METHOD FOR TRANSMITTING LOCATION INFORMATION ON A DIGITAL MAP, APPARATUS FOR IMPLEMENTING THE METHOD, AND TRAFFIC INFORMATION PROVISION/RECEPTION SYSTEM

• US 20040215387A1
• Filed: 02/14/2002
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyama, Satoko, Adachi, Shinya
• Application Number:
  US10/075,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20040215387A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

Location information transmission apparatus for exchanging information about the on-road location on a digital map, characterized in that apparatus at an information provider comprises a location information converter for converting transmit on-road location information to road shape data including the on-road location consisting of a string of coordinates representing the road shape of a road section having a length that depends on the situation and relative data indicating the on-road location in the road section, and that apparatus at a party receiving the on-road location information comprises a shape matching section for performing shape matching by using the road shape data, identifying the road section on a digital map and identifying the on-road location in the road section by using the relative data. This makes it possible to correctly exchange information about the location on a digital map without defining node numbers or link numbers on a road network.

Claims

1. A location information transmission method for reporting on-road location on a digital map,

characterized in that an information provider transmits on-road location information by using road shape data including said on-road location consisting of a string of coordinates representing the road shape of a road section and relative data indicating said on-road location in said road section;

and

that a party receiving said on-road location information performs shape matching using said road shape data to identify said road section on the digital map and uses said relative data to identify the on-road location in said road section.

2. A location information transmission according to claim 1,

characterized in that said method uses a string of coordinates arranging latitude/longitude data of the raod point per predetermined distance interval as a string of coordinates representing said road shape.

3. A location information transmission method according to claim 1, characterized in that said method uses distance data from a specific point in the road section as said relative data.

4. Location information transmission apparatus for exchanging information about the on-road location on a digital map,

characterized in that apparatus at an information provider comprises a location information converter for converting transmit on-road location information to road shape data including said on-road location consisting of a string of coordinates representing the road shape of a road section and relative data indicating said on-road location in said road section;

and

that apparatus at a party receiving the on-road location information comprises a shape matching section for performing shape matching by using said road shape data, identifying said road section on a digital map and identifying the on-road location in the road section by using said relative data.

5. Location information transmission apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that said apparatus uses a string of coordinates arranging latitude/longitude data of the road point per predetermined distance interval as a string of coordinates representing said road shape.

6. Location information transmission apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that said apparatus uses distance data from a specific point in said road section as said relative data.

7. A traffic information provision/reception system, characterized in that said system comprises location information transmission apparatus according to claim 4.

8. A traffic information provision/reception system according to claim 7, characterized in that said information provider is a center for collecting traffic information in the area and that said party receiving the on-road location information is a center for collecting traffic information in other areas.

9. A traffic information provision/reception system according to claim 7, characterized in that said information provider is an infrastructure for providing traffic information and that said party receiving the on-road location information is a car-mounted navigation apparatus.

10. A location information transmission method for reporting on-road location on a digital map,

characterized in that an information provider transmits on-road location information by using road shape data including said on-road location consisting of a string of coordinates representing the road shape of a road section and

that a party receiving said on-road location information performs shape matching using said road shape data to identify said road section on the digital map.

11. The location information transmission method according to claim 10,

characterized in that said method uses a string of coordinates arranging latitude/longitude data of the road point per predetermined distance interval as a string of coordinates representing said road shape.

18. An information provision apparatus for providing on-road location information on a digital map by using a location information transmission method according to claim 10, said information provision apparatus comprising:

a location information converter for converting transmission on-road location information to a road shape data including said on-road location consisting of a string of coordinates representing the road shape of a road section.

12. A location information transmission apparatus for exchanging information about the on-road location on a digital map,

characterized in that:

an apparatus at an information provider comprises a location information converter for converting transmit on-road location information to road shape data including said on road location consisting of a string of coordinates representing the road shape of a road section; and

an apparatus at a party receiving the on-road location information comprises a digital map and shape matching section for performing shape matching by using said road shape data and identifying said road section of the digital map.

13. The location information transmission apparatus according to claim 12,

characterized in that said apparatus uses a string of coordinates arranging latitude/longitude data of the road point per determined distance interval as a string of coordinates representing said road shape.

14. A traffic information provision/reception system,

characterized in that said system comprises location information transmission apparatus according to claim 12.

15. The traffic information provision/reception system according to claim 14,

characterized in that said information provider is a center for collecting traffic information in the area and that said party receiving the on-road location information is a center for collecting traffic information in other areas.

