Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Navigation – Employing position determining equipment
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-05
2003-03-11
Beaulieu, Yonel (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Navigation
Employing position determining equipment
C701S208000, C340S988000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06532417
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a navigation system, a navigation information providing server, and a navigation server for detecting a position of a movable body to perform navigation, and more specifically relates to a technical field of a navigation system, a navigation information providing server, and a navigation server for wirelessly connecting to the Internet to perform navigation, employing map data distributed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, a navigation system performing navigation of a vehicle by employing map data has been widely used. In a navigation system like this, navigation is achieved by carrying a GPS (Global Positioning System) to acquire positional data of a movable body and collating them with map data read from a recording medium to operate various applications such as a route search by software.
On the other hand, as a communication device of a movable body, a movable body terminal employing wireless communication such as a portable telephone has diffused rapidly. Recently, this type of movable body terminal can perform not only general communication but also various data transmission/reception by connection to the Internet. Accordingly, when this type of wireless communication function is added to a navigation apparatus described above, for example, it becomes possible to hold map data on the Internet and to download them. In this type of navigation system, since it is not necessary to employ a recording medium on which map data are recorded, the system is convenient for users.
However, adding the wireless communication function for downloading map data to a conventional navigation apparatus causes an increase of the cost of the entire apparatus drastically. Compared with the case wherein map data are provided through a recording medium, it becomes necessary to construct a charging system or the like for the time of downloading map data through the Internet, causing complexity in a system structure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was developed considering this type of problem, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a navigation system, a navigation information providing server, and a navigation server in which a system and a server for charging can be constructed reasonably without increasing the cost of the device drastically, employing a wireless communication device in the navigation system.
The above object of the present invention can be achieved by a navigation system for providing data from a server to a navigation terminal via a network in accordance with the present invention. The navigation system is provided with: the navigation terminal comprising a .wireless communication device connected to the network by wireless communication to send and receive data; a present position detection device for detecting a present position of a movable body; and an instruction device for instructing a predetermined navigation function; a navigation server for acquiring positional data corresponding to the detected present position via the network, discriminating map data to be a distribution object to the navigation terminal based on the positional data, and generating navigation information based on the instructed navigation function to provide it to the navigation terminal; and a map search server having a.memory device for accumulating map data and reading the map data discriminated as the distribution object from the memory device to distribute it to the navigation terminal via the network.
According to the navigation system of the present invention, when the present position detection device of the navigation terminal detects a present position of a movable body, the wireless communication device of the navigation terminal sends the detected present position to the network by wireless communication. Then, when the instruction device of the navigation terminal instructs a predetermined navigation function, the wireless communication device sends the instruction of the predetermined navigation function to the network by wireless communication. On the other hand, the navigation server acquires positional data corresponding to the detected present position via the network. Then, the navigation server discriminates map data to be a distribution object to the navigation terminal based on the positional data. Further, the navigation server generates navigation information based on the instructed navigation function and provides it to the navigation terminal. Then, the map search server reads the map data discriminated as the distribution object from the memory device and distributes it to the navigation terminal via the network. Accordingly, the navigation information and the map data are received by the wireless communication device of the navigation terminal from the network by wireless communication.
Therefore, it is not necessary for the navigation terminal to have an application generating navigation information and map data. As a result, the structure is simple, and a cost reduction of the apparatus is possible.
In one aspect of the navigation system, a gateway apparatus is provided between the wireless communication device and the network. The gateway apparatus controls mutual data communication. Then, charging information for the navigation terminal is generated according to a condition of data communication that the gateway apparatus controls.
Therefore, since data communication between the wireless communication device of the navigation terminal and the navigation server, or between the wireless communication device and the map search server is controlled by the gateway apparatus so as to utilize the gateway apparatus for charging the data terminal, charging system in the navigation system constructed over the network can be simplified.
In another aspect of the navigation system, the navigation server discriminates map data of a predetermined area of a point and the vicinity of it corresponding to the acquired positional data as a distribution object.
Therefore, since the map data regarding a peripheral part of the positional data necessary for navigation on a map is distributed to the navigation terminal when the navigation server generates navigation information, the data size at the time of distribution can be restricted. As a result, an advantage arises for a user in both fields of communication speed and charge.
In another aspect of the navigation system, the navigation server provides a route search function searching an optimum route heading for a destination from the present position when a route search is instructed by the navigation terminal.
Therefore, since the navigation server searches the optimum route when the instruction of the route search is outputted from the navigation terminal, the route that a user should take can be grasped without complex calculation in the navigation terminal.
In another aspect of the navigation system, the navigation server discriminates the map data of the predetermined area along the searched optimum route as the distribution object when providing the route search function.
Therefore, since map data along the optimum route are selectively distributed to the navigation terminal when the navigation server searches the optimum route, the data size of the time of distribution accompanied by :the route search can be restricted. As a result, an advantage arises for a user in both fields of communication speed and charge.
In another aspect of the navigation system, regarding the map data an entire map is divided into mesh-like blocks, and the map data have a data structure in which map data of the respective blocks assemble.
Therefore, since the entire map is divided into mesh-like blocks and the map data have the data structure in which map data of the respective blocks assemble, it is possible to select map data of plural blocks superimposed in a predetermined area and easily discriminate map data of the distribution object.
In another aspect of the navigation system, the map data are stratified into a
Beaulieu Yonel
Pioneer Corporation
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
LandOfFree
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