U.S. patent application number 10/127502 was filed with the patent office on 2002-10-31 for navigation terminal device and navigation method.
This patent application is currently assigned to PIONEER CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Kumada, Satoshi, Shirahama, Toshie.
Application Number | 20020161515 10/127502 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 18981233 |
Filed Date | 2002-10-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020161515 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kumada, Satoshi ; et
al. |
October 31, 2002 |
Navigation terminal device and navigation method
Abstract
A navigation terminal device includes a map information display
unit 771, a destination display unit 773, a rout line drawing unit
774 for holding retrieved location information or destination
information or both or them and drawing a route from a reference
point based on the retrieved information or destination information
to the destination or the retrieved location information so as to
be superimposed on the screen with the map information displayed
thereon, and route searching unit 775 for exchanging the display
between the reference point and the destination if the reference
point disappears from the screen when the destination is displayed,
thereby permitting to follow the route from the displayed reference
point to the destination or from the destination to the reference
point. In this configuration, the operability of a terminal device
having a small capacity of screen can be improved and the burden
for the user can be relaxed.
Inventors: |
Kumada, Satoshi; (Meguro,
JP) ; Shirahama, Toshie; (Meguro, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SUGHRUE MION, PLLC
2100 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, N.W.
WASHINGTON
DC
20037
US
|
Assignee: |
PIONEER CORPORATION
|
Family ID: |
18981233 |
Appl. No.: |
10/127502 |
Filed: |
April 23, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
701/533 ;
340/990; 340/995.19 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01C 21/3614 20130101;
G01C 21/367 20130101; G01C 21/3673 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
701/209 ;
340/990; 340/995 |
International
Class: |
G01C 021/30 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 27, 2001 |
JP |
2001-133362 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A navigation terminal device comprising: map information
displaying means for displaying the map information containing
location information retrieved by a server and received via the
Web; destination displaying means for displaying a destination
searched by screen scrolling from the map information displayed on
the screen; holding means for holding the retrieved location
information or searched destination or both of them: route drawing
means for drawing a route from a reference point of the retrieved
location information or searched destination to the searched
destination or retrieved location information so as to be
superimposed on the screen with the map information displayed
thereon; and a route searching means for exchanging the display
between the reference point and the destination if the reference
point disappears from the screen when the destination is displayed,
thereby permitting to follow the route from the displayed reference
point to the destination or from the destination to the reference
point.
2. A navigating method for a navigation system including a server
for distributing map information and a navigation terminal device
for displaying the map information containing location information
retrieved by a server on a screen via the Web, comprising the steps
of: displaying a destination searched by screen scrolling from the
map information displayed on the screen; holding the retrieved
location information or destination information or both or them;
drawing a route from a reference point based on the retrieved
location information or the searched destination to the searched
destination or the retrieved location information so as to be
superimposed on the screen with the map information displayed
thereon; and exchanging the display between the reference point and
the destination if the reference point disappears from the screen
when the destination is displayed, thereby following the route from
the displayed reference point to the destination or the route from
the destination to the reference point.
3. A navigating terminal program for a navigation system including
a server for distributing map information and a navigation terminal
device for displaying the map information containing location
information retrieved by a server on a screen via the Web,
comprising the steps of: displaying a destination searched by
screen scrolling from the map information displayed on the screen;
holding the retrieved location information or destination
information or both or them; drawing a route from a reference point
based on the retrieved location information or the searched
destination to the searched destination or the retrieved location
information so as to be superimposed on the screen with the map
information displayed thereon; and exchanging the display between
the reference point and the destination if the reference point
disappears from the screen when the destination is displayed,
thereby following the route from the displayed reference point to
the destination or the route from the destination to the reference
point.