16. The traffic information provision/reception system according to claim 14,

characterized in that said information provider is an infrastructure for providing traffic information and that said party receiving the on-road location information is a car-mounted navigation apparatus.

17. A receiving device for receiving on-road location information on a digital map from a device of an information provision side, said receiving device comprising:

a receiver for receiving road shape data including said on-road location consisting of a string of coordinates representing the road shape of a road section, from the device of an information provision side;

a digital map; and

a shape matching section for performing shape matching by using said road shape data and identifying said road section on the digital map.

19. A location information transmission method for reporting location information on a digital map, characterized in that:

an information provider transmits location information using a shape data including a coordinate string; and

a party of receiving side identify said location using said shape data.

20. The location information transmission method according to claim 19,

wherein said coordinate string represents a geometrically pattern on a digital map.

21. The location information transmission method according to claim 19 or 20,

wherein said shape data includes a coordinate string indicating a region including a position on which an event occurs.

22. The location information transmission method according to claim 19 or 20,

wherein said shape data includes a coordinate string indicating a border of a region in which an event occurs.

23. The location information transmission method according to claim 19 or 20,

wherein said shape data includes a coordinate string indicating points at predetermined intervals.

24. The location information transmission method according to claim 19 or 20,

wherein content of said shape data is changeable in accordance with a situation of a region indicated by said shape data.

25. The location information transmission method according to claim 19 or 20,

wherein said party of receiving side implements shape matching using said shape data in order to identify the location.

37. An information provision apparatus for providing location information on a digital map, by using the method according to any one of claims 19 to 25, said apparatus comprising:

a location information converter for converting a location information to be transmitted to said shape data; and

a transmission section for transmitting said shape data.

43. The location information transmission method according to claim 21 or 22,

wherein said information provider transmits information indicating a type and level of said event, adding to said shape data.

26. A location information transmission apparatus for exchanging location information on a digital map, characterized in that:

an apparatus at an information provider includes a location information converter which converts a location information to be transmitted to a shape data having a coordinate string; and

an apparatus at receiving side identifies said location using said shape data.

27. The location information transmission apparatus according to claim 26,

wherein said shape data includes a coordinate string indicating a region including a position on which an event occurs.

28. The location information transmission apparatus according to claim 26,

wherein said shape data includes a coordinate string indicating a border of a region in which an event occurs.

29. The location information transmission apparatus according to claim 26,

wherein said shape data includes a coordinate string indicating points at predetermined intervals.

30. The location information transmission apparatus according to claim 26,

wherein content of said shape data is changeable in accordance with a situation of a region indicated by said shape data.

31. The location information transmission apparatus according to claim 26,

wherein said apparatus of receiving side implements shape matching using said shape data in order to identify the location.

32. A system for providing and/or receiving location information on a digital map, comprising the location information transmission apparatus according to any one of claims 26 to 31.

33. The system according to claim 32,

wherein said apparatus at an information provider is a center for collecting traffic information in a first area, and

wherein said apparatus of receiving side is a center for collecting traffic information in a second area.

34. The system according to claim 32,

wherein said apparatus at an information provider is an infrastructure for providing traffic information, and

wherein said apparatus of receiving side is a car-mounted navigation apparatus.

44. The location information transmission apparatus according to claim 27 or 28,

wherein said apparatus at an information provider transmits information indicating a type and level of said event, adding to said shape data.

35. A receiving device for receiving location information on a digital map, comprising:

a receiving section for receiving shape data including a coordinate string from an apparatus at an information provider;

a digital map; and

location identification section for identifying the location on said digital map using said shape data.

36. The receiving device according to claim 35,

wherein said location identification section implements shape matching in order to identify the location.

38. An information transmission method for transmitting location information to a device having a digital map, characterized in that:

said location information includes a shape data having a coordinate string.

39. The information transmission method according to claim 38,

wherein coordinates included in said coordinate string are absolute coordinates.

40. The information transmission method according to claim 38,

wherein a part of coordinates included in said coordinate string is relative coordinate.

41. The information transmission method according to any one of claims 38 to 40,

wherein said coordinate string is a coordinate chain.

42. A coding method for cording an object when information regarding said object on a traffic rout network is transmitted between an information provider and a party of receiving side, characterized in that:

said object includes at least a coordinate string;

said coordinate string includes a coordinate on a road, wherein at least a part of said road is included in a digital map data of said party of receiving side, and coordinates indicating a shape whose location is capable of being identified at said party of receiving side.