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

• US 20090171976A1
• Filed: 12/16/2008
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Hayashi, Hideki, Asahara, Akinori, Obara, Kiyohiro, Maruyama, Kishiko
• Granted Patent: US 8,131,675 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3811 Point data, e.g. Point of Interest [POI]
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3859 Differential updating map data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3889 Transmission of selected map data, e.g. depending on route
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3896 Transmission of map data from central databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

There is disclosed a map data delivering system for providing consistent road network information from supplement map information and map update information. The map data delivering system includes a navigation terminal and a map distribution server. The map distribution server includes a management data storage unit which stores an update element representing differential update data representing a difference of the map data, and update element management data containing an update element ID for identifying the update element, an update date before the updating of the map data, and a dependent update element ID for storing dependency on the updating of the map data; an update management data selector unit which selects the update element management data having the dependent update element ID among the update element management data having the located area overlapped with the map area of the map distribution request from the navigation terminal and the corresponding update element management data; and a network I/F unit which performs communication with the navigation terminal.

Claims

1. A map data delivering system having a communication terminal and a map data delivering device for delivering map data to the communication terminal,

wherein the map data delivering device includes:

a storage unit for storing

differential update data representing a difference before and after updating of the map data,

an update element representing a set of differential update data, and

update element management data containing an update element ID for identifying the update element, a located area overlapped with a map area of the differential update data, an update date before the updating of the map data, and a dependent update element ID for storing dependency on updating of corresponding map data;

a map distribution request receiver which receives a request for delivering the update element, the update element management data, and the differential update data from the communication terminal;

an update management data selector which selects the update element management data having the dependent update element ID from the management data storage unit among the update element management data having the located area overlapped with the map area of the distribution request and the corresponding update element management data; and

an update data distribution unit for transmitting the update element and the differential update data managed by the selected update element management data and the corresponding update element management data to the communication terminal, and

wherein the communication terminal has a map update unit which updates the map data based on at least the received differential update data, the update element, and the update element management data.

2. The map data delivering system according to claim 1, wherein the update management data selector executes a process of selecting the update element management data having the located area from the management data storage unit until the dependent update element ID affecting the updating of the map data is not included.

3. The map data delivering system according to claim 1, wherein the differential update data includes node data and link data or point of interest (POI) information.

4. The map data delivering system according to claim 1,

wherein the distribution request includes a map version of the communication terminal or the update time information, and

the update data delivering unit delivers the update element management data, the update element, and the corresponding differential update data having a version of the map or the update time information obtained at the time of or later than a version of the map or the update time information included in the distribution request among the update element management data selected by the update management data selector.

5. The map data delivering system according to claim 1, wherein the map data delivering device has a supplement map information generator which:

creates link data representing a road network and node data representing an intersection of a link and existing roads based on route data which is a set of information including input latitude and longitude values,

creates a supplement update element for adding information different from the existing link data and node data to the node data and link data as the differential update data having an attribute of supplement and supplement update element management data for managing the corresponding supplement update element and stores the data in the storage unit, and

represents the update element ID which has the located area overlapped with a map area of the supplement update element and is designated by the latest supplement update element management data as the dependent update element ID in the supplement update element management data.

6. A method of delivering map data in a map data delivering system having a communication terminal and a map data delivering device for delivering map data to the communication terminal, the method comprising steps of:

by the map data delivering device,

storing differential update data representing a difference before and after updating of the map data, an update element representing a set of differential update data, and update element management data containing an update element ID for identifying the update element, a located area overlapped with a map area of the differential update data, an update date before the update of the map data, and a dependent update element ID for storing dependency on updating of corresponding map data;

receiving a request for delivering the update element, the update element management data, and the differential update data from the communication terminal;

selecting the update element management data having the dependent update element ID among the update element management data having the located area overlapped with the map area of the distribution request and the corresponding update element management data; and

transmitting the update element and the differential update data managed by the selected update element management data and the corresponding update element management data to the communication terminal, and

by the communication terminal,

updating the map data based on at least the received differential update data, the update element, and the update element management data.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the process of selecting the update element management data having the located area from the management data storage unit is executed until the dependent update element ID affecting the updating of the map data is not included.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the differential update data includes node data and link data or point of interest (POI) information.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the distribution request includes a map version of the communication terminal or the update time information, and

the update element management data, the update element, and the corresponding differential update data having a version of the map or the update time information obtained at the time of or later than a version of the map or the update time information included in the distribution request among the selected update element management data are delivered.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the map data delivering device:

creates link data representing a road network and node data representing an intersection of a link and existing roads based on route data which is a set of information including input latitude and longitude values,

creates a supplement update element for adding information different from the existing link and node data to the node and link data as the differential update data having an attribute of supplement and supplement update element management data for managing the corresponding supplement update element and stores the data in the storage unit, and

represents the update element ID which has the located area overlapped with a map area of the supplement update element and is designated by the latest supplement update element management data as the dependent update element ID in the supplement update element management data.

11. A communication terminal which receives map data from a map data delivering device, the communication terminal comprising:

a distribution request unit which delivers, to the map data delivering device, differential update data representing a difference before and after the updating of the map data, an update element representing a set of differential update data, and update element management data containing an update element ID for identifying the update element, a located area overlapped with a map area of the differential update data, an update date before the update of the map data, and a dependent update element ID for storing dependency on updating of corresponding map data;

a receiver unit which receives the update element, the update element management data, and the differential update data from the map data delivering device;

a management data storage unit which stores the update element and the update element management data;

a map data storage unit which stores node data and link data as the differential update data; and

a map update unit which deletes the link and node of which operation of the update element is designated as addition and adds the link and node of which operation is designated as deletion with reference to a class of the received update element management data and contents of the update element having a class of supplement to invalidate the updating by the update element having a class of supplement, performs updating by applying contents of the update element having a class of regular with reference to a class of the received update element management data, and then, performs updating by applying contents of the update element having a class of supplement with reference to a class of the received update element management data.

12. The communication terminal according to claim 11, wherein the distribution request unit requests to deliver the update element, the update element management data, and the corresponding differential update data having a version of the map or the update time information obtained at the time of or later than a version of the map or the update time information of the communication terminal.