4. A recording medium which is readable by a computer and stores a
navigating terminal program for a navigation system including a
server for distributing map information and a navigation terminal
device for displaying the map information containing location
information retrieved by a server on a screen via the Web, said
program causing the computer to execute the steps of: displaying a
destination searched by screen scrolling from the map information
displayed on the screen; holding the retrieved location information
or destination information or both or them; drawing a route from a
reference point based on the retrieved location information or the
searched destination to the searched destination or the retrieved
location information so as to be superimposed on the screen with
the map information displayed thereon; and exchanging the display
between the reference point and the destination if the reference
point disappears from the screen when the destination is displayed,
thereby following the route from the displayed reference point to
the destination or the route from the destination to the reference
point.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to a navigation terminal device in
which the map information containing location information retrieved
by a server is received through the Web and displayed on a screen,
and a method of navigation.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] At present, various kinds of items of information are
provided on an internet via the WWW (World-Wide-Web) (hereinafter
referred as Web) from the world. A user can retrieve desired
information by operating a terminal device connected to the
Web.
[0005] One of the various kinds of information services is a map
information retrieval service. Through this service, the user can
acquire desired map information displayed on a terminal by access
to the Web server containing a map data base and connected to the
internet.
[0006] Specifically, when the user inputs an address, a place name,
a station name or various kinds of facility and store names, the
map of the inputted item and its vicinity are displayed on the
terminal device as image information. Therefore, with reference the
map information thus displayed, the user can easily recognize where
the designated station, facility, etc. is located.
[0007] Meanwhile, as the terminal device for the map information
retrieval service using the above Web, not only a personal computer
equipped with a Web connecting configuration such as a browser, but
also an in-vehicle navigation system, a PDA (Personal Digital
Assistants), portable telephone, etc. are used.
[0008] However, in the device having a relatively small capacity of
screen such as a portable telephone, it is difficult to understand
the information on the outskirts of the designated place
map-displayed. This requires very troublesome excessive repetition
of scrolling. The excessive repetition of scrolling affects not
only the operability but waste the communication fee. Sometimes, an
objection is raised from a user. This is burden also for the side
of the terminal.
[0009] Unlike the in-vehicle navigation system, the portable
telephone does not have the function of displaying a present
location or setting a route. Therefore, although the present
location or destination can be individually retrieved relatively
easily, it is not easy to follow the route from the present
location to the destination and its reverse. Namely, the portable
telephone cannot set the user's own position. Therefore, the
facility such as a station searched as a guide is set as a starting
point. The destination is retrieved from the starting point by
repetitive scrolling. In this case, however, the guide disappears
from the screen. Therefore, even if the destination is found, it is
difficult to follow the route from the guide to the destination.
Therefore, the portable telephone is very poor in the operability.
This is remarkable in an unknown place.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] Under such a circumstance, this invention has been
accomplished.
[0011] An object of this invention is to provide a navigation
terminal device which can improve the operability by retrieving a
destination from the map information displayed on a screen and
displaying the route from a reference point of the location
information retrieved by a server to the retrieved destination by
superposition.
[0012] In accordance with a first aspect of this invention, there
is provided a navigation terminal device by comprising:
[0013] map information displaying means for displaying the map
information containing location information retrieved by a server
and received via the Web;
[0014] destination displaying means for displaying a destination
searched by screen scrolling from the map information displayed on
the screen;
[0015] holding means for holding the retrieved location information
or searched destination or both of them:
[0016] route drawing means for drawing a route from a reference
point of the retrieved location information or searched destination
to the searched destination or retrieved location information so as
to be superimposed on the screen with the map information displayed
thereon; and
[0017] a route searching means for exchanging the display between
the reference point and the destination if the reference point
disappears from the screen when the destination is displayed,
thereby permitting to follow the route from the displayed reference
point to the destination or from the destination to the reference
point.
[0018] In accordance with the configuration described above, a
destination is searched from the map information displayed on a
screen by screen scrolling, and the route from a reference point
based on the location information retrieved by the Web server to
the destination is superimposed on the map information on the
screen. Where the reference point disappears from the screen when
the destination is displayed, the display is exchanged from the
destination from the reference point so that a user can follow the
route from the displayed reference point to the
destination-according to the drawn route information.
