Navigator

• US 7,054,746 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2002
• Issued: 05/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Tottori Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Tottori Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takuno, Shinji, Abe, Yuichi, Kodani, Kiyoshi, Sugai, Takashi, Tanaka, Hiroshi, Nakashima, Kazuhiro, Taguchi, Tsutomu, Umezawa, Isao, Kadono, Hidenori
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US10/468,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20040117109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,548 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/207, 701/208, 701/211, 701/212, 340/995.14, 340/995.15
• US Class Current: 701/212
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3896 Transmission of map data from central databases
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages

Abstract

A navigator receives, through communication with a server, only such map information or locality information as is considered to be necessary, and stores it by overriding with it already used map information and locality information. Thus, the navigator, despite having a small storage capacity, is free from interruption of display. Receiving minimum needed information helps save the communication charge.

Claims

1. A navigator including receiving means for receiving map information through communication, displaying means for displaying the map information received by the receiving means with a current location superimposed thereon, and controlling means for controlling the receiving means and the displaying means,

wherein, based on a iudgment made by the controlling means,

the receiving means receives, out of map information composed of a plurality of maps on different scales, the map information on a smallest scale among maps that show type of road at the current location or the map information on a smallest scale among maps that show type of road of a planned route, and

the displaying means displays the map information and the current location in a superimposed form, and

wherein, when there is a branch point within a predetermined area ahead of the current location, the receiving means receives the map information on a largest scale among maps including the current location and the branch point, and the displaying means displays the map information and the current location in a superimposed form.

2. A navigator as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the branch point is a turning point on the planned route.

3. A navigator including receiving means for receiving map information and locality information through communication, displaying means for displaying the information received by the receiving means with a current location superimposed thereon, and controlling means for controlling the receiving means and the displaying means,

wherein, based on a judgment made by the controlling means, the navigator operates in one of:

a first state in which the receiving means receives, out of map information composed of a plurality of maps on different scales, the map information on a smallest scale among maps that show type of road at the current location or the map information on a smallest scale among maps that show type of road of a planned route, and the displaying means displays the map information and the current location in a superimposed form; and

a second state in which the receiving means further receives locality information corresponding to the map information, and the displaying means displays the map information, the locality information, and the current location in a superimposed form, and

wherein, when there is a branch point within a predetermined area ahead of the current location, the receiving means receives the map information or the locality information on a largest scale among maps including the current location and the branch point, and the displaying means either displays the map information and the current location in a superimposed form or displays the map information, the locality information, and the current location in a superimposed form.

4. A navigator as claimed in claim 3 wherein, the branch point is a turning point on the planned route.