Incremental testing of a navigation database

• US 20120209818A1
• Filed: 02/11/2011
• Published: 08/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Inventors: Richter, Jan, Pfeifle, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 9,075,822 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/690
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3859 Differential updating map data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

A navigation system utilizes a testing package tailor made for an incremental update to a map database. An incorrect incremental update may corrupt a navigation database. Testing an incrementally updated database after updating allows a corrupted database to be detected before the corrupted database is used by the map database system. Map tiles associated with a list of recompiled objects are used to populate a table. A test script is created from the list map tiles and, when executed, checks the validity of references in the map database associated with the map tiles. The test script generates a return value that indicates whether errors occurred, the type of the errors, the quantity of errors, or any combination thereof. The navigation system analyzes the errors and determines whether to finalize or roll back the update.

Claims

1. A method of testing an incrementally updated map database, the method comprising:

receiving a list of objects derived from an update for the navigational database;

populating a table with map tiles associated with the objects;

generating a test script including a consistency check algorithm for at least one of the map tiles associated with one or more of the objects of the update; and

storing the test script in a memory.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing the test script on the map database to generate a return value;

committing the update to the map database if the return value indicates no errors; and

removing the update from the map database if the return value indicate one or more errors.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the test script includes a test command for each of the map tiles.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the consistency check algorithm determines whether references in the map database to the at least one of the map tiles and references in the map database from the at least one of the map tiles are valid.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one map tile includes a tile identification value and tile data including nodes and segments.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the test script is uniquely generated for the update.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the update and the test script to a navigation device, wherein the memory is located in a map developer server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the memory is located in a navigation device and the update is received from a map developer server.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the test script comprises structured query language.

10. An apparatus for testing an incrementally updated map database, the apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store a table populated with a first plurality of map tiles associated with an update package for updating the navigational database; and

a controller configured to generate a test script including a consistency check algorithm for the first plurality of map tiles, wherein the consistency check algorithm determines whether references within each of the first plurality of map tiles are valid and whether references to each of the first plurality of map tiles from any of a second plurality of map tiles are valid,

wherein the second plurality map tiles are not included in the table populated with the first plurality of map tiles.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller is a map developer controller and generates the update package associated with the list of recompiled objects.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller is a navigation device controller and derives the list of recompiled objects from the updated package received from the map developer.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the test script includes a test command for each of the map tiles.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the consistency check algorithm determines whether references in the map database to the at least one of the map tiles and from the at least one of the map tiles are valid.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one map tile includes a tile identification value and tile data including nodes and segments.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the test script comprises structured query language.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to execute the test script on the map database to generate a return value.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to finalize the update package to the map database when the return value indicates no errors and revert to a previous version of the map database when the return value indicates one or more errors.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the memory stores a threshold value and the controller is configured to finalize the update package to the map database when the return value indicates errors less that the threshold value and configured to roll back the update package when the return value indicates errors in excess than the threshold value.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium configured to store a computer program configured to perform a method for testing updated geographic data in a map database, the method comprising:

updating a first version of geographic data to a second version of geographic data, wherein a first map tile in the first version of geographic data remains in the second version of geographic data and a second map tile from the first version of geographic data is changed in the second version of geographic data;

executing a test script on the second version of geographic data, wherein the test script checks the consistency of at least the second map tile;

receiving a return value from the test script, wherein the return value indicates a number of errors;

finalizing the second version of geographic data in the map database when the number of errors is less that a threshold value; and

returning the map database to the first version of geographic data when the number of errors exceeds the threshold value.

21. A method in a navigation system that uses a geographic database, wherein the geographic database includes data that represents geographic features in a region, the method comprising:

receiving an incremental update to a first version of the geographic database;

applying the incremental update to the first version of the geographic database to create an updated version of the geographic database;

conducting one or more tests of the updated version of the geographic database, wherein the tests access a portion of the updated version of the geographic database that had been modified by the incremental update relative to the first version of the geographic database; and

upon obtaining a result in the one or more tests that exceeds an error tolerance threshold, continuing to use the first version of the geographic database in the navigation system.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the steps of receiving, applying, conducting and continuing are performed in an end-user'"'"'s navigation system.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the navigation system is installed in a vehicle.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the conducting step further comprises:

testing data references between the portion of the updated version of the geographic database that had been modified by the incremental update and a portion of the geographic database that had not been modified by the incremental update.