[0019] The route line is drawn in such a manner that the
orientation from the reference point to the destination is
computed, and the computed result is created as a vector having a
length and direction.
[0020] In this way, the regional information to the destination can
be easily recognized by following the route. The terminal device
having a small capacity of screen can do without redundant
scrolling so that its operability is improved and the burden for
the user is relaxed. The display is exchanged between the reference
point and the destination by operating a specific button so that
the operability of the terminal device can be further improved.
[0021] In accordance with the second aspect of this invention,
there is provided a navigating method for a navigation system
including a server for distributing map information and a
navigation terminal device for displaying the map information
containing location information retrieved by a server on a screen
via the Web, comprising the steps of:
[0022] a displaying a destination searched from the map information
displayed on the screen by screen scrolling;
[0023] holding the retrieved location information or destination
information or both or them;
[0024] drawing a route from a reference point based on the
retrieved location information or the searched destination to the
searched destination or the retrieved location information so as to
be superimposed on the screen with the map information displayed
thereon; and
[0025] exchanging the display between the reference point and the
destination if the reference point disappears from the screen when
the destination is displayed, thereby following the route from the
displayed reference point to the destination or the route from the
destination to the reference point.
[0026] In accordance with the third aspect of this invention, there
is provided a navigating terminal program for a navigation system
including a server for distributing map information and a
navigation terminal device for displaying the map information
containing location information retrieved by a server on a screen
via the Web, comprising the steps of:
[0027] displaying a destination searched from the map information
displayed on the screen by screen scrolling;
[0028] holding the retrieved location information or destination
information or both or them;
[0029] drawing a route from a reference point based on the
retrieved location information or the searched destination to the
searched destination or the retrieved location information so as to
be superimposed on the screen with the map information displayed
thereon; and
[0030] exchanging the display between the reference point and the
destination if the reference point disappears from the screen when
the destination is displayed, thereby following the route from the
displayed reference point to the destination or the route from the
destination to the reference point.
[0031] In accordance with the fourth aspect of this invention,
there is provided a recording medium which is readable by a
computer and stores a navigating terminal program for a navigation
system including a server for distributing map information and a
navigation terminal device for displaying the map information
containing location information retrieved by a server on a screen
via the Web, the program causing the computer to execute the steps
of:
[0032] displaying a destination searched from the map information
displayed on the screen by screen scrolling;
[0033] holding the retrieved location information or destination
information or both or them;
[0034] drawing a route from a reference point based on the
retrieved location information or the searched destination to the
searched destination or the retrieved location information so as to
be superimposed on the screen with the map information displayed
thereon; and
[0035] exchanging the display between the reference point and the
destination if the reference point disappears from the screen when
the destination is displayed, thereby following the route from the
displayed reference point to the destination or the route from the
destination to the reference point.
[0036] The above and other objects and features of the invention
will be more apparent from the following description taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0037] FIG. 1 is a view showing an example of a connecting format
to which this invention is applied;
[0038] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration
of a navigation terminal device 1 in FIG. 1;
[0039] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration
expanded in function of a communication application unit 37 shown
in FIG. 2;
[0040] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration
expanded in function of a map information application shown in FIG.
3;
[0041] FIG. 5 is an operation sequence for explaining the operation
of an embodiment of this invention; and
[0042] FIGS. 6A to 6D are views each showing a screen configuration
of a navigation terminal device for explaining the embodiment of
this invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0043] Now referring to the drawings, a detailed explanation will
be given of a preferred embodiment of this invention.
[0044] FIG. 1 is a view showing the connecting format of a
navigation system to which this invention is applied. In FIG. 1,
reference numeral 1 denotes individual navigation terminal devices
each having a browser function as a client; 2 an internet; and 3 a
Web server.
