Patent ID: 7463973
Filing Date: 2008-12-09
Classification: G01C,G08G

Abstract:
1. A car navigation system configured with a car navigation device for displaying a guidance route to a destination in a display unit and guiding a vehicle thereto and with a traffic information providing apparatus for providing the car navigation device with traffic information, wherein the car navigation device and the traffic information providing apparatus are connected via a communication network, the traffic information providing apparatus comprising: a communication interface where a mobile phone is connected; a traffic information acquisition unit configured to acquire current traffic information of the designated area from a traffic information center; a meteorological information acquisition unit configured to acquire meteorological forecast information of the designated area from a meteorological information center; a traffic information data base configured to store statistical traffic information of past traffic information regarding every link, for every time zone, for which the past traffic information is classified, and statistically processed according to at least every considered weather condition; a traffic information prediction unit configured to acquire the statistical traffic information for the every considered weather condition of the designated area from the traffic information data base and to produce meteorological consideration traffic forecast information of each link or a point, based on the current traffic information, the meteorological forecast information, and the statistical traffic information, by making the vehicle location and the running date and hour a starting point and predicting arrival time and meteorological information of the link or the point included in the designated area; and a traffic prediction information providing unit configured to send the produced meteorological consideration traffic forecast information to the car navigation device, wherein the apparatus is configured to be connected to the traffic information center for providing the current traffic information, the meteorological information center for providing the meteorological forecast information, and the traffic information data base for storing the past traffic information, the car navigation device comprising: the display unit configured to display a searched guidance route; and a main body unit comprising: a communication interface unit where a mobile phone is connected; a traffic prediction information acquisition unit configured to receive the meteorological consideration traffic forecast information sent from the traffic information providing device and the communication interface unit; and a guidance route search unit configured to set a link cost of a road and to search the guidance route, based on the received meteorological consideration traffic forecast information, wherein the meteorological consideration traffic forecast information comprises meteorological forecast information at the predicted arrival time of each link or a point other than a predicted travel time, jam length, and travel speed for the link, predicted for the every considered weather condition.