Deductive database architecture for geographic data

• US 6,601,073 B1
• Filed: 03/22/2000
• Issued: 07/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navigation Technologies Corp. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Robare, Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): Coby, Frantz
• Application Number:
  US09/532,617
• Time in Patent Office: 1,224 Days
• Field of Search: 707/104, 707/102, 707/200, 707/100, 342/357.13, 701/202, 701/208, 701/209, 701/210, 340/995
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3878 Hierarchical structures, e.g. layering
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3881 Tile-based structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A database architecture for using geographic data to provide navigation-related functions is disclosed. The navigation-related functions are provided by navigation program applications. A geographic database is stored on a medium and includes data representing geographic features and has a plurality of indexes into the data. A data access layer accepts requests from the navigation program applications for geographically-referenced data, accesses the geographic database and provides responses to the requests from the navigation program applications for geographically-referenced data. Logic rules are associated with the geographic database. The data access layer includes a deductive database engine that accesses and combines the logic rules to determine how to use to the indexes to access the data from the medium and to convert the data from a format in which they are stored on the medium into a format that the navigation program applications can use. The database architecture can be used in vehicle navigation systems including navigation systems that use data obtained via a wireless communications link from an off-board data supplier.

Claims

1. A database architecture for a navigation system comprising:

a geographic database including geographic data and a plurality of indexes into the geographic data;

data access programming that accepts requests for geographically-referenced data, accesses the geographic data from a medium upon which the geographic data are stored and provides responses to the requests for geographically-referenced data;

logic rules associated with the geographic database, wherein each of said logic rules comprises a first part specifying a condition and a second part specifying an action; and

a deductive database engine associated with the data access programming, wherein said deductive database engine accesses and combines said logic rules to determine which of said indexes to use to determine which geographic data to access from the medium.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein the geographic data are stored on the medium in a first format and wherein the responses to requests for geographically-referenced data are to be provided in a second format, and wherein said deductive database engine accesses and combines said logic rules to determine how to convert the geographic data from the first format to the second format.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein said data access programming further comprises:

an index access system that includes data retrieval routines that are called by said logic rules, wherein said data retrieval routines access said indexes.

6. The invention of claim 1 or 2 wherein said deductive database engine determines which of the logic rules have first parts that are satisfied, determines which one of the logic rules that have first parts that are satisfied should be executed first, and executes the action specified in the second part of the logic rule determined to be executed first.

7. The invention of claim 1 or 2 wherein said second part indicates one of a programming routine and a change of state.

8. The invention of claim 1 or 2 wherein said condition comprises one of an intrinsic condition relating to said geographic data and an extrinsic condition relating to a state previously determined by the deductive database engine.

9. The invention of claim 1 or 2 further comprising remotely-located data and wherein said logic rules include logic rules that provide access to said remotely-located data when available.

10. The invention of claim 1 or 2 further wherein said geographic database comprises updated data and wherein said logic rules include logic rules that provide access to said updated data.

2. A database architecture for a navigation system comprising:

a geographic database including geographic data stored on a medium in a first format;

data access programming that accepts requests for geographically-referenced data to be provided in a second format, accesses the geographic data from the medium, converts the geographic data from the first format into the second format, and provides responses to the requests for geographically-referenced data;

logic rules associated with the geographic database, wherein each of said logic rules comprises a first part specifying a condition and a second part specifying an action; and

a deductive database engine associated with the data access programming, wherein said deductive database engine accesses and combines said logic rules to determine how to convert the geographic data from the first format to the second format.

5. The invention of claim 2 wherein said data access programming further comprises:

a physical-to-logical conversion system that includes data retrieval routines that are called by logic rules to convert geographic data from said first format into said second format.

11. A method of operation for accessing a geographic database comprising:

accepting a request for navigation-related data;

accessing a geographic database stored on a medium;

obtaining data from said geographic database;

using said data obtained from said geographic database to provide a reply to said request;

wherein said steps of accessing, obtaining and using comprise repeatedly performing the steps of;

accessing logic rules associated with the geographic database;

determining which of said logic rules are satisfied;

determining which of said logic rules that are satisfied has a highest priority; and

executing an action specified by the logic rule determined to have the highest priority, until all the data needed to provide said reply have been obtained from said geographic database and a reply has been provided to said request.

12. An improved database architecture for a navigation system,

wherein the database architecture comprises a geographic database including geographic data and a plurality of indexes into the geographic data, and further

wherein the database architecture includes data access programming that accepts requests for geographically-referenced data, accesses the geographic data from a medium upon which the geographic data are stored and provides responses to the requests for geographically-referenced data,

wherein the improvement comprises:

logic rules associated with the geographic database, wherein each of said logic rules comprises a first part specifying a condition and a second part specifying an action; and

a deductive database engine included in the data access programming, wherein said deductive database engine accesses and combines said logic rules to determine which of said indexes to use to determine which geographic data to access from the medium.

13. The invention of claim 12 wherein said deductive database engine determines