초록 ▼

An information providing system is capable of rendering map-information services even if the size of a free area in a memory employed in a terminal becomes small, disallowing all details of a map to be downloaded. A server employed in the information providing system has a search engine for searchin

An information providing system is capable of rendering map-information services even if the size of a free area in a memory employed in a terminal becomes small, disallowing all details of a map to be downloaded. A server employed in the information providing system has a search engine for searching a map data base for a map suitable for a destination and the present position of the terminal as received from the terminal, a route computing unit for computing a guide route from the present position to the destination, a map display location determination unit for determining a location at which route information including a map based on the calculated guide route is to be transmitted to the terminal and a thinning determination unit for thinning the information to be transmitted based on information on the terminal received from the terminal. The thinning determination unit has a priority-level definition table for defining priority levels assigned to map elements stored in the map data base.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [25.]25. An information providing system comprising:a terminal mounted on a vehicle and used for providing a route guide showing directions to a destination; anda server for providing said terminal with information including at least a place name and a map used in said route g

[ What is claimed is:] [25.]25. An information providing system comprising:a terminal mounted on a vehicle and used for providing a route guide showing directions to a destination; anda server for providing said terminal with information including at least a place name and a map used in said route guide showing directions to said destination,wherein said server comprises:candidate place name providing means for executing the steps of:receiving a string of characters entered by user to said terminal and transmitted by said terminal to said server wherein said string of characters represents a portion of the place name of a destination to be used in said route guide showing directions to said destination;searching a data base of place names by using index information formed from said string of characters for candidates for the place name of said destination matching said string of characters;transmitting said candidates to said terminal; andrequesting said terminal to select one of said candidates; anda map providing means for transmitting to said terminal a map for a selected candidate for the place name of said destination transmitted by said terminal to said server.