Navigation method and system for accurately estimating positions of street address numbers

• US 20060259237A1
• Filed: 05/16/2005
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yokota, Tatsuo, de Silva, Andrew S., Pascual, Joey
• Granted Patent: US 7,383,125 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3644 Landmark guidance, e.g. using POIs or conspicuous other objects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence

Abstract

A navigation method and system determines a more accurate position of a street address number with use of building footprint information or latitude/longitude information of POI (point of interest), thereby accurately defining a position of a destination. When a user specifies a street address number as his destination, the navigation system retrieves the street segment that should include the location of the specified address number therein. The navigation system also checks the map data as to whether there is any building footprint data or POI position data associated with the street segment. The navigation system selects absolute locations on the street segment based on the building footprint data or the POI position data and determines the location of the specified address number by interpolating between two absolute locations.

Claims

1. A navigation method for determining a position of a street address number, comprising the steps of:

receiving a street address number of a destination specified by a user;

retrieving data indicating a street segment which includes the specified street address number thereon from a map information storage;

searching for supplemental data regarding a place associated with the retrieved street segment including information indicating absolute position of the place and retrieving the supplemental data from the map information storage;

defining two or more absolute positions on the street segment with use of the supplemental data and the street segment data;

selecting two absolute positions on the street segment that have the specified address number therebetween; and

determining a position of the specified address number by interpolating a length between the two selected absolute positions with a constant interval.

2. A navigation method as defined in claim 1, wherein said supplemental data is polygonal data of the place on the street segment which includes latitude/longitude information indicating a shape, size and location of the place.

3. A navigation method as defined in claim 1, wherein said supplemental data is footprint data of a building on the street segment which includes latitude/longitude information indicating a shape, size and location of the building.

4. A navigation method as defined in claim 1, wherein said supplemental data is position data of POI (point of interest) on the street segment which includes latitude/longitude information indicating an absolute position of the POI.

5. A navigation method as defined in claim 1, wherein said step of defining two or more absolute positions on the street segment includes a step of drawing a line perpendicular to the street segment from a selected point of the place showing the absolute position on the place.

6. A navigation method as defined in claim 3, wherein said step of defining two or more absolute positions on the street segment includes a step of drawing a line perpendicular to the street segment from selected point of the building showing the absolute position on the building.

7. A navigation method as defined in claim 4, wherein said step of defining two or more absolute positions on the street segment includes a step of drawing a line perpendicular to the street segment from the POI position defined latitude/longitude of the POI.

8. A navigation method as defined in claim 1, wherein said step of selecting two absolute positions on the street segment includes a step of selecting two absolute positions closer to the specified address number.

9. A navigation method as defined in claim 1, further comprising a step of storing information regarding the determined position of the specified address number for future use.

10. A navigation method as defined in claim 1, wherein said step of determining the position of the specified address number includes a step of determining positions of other address numbers on the street segment by interpolating a length between the two selected absolute positions with a constant interval and storing information regarding the determined positions for future use.

11. A navigation system for determining a position of a street address number, comprising:

means for receiving a street address number of a destination specified by a user;

means for retrieving data indicating a street segment which includes the specified street address number thereon from a map information storage;

means for searching for supplemental data regarding a place associated with the retrieved street segment including information indicating absolute position of the place and for retrieving the supplemental data from the map information storage;

means for defining two or more absolute positions on the street segment with use of the supplemental data and the street segment data;

means for selecting two absolute positions on the street segment that have the specified address number therebetween; and

means for determining a position of the specified address number by interpolating a length between the two selected absolute positions with a constant interval.

12. A navigation system as defined in claim 11, wherein said supplemental data is polygonal data of the place on the street segment which includes latitude/longitude information indicating a shape, size and location of the place.

13. A navigation system as defined in claim 11, wherein said supplemental data is footprint data of a building on the street segment which includes latitude/longitude information indicating a shape, size and location of the building.

14. A navigation system as defined in claim 11, wherein said supplemental data is position data of POI (point of interest) on the street segment which includes latitude/longitude information indicating an absolute position of the POI.

15. A navigation system as defined in claim 11, wherein said step of defining two or more absolute positions on the street segment includes a step of drawing a line perpendicular to the street segment from a selected point of the place showing the absolute position on the place.

16. A navigation system as defined in claim 13, wherein said means for defining two or more absolute positions on the street segment includes means for drawing a line perpendicular to the street segment from selected point of the building showing the absolute position on the building.

17. A navigation system as defined in claim 14, wherein said means for defining two or more absolute positions on the street segment includes means for drawing a line perpendicular to the street segment from the POI position defined latitude/longitude of the POI.

18. A navigation system as defined in claim 11, wherein said means for selecting two absolute positions on the street segment includes means for selecting two absolute positions closer to the specified address number.

19. A navigation system as defined in claim 11, further comprising means for storing information regarding the determined position of the specified address number for future use.

20. A navigation system as defined in claim 11, wherein said means for determining the position of the specified address number includes means for determining positions of other address numbers on the street segment by interpolating a length between the two selected absolute positions with a constant interval and storing information regarding the determined positions for future use.