Managing Differences Between Geographic Database Versions

• US 20090171558A1
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navteq North America LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Davis, Joseph B., Mulligan, Michael A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,521,430 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3811 Point data, e.g. Point of Interest [POI]
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/387 Organisation of map data, e.g. version management or database structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard

Abstract

A method and system for managing differences between geographic database versions is disclosed. A user registers his version of a geographic database with a map management application and thereafter enters a destination on a graphical user interface. The map management application checks to see if data representing the destination is located in the user'"'"'s version of the geographic database and a more current version of the geographic database. If the data representing the destination is located in the more current version but not the user'"'"'s version of the geographic database, the map management application provides the user with options, including upgrading to a more current version of the geographic database.

Claims

1. A method of using an online system to support routing to destinations with a portable system, comprising:

with the online system

providing a user interface through which a user specifies a destination;

upon determining that the destination is represented in a first map database associated with the online system but is not represented in a second map database associated with the portable system, identifying an alternative location close to the destination; and

providing the alternative location to the portable system.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving an identifier associated with the second map database associated with the portable system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the alternative location is selected from the group comprising an address, a point of interest, and a geographic coordinate.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a message to the user indicating that the destination is represented in the first map database associated with the online system but is not represented in the second map database associated with the portable system.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing routing guidance from the alternative location to the destination.

6. A method for operating a navigation system, comprising:

providing a destination to an on-line application;

receiving an indication of whether data representing the destination is located in a first geographic database associated with the navigation system; and

receiving an option to use data representing the destination located in a second geographic database associated with the on-line application when the data representing the destination is not located in the first geographic database.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing an identifier associated with the first geographic database to the on-line application.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the destination is selected from the group comprising an address, a point of interest, and a geographic coordinate.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the option includes receiving routing guidance to the destination using data from the second geographic database.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the option includes receiving geographic coordinates of the destination using data from the second geographic database.

11. The method of claim 6 further comprising receiving an option to request a more current version of the geographic database.

12. A system for managing differences between geographic database versions, comprising:

a first version of a geographic database containing geographic data representing features in a geographic region;

a second version of the geographic database containing more current geographic data representing the features in the geographic region than the first version; and

a software application operable to determine whether data representing a destination is located in the first and second versions of the geographic database and to provide at least one option based on the determination that the data representing the destination is located in the one of the versions but not the other version of the geographic database.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising a user interface that displays at least one message regarding whether the data representing the destination is available in at least one of the first and second versions of the geographic database.

14. The system of claim 12 further comprising a user interface that displays at least one map that includes a portion of the geographic region, wherein the at least one map depicts differences between the geographic data in the first and second versions of the geographic database.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the at least one option is selected from the group consisting of requesting a more current version of the geographic database, receiving at least a portion of routing guidance to the destination using data from the second version of the geographic database, and receiving geographic coordinates of the destination using data from the second version of the geographic database.

16. A system for managing differences between geographic database versions, comprising:

a processor;

data storage; and

machine language instructions stored in the data storage executable by the processor to;

identify whether data representing a destination is located in a first version of a geographic database and a second version of the geographic database, wherein the second version has more current data than the first version of the geographic database;

provide information to a user of the first version of the geographic database based on whether the data representing the destination is located in the first and second versions of the geographic database; and

provide at least one option to the user when the data representing the destination is located in one of the versions but not the other version of the geographic database.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the information includes that the data representing the destination is located in the first version of the geographic database.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the information includes that the data representing the destination is not located in the second version of the geographic database.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the information includes that the data representing the destination is located in the second version of the geographic database but not in the first version of the geographic database.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein the at least one option is selected from the group consisting of requesting a more current version of the geographic database, receiving at least a portion of routing guidance to the destination using data from the second version of the geographic database, and receiving geographic coordinates of the destination using data from the second version of the geographic database.

21. A method of using an online system to support routing to destinations with a portable system, comprising:

receiving a destination from a user of the portable system;

determining that the destination is represented by geographic data in a first map database associated with the portable system;

determining that the destination is represented by geographic data in a second map database associated with the on-line system; and

displaying a least one map on a user interface that depicts differences between the geographic data in the first and second map databases.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the second map database has additional data associated with the destination not found in the first map database.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising providing routing guidance using the additional detail in the second map database associated with the on-line system.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the at least one map includes a first map generated using the geographic data in the first map database and a second map generated using the geographic data in the second map database.