Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Navigation
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-25
2002-02-12
Beaulieu, Yonel (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Navigation
C701S201000, C701S208000, C701S024000, C701S025000, C340S988000, C342S357490, C342S357490
Reexamination Certificate
active
06347278
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile terminal and a server in a navigation system for providing a vehicle with a travel route guidance, and more particularly to a mobile terminal and a server provided in a navigation system, in which the navigation function can be attained by use of an on-demand system through communications between the mobile terminal which is not equipped with a map database, and a server which is equipped with a map database.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there have been disclosed various navigation systems of this kind so far, a case in point being the one disclosed in Japanese National Publication of the translated version No. 10-505420.
FIG. 1
is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a conventional navigation system as disclosed in the above-mentioned National Publication. In the figure, numeral
1
denotes one of a number of mobile parts, numeral
2
denotes a fixed part, and numeral
3
denotes a cellular telephone network by which the fixed part
1
and the mobile part
2
are mutually connected to each other.
In the mobile part
1
, numeral
10
denotes a mobile telephone such as a hand-free cellular telephone, numeral
11
denotes an audio output,
12
denotes an audio input, and
13
denotes a radio antenna. Numeral
14
denotes a DTMF (Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency) decoder for translating DTMF signals, numeral
15
denotes a GPS (Global-Positioning System) satellite receiver for obtaining the geographical position of the mobile part
1
within which the GPS receiver itself is provided,
16
denotes a DTMF encoder for encoding signals into DTMF signals,
17
denotes an interface controller for receiving signals from the DTMF decoder
14
and the GPS receiver
15
, and also feeding signals to the DTMF encoder
16
, numeral
18
denotes a loudspeaker for allowing the telephone
10
to be used for speech, and numeral
19
denotes a microphone used for the same purpose.
In the fixed part
2
, numeral
20
denotes a DTMF decoder,
21
denotes a DTMF encoder, and
22
denotes an interface controller. Further, numeral
23
denotes a computer connected to the cellular telephone network
3
by way of the DTMF decoder
20
and the DTMF encoder
21
, and also by way of the interface
22
, and numeral
24
denote a number of servers configuring the computer
23
. Numeral
25
denotes a geographical database accessed by each of these servers
24
, numeral
26
denotes a database of messages,
27
denotes an input for updating the geographical database
25
, and numeral
28
denotes voice messages generated by the computer
23
and transmitted to the cellular telephone network
3
.
The operation of the conventional device is now explained as below.
Here, each one of the servers
24
within the computer
23
is allocated to each of the active mobile parts
1
by way of the cellular telephone network
3
. The mobile part
1
obtains location information using the GPS receiver
15
, and transmits the thus obtained information to the fixed part
2
together with a request for directions to a specified destination. In the fixed part
2
, the corresponding server
24
relates the location information to its geographical database
25
, obtains message information associated with the location from the message database
26
, and transmits the information back to the mobile part
1
.
The computer
23
may transmit messages in DTMF code, using the DTMF encoder
21
, or it may generate voice messages which are transmitted through a voice output
28
to the cellular telephone network.
When the position of a vehicle (namely the position of the mobile part
1
) is transmitted to the computer
23
by use of the DTMF signals, the computer
23
can provide a vehicle or a third person requesting it with information or route guidance.
First of all, at the start of journey, the driver of a vehicle in which the mobile part
1
is mounted requests a service by activating a predialled control on the mobile telephone
10
. This service request is transmitted to the interface controller
22
in the fixed part
2
over the cellular telephone network
3
. The interface controller
22
then allocates a free server
24
to answer the call and interrogate the GPS receiver
15
of the mobile section
1
to determine its geographical position. The longitude and latitude data values output from the GPS receiver
15
are translated into DTMF tone-pairs by the DTMF encoder
16
of the mobile
1
.
The mobile telephone
10
couples this audio signal into its speech input path of the audio input
12
, and the DTMF decoder
14
coupled to the loudspeaker
18
decodes the supervisory data in DTMF format coming back from the corresponding server
24
of the fixed part
2
to acknowledge the reception of location messages.
Further, the computer
23
in the fixed part
2
, on one hand, can call the mobile part
1
which automatically answers to this call, and then provide its location using the DTMF signaling system, or on the other hand, can receive a call from the mobile part
1
, which could include the DTMF encoded identity of the mobile part
1
, and would also provide the vehicle location using the interface controller
17
.
The server
24
then captures the geographical database
25
on the basis of the current position of the user, and identifies the area within which that current position falls. The server
24
also captures any permanent user-specific information such as the type of vehicle, which may be relevant for the route to be selected, for example, because of height or weight restrictions. The user may encode those requirements for current data, which are not permanent, but are specific to the present information request (in particular his destination) using the telephone keyboard of the mobile telephone
10
in respect to voice prompts. Note that in a preferred embodiment, however, the call is presented to a human operator for the capture of this data, and this allows the user to obtain assistance in identifying his desired destination to the system, and also allows to speak his requirements, keeping his eyes and hands free for driving.
The operator then remotely programs the interface controller
17
in the mobile part
1
with system data identifying the vehicle destination, for use in subsequent data update processes, and instigates the generation of the voice-given directions and instructions to the driver by a speech generation subsystem of the computer server
24
of the fixed part
2
.
Position fixes may be performed at regular intervals such as every 2 minutes, or every kilometers. Alternatively, the fixed part
2
may request the mobile part
1
to send its next position after a specified interval or distance.
When the driver is following the route, further instructions can be sent automatically as the driver enters each new area, the driver can be alerted if the route has been left or if any new traffic problems have been detected that will affect the individual driver.
This system is arranged such that when this system locates a mobile part entering an area having a message defined for it, for example, the next turn instruction (or an error message in the case where the mobile part
1
has gone off the selected route), that message is transmitted. This system may also be arranged to transmit messages to users other than the mobile part
1
in question, for example, to monitor the progress of valuable cargoes.
In the conventional navigation system as configured above, the mobile terminal (mobile part
1
) is a device for timely providing a user with the information required for him to reach his destination by informing the location information of himself at least in each area to the server
24
of the fixed part
2
, so that even in the case where no new information from the server
24
is required, each time he enters a new area, communications for obtaining necessary information for reaching the destination are performed, resulting in an increase in the total communication traffic.
Furthe
Beaulieu Yonel
Mitsubishi Denki & Kabushiki Kaisha
LandOfFree
Mobile terminal and a server for navigation system does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Mobile terminal and a server for navigation system, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Mobile terminal and a server for navigation system will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2939461