Landmark update system and navigation device

• US 6,728,635 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2001
• Issued: 04/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamashita, Atsushi, Hamada, Hiroyuki, Sakamoto, Kiyomi, Ata, Teruaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thu V.
• Application Number:
  US09/974,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20020072848A1
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200-202, 701/206-209, 701/211-214, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995, 709/203, 709/213, 709/217, 705/10
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3644 Landmark guidance, e.g. using POIs or conspicuous other objects

Abstract

The present landmark update system enables route guidance through the use of landmark information which remains always the latest for route guidance, and operates as follows: a navigation device 1 communicates with a landmark server 30 so as to receive to-be-updated landmark information 1001 for guiding the user by utilizing landmarks. Information about any landmark displayed is transferred to the landmark server 30 as cumulative information 1002. The landmark server 30 manages the cumulative information 1002 so that compilation data 1003 is generated for transfer to a retailer terminal 40 corresponding to the displayed landmark(s). The retailer terminal 40 refers to the compilation data 1003 so as to generate landmark information which is considered optimum, and transfers it to the landmark server 30 as registering landmark information 1004.

Claims

1. A landmark update system for updating landmark information to be displayed together with a route for route guidance, said system comprising:

a navigation device operable to perform route guidance through the use of landmark information which is determined as the latest based on incoming landmark information over a first communication line, to increment a counter of a number of times a landmark is displayed, to calculate points based on a level of interaction between a user and the landmark, and to generate cumulative information from at least the incremented counter and the calculated points;

a landmark server operable to communicate with said navigation device through communications over the first communication line, and to offer the latest landmark information which is registered; and

a retailer terminal operable to register the latest landmark information to said landmark server by communicating with said landmark server over a second communication line,

wherein said navigation device is operable to transfer said generated cumulative information to said landmark server over the first communication line, and

wherein, based on the cumulative information transferred over the first communication line and information about the navigation device from which the cumulative information is transferred, said landmark server is further operable to generate compilation data obtained by subjecting the cumulative information to a compilation process, and to transfer the compilation data to a corresponding retailer terminal over the second communication line.

2. The landmark update system according to claim 1, wherein said landmark information includes:

location information which indicates the location of a landmark;

shape information which specifies the landmark by shape for display; and

additional information which is displayed to the user together with the landmark.

3. The landmark update system according to claim 2, wherein said landmark information further includes a display condition which indicates a predetermined condition for displaying said additional information.

4. The landmark update system according to claim 1, wherein said navigation device comprises:

a cartographic data storage section operable to store cartographic data;

a landmark information storage section operable to store landmark information;

a location detecting section operable to detect a user'"'"'s current location;

a communications section operable to communicate with said landmark server;

an output section operable to output a route guidance for display;

an input section operable to input information to be used in route searching;

a route selection section operable to select, with reference to the information inputted by said input section, a route from the user'"'"'s current location detected by said location detection section;

a landmark information management section operable to manage the landmark information stored in said landmark information storage section, to receive the latest landmark information from said landmark server via said communications section and to update landmarks along the selected route as required;

a guidance section operable to instruct said output section to display a map based on cartographic data read from said cartographic data storage section, to display the selected route on the map, to perform landmark display on each appropriate location on the map based on the landmark information read from said landmark information storage section, to increment a counter corresponding to a number of times a landmark is displayed, to calculate points based on a level of interaction between the user and the landmark, and to generate cumulative information from at least the incremented counter and the calculated points,

wherein said landmark information management section is further operable to forward said cumulative information to said landmark server upon instruction from said guidance section.

5. The landmark update system according to claim 4, wherein said guidance section is further operable to refer to the user'"'"'s current location detected by said location section, and when it is determined that the user has reached a specific displayed landmark by utilizing the same location section, to generate the cumulative information based on information about the utilized landmark.

6. The landmark update system according to claim 4,

wherein said navigation device further includes a real-time information acquisition section operable to acquire real-time information indicating at least the present states of a vehicle, the environment around the vehicle, and time, and

wherein, based on the real-time information acquired by said real-time information acquisition section, said guidance section is further operable to specifically determine landmark display.

7. A navigation device for updating landmark information to be displayed together with a route for route guidance, said navigation device communicating with a landmark server offering the latest landmark information, said navigation device comprising:

a cartographic data storage section operable to store cartographic data;

a landmark information storage section operable to store landmark information;

a location detecting section operable to detect a user'"'"'s current location;

a communications section operable to communicate with said landmark server;

an output section operable to output a route guidance for display;

an input section operable to input information to be used in route searching;

a route selection section operable to select, with reference to the information inputted by said input section, a route from the user'"'"'s current location detected by said location detection section;

a landmark information management section operable to manage the landmark information stored in said landmark information storage section, to receive the latest landmark information from said landmark server via said communications section and to update landmarks along the selected route as required;

a guidance section operable to instruct said output section to display a map based on cartographic data read from said cartographic data storage section, to display the selected route on the map, to perform landmark display on each appropriate location on the map based on the landmark information read from said landmark information storage section, to increment a counter corresponding to a number of times a landmark is displayed, to calculate points based on a level of interaction between the user and the landmark and to generate cumulative information from at least the incremented counter and the calculated points,

wherein said landmark information management section is further operable to forward said cumulative information to said landmark server upon instruction from said guidance section.

8. The navigation device according to claim 7, wherein said guidance section is further operable to refer to the user'"'"'s current location detected by said location section, and when it is determined that the user has reached a specific displayed landmark by utilizing the same location section, to generate said cumulative information based on information about the utilized landmark.

9. The navigation device according to claim 7, further comprising a real-time information acquisition section operable to acquire real-time information indicating at least the present states of a vehicle, the environment around the vehicle, and time,

wherein based on the real-time information acquired by said real-time information acquisition section, said guidance section is further operable to specifically determine landmark display.

10. The navigation device according to claim 7, wherein said cumulative information includes:

the number of times the landmark is displayed to a user on said navigation device; and

point information in which the user'"'"'s visit to the displayed landmark is scored.

11. The navigation device according to claim 7, wherein said landmark information includes:

location information which indicates the location of a landmark;

shape information which specifies the landmark by shape for display; and

additional information which is displayed to the user together with the landmark.

12. The navigation device according to claim 11, wherein said landmark information further includes a display condition which indicates a predetermined condition for displaying said additional information.