Map Data Delivering Device, Communication Terminal, And Map Delivering Method

• US 20070282524A1
• Filed: 04/27/2005
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Tanizaki, Masaaki, Shimada, Shigeru, Hiroike, Atsushi
• Granted Patent: US 7,688,228 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B

Abstract

An updated part of map data is delivered while suppressing unwanted communication traffic and preventing contradiction in the updated map. A map delivering server (10) comprises a map data storage section (102) storing link data including the update dates and times and update infection range for each link, a network IF section (101) for receiving from a navigation terminal (20) a map delivery request containing the requested area of map delivery and the previous request data and time of map delivery of the requested area, and a map element search section (103) for searching the map data storage section (102) for the link data associated with the update infection range including the link at least a part of which belongs to the requested area of the map delivery request and associated with the update date and time later than the previous request date and time contained in the map delivery request. The link data found by the map element search section (103) is sent to the navigation terminal (20) through the network IF section (101).

Claims

1. A map data delivering device for delivering map data to a communication terminal, comprising:

a map data storage method which stores, for each map component, map data composed of map component data of the map component, and update propagation range data containing the map component data of the map component and map component data of other map components that are affected by a change in the map component;

a map delivery request receiving means which receives from the communication terminal a map delivery request containing at least area information indicating an area, a map of which is requested to be delivered;

a map component retrieving means which searches the map data storage method for the map component data whose update propagation range data is contained, at least partially, in an area indicated by the area information contained in the map delivery request; and

a map component delivering means which sends the map component data searched for by the map component retrieving means to the communication terminal.

2. A map data delivering device according to claim 1, wherein:

the map data further contains, for each map component, an update date and time of map component data of the map component;

the map delivery request further contains date and time information indicating a most recent map delivery request date and time for an area, a map of which is requested to be delivered; and

the map component retrieving means searches the map data storage method for map component data associated with update propagation range data containing map component data that belongs, at least partially, to an area indicated by the area information contained in the map delivery request, and associated with update date data indicating a date and time that is newer than the date and time information contained in the map delivery request.

3. A map data delivering device according to claim 2, wherein:

the map component data has point sequence data and at least one type of attribute data, the point sequence data indicating coordinates of a point or a sequence of points by which the map component is identified, and the attribute data indicating an attribute of the map component;

the update date and time data is provided for each of the point sequence data and the attribute data; and

the map component delivering means sends to the communication terminal, from among the map component data searched for by the map component retrieving means, at least one of the point sequence data and the attribute data that are associated with update date and time data indicating a newer date and time than the date and time information contained in the map delivery request.

4. A map data delivering device according to claim 2, wherein the map component retrieving means excludes, as a subject of search, map component data that has been sent to the communication terminal after a date and time indicated by the associated update date and time data.

5. A map data delivering device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a grouping means which groups map component data retrieved by the map component retrieving means, for each item of update propagation range data associated with the map component data, wherein

the map component delivering means sends the map component data to the communication terminal, for each group created by the grouping means.

6. A map data delivering device according to claim 2, further comprising:

an update notifying means which, when map data stored in the map data storage method is updated, sends an update notification to the communication terminal, the update notification containing information that indicates which map component is updated.

7. A map data delivering device according to claim 1, wherein the map component delivering means sends, to the communication terminal, only differential data resulting from modification of the map component data searched for by the map component retrieving means.

15. A communication terminal according to claim 4, wherein the map data storage method stores the map data in association with each of a plurality of different levels of accuracy of the given area.

17. A map data delivering device according to claim 1, wherein:

the map data is sorted according to accuracy of coordinates or by map component type;

the map delivery request further contains information specifying the accuracy of the coordinates of an area of a map that is requested to be delivered, or information specifying map component type; and

the map component retrieving means searches the map data storage method for map component data having the accuracy or the type that is contained in the map delivery request.

18. A map data delivering device according to claim 1, wherein:

the map data is managed on a mesh cell basis and further contains, for each map component, update date and time data of map component data of the map component;

the map delivery request further contains date and time information indicating a most recent map delivery request date and time for an area, a map of which is requested to be delivered;

the map component retrieving means searches the map data storage method for map component data that is associated with update propagation range data containing map component data that belongs, at least partially, to an area indicated by the area information contained in the map delivery request, and is associated with update date and time data indicating a date and time that is newer than the date and time indicated in the date and time information contained in the map delivery request; and

the map delivery request method further performs search on other mesh cells where the retrieved map component is present.

19. A map data delivering device according to claim 18, wherein an upper limit is set to mesh count, or length and width, for performing update propagation to adjacent mesh cells.

