Car navigation apparatus, traffic information providing apparatus, program recording medium for car navigation apparatus, and program recording medium for traffic information providing apparatus

• US 20020049531A1
• Filed: 07/31/2001
• Published: 04/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Eiichi, Ito, Masayasu, Sasaki, Makoto, Tanaka, Shigeru, Shinada, Akira
• Granted Patent: US 6,546,333 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/071 DGPS corrections
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station

Abstract

Providing a car navigation apparatus which can always detect a position of a car with high accuracy, and can obtain traffic information in a practical manner. The car navigation apparatus according to the present invention obtains the DGPS correction data from a base station nearest the car in two-way radio communication instead of obtaining the DGPS correction data by receiving the FM broadcasting. Accordingly, the current position of the car can always be detected with high accuracy. Furthermore, the car navigation apparatus according to the present invention obtains traffic information by having access to a traffic information providing system in two-way radio communication instead of obtaining traffic information by receiving the FM broadcasting. So, the car navigation apparatus can obtain traffic information near the current position selectively or according to the priority. Accordingly, the car navigation apparatus can promptly obtain traffic information when necessary, and can obtain necessary traffic information promptly.

Claims

1. A car navigation apparatus, comprising:

means for detecting current position information of a car by the use of the radio determination;

means for obtaining correction data for use in correcting the current position information detected using said radio determination from a base station nearest the car by performing two-way radio communication with the base station; and

means for correcting said current position information by the use of said correction data.

2. A car navigation apparatus, comprising:

means for detecting current position information of a car by the use of the radio determination;

means for setting up destination information and/or route information to the destination;

means for designating said current position information and/or said set up information, and transmitting traffic information providing request to an external traffic information providing system;

means for receiving traffic information transmitted in response to said traffic information providing request from said traffic information providing system; and

means for outputting the received traffic information.

3. The car navigation apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said designating and transmitting means automatically issues said traffic information providing request to said traffic information providing system when prescribed conditions are satisfied.

4. A traffic information providing apparatus, comprising:

means for storing traffic information to be presented to a car navigation apparatus;

means for receiving traffic information providing request from the car navigation apparatus, said traffic information providing request being issued when at least a piece of information among current position information of a car, destination information, and route information to the destination is designated;

means for extracting only traffic information highly associated with the information designated by the traffic information providing request from the traffic information, or deciding the priority of the traffic information in accordance with degree of association with the designated information; and

means for transmitting the extracted traffic information, or transmitting said traffic information in accordance with order of the priority to the car navigation apparatus which issued the traffic information providing request.

5. A program recording medium for a car navigation apparatus, which has recorded therein a program to be executed by a computer, the program performing the processings of:

detecting current position information of a car by the use of the radio determination;

obtaining correction data for use in correcting the current position information detected using the radio determination from a base station nearest the car by performing two-way radio communication with the base station; and

correcting said current position information by the use of said correction data.

6. A program recording medium for a car navigation apparatus, which has recorded therein a program to be executed by a computer, the program performing the processings of:

detecting current position information of a car by the use of the radio determination;

setting up destination information and/or route information to the destination;

designating said current position information and/or the set up information, and transmitting traffic information providing request to an external traffic information providing system;

receiving traffic information transmitted in response to the traffic information providing request from said traffic information providing system; and

outputting the received traffic information.

7. A program recording medium for a traffic information providing apparatus, which has recorded therein a program to be executed by a computer, the program performing the processings of:

having access to means for storing traffic information to be presented to a car navigation apparatus;

receiving traffic information providing request from the car navigation apparatus, the traffic information providing request being issued when at least a piece of information among current position information of a car, destination information, and route information to the destination is designated;

extracting only traffic information highly associated with the information designated by said traffic information providing request from said traffic information, or deciding the priority of the traffic information in accordance with degree of association with the designated information; and

transmitting the extracted traffic information, or transmitting the traffic information in accordance with order of the priority to the car navigation apparatus which issued said traffic information providing request.