Information communication system, data providing device and in-vehicle device

• US 8,788,204 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2012
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Shimizu, Kouji
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALHARBI, ADAM MOHAMED
• Application Number:
  US13/688,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20130158872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/533
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map

Abstract

An information communication system includes: an in-vehicle device for displaying a region information map, which includes a branch point, regions ahead of the branch point, and routes connecting to each region; and a data providing device for supplying a region information map display data to the in-vehicle device. The data providing device includes: a data retrieving device for retrieving the region information map display data from a data storage device; a recommended route drawing data generation device for providing a recommended route; a drawing execution element display data generation device for providing a drawing execution element; and a data transmission device. The in-vehicle device includes: a display for displaying the region information map and the drawing execution element; and a recommended route drawing device for drawing the recommended route when a user operates the drawing execution element.

Claims

1. An information communication system comprising:

an in-vehicle device for displaying a region information map, which includes a branch point, one or a plurality of regions disposed ahead of the branch point, and one or a plurality of routes connecting to each region; and

a data providing device having a data storage device for storing region information map display data that provides to display the region information map,

wherein the data providing device supplies the region information map display data to the in-vehicle device,

wherein the data providing device further includes;

a data retrieving device for retrieving the region information map display data from the data storage device;

a recommended route drawing data generation device for specifying a recommended route among the plurality of routes, each of which connects to one of the regions in the region information map, and for generating recommended route drawing data that provides to display the recommended route, the region information map being to be displayed according to the region information map display data;

a drawing execution element display data generation device for generating drawing execution element display data that provides to display a drawing execution element, which executes to draw the recommended route; and

a data transmission device for transmitting the region information map display data, the recommended route drawing data, and the drawing execution element display data to the in-vehicle device,

wherein the in-vehicle device includes;

a display for displaying the region information map based on the region information map display data received from the data transmission device, and for displaying the drawing execution element based on the drawing execution element display data; and

a recommended route drawing device for drawing the recommended route together with the region information map according to the recommended route drawing data when a user operates the drawing execution element

wherein the data providing device further includes;

a route number determination device for determining the number of routes, each of which connects to the one of the regions in the region information map; and

a necessary time calculation device for calculating a necessary time of each route that is necessary for the vehicle to travel from the branch point to the one of the regions when the number of routes is equal to or larger than two,

wherein the recommended route drawing data generation device specifies one of the routes as the recommended route;

wherein the one of the routes has the shortest necessary time; and

wherein the recommended route drawing data generation device does not generate the recommended route drawing data when a difference of the necessary time of each route is equal to or smaller than a predetermined time.

2. The information communication system according to claim 1,

wherein the in-vehicle device further includes:

a data request device,

wherein the data request device requests the data providing device to supply the region information map display data when a current position of a vehicle coincides with a predetermined data obtaining point, and a driving direction of the vehicle coincides with a direction from the data obtaining point to the branch point.

3. The information communication system according to claim 2,

wherein the data retrieving device retrieves the region information map display data from the data storage device according to a request from the data request device.

4. The information communication system according to claim 1,

wherein the data transmission device further transmits display limit point data to the in-vehicle device,

wherein the display limit point data shows a display limit point, which is arranged before the branch point, and

wherein the display does not display the region information map when a current position of a vehicle is disposed between the display limit point and the branch point.