[0045] Now, a portable telephone having a Web connecting
configuration is illustrated as the navigation terminal device 1.
The portable telephone having a relatively small capacity of screen
is connected to the internet 2 though a public switched network or
an access service. The internet 2 is connected to a Web server 3
which serves as a map information providing site, a map information
data base site and a route setting site.
[0046] The map information providing site is a site for carrying
out the service of providing the map information by the Web. The
map information providing site unifies the information supply to
the map data base site and the route setting site described
later.
[0047] The map information providing site includes, as a Web server
3, a data base (DB) in which the land marks such as addresses and
facilities and their location information are stored. The Web
server 3 accesses the data base on the basis of the input
information from the navigation terminal device 1 so that the
address or facility is specified from the input location
information and the corresponding location information is acquired
from the specified land mark.
[0048] The map data base site is a site for carrying out the
retrieval/display service of the map information on the internet so
that the map data read out is supplied to the navigation terminal
device 1. The map data base site includes a map server for
supplying map data read out to the navigation terminal device 1 and
a map information data base in which location information
indicative of the coordinates by latitudes and longitudes, display
information of the map such as a reduced scale, map size, etc. and
the image data of the map corresponding to these items of
information are stored.
[0049] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration
of the navigation terminal device 1 in FIG. 1. As described above,
as the navigation terminal device 1, the portable telephone
provided with the Web connecting configuration is illustrated.
[0050] The navigation terminal device 1 includes a radio control
unit 11, a modulating unit 12, a demodulating unit 13, a channel
codec 14, an audio input unit 15, an audio output unit 16, a
communication application unit 17, an input unit 18 and a display
unit 19. The radio control unit 11, channel codec 14, communication
application unit 17, input unit 18 and display unit 19 are commonly
connected to an internal bus 20.
[0051] The radio control unit 11 serves to transmit modulated data
supplied by the modulating unit 12 from an antenna together with a
radio carrier wave and receive the signal at a prescribed frequency
from the high frequency signals induced at the antenna. The
modulating unit 12 serves to modulate the transmission data
outputted from the channel codec 14 in a prescribed system (e.g.
.pi./4 shift DPQSK) and supply the modulated data to the radio
control unit 11. The demodulating unit 13 serves to demodulate the
signal received by the radio control unit 11 and supply the signal
thus demodulated to the channel codec 14.
[0052] The channel codec 14 divisionally supplies the data received
from the demodulating unit 13 to the audio output unit 16 or the
communication application 17. The channel codec 14 also
divisionally supplies the audio received from the audio input unit
15 to the modulating unit 12 or the communication application unit
17. The channel codec 14 also divisionally supplies the data
received from the communication application unit 17 to the
modulating unit 12 or the audio output unit 16.
[0053] The communication application unit 17 includes a CPU, ROM
and RAM and serves as a control center for the navigation terminal
device 1 which performs not only the connecting control for
communication but also control for the creation of the transmission
data, display/reserve of the received data and processing of the
received/transmitted data. The details thereof will be explained
later.
[0054] The input unit 18 recognizes the connected key or button to
input a dialing number and display image operating data. The
display unit 19 displays, on a connected screen display monitor,
the data produced from the communication application unit 17 and
stored in the display memory not shown.
[0055] FIG. 3 is a developed block diagram of the internal
configuration of the communication application unit 17 as shown in
FIG. 2. Concretely, the communication application unit 17 is
constructed of a peripheral LSI such as an input unit 18, display
unit 19, etc. inclusive of the CPU, ROM/RAM. The function of each
block described later is realized in such a manner that CPU reads
the program stored in the ROM and executes it using the RAM.
[0056] The communication application unit 17 includes an input
control unit 171, an audio control unit 172, a display control unit
173, an application management unit 174, a browser application 175,
a mail application 176, a map information application 177, an audio
telephone application 178, a received data management unit 179 and
a communication control unit 180.
