Navigation System, Method and Computer Program Product for the Operation of said Navigation System

• US 20090030606A1
• Filed: 01/05/2007
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Pfeifle, Martin, Tantz, Uwe, Sasse, Volker
• Application Number:
  US12/162,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20090030606A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3881 Tile-based structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

Presented is a navigation system that includes a navigation apparatus, a relational database that stores navigation data as individual data records. Each individual record includes at least one respective data packet that represents a dedicated propriety database, at least one respective property of the relevant data packet, and a respective unique identifier of each of the individual data records. The navigation system further includes a database management system that is configured to access the navigation data stored in the relational database. Also presented is a method for operating the navigation system that includes using the database management system to access the navigation data in the relational database in response to an instruction from the navigation apparatus, and using, by the navigation apparatus, at least one prescribed access function to access data in the data packet that represents the dedicated propriety database.

Claims

1-13. -13. (canceled)

14. A navigation system, comprising:

a navigation apparatus (NAVI);

a relational database storing navigation data as individual data records, each of the data records comprising at least one respective data packet that represents a dedicated propriety database, at least one respective property of the relevant data packet, and a respective unique identifier of the each of the data records; and

a database management system configured to access the navigation data stored in the relational database.

15. A method for operating a navigation system as claimed in claim 14, comprising:

using the database management system to access the navigation data in the relational database in response to an instruction from the navigation apparatus; and

using, by the navigation apparatus, at least one prescribed access function to access data in the at least one data packet that represents the dedicated propriety database.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising the step of compressing and then storing the at least one data packet.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the at least one data packet includes at least one of names, geographical data, and graphical data.

18. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the step of using at least one prescribed access function includes transferring the at least one prescribed access function to the database management system to access the data in the at least one data packet.

19. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the step of using at least one prescribed access function includes using the at least one access function to change the data in the at least one data packet.

20. The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising the steps of determining the instruction to the database management system based on a type of access operation by the navigation apparatus to the navigation data, using the instruction as a basis for determining the relevant data record, and evaluating the data packet in the relevant data record for the purpose of determining the navigation data.

21. The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising the step of determining the data record based on a prescribed index structure.

22. The method as claimed in claim 20, further comprising the steps of creating an execution plan on the basis of the instruction, and determining the relevant data record based on the execution plan.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, further comprising the steps of randomly recording at least one of the access operation, the relevant instruction, and the execution plan, and storing least one of the instruction and the execution plan if at least one of the access operation, the relevant instruction, and the execution plan occurs with a prescribed frequency.

24. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the data records are accessed using structured query language.

25. A computer-readable medium, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer to perform method steps for operating a navigation system, the method steps comprising:

accessing, by a database management system, navigation data in a relational database in response to an instruction from a navigation apparatus; and

using, by the navigation apparatus, at least one prescribed access function to access data in a data packet that represents a dedicated propriety database.