Navigation system

• US 5,537,324 A
• Filed: 08/02/1994
• Issued: 07/16/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Nimura, Mitsuhiro, Morimoto, Kyomi, Ito, Yasunobu, Ohara, Shigekazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US08/284,111
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• Field of Search: 364/443, 364/444, 364/449, 73/178 R, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3611 using character input or menus, e.g. menus of POIs character input methods in general G06F3/0233
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

A navigation system includes a first information storage device containing stored map data and a display unit for displaying a map by reading the map data. Provision is made for setting a point on the map displayed by the display unit and for inputting a telephone number. A second information storage device is provided for registering the input telephone number in correlation with the positional coordinates of the set point.

Claims

1. A navigation system, comprising:

information storage means containing map data and telephone numbers and coordinates correlated with said telephone numbers in a listing;

telephone number input means for inputting a telephone number;

retrieval means for retrieving the coordinates from said listing in accordance with the telephone number inputted;

display means for displaying a map by reading the map data in accordance with the retrieved coordinates;

point setting means for manually setting a point, defined by positional coordinates, on the map displayed by said display means;

storage means for registering the telephone number inputted by said telephone number input means in correlation with the positional coordinates of the point set by said point setting means, in case it is decided by said retrieval means that said inputted telephone number is not in said information storage means, for future retrieval of said positional coordinates by said retrieval means upon subsequent input of the telephone number correlated with said positional coordinated; and

point coordinate setting means for setting the positional coordinates set by said point setting means, as coordinates correlated with the input telephone number.

2. A navigation system comprising:

information storage means containing map data telephone numbers and coordinates correlated with said telephone numbers in a listing;

telephone number input means for inputting a telephone number inclusive of a toll number;

retrieval means for deciding if the input telephone number is stored in said information storage means and for retrieving the coordinates from said listing in accordance with the telephone number inputted, when said input telephone number is determined to be stored in said information storage means;

display means for displaying a map by reading the map data in accordance with the coordinates of a point predetermined to be representative of the toll number of said input telephone number, when it is decided by said retrieval means that said inputted telephone number is not in said information storage means;

point setting means for manually setting a point, defined by positional coordinates, on the map displayed by said display means;

storage means for registering the telephone number inputted by said telephone number input means in correlation with the positional coordinates of the point set by said point setting means for future retrieval of said positional coordinates by said retrieval means upon subsequent input of the telephone number correlated with said positional coordinates; and

point coordinate setting means for setting the coordinates retrieved from said information storage means, when it is decided by said retrieval means that said inputted telephone number is in said information storage means, and for setting the positional coordinates set by said point setting means, as coordinates in correlation with the inputted telephone number when it is decided by said retrieval means that said inputted telephone number is not in said information storage means.

3. A navigation system comprising:

first information storage means containing stored map data for generating a map and telephone number data including telephone numbers and local exchange numbers, each telephone number being correlated with point data identifying a point on the map and each local exchange number being correlated with point data identifying a point representative of an area covered by said local exchange number;

telephone number input means for inputting a telephone number inclusive of a local exchange number;

point retrieval means for determining if an input telephone number is stored in said first information storage means, for retrieving point data correlated in storage with the input telephone number when said input telephone number is determined to be stored in said first information storage means and for retrieving point data for the point predetermined to be representative for the local exchange number when said input telephone number is determined not to be stored in said first information storage means;

display means for reading map data for an area around the point identified by the retrieved point data and for generating display of a map from the read map data;

point setting means for setting a point on the displayed map corresponding to an input telephone number; and

second information storage means for registering the set point in correlation with the corresponding input telephone number, for future retrieval as said point data by said point retrieval means upon subsequent input of said corresponding input telephone number.

4. A navigation system according to claim 3, wherein said second information storage means includes:

a prestored list of telephone numbers and positional coordinates corresponding to said telephone numbers; and

a prestored list of positional coordinates to be correlated with the telephone numbers registered in said second information storage means.

5. A navigation system according to claims 4, wherein said second information storage means registers the telephone number inputted by said telephone number input means in correlation with the corresponding positional coordinates of the point set by said point setting means when it is decided by said retrieval means that said inputted telephone number is not in said list.

6. A navigation system according to claim 3 wherein said first information storage means is a non-programmable memory and said second information storage means is a programmable memory.

7. A navigation system according to claim 6 wherein said first information storage means is a CD-ROM.

8. A navigation system according to claim 6 wherein said programmable memory is a RAM.

9. A navigation system in accordance with claim 3 wherein said point retrieval means searches said first information storage means for said input telephone number and, if said input telephone number is not found in said first information storage means, then searches said second information storage means for said input telephone number and retrieves point data correlated with said input telephone number found in either said first or second information storage means.

10. A navigation system comprising:

first information storage means containing stored map data for generating a map;

telephone number input means for inputting a telephone number;

point retrieval means for determining if an input telephone number is prestored in said first information storage means and for retrieving point data correlated in storage with the input telephone number when said input telephone number is determined to be prestored;

display means for reading said stored map data and for generating display of a map from the read map data;

point setting means for setting a point on the displayed map corresponding to an input telephone number; and

second information storage means for registering the set point in correlation with the corresponding input telephone number when said point retrieval means determines that said input telephone number is not prestored.

11. A navigation system according to claim 10, wherein said first and second information storage means are in a single memory device.

12. A navigation system according to claim 10, wherein said first information storage means is a first memory device containing the prestored telephone numbers and said second information storage means is a separate, second memory device containing the registered telephone numbers in correlation with the set points.