[0057] The input control unit 171 informs the application
management unit 174 of the input key information and others
received from the input unit 18. The display control unit 173
performs the control of supplying the display information received
from the application management unit 174 to the display unit 19.
The audio control unit 173 performs the control of informing the
application management unit 174 of the audio received from the
audio input unit 15 or supplying the audio received from the
application management unit 174 to the channel codec 14.
[0058] The application management unit 174 performs the management
of selecting one of a plurality of applications prepackaged in the
navigation terminal device 1 according to this invention, or
exchanging the information between each application and the input
control unit 171, display control unit 172, audio control unit 173.
It is now assumed that four applications of the browser application
175, mail application 176, map information application 177 and
audio telephone application 178 have been prepackaged. However, it
is needless to say that any other application can be also
prepackaged.
[0059] The applications to be prepackaged are classified into
applications designed for the audio service and for the character
service. The former does not carry out the transmission/reception
of character data and image data, but supports the audio. The audio
telephone application 178 is an example thereof. The latter does
not carry out the transmission/reception of the character data and
image data such as a map and supports the screen display of each
item of information to be transmitted or received. The browser
application 175, mail application 176 and the map information
application 177 are examples thereof.
[0060] The internal configuration expanded in function of the map
information application 177 is shown in FIG. 4. The map information
application 177 includes a map information display unit 771, a
scrolling control unit 772, a destination display unit 773, a route
line drawing unit 774 and a route searching unit 775.
[0061] The map information display unit 771 has a function of
displaying, on a screen of the display unit 19, the map information
containing the location information retrieved by the Web server 3
which is received via the internet 2. The destination display unit
773 has a function of displaying the destination searched from the
map information displayed on the screen of the display unit 19 by
the scroll controlling by the scrolling control unit 772.
[0062] The route line drawing unit 774 has a function of drawing
the route connecting a reference point based on the location
information retrieved by the Web server 3 to the destination so as
to be superimposed on the screen with the map information displayed
thereon. The route is represented by the straight line extended
from the center of the map information displayed on the screen to
the reference point. The route searching unit 775 has a function of
re-drawing the route from the reference point to the destination on
the basis the updated screen when distribution of the map
information is requested.
[0063] The route searching unit 775 has a function of exchanging
the display between the reference point and the destination when
the destination is displayed by the destination display unit 773
but the reference point disappears from the screen, thereby
following the route from the reference point to the destination
according to the drawn route information.
[0064] Again referring to FIG. 3, the communication control unit
180 performs the dialing/calling connection and data communication
control according to the command from each of the applications 175,
176, 177 and 178. The received data managing unit 179 is located
between the communication control unit 180 and each of the browser
application 175, mail application 176 and map information
application 177 to manage the received data to be transferred from
the former to the latter.
[0065] FIG. 5 is an operation sequence chart for explaining the
operation of the navigation system according to this invention in
the relationship between the navigation terminal device 1 and the
Web server 3. FIG. 6 shows an example of screen display.
[0066] Now referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, an explanation will be given
of the operation of the navigation system according to the
embodiment of this invention.
[0067] First, a user accesses the map information site by operating
the navigation terminal device 1 to download the map information
application (step S501). The user designates a prescribed facility,
such as a station, department store, convenience store, public
facility, etc., which is used as a reference point, or otherwise
requests the Web server 3 to distribute the map information in a
prescribed region by specifying the address, place name or postal
number, etc. by character inputting (step S503).
[0068] The Web server 3 receives the inputted character to retrieve
the facility and map data base, and distributes the map information
in a reduced scale containing the facility centered thereon to the
navigation terminal device 1 (steps S504, S505).
[0069] The navigation terminal device 1 displays the map
information containing the outskirt of the centered facility used
as the reference point. FIG. 6A shows an example of the screen
display. Now, the station used as the reference point is centered
on the screen (step S506).
