MAP INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS

• US 20110313823A1
• Filed: 08/30/2011
• Published: 12/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Makoto Mikuriya, Masaharu Umezu, Mitsuo Shimotani, Tomoya Ikeuchi
• Original Assignee: Makoto Mikuriya, Masaharu Umezu, Mitsuo Shimotani, Tomoya Ikeuchi
• Inventors: IKEUCHI, Tomoya, Umezu, Masaharu, Mikuriya, Makoto, Shimotani, Mitsuo
• Application Number:
  US13/221,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20110313823A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/13
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3815 Road data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3837 Data obtained from a single source
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3844 Data obtained from position sensors only, e.g. from inertial navigation

Abstract

An apparatus includes a map information storage section (16) for storing map information on an area by area basis formed in meshes; a positioning section (15) for measuring its own present location; a new road detecting section (19) for deciding that a new road is detected when the present location measured by the positioning section is on a road not included in the map information stored in the map information storage section; a new road registration decision section (20) for deciding that the new road is additionally registrable to the map information stored in the map information storage section when the road density in the area including the new road detected by the new road detecting section is equal to or less than a predetermined value; and a new road registration section (21) for making additional registration of the new road, as to which the new road registration decision section makes an additionally registrable decision, to the map information stored in the map information storage section.

Claims

1. A map information processing apparatus comprising:

a map information storage section for storing map information on an area by area basis formed in meshes;

a positioning section for measuring its own present location;

a new road detecting section for deciding that a new road is detected when the present location measured by said positioning section is on a road not included in the map information stored in said map information storage section;

a new road registration decision section for deciding that the new road is additionally registrable to the map information stored in said map information storage section when the new road detected by said new road detecting section or a road to which the new road is joined is a prescribed road type; and

a new road registration section for making additional registration of the new road, as to which said new road registration decision section makes an additionally registrable decision, to the map information stored in said map information storage section.

2. The map information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said new road registration decision section decides that the new road is additionally registrable to the map information stored in said map information storage section when the road type of the new road detected by said new road detecting section or that of the road joined to the new road is an expressway, toll road or road for exclusive use of automobiles.

3. The map information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said new road registration decision section decides as to whether the road type of the new road detected by said new road detecting section or that of the road joined to the new road is an expressway, toll road or road for exclusive use of automobiles according to a traveling speed obtained from said positioning section or to a road geometry contained in the map information obtained from said map information storage section.

4. The map information processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a vehicle-mounted electronic toll collection terminal for settling accounts through radio communications with an electronic toll collection road side apparatus installed at a gateway of the toll road; and

an electronic toll collection data receiving section for acquiring electronic toll collection data from said vehicle-mounted electronic toll collection terminal, wherein

said new road registration decision section decides as to whether the road type of the new road detected by said new road detecting section or that of the road joined to the new road is the expressway, toll road or road for exclusive use of automobiles according to the electronic toll collection data acquired by said electronic toll collection data receiving section.

5. The map information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a registration decision result presentation section for making a presentation of a decision result and decision reason made by said new road registration decision section.

6. The map information processing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

an input receiving section for receiving an input from an input unit; and

a registration decision result confirmation section for confirming the decision result and decision reason presented by said registration decision result presentation section according to a content received by said input receiving section,

wherein said new road registration section decides that the new road is additionally registrable to the map information stored in said map information storage section when said registration decision result confirmation section confirms that the new road should be registered.