Map data update method and navigation apparatus

• US 20070156759A1
• Filed: 12/14/2006
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.), Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company), Mobilemedia Brain Association,Inc.
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.), Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company), Mobilemedia Brain Association,Inc.
• Inventors: Arai, Masayuki, Sekine, Minoru, Wakasugi, Takashi, Konishi, Hitoshi, Otsuki, Kohei
• Granted Patent: US 7,711,473 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3859 Differential updating map data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3896 Transmission of map data from central databases

Abstract

A navigation apparatus is disclosed comprising update functions to update nationwide updated version map data using route-specific update data, and to update the nationwide updated version map data to the next nationwide updated version map data using nationwide update data. A map update processing portion of this navigation apparatus performs updates of map data in the background of navigation control, gives priority to update processing using the route-specific update data over update processing using the nationwide update data, and, if map files to be updated using route-specific update files included in the route-specific update data have not been updated using the nationwide update data, performs updates using the nationwide update data, and then performs updates using route-specific update files.

Claims

1. A map data update method of updating nationwide updated version map data using route-specific update data, and of updating the nationwide updated version map data to the next nationwide updated version map data using nationwide update data, comprising the steps of:

performing map data updating in a background of navigation control, and giving priority to update processing using route-specific update data over update processing using nationwide update data; and

for map files updated using route-specific update files included in the route-specific update data, performing an update using the nationwide update files included in nationwide update data and then performing an update using the route-specific update files.

2. The map data update method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

checking whether map files used in navigation control have been updated using the route-specific update data;

if not updated, checking whether the map files have been updated using the nationwide update data; and

if not updated, updating the map files using the nationwide update data, and then updating the map files using the route-specific update files, wherein

the updated map files are then used in navigation control.

3. The map data update method according to claim 2, further comprising a step of:

managing whether or not each map file has been updated using the route-specific update data, and

managing whether or not each map file has been updated using the nationwide update data.

4. The map data update method according to claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

acquiring, together with the update data, a serial number management file, in which are entered “

valid”

data in positions corresponding to new serial numbers added to map files to be updated using the update files;

each time a map file is updated using an update file, adding said new serial number to the map file; and

checking whether the map file has been updated, by checking whether “

valid”

data has been entered at the serial number position of the map file.

5. The map data update method according to claim 4, further comprising a step of:

providing, as the serial number management file, a first serial number management file for route-specific update, used to check whether updating has been performed using the route-specific update files included in the route-specific update data, and a second serial number management file for nationwide update, used to check whether updating has been performed using the nationwide update files included in the nationwide update data.

6. A map data update method of updating first nationwide updated version map data using first route-specific update data thereby first route-specific update map data generates, and updating the first nationwide updated version map data to a second nationwide updated version map data using nationwide update data, comprising the steps of:

when performing an update using second route-specific update data or the nationwide update data after updating using the first route-specific update data, returning the first route-specific update map data for update to the first nationwide updated version map data and then performing an update using the second route-specific update data or the nationwide update data, in a background of navigation control;

in parallel with the update processing, checking whether map files used in navigation control have been updated using the second route-specific update data or using the nationwide update data; and

if updating has not been performed, returning the map files to the first nationwide updated version map files, and then performing the update using the second route-specific update data or the nationwide update data.

7. The map data update method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

when using the route-specific update data to update the first nationwide updated version map data stored in a navigation apparatus, storing pre-update map files necessary to restore the first nationwide updated version map data; and

when using the second route-specific update data or the nationwide update data to perform an update, restoring the first nationwide updated version map files using the stored pre-update map files.

8. A navigation apparatus which comprises update functions to use route-specific update data to update nationwide updated-version map data, and to use nationwide update data to update the nationwide updated version map data to the next nationwide updated version map data, comprising:

a storage portion, which stores map data to be used in navigation control;

a navigation control portion for performing navigation control;

an update data input portion, for input of route-specific update data and nationwide update data; and

an update processing portion, which performs map updates in a background of the navigation control, and which gives priority to update processing using the route-specific update data over update processing using the nationwide update data, and for map files updated using route-specific update files to update map files included in the route-specific update data, which updates the map files using nationwide updated files included in the nationwide update data and then updates the map files using said route-specific update files.

9. The navigation apparatus according to claim 8, wherein, if the map files to be used in navigation control by the navigation control portion have not been updated using the route-specific update data, the update processing portion checks whether the map files have been updated using the nationwide update data, and if updating has not been performed, uses the nationwide update files to update the map files and then uses the route-specific update files to update the map files, and the navigation control portion uses the updated map files in the navigation control.

10. The navigation apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a management portion of managing whether each map file has been updated using the route-specific update data and of managing whether each map file has been updated using the nationwide update data.

11. The navigation apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the update data input portion inputs to the update processing portion, together with update data, a serial number management file in which are entered “

valid”

data at positions corresponding to new serial numbers assigned to map files to be updated using the update files, and the update processing portion checks whether the map files have been updated by checking whether “

valid”

bits have been entered at the serial number positions of the map files.

12. The navigation apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the serial number management file comprises a first serial number management file for route-specific update, used to check whether updating has been performed using the route-specific update files included in the route-specific update data, and a second serial number management file for nationwide updates, used to check whether updating has been performed using the update files of the nationwide update data.

13. A navigation apparatus, which comprises update functions to update first nationwide updated-version map data using first route-specific update data, thereby first route-specific update map data generates and to update the first nationwide updated version map data to second nationwide updated version map data using nationwide update data, comprising:

a storage portion, which stores map data to be used in navigation control;

a navigation control portion, which performs navigation control;

an update data input portion, for input of route-specific update data and nationwide update data; and

an update processing portion, which, when using the second route-specific update data or nationwide update data to perform an update after updating using the first route-specific update data, performs updating using the second route-specific update data or the nationwide update data after returning the first route-specific update map data for updating to the first nationwide updated version map data in a background of navigation control, performs a check in parallel with said update processing to determine whether map files to be used in navigation control have been updated using the second route-specific update data or using the nationwide update data, and if the map files have not been updated, returns the map files to the first nationwide updated version map files, and then performs an update using the second route-specific update data or the nationwide update data.

14. The navigation apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a second storage portion, which stores data necessary to restore the first nationwide updated-version map data, wherein

when the route-specific update data is used to update the first nationwide updated-version map data stored in the first storage portion, the update processing portion stores pre-update map files necessary to restore the first nationwide updated version map data in the second storage portion, and when after the update an update is to be performed using the second route-specific update data or nationwide update data, the stored pre-update map files are used to restore the first nationwide updated version map files.