[0070] Next, the user will move toward his destination while
carrying the navigation terminal device 1. However, before he
moves, he operates the navigation terminal device 1 to search the
destination. The searching of the destination is performed by
scrolling the screen using the screen scrolling unit 772 (step
S507).
[0071] Now it is assumed that when the destination is displayed by
the destination display unit, the station which is the previous
reference point has disappeared from the screen. FIG. 6B shows the
screen display in this case.
[0072] However, the route line represented by the straight line
connecting the reference point to the destination is left on the
screen of the navigation terminal device 1. This is carried out by
the route line drawing unit 774. FIG. 6C shows the screen display
in this case. The route line drawing unit 774 draws the route
connecting a reference point of the location information retrieved
by the Web server 3 to the destination so as to be superimposed on
the screen with the map information displayed thereon.
[0073] The route line is drawn in such a manner that the
orientation from the reference point to the destination is computed
by an operation routine incorporated in the route line drawing unit
774, and the computed result is created as a vector having a length
and direction. The vector is displayed as a straight line on the
screen so that the user can follow the route from the reference
point to the destination.
[0074] The navigation terminal device according to this invention
has a function of holding the reference point and can exchange the
display between the reference point and destination by detecting
the fact that a specific button has been operated (steps S510,
511). FIG. 6D shows an example of the display screen in this
case.
[0075] The user can follow the route from the displayed reference
point to the destination and its reverse according to the route
line information drawn on the screen of the navigation terminal
device 1 (step S508). The route line is searched by the route
searching unit 776.
[0076] During the process from step S506 (display of the reference
point) to step 507 (setting of the destination), the navigation
terminal device 1 requests the Web server 3 to distribute the map
information of a prescribed region as the occasion demands and
receives the distributed map information (both indicated by dotted
lines). This is carried out by the map information display unit
771. Where the destination is not included in the map of the
outskirt previously received, the navigation terminal device 1
requests the Web server 3 to distribute the map information of the
neighboring outskirt again.
[0077] The destination is searched on the basis of the distributed
updated map information by screen scrolling. The route line drawing
unit 774 draws the route from the reference point to the
destination on the screen again by computing the orientation from
the reference point to the destination. Even when the map
information is updated, the route searching unit 775 can follow the
route line from the reference point to the destination which has
been drawn on the screen by the route line drawing unit 774.
[0078] The navigation terminal device 1 receives, from the Web
server 3, the information of the reference point and destination
within a prescribed distance from the displayed center point. The
direction from the center point to the reference point or
destination and the distance therebetween are computed, and they
are created and drawn as segment information. It is now assumed
that the length of the segment representative of the orientation is
set according to the distance.
[0079] In the above embodiment of this invention, the map
information was distributed from the Web server 3. However, it may
be prepared on the side of the navigation terminal device 1.
Although the navigation terminal device 1 accesses the Web server 3
to acquire the location information when the destination is set, it
may inherently have the location information.
[0080] Further, the navigation terminal device 1 should not be
limited to the portable telephone adopted in the embodiment. The
PDA, home personal computer, in-vehicle navigation device may be
used as the navigation terminal device 1. The navigation system
according to this invention may be applied to not only the
communication network via the internet, but a closed system using
the recording medium such as CD-ROM, DVD, etc.
[0081] Incidentally, the procedure shown as a sequence chart in
FIG. 5 is previously programmed or recorded in the navigation
terminal device 1 and the Web server 3, and the read program is
executed by CPU. However, the program is recorded in the recording
medium such as a semiconductor memory, optical disk, hard disk,
floppy disk, etc. Further, the program is not fixed on these
recording media, but may be downloaded via a communication
line.
[0082] Incidentally, the contents of Japanese Patent Appln. No.
2001-13362 filed on Apr. 27, 2001 are hereby incorporated by
reference.
* * * * *