Map Updating System, Methods and Programs

• US 20100042651A1
• Filed: 06/07/2007
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Sugimoto, Hironobu, Kodan, Tomoki, Sawai, Kimiyoshi, Nakamura, Norihiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,055,620 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: N/A
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3859 Differential updating map data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3878 Hierarchical structures, e.g. layering
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3896 Transmission of map data from central databases
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/003 Maps
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/92 Navigation

Abstract

Map updating systems, methods, and programs that store map information, including one or more pieces of difference update information, obtain the one or more pieces of difference update information used for updating a part of the map information, and update the map information based on the one or more pieces of difference update information. The systems, methods, and programs obtain total update information used for updating an entirety of the memory to a new piece of map information, update the map information based on the total update information, compare a version of the total update information used in the total update with each of versions of the one or more pieces of difference update information stored in the memory, extract any of the one or more pieces of difference update information judged to be newer and update the map information based on the difference update information.

Claims

1-3. -3. (canceled)

4. A map updating system comprising:

a memory that stores map information, including one or more pieces of difference update information;

a controller configured to;

obtain the one or more pieces of difference update information used for updating a part of the map information stored in the memory to a new piece of map information;

update the map information based on the one or more pieces of difference update information;

obtain total update information used for updating an entirety of the map information stored in the memory to a new piece of map information;

update the map information based on the total update information;

compare, after a total update is performed, a version of the total update information used in the total update with each of versions of the one or more pieces of difference update information stored in the memory;

extract any of the one or more pieces of difference update information of which the version is judged to be newer than the version of the total update information; and

update the map information on which the total update has been performed based on the any of the difference update information.

5. The map updating system according to claim 4, wherein the memory stores a time of creation at which each of the one or more pieces of difference update information was created, or a time of obtainment at which each of the one or more pieces of difference update information was obtained;

the controller being further configured to;

judge whether or not a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the time of creation or the time of obtainment; and

delete, from the memory, any of the one or more pieces of difference update information for which the predetermined period of time has elapsed.

6. The map updating system of claim 5, wherein the predetermined period of time is based according to a schedule of creation of the total update information.

7. The map updating system of claim 6, wherein the predetermined period of time is one year.

8. The map updating system of claim 4, wherein the difference update information is information for updating only a specific area of the map information.

9. The map updating system of claim 4, wherein the memory is at least one of a hard disk drive, a flexible disk, a memory card, a magnetic tape, a magnetic drum, an optical disk, an MO, an IC card.

10. The map updating system of claim 4, the controller being further configured to judge whether a difference update start condition is satisfied.

11. The map updating system of claim 10, wherein the start difference update start condition is one of the map updating system turning on, registering or changing a default home location, and specifying a destination for a route search.

12. The map updating system of claim 11, wherein the one or more pieces of difference update information obtained are focused on a predetermined area around the home location when the start condition satisfied is one of the map updating system turning on and registering or changing the home location;

and

the one or more pieces of difference update information obtained are focused on a predetermined area around the destination when the start condition satisfied is specifying a destination for a route search.

13. A map updating method comprising:

obtaining one or more pieces of difference update information used for updating a part of map information stored in a memory to a new piece of map information;

updating the map information based on the one or more pieces of difference update information;

obtaining total update information used for updating an entirety of the map information stored in the memory to a new piece of map information;

performing a total update on the map information based on the total update information;

storing the one or more pieces of difference update information in the memory;

comparing, after the total update is performed, a version of the total update information used in the total update with each version of the one or more pieces of difference update information stored in the memory;

extracting from the memory, any of the one or more pieces of difference update information of which the version is judged to be newer than the version of the total update information; and

updating the map information on which the total update has been performed based on the any of the extracted difference update information.

14. The map updating method of claim 13, further comprising:

storing a time of creation at which each of the one or more pieces of difference update information was created, or a time of obtainment at which each of the one or more pieces of difference update information was obtained;

judging whether or not a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the time of creation or the time of obtainment; and

deleting, from the difference update information storage means, any of the one or more pieces of difference update information for which the lapse of period judging means has judged that the predetermined period of time has elapsed.

15. The map updating method of claim 14, further comprising:

judging whether a difference update start condition is satisfied.

16. The map updating method of claim 15, wherein the start difference update start condition is one of registering or changing a default home location, and specifying a destination for a route search.

17. The map updating method of claim 16, further comprising:

obtaining the one or more pieces of difference update information focused on a predetermined area around the home location when the start condition satisfied is registering or changing the home location; and

obtaining the one or more pieces of difference update information focused on a predetermined area around the destination when the start condition satisfied is specifying a destination for a route search.

18. The map updating method of claim 13, wherein the difference update information is information for updating only a specific area of the map information.

19. An computer-executable program embodied on a computer-readable medium executable by a computer to perform a map updating process, the computer-executable program comprising:

instructions for obtaining one or more pieces of difference update information used for updating a part of map information stored in a map information storage medium to a new piece of map information;

instructions for updating the map information based on the one or more pieces of difference update information obtained in the difference update information obtaining step;

instructions for obtaining total update information used for updating an entirety of the map information stored in the map information storage medium to a new piece of map information;

instructions for performing a total update on the map information based on the total update information;

instructions for storing the one or more pieces of difference update information obtained in the difference update information obtaining step into in a difference update information storage medium;

instructions for comparing, after the total update is performed in the total updating step, a version of the total update information used in the total update with each of versions of the one or more pieces of difference update information stored in the difference update information storage medium;

instructions for extracting from the difference update information storage medium, any of the one or more pieces of difference update information of which the version is judged to be newer than the version of the total update information at the comparing step; and

instructions for updating the map information on which the total update has been performed based on the any of the extracted difference update information extracted at the information extracting step.

20. The computer-executable program embodied on a computer-readable medium executable by a computer to perform a map updating process of claim 19, the computer-executable program further comprising:

instructions for storing a time of creation at which each of the one or more pieces of difference update information was created, or a time of obtainment at which each of the one or more pieces of difference update information was obtained;

instructions for judging whether or not a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the time of creation or the time of obtainment; and

instructions for deleting, from the difference update information storage means, any of the one or more pieces of difference update information for which the lapse of period judging means has judged that the predetermined period of time has elapsed.

21. The computer-executable program embodied on a computer-readable medium executable by a computer to perform a map updating process of claim 19, wherein the difference update information is information for updating only a specific area of the map information.