Method for operating a navigation system

• US 6,473,691 B1
• Filed: 03/11/2002
• Issued: 10/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tomtom Global Content B.V (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Nordsiek, Walter, Fabian, Thomas, Tiemann, Dirk, Hessing, Bernd, Jung, Thomas, Otte, Dirk, Binnewies, Olaf, Rentel, Bettina, Winter, Stephan
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc-Coleman, Marthe Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/914,368
• Time in Patent Office: 232 Days
• Field of Search: 701/208, 701/209, 701/200, 701/201, 707/100
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3881 Tile-based structures
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3889 Transmission of selected map data, e.g. depending on route
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a navigation system comprising a digital map base, which is a representation of actual geographical areas and which contains data of geographical elements. The navigation-system also comprises a unit, which retrieves and processes the data, such as an operating unit provided with a display device. The data in the digital map base is combined in the form of geographically defined page frames. When requesting a page frame from the digital map base, data of geographical elements which extend beyond the edge of the page frame is transferred in such a manner that data pertaining to these geographical elements located outside of the requested page frame is also compiled and transferred.

Claims

1. A method for operating a navigation system, having a digital map base which includes a reproduction of actual geographic regions and data of geographic elements, as well as having a device, such as a control panel with a display device that calls up the data and processes them, the data being summarized in the digital map base in the form of geographically defined tiles, characterized in that when a tile is requested from the digital database, data of geographic elements which have an extension past the edge of the tile are transmitted in such a way that data pertaining to these geographic elements are also collected and transmitted outside the requested tile.

2. The method of claim 1, characterized in that when a tile is requested, data of geographic elements which while located outside the requested tile are nevertheless adjacent to the edge of the requested tile within a predetermined region are additionally transmitted.

3. The method of claim 1, characterized in that the request of a tile is parametrized via geographical coordinates.

4. The method of claim 1, characterized in that the request of a tile is parametrized by inclusion and/or exclusion of data elements contained in the tile, such as streets, roads, hotels, railroad lines, restaurants, or the like.

5. The method of claim 1, characterized in that when a tile is requested from the digital database, data on the requested tile are additionally transmitted that include indications of the size of the tile, area of the tile, maximum area with adjacent and protruding geographic elements, data elements contained in the tile, and/or other information describing the tile.