed to;

initiate the coordinated operation with the first terminal;

transmit the detected position information and the coordinated information to the control server over the network and receive the route information stored in the control server from the control server;

display the route information and a search window on a screen display of the second terminal; and

in response to determining that the second terminal is currently performing navigation, perform a second operation via the search window, the second operation including receiving an operation for a function that is not displayed on the screen of the first terminal and reflecting a position acquired as a result of the second operation in the first terminal.

16. A navigation system navigating a first moving body and a second moving body based on position information, the navigation system comprising:

a first terminal in the first moving body, and a second terminal in the second moving body,

the first terminal including;

a first global positioning system (GPS) configured to detect position information of the first terminal;

a first communication device configured to communicate with the second terminal and a control server providing navigation; and

a processor operatively coupled with the first GPS and the first communication device, the processor being programmed to;

initiate a coordinated operation with the second terminal;

specify the first moving body as a leader vehicle based on a first operation;

transmit a designated position information, the detected position information, and a coordinated information to the control server over a network and receive first route information calculated by the control server over the network from the control server, the first route information being route information from the detected position information of the first terminal to the designated position information;

transmit a signal indicating that the first moving body is the leader vehicle to the second terminal over the network; and

display the first route information on a screen display of the first terminal, and

the second terminal comprising;

a second global positioning system (GPS) configured to detect position information of the second terminal;

a second communication device configured to communicate with the first terminal and the control server; and

a processor operatively coupled with the second GPS and the second communication device, the processor being programmed to;

initiate the coordinated operation with the first terminal;

receive the signal indicating that the first moving body is the leader vehicle from the first terminal over the network;

transmit the detected position information and the coordinated information to the control server over the network and receive second route information calculated by the control server from the control server, the second route information being route information from the detected position information of the second terminal to the detected position information of the first terminal;

in response to determining that the second terminal is currently performing navigation, perform a second operation of a function that is not displayed on a display screen of the second terminal, the second operation being based on the detected position information and information related to navigation; and

display the second route information on the display screen of the second terminal as a result of the second operation.