Communication type navigation system and navigation method

• US 20050015197A1
• Filed: 04/25/2003
• Published: 01/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kamiwaki, Tadashi, Morioka, Michio, Matsumoto, Kazumi, Ohtsuji, Shinya, Kuzunuki, Soshiro
• Application Number:
  US10/487,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20050015197A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/202
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers

Abstract

A communication type navigation system which presents information supporting judgement of a route selection when a user selects a guidance route from a plurality of searched and recommended routes. In response to a route search request from a navigation terminal (60), a navigation information providing server (10) performs a route search and selects a plurality of recommended routes. By using the information (traffic information, weather information, facility information and user profile information) managed and held by the navigation information providing server (10), evaluation information is generated for the plurality of selected and recommended routes. A user at the navigation terminal (6) is made to refer to this evaluation information and to select a desired recommended route from the plurality of recommended routes.

Claims

1. A communication type navigation system in which a navigation server searches a route in response to a route search request from a terminal, wherein:

said navigation server comprises;

reception means for receiving from said terminal;

search means for searching a route between a departure place and a destination place contained in said route search request and selecting a plurality of recommended routes;

evaluation means for forming evaluation information of comparison between estimated running times of the plurality of recommended routes selected by said search means; and

presentation means for presenting said terminal transmitted said route search request with route information of the plurality of recommended routes selected by said search means along with the evaluation information formed by said evaluation means;

said terminal comprises;

transmission means for transmitting said route search request containing the departure place and the destination place to said navigation server;

reception means for receiving the route information of the plurality of recommended routes from said navigation server along with said evaluation information for the plurality of recommended routes; and

presentation means for presenting a user with the route information of the plurality of recommended routes along with said evaluation information received at said reception means; and

wherein said presentation means outputs said evaluation information as voice information.

2. A navigation server in a communication type navigation system in which a route is searched in response to a route search request from a terminal, wherein:

said navigation server comprises;

reception means for receiving from said terminal;

search means for searching a route between a departure place and a destination place contained in said route search request and selecting a plurality of recommended routes;

evaluation means for forming evaluation information of comparison between the plurality of recommended routes selected by said search means; and

presentation means for presenting said terminal transmitted said route search request with route information of the plurality of recommended routes selected by said search means along with the evaluation information formed by said evaluation means; and

wherein said evaluation means forms the evaluation information of comparison of estimated running times between the plurality of recommended routes selected by said search means.

3. The navigation server in the communication type navigation system according to claim 2, wherein said evaluation means further forms the evaluation information of the estimated running times of the plurality of recommended route in accordance with traffic congestion at each of the plurality of recommended routes selected by said search means.

4. The navigation server in the communication type navigation system according to claim 2, wherein said evaluation means further forms the evaluation information of a road toll at each of the plurality of recommended routes selected by said search means, in accordance with information of a road toll at each road section.

5. The navigation server in the communication type navigation system according to claim 2, wherein said evaluation means further forms the evaluation information of weather at each of the plurality of recommended route in accordance with weather information in a district where the plurality of recommended routes selected by said search means pass through.

6. The navigation server in the communication type navigation system according to claim 2, wherein said evaluation means further forms the evaluation information of running environment by obtaining a road width and the number of right and left turns of each of the plurality of recommended routes selected by said search means.

7. The navigation server in the communication type navigation system according to claim 2, wherein said evaluation means further forms the evaluation information of a distance to a facility from any one of the plurality of recommended routes selected by said search means, by using information of said facility registered beforehand in correspondence with a user at said terminal.

8. The navigation server in the communication type navigation system according to claim 2, wherein said evaluation means further forms the evaluation information of an adoption record of each of the plurality of recommended routes selected by said search means, adopted to route guidance, in accordance with information of a recommended route adopted in the past.

9. A navigation method for a terminal connected to a said navigation server comprises steps of:

receiving a route search request from said terminal;

searching a route between a departure place and a destination place contained in said route search request and selecting a plurality of recommended routes;

forming evaluation information of the plurality of recommended routes; and

presenting route information of the plurality of recommended routes along with the evaluation information to said terminal transmitted said route search request; and

said terminal comprises steps of;

transmitting the route search request to said navigation server; and

presenting a user with the route information and evaluation information of the plurality of recommended routes received from said navigation server in response to said route search request.