Navigation system

• US 7,974,782 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2010
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Okamoto, Tadashi
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US12/801,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20100274477A1
• Time in Patent Office: 363 Days
• Field of Search: 701/207, 701/211, 701/214, 701/208, 701/200, 348/9, 395/200.47, 340/995, 340/988, 715/740, 455/456, 705/14, 705/740
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence

Abstract

Disclosed are a navigation system and/or a point information display method and a program. The navigation system consists mainly of: a stream receiver that receives broadcast streams; a data decoder that samples a data signal from the received streams and decodes the data signal into character string information; a matching block that performs matching to compare a predetermined keyword, which is associated with position information specified in map information data, with stored keywords and searches a keyword consistent with the keyword contained in the character string information; a position information searching block that searches position information associated with the keyword contained in the character string information and detected to be consistent with a stored keyword by the matching block; and a display unit that displays the detected position information while superimposing it on a display image.

Claims

1. A navigation method performed by a portable device, comprising:

displaying map information for a predetermined area;

receiving a broadcast stream having a commercial message;

producing, from the broadcast stream, a first content, including at least one of a video signal and an audio signal, and a second content, including keyword information, the keyword information containing a plurality of keywords;

recording a plurality of predetermined keywords associated with position information, specified in the map information data; and

matching said keyword information with the plurality of predetermined keywords for finding at least one identified recorded keyword consistent with the keyword information, and upon matching said keyword information;

automatically determining a current navigational position of the portable device,

automatically identifying at least one landmark, associated with the at least one identified recorded keyword, within a map image, and

automatically displaying the current navigational position within the map image and the at least one identified landmark within the displayed map image.

2. The navigation method of claim 1, further comprising:

changing the scale for the map image when the landmark associated with the recorded keyword is not be within the map image, so that the landmark is displayed within the map image.

3. The navigation method of claim 1, further comprising identifying timing information, contained in the broadcast stream, for synchronizing the first content with the keyword information;

and associating the first content with the landmark information with the keyword information sharing the same timing information.

4. The navigation method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a route to the position of the landmark and informing a user of the route.

5. The navigation method of claim 1, wherein said broadcast content and keyword information are contained in a data transport system and said broadcast content is a commercial message.

6. The navigation method of claim 5, wherein the landmark is associated with the commercial message.

7. The navigation method of claim 1, wherein the landmark is displayed so that the landmark is distinguished from other landmarks found within the map image.

8. The navigation method of claim 1, wherein the map information is recorded in a DVD-ROM.

9. The navigation method of claim 1, wherein at least one keyword is associated with a plurality of landmarks.

10. The navigation method of claim 1, wherein at least one landmark is associated with a plurality of recorded keywords.