MAP DATA CREATING DEVICE, NAVIGATION DEVICE, AND MAP PROCESSING SYSTEM USING THESE DEVICES

• US 20120215441A1
• Filed: 01/19/2010
• Published: 08/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MEL NavIP LLC (Ni, Wang & Massand, PLLC)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Hayakawa, Fujio
• Granted Patent: US 8,600,666 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/428
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• 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

Abstract

Disclosed is a map data creating device including an average travel speed calculating unit for calculating an average travel speed in each link included in searched route data showing a route which is searched for by a route searching unit according to infounation which is included in map data acquired from a map database and which is assigned to the link, a control unit for dividing the route which is searched for by the route searching unit into sub-routes according to the average travel speed from the average travel speed calculating unit to acquire map data about a map having a scale according to an average travel speed assigned to each of the sub-routes into which the route is divided from the map database, and a searched route data storage unit for storing the map data acquired by the control unit while bringing the map data into correspondence with the sub-route.

Claims

1-7. -7. (canceled)

8. A map data creating device comprising:

a map database for storing map data;

a route searching unit for searching for a route leading from a place of departure to a destination;

an average travel speed calculating unit for calculating an average travel speed in each link included in searched route data showing the route which is searched for by said route searching unit according to information which is included in map data acquired from said map database and which is assigned to the link;

a control unit for dividing the route which is searched for by said route searching unit into sub-routes according to the average travel speed from said average travel speed calculating unit to acquire map data about a map having a scale according to an average travel speed assigned to each of the sub-routes into which said route is divided from said map database; and

a searched route data storage unit for storing the map data acquired by said control unit while bringing the map data into correspondence with said each of the sub-routes.

9. The map data creating device according to claim 8, wherein the searched route data storage unit stores map data about a map of an area including a start point, an end point, and all waypoints of each of the sub-routes as the map data associated with said each of the sub-routes.

10. The map data creating device according to claim 8, wherein the route searching unit searches for a plurality of routes from the place of departure to the destination, the average travel speed calculating unit calculates an average travel speed in each link included in searched route data showing each of the plurality of routes which are searched for by said route searching unit according to information which is included in map data acquired from the map database and which is assigned to the link, the control unit divides each of the plurality of routes which are searched for by said route searching unit into sub-routes according to the average travel speed from said average travel speed calculating unit to acquire map data about a map having a scale according to an average travel speed assigned to each of the sub-routes into which said route is divided from said map database, and the searched route data storage unit stores map data about a map of an area including all of a start point, an end point, and waypoints of each of the sub-routes of each of the plurality of routes which are searched for by said route searching unit as map data associated with said each of the sub-routes.

11. The map data creating device according to claim 8, wherein the control unit divides the route which is searched for by the route searching unit into sub-routes according to the average travel speed from the average travel speed calculating unit, and acquires map data about a map having a scale different from scales according to average travel speeds assigned to two contiguous sub-routes acquired through said division, as map data about a map of a connection point at which the two contiguous sub-routes are connected with each other, from the map database.

12. The map data creating device according to claim 8, wherein said map data creating device includes a display unit for outputting information, the route searching unit searches for a plurality of routes, the average travel speed calculating unit calculates an average travel speed in each link included in searched route data showing each of the plurality of routes which are searched for by said route searching unit according to information which is included in map data acquired from the map database and which is assigned to the link, the control unit divides each of the plurality of routes which are searched for by said route searching unit into sub-routes according to the average travel speed from said average travel speed calculating unit to acquire map data about a map having a scale according to an average travel speed assigned to each of the sub-routes into which said route is divided from said map database, the searched route data storage unit stores map data about a map of an area including all of a start point, an end point, and waypoints of each of the sub-routes of each of the plurality of routes which are searched for by said route searching unit as map data associated with said each of the sub-routes, and said display unit outputs information enabling determination of whether or not a transfer between sub-routes of the plurality of routes can be performed.

13. A navigation device comprising:

a current position detecting unit for detecting a current position and a current travel speed;

an external data acquiring unit for acquiring searched route data showing a route which is searched for and which is divided into a plurality of sub-routes according to average travel speeds, and map data about maps having plural scales brought into said plurality of sub-routes and according to said average travel speeds; and

a control unit for performing a process of displaying a map having a scale corresponding to said current position and said current travel speed according to the searched route data showing the route which is divided into said plurality of sub-routes and the map data about the maps having the plural scales brought into said plurality of sub-routes to guide a user along said searched route.

14. A map processing system comprising a map data creating device and a navigation device, wherein

said map data creating device includes:

a map database for storing map data;

a route searching unit for searching for a route leading from a place of departure to a destination;

an average travel speed calculating unit for calculating an average travel speed in each link included in searched route data showing the route which is searched for by said route searching unit according to information which is included in map data acquired from said map database and which is assigned to the link;

a control unit for dividing the route which is searched for by said route searching unit into sub-routes according to the average travel speed from said average travel speed calculating unit to acquire map data about a map having a scale according to an average travel speed assigned to each of the sub-routes into which said route is divided from said map database;

a searched route data storage unit for storing the map data acquired by said control unit while bringing the map data into correspondence with said each of the sub-routes; and

an output unit for outputting data stored in said searched route data storage unit, and wherein

said navigation device includes;

a current position detecting unit for detecting a current position and a current travel speed;

an external data acquiring unit for acquiring the said searched route data outputted from the output unit of said map data creating device and map data; and

a control unit for performing a process of displaying a map having a scale corresponding to said current position and said current travel speed according to said searched route data and said map data to guide a user along said searched route.