Map Update Data Delivery Method, Map Update Data Delivery Device and Terminal Device

• US 20110179080A1
• Filed: 01/19/2011
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Original Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Inventors: Matsuo, Shigeru, Uchida, Takayuki, Tomobe, Osamu, MIYAZAKI, Yukio, Kamiwaki, Tadashi, Kawamata, Yukihiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,706,693 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/772
• 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

A map update data delivery method includes: storing update unit data compiled in correspondence to each set of update data used to update map data in a specific version to map data in another version for a map element by incorporating update data for another map element that must also be updated in coordination with a change made for the map element; searching for base update data needed to update a map data for a map element designated as an update target in a map area specified at a terminal as a map data update target; searching for related update data with a relation to contents of update data included in the base update data searched; and transmitting the base update data and the related update data to the terminal.

Claims

1. A map update data delivery method, comprising:

storing, in an update unit data storage unit of a map update system that updates map data at a terminal, update unit data compiled in correspondence to each set of update data used to update map data in a specific version to map data in another version for a map element by incorporating update data for another map element that must also be updated in coordination with a change made for the map element;

searching the update unit data storage unit for base update data constituted with the update unit data needed to update a map data for a map element designated as an update target in a map area specified at the terminal as a map data update target;

searching the update unit data storage unit for related update data constituted with another set of update unit data with a relation to contents of update data included in the base update data searched; and

transmitting the base update data and the related update data to the terminal.

2. A map update data delivery method according to claim 1, wherein:

in the searching for the related update data, update unit data for another map element set apart from the map element corresponding to the base update data by a distance equal to or less than a predetermined distance, which include character string data identical to character string data included in the update data included in the base update data, are retrieved as the related update data associated with the base update data through search.

3. A map update data delivery method according to claim 1, wherein:

the map update system includes a road link relation information storage unit in which a relation between a given set of road link data and another set of road link data is defined as relation information defining a relation between sets of map element data; and

in the searching for the related update data, update unit data for another map element set apart from the map element corresponding to the base update data by a distance equal to or less than a predetermined distance, which include road link data related as defined in the road link relation information storage unit to road link data included in the base update data are retrieved as the related update data associated with the base update data through search.

4. A map update data delivery method according to claim 3, wherein:

the map update system includes a facility category relation information storage unit in which a relation between a facility category to which a given set of facility data belongs and another facility category is defined as relation information defining a relation between sets of map element data; and

in the searching for the related update data, update unit data for another map element set apart from the map element corresponding to the base update data by a distance equal to or less than a predetermined distance, which include facility data belonging to a facility category related as defined in the facility category relation information storage unit to facility data included in the base update data are retrieved as the related update data associated with the base update data through search.

5. A map update data delivery device that transmits update data to be used to update map data at a terminal connected through a network in response to a request issued from the terminal in a map update system enabling the map data at the terminal to be updated, comprising:

an update unit data storage unit in which update unit data compiled in correspondence to each set of update data used to update map data in a specific version to map data in another version for a map element by incorporating update data for another map element that must also be updated in coordination with a change made for the map element, are stored;

a base update data search unit that searches for base update data constituted with the update unit data needed to update a map data for a map element designated as an update target in a map area specified at the terminal as a map data update target;

a related update data search unit that searches for related update data constituted with another set of update unit data with a relation to contents of the update data included in the base update data searched; and

a map data delivery unit that transmits the base update data and the related update data to the terminal.

6. A map update data delivery device according to claim 5, wherein:

the related update data search unit retrieves through search the related update data constituted with update unit data for another map element set apart from the map element corresponding to the base update data by a distance equal to or less than a predetermined distance, which include character string data identical to character string data included in the update data constituting part of the base update data.

7. A map update data delivery device according to claim 5, further comprising:

a road link relation information storage unit in which a relation between a given set of road link data and another set of road link data is defined as relation information defining a relation between sets of map element data, wherein;

the related update data search unit retrieves through search the related update data constituted with update unit data for another map element set apart from the map element corresponding to the base update data by a distance equal to or less than a predetermined distance, which include road link data related as defined in the road link relation information storage unit to road link data included in the base update data.

8. A map update data delivery device according to claim 5, further comprising:

a facility category relation information storage unit in which a relation between a facility category to which a given set of facility data belongs and another facility category is defined as relation information defining a relation between sets of map element data, wherein;

the related update data search unit retrieves through search the related update data constituted with updated unit data for another map element set apart from the map element corresponding to the base update data by a distance equal to or less than a predetermined distance, which include facility data belonging to a facility category related as defined in the facility category relation information storage unit to facility data included in the base update data.

9. A terminal device, comprising:

a map data acquisition unit that obtains map data in a specific version stored in a map database; and

a map update processing unit that updates the map data in the specific version to map data in another version in correspondence to each map element obtained via the map data acquisition unit, wherein;

the map update processing unit obtains via the map data acquisition unit update unit data compiled in correspondence to each set of update data needed to update map data for a map element by incorporating update data for another map element that also needs to be updated in coordination with a change made for the map element and updates map data by using the update unit data; and

the map data acquisition unit transmits to a map center an update data verification request that includes identification information of a map area specified by a user via an input unit, as a map data update target and information indicating a version of map data stored in the map database, corresponding to the map area specified, receives an update data summary providing summary information for base update data constituted with update unit data needed to update a map element to be designated as an update target, and summary information for related update data constituted with another set of update unit data related to contents of the update data included in the base update data, accepts a user selection of specified update unit data as an update target by displaying the update data summary at a display unit, transmits an update data transmission request containing identification information enabling identification of the specified update unit data to the map center, and obtains update unit data to be used to update the map data at the map update processing unit.

10. A terminal device according to claim 9, wherein:

when accepting the selection of update unit data to be designated as the update target by displaying the update data summary at the display unit, current selection states of both the base update data and the related update data, in correspondence to which the summary is displayed, are indicated at the display unit.

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

the related update data are update unit data for another map element set apart from the map element corresponding to the base update data by a distance equal to or less than a predetermined distance, which include character string data identical to character string data included in update data constituting part of the base update data.

12. A terminal device according to claim 9, wherein:

the related update data corresponding to the summary information included in the update data summary, received in response to the update data verification request, are update unit data for another map element set apart from the map element corresponding to the base update data by a distance equal to or less than a predetermined distance, which include other road link data related as defined to road link data in the base update data for the map area specified in the update data verification request.

13. A terminal device according to claim 9, wherein:

the related update data corresponding to the summary information included in the update data summary, received in response to the update data verification request, are update unit data for another map element set apart from the map element corresponding to the base update data by a distance equal to or less than a predetermined distance, which include facility data belonging to another facility category related as defined to a facility category to which facility data in the base update data for the map area specified in the update data verification request belong.