Navigation system

• US 6,560,530 B1
• Filed: 10/20/2000
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Maekawa, Kazuteru, Masuda, Hiroyoshi, Yamada, Kunihiro, Shibata, Yumi, Ootake, Minoru, Hayashida, Kihachi
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US09/692,143
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/208, 701/209, 701/211, 701/25, 340/988, 340/995, 342/357.13
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

A navigation system for searching coordinates of a telephone number, displaying a map and setting a point, the navigation system comprising a memory for storing information on a subscriber inclusive of coordinates corresponding to a telephone number and map data, an input device for inputting a telephone number, and a control device for searching a subscriber and coordinates based on the input of the telephone number, setting specific coordinates based on the searched coordinates and displaying a map with the specific coordinates located at the center of the map on a condition that the searched subscriber is a specific classified subscriber, wherein a map with a vague point located at the center of the map is displayed while a private home is not directly displayed thereon when the subscriber is a private subscriber of the input telephone number.

Claims

1. A navigation system for searching coordinates based on a telephone number, displaying a map and setting a point, comprising:

memory means for storing information on a subscriber inclusive of coordinates corresponding to a telephone number and map data;

input means for inputting a telephone number;

search means for searching for a subscriber and coordinates based on the input of the telephone number in the memory means that stores coordinates corresponding to the telephone number;

coordinates setting means for setting specific coordinates based on the searched coordinates; and

control means for displaying a map with specific coordinates set by the coordinates setting means located at its center on a condition that a subscriber searched by the search means is a specific classified subscriber.

3. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the specific coordinates are coordinates in which the values of the searched coordinates are changed.

4. The navigation system of claim 3, wherein the specific coordinates are coordinates where an optional number of coordinate numerals are replaced with zero irrespective of digits, or the specific coordinates are coordinates rounded to the nearest integer irrespective of digits.

5. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the specific coordinates are coordinates of a facility that is the closest to the searched coordinates.

6. The navigation system of claim 5, wherein the coordinates of the specific facility are coordinates of an intersection.

2. A navigation system for searching coordinates based on a telephone number, displaying a map and setting a point, comprising:

memory means for storing coordinates corresponding to a telephone number and map data;

input means for inputting a telephone number;

search means for searching for coordinates based on the input of the telephone number in the memory means that stores coordinates corresponding to the telephone number;

coordinates setting means for setting specific coordinates based on the searched coordinates; and

control means for displaying a map with specific coordinates set by the coordinates setting means located at its center.

19. The navigation system of claim 2, wherein the specific coordinates are coordinates in which the values of the searched coordinates are changed.

20. The navigation system of claim 19, wherein the specific coordinates are coordinates where an optional number of coordinate numerals are replaced with zero irrespective of digits, or the specific coordinates are coordinates rounded to the nearest integer irrespective of digits.

21. The navigation system of claim 2, wherein the specific coordinates are coordinates of a facility that is the closest to the searched coordinates.

22. The navigation system of claim 2, wherein the coordinates of the specific facility are coordinates of an intersection.

7. A navigation system for searching for coordinates based on a telephone number and displaying a map based on the coordinates and setting a point, comprising:

memory means for storing information on a subscriber inclusive of coordinates corresponding to a telephone number and map data;

input means for inputting a telephone number;

search means for searching for coordinates stored in the stored memory means based on the input of the telephone number from the input means;

area setting means for setting a predetermined area inclusive of the coordinates searched by the search means; and

control means for displaying a map inclusive of the coordinates searched by the search means and displaying on the map the area set by the area setting means as being distinguishable from other areas.

8. The navigation system of claim 7, further comprising:

coordinates setting means for setting specific coordinates based on the searched coordinates with the control means displaying a map with the set specific coordinates located at its center.

9. The navigation system of claim 8, wherein the specific coordinates are coordinates where values of the searched coordinates are changed.

10. The navigation system of claim 8, wherein the specific coordinates are coordinates of a specific facility closest to the searched coordinates.

11. The navigation system of claim 8, wherein the search means searches for an address from information on the subscriber stored in the memory means based on the telephone number input by the input means and the coordinate setting means sets coordinates of a representative point of a predetermined address level of the searched address as the specific coordinates.

12. The navigation system of claim 8, wherein the predetermined area is an extent inclusive of the specific coordinates.

13. The navigation system according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined area is an extent set based on the population density, regions, or how much the area is crowded with private homes or buildings.

14. The navigation system of claim 7, wherein if information on the subscriber searched by the search means is for a classified specific subscriber, the control means displays a map inclusive of coordinates of the classified specific subscriber and displays on the map the area set by the area setting means as distinguishable to other areas, and if information on the subscriber is not for a classified specific subscriber, the control means further displays a map with coordinates of the subscriber located at its center.

15. A navigation system for searching for coordinates based on a telephone number, displaying a map based on the coordinates and setting a point, comprising:

memory means for storing information on a subscriber inclusive of coordinates corresponding to a telephone number and map data;

input means for inputting a telephone number;

search means for searching coordinates stored in the stored memory means based on the input of the telephone number from the input means;

area setting means for setting a predetermined area inclusive of the coordinates searched by the search means;

present position detecting means for detecting a present position; and

control means for displaying a map inclusive of the coordinates searched by the search means and the predetermined area set by the area setting means, and displays on the map the present position detected by the present position detecting means.

16. The navigation system of claim 15, wherein the control means displays on the map the predetermined area set by the area setting means as distinguishable from other areas, and if the present position detected by the present position detecting means is located out of the predetermined area, the control means moves the map as showing the present position located at its center.

17. The navigation system of claim 15, wherein the control means displays on the map the predetermined area set by the area setting means as distinguishable from other areas, and if the present position detected by the present position detecting means is located within the predetermined area, the control means fixes the map as showing the predetermined area located at its center on a screen and displays it thereon.

18. The navigation system of claim 15, wherein the control means divides a screen into a two-parts screen and displays a map with the present position detected by the present position detecting means located at its center and a map with the predetermined area set by the area setting means located at its center respectively on the respective parts of the screen.