Vehicle position communication system, vehicle navigation apparatus and portable communications apparatus

• US 20030164778A1
• Filed: 02/25/2003
• Published: 09/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Muramatsu, Toshihiko
• Granted Patent: US 6,992,583 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/988
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3688 Systems comprising multiple parts or multiple output devices (not client-server), e.g. detachable faceplates, key fobs or multiple output screens

Abstract

A cellular phone places a call to vehicle navigation apparatus, performs ID matching, and acquires the information on the position of the vehicle measured by the vehicle navigation apparatus. The cellular phone acquires peripheral map data including the position of the owner of the vehicle and the position of the vehicle where the vehicle navigation apparatus is mounted from a position information center and displays the data acquired together with the data on the positions.

Claims

1. A vehicle position communication system comprising:

a portable communications apparatus; and

a vehicle navigation apparatus mounted on a vehicle for measuring a position of the vehicle and displaying the measured position on a display panel, the vehicle navigation apparatus including,

a communications module for communicating with the portable communications apparatus in response to a call from the portable communications apparatus, and

a controller for comparing an ID entered on the portable communications apparatus with a registered ID before start of communications with the portable communications apparatus to determine whether transmission of position information is allowed, and transmitting to the portable communications apparatus the information on the measured position when it is determined that the transmission of position information is allowed.

2. The vehicle position communication system according to claim 1, wherein the portable communications apparatus calls the vehicle navigation apparatus so as to register an arbitrary ID with the vehicle navigation apparatus.

3. The vehicle position communication system according to claim 1, further comprising a position information center storing a map database and connectable to the portable communications apparatus and the vehicle navigation apparatus,

wherein the position information center acquires the information on the position of the vehicle measured by the vehicle navigation apparatus,

wherein the portable communications apparatus includes a positioning unit and transmits information acquired by the positioning unit to the position information center, and

wherein the position information center creates peripheral map information including the position of each of the vehicle navigation apparatus and the portable communications apparatus with reference to the map database, based on the information received from the portable communications apparatus and the information on the vehicle measured by the vehicle navigation apparatus, and transmits the created peripheral map information to the portable communications apparatus.

4. The vehicle position communication system according to claim 3, wherein

the portable communications apparatus comprises a GPS as the positioning unit and transmits measurement data from the GPS to the position information center, and

the position information center measures the position of the portable communications apparatus based on the measurement data and transmits the obtained position information to the portable communications apparatus.

5. A vehicle navigation apparatus mounted on a vehicle for measuring a position of the vehicle and displaying the measured position on a display panel, the vehicle navigation apparatus comprising:

a communications module for communicating with a portable communications apparatus in response to a call from the potable communications apparatus; and

a controller for comparing an ID entered on the portable communications apparatus with a registered ID before start of communications with the portable communications apparatus to determine whether transmission of position information is allowed, and transmitting to the portable communications apparatus the information on the measured position when it is determined that the transmission of position information is allowed.

6. A portable communications apparatus comprising:

a display unit which acquires and displays information on a position of a vehicle measured by a vehicle navigation apparatus when the vehicle navigation apparatus mounted on the vehicle is called and it is determined that the vehicle navigation apparatus can communicate with the portable communications apparatus based on a result of comparison of an entered ID with an ID registered with the vehicle navigation apparatus.

7. The portable communications apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a positioning unit and a transmitting unit which transmits information acquired by the positioning unit to the position information center,

wherein the display unit receives peripheral map information created in a position information center based on the information acquired by the positioning unit and the information on the position of the vehicle measured by the vehicle navigation apparatus and displays on the display unit the information received together with the position of the portable communications apparatus and the position of the vehicle navigation apparatus.

8. A vehicle position communication system comprising:

a portable communications apparatus which acquires measurement data; and

a vehicle navigation apparatus mounted on a vehicle, which measures and acquires a position of the vehicle as position data;

a position information center connectable to the portable communications apparatus and the vehicle navigation apparatus, and stores map database,

wherein the position information center receives the measurement data and the position data of the vehicle, create map data including the position of the portable communications apparatus and the vehicle navigation apparatus with reference to the map database based on the measurement data and the position data of the vehicle, and transmits the created map data to the portable communications apparatus.

9. The vehicle position communication system according to claim 8, wherein the position data acquired by the vehicle navigation apparatus is transmitted to the position information center through the portable communications apparatus.

10. The vehicle position communication system according to claim 8, wherein the portable communications apparatus includes a GPS module, and the measurement data acquired by the portable communications apparatus is measured by the GPS module.

11. A portable communications apparatus comprising:

an acquiring unit for acquiring measurement data;

a communication module for transmitting the acquired data to a position information center, communicating with a vehicle navigation apparatus installed in a vehicle, and receiving, from the position information center, map data including a position of the portable communications apparatus and a position of the vehicle; and

a display for displaying the received map data.

12. The portable communications apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the communication module receives position data representing a current position of the vehicle from the vehicle navigation apparatus and transmits the position data to the position information center.

13. A position information center comprising:

a receiver for receiving measurement data acquired by a portable communications apparatus and position data representing position of a vehicle acquired by a vehicle navigation apparatus installed in the vehicle;

a creating device for creating map data including a position of the portable communications apparatus and a position of the vehicle with reference to map database based on the measurement data and the position data of the vehicle.