Navigation system

• US 6,556,920 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2000
• Issued: 04/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Nagaki, Koichi, Kaneko, Michihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US09/730,797
• Publication Number:
  US 20010003169A1
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 701/300, 701/213, 701/207, 701/200, 701/201, 701/208, 701/215, 701/220, 701/217, 701/216, 342/357.13, 342/357.06, 342/357.08, 342/452, 340/995, 340/988, 340/990, 33/13.D, 33/1.CC, 709/217, 709/200, 324/72, 455/343, 345/174
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3844 Data obtained from position sensors only, e.g. from inertial navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3881 Tile-based structures

Abstract

A navigation system detects a present position of a movable body and performs a navigation for the movable body on the basis of map information. The navigation system is provided with: a storage device (15) of non-volatile type capable of writing the map data thereinto and reading the map data therefrom; a map data transferring device (11) for obtaining the map data corresponding to a predetermined area, and transferring and storing the map data corresponding to the predetermined area to the storage device; an empty area judging device (11) for judging whether or not an empty storage area having a predetermined capacity is reserved in the storage device when the map data transferring device is to transfer the map data corresponding to the predetermined area to the storage device; and an erasing device (11) for determining unnecessary data among data stored in the storage device on the basis of a predetermined condition, and erasing the unnecessary data from the storage device if the empty area judging device judges that the empty storage area is not reserved.

Claims

1. A navigation system for detecting a present position of a movable body and performing a navigation for the movable body on the basis of map information, said navigation system comprising:

a storage device of non-volatile type capable of writing the map data thereinto and reading the map data therefrom;

a map data transferring device for obtaining the map data corresponding to a predetermined area, and transferring and storing the map data corresponding to the predetermined area to said storage device;

an empty area judging device for judging whether or not an empty storage area having a predetermined capacity is reserved in said storage device when said map data transferring device is to transfer the map data corresponding to the predetermined area to said storage device; and

an erasing device for determining unnecessary data among the map data transferred and stored in said storage device on the basis of management information, which is correlated with the map data stored in said storage device, and erasing the unnecessary data from said storage device if said empty area judging device judges that the empty storage area is not reserved,

wherein the map data comprises a plurality of block map data for each unit block obtained by dividing a whole map into unit blocks.

2. A navigation system according to claim 1, further comprising a map data reading device for accommodating a record medium, in which the map data is recorded, and reading the map data from said record medium.

3. A navigation system according to claim 2, wherein said storage device is capable of writing and reading the map data at an access speed faster than that of said map data reading device.

4. A navigation system according to claim 3, wherein said storage device comprises a hard disc device.

5. A navigation system according to claim 4, wherein a map data storage area for storing the transferred map data is set in said storage device.

6. A navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

the management information comprises the number of accesses for the map data stored in said storage device, and

said erasing device determines the map data, the number of accesses for which is the minimum, as the unnecessary data.

7. A navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

the management information comprises date and time of access for the map data stored in said storage device, and

said erasing device determines the map data, the date and time of access for which is the oldest, as the unnecessary data.

8. A navigation system according to claim 1, wherein

writing and reading with respect to said storage device is performed by the block map data as unit.

9. A navigation system according to claim 8, wherein all of the plurality of block map data have data sizes same to each other.

10. A navigation system according to claim 8, wherein said map data transferring device judges whether or not the block map data to be transferred is already stored in said storage device, and transfers the block map data only if it is not judged to be stored in said storage device.

11. A navigation system according to claim 1, further comprising a communication device for obtaining the map data to be transferred and stored to said storage device.

12. A navigation system according to claim 11, wherein said communication device comprises a portable telephone.

13. A navigation system according to claim 11, wherein said communication device obtains the map data through a communication network.

14. A navigation system for detecting a present position of a movable body and performing a navigation for the movable body on the basis of map information, said navigation system comprising:

a storage device of non-volatile type capable of writing the map data thereinto and reading the map data therefrom;

a map data transferring device for obtaining the map data corresponding to a predetermined area, and transferring and storing the map data corresponding to the predetermined area to said storage device;

an empty area judging device for judging whether or not an empty storage area having a predetermined capacity is reserved in said storage device when said map data transferring device is to transfer the map data corresponding to the predetermined area to said storage device; and

an erasing device for determining unnecessary data among data stored in said storage device on the basis of a predetermined condition, and erasing the unnecessary data from said storage device if said empty area judging device judges that the empty storage area is not reserved, said erasing device determines the unnecessary data among the map data transferred and stored in said storage device, wherein said erasing device determines the unnecessary data on the basis of management information, which is correlated with the map data stored in said storage device, the management information comprises the number of accesses for the map data stored in said storage device, and said erasing device determines the map data, the number of accesses for which is the minimum, as the unnecessary data.

15. A navigation system for detecting a present position of a movable body and performing a navigation for the movable body on the basis of map information, said navigation system comprising:

a storage device of non-volatile type capable of writing the map data thereinto and reading the map data therefrom;

a map data transferring device for obtaining the map data corresponding to a predetermined area, and transferring and storing the map data corresponding to the predetermined area to said storage device;

an empty area judging device for judging whether or not an empty storage area having a predetermined capacity is reserved in said storage device when said map data transferring device is to transfer the map data corresponding to the predetermined area to said storage device; and

an erasing device for determining unnecessary data among data stored in said storage device on the basis of a predetermined condition, and erasing the unnecessary data from said storage device if said empty area judging device judges that the empty storage area is not reserved, said erasing device determines the unnecessary data among the map data transferred and stored in said storage device, wherein said erasing device determines the unnecessary data on the basis of management information, which is correlated with the map data stored in said storage device, wherein the management information comprises date and time of access for the map data stored in said storage device, and said erasing device determines the map data, the date and time of access for which is the oldest, as the unnecessary data.

16. A navigation system for detecting a present position of a movable body and performing a navigation for the movable body on the basis of map information, said navigation system comprising:

a storage device of non-volatile type capable of writing the map data thereinto and reading the map data therefrom;

a map data transferring device for obtaining the map data corresponding to a predetermined area, and transferring and storing the map data corresponding to the predetermined area to said storage device;

an empty area judging device for judging whether or not an empty storage area having a predetermined capacity is reserved in said storage device when said map data transferring device is to transfer the map data corresponding to the predetermined area to said storage device; and

an erasing device for determining unnecessary data among the map data transferred and stored in said storage device on the basis of a predetermined condition, and erasing the unnecessary data from said storage device if said empty area judging device judges that the empty storage area is not reserved, wherein said erasing device determines the map data corresponding to an areal block, which is farthest from the present position, as the unnecessary data,

wherein the map data comprises a plurality of block map data for each unit block obtained by dividing a whole map into unit blocks.