22. A map data delivering device according to claim 17, wherein:

a surrounding area of a destination or of an intermediate point, and an area along a route are set as the area; and

for the surrounding area of the destination or of the intermediate point, the map data storage method is searched for map component data that has higher coordinate accuracy or more map component types than map component data that is retrieved for the area along the route.

8. A communication terminal for receiving map data that is delivered from a map data delivering device, the communication terminal comprising:

a map data storage method which manages, for each map component, map component data of the map component;

a map delivery request method which sends a map delivery request to the map data delivering device and in return receives map component data from the map data delivering device, the map delivery request containing area information and date and time information, the area information indicating an area for which a map is requested to be delivered, the date and time information indicating a most recent date and time of a map delivery request for the area; and

a map data updating means which updates, for each map component, map data stored in the map data storage method by using the map component data received from the map data delivering device.

9. A communication terminal according to claim 8, further comprising:

an update management data storing means which stores, for each area, update management data containing cycle information and date and time information, the cycle information indicating a cycle at which a part of the map data that belongs to the area is updated, and the date and time information indicating a most recent date and time at which a map of the area was requested to be delivered; and

an update management data updating means which updates the date and time information of update management data associated with an area that is indicated by the area information contained in the map delivery request sent from the map delivery request method, according to a date and time of transmission of the map delivery request;

wherein

the map delivery request method monitors the update management data storing means and, when there is update management data that has passed an update cycle indicated by the cycle information since the date and time indicated by the date and time information, creates a map delivery request containing the date and time information of the update management data and area information that indicates the area associated with the update management data, and then sends the created map delivery request to the map data delivering device.

10. A communication terminal according to claim 8, further comprising:

an update management data storing means which stores, for each area, update management data containing cycle information and date and time information, the cycle information indicating a cycle at which a part of the map data that belongs to the area is updated, and the date and time information indicating a most recent date and time at which a map of the area is requested to be delivered;

an update management data updating means which updates the date and time information of update management data associated with an area that is indicated by the area information contained in the map delivery request sent from the map delivery request method, according to date and time of transmission of the map delivery request; and

an update notification receiving means which receives an update notification from the map data delivering device, the update notification containing information that indicates an updated map component;

wherein

in cases where update management data stored in the update management data storing means, associated with an area containing the map component that is identified from information in the update notification received by the update notification receiving means, has passed the update cycle indicated by the cycle information since the date and time indicated by the date and time information, the map delivery request method creates a map delivery request containing the date and time information of the update management data and area information that indicates the area, and then sends the created map delivery request to the map data delivering device.

11. A communication terminal according to claim 9, wherein:

at least two areas associated with the update management data are set such that the areas have different sizes and each contain an area smaller than itself; and

cycle information in the update management data associated with the at least two areas is set such that as an area contained in the update management data becomes smaller, the update cycle becomes shorter.

12. A communication terminal according to claim 9, further comprising:

a specification receiving means which receives a specification of an area and a specification of an update cycle that is associated with the specified area;

wherein

the update management data updating means stores, in the update management data storing means, in association with the area received by the specification receiving means, cycle information that indicates the update cycle received by the specification receiving means.

13. A communication terminal according to claim 8, wherein:

the map delivery request method receives grouped map component data from the map data delivering device; and

the map data updating means performs, for each set of grouped map component data, update processing on map data stored in the map data storage method.

14. A communication terminal according to claim 8, wherein the map data storage method manages, collectively, for each given area, map component data of the map components that belong to the area.

20. A communication terminal according to claim 9, wherein the area is a surrounding area of a destination of route guidance or an intermediate point, and an area along the route.

21. A communication terminal according to claim 20, wherein a destination is registered as the area in the update management data storing means when at least one of the following events occur:

a user sets a destination;

the user arrives at a set destination; and

a history of destinations set in the past is presented to the user, and the user chooses and enters one of the past destinations.

16. A map data delivering method in which a map data delivering device delivers map data to a communication terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, from the communication terminal, a map delivery request which contains area information and date and time information, the area information indicating an area for which a map is requested to be delivered, the date and time information indicating a most recent date and time when a map of the area is requested to be delivered;

searching map data for an item of map component data, the map data holding, for each map component, map component data of the map component, update date and time data of the map component data of the map component, and update propagation range data containing the map component data of the map component as well as map component data of other elements that are affected by a change in the map component, the map component data being map component associated with update propagation range data containing map component data that belongs, at least partially, to an area indicated by the area information contained in the map delivery request, and associated with update date and time data indicating a date and time that is newer than a date and time indicated in the date and time information contained in the map delivery request; and

sending the retrieved map component data to the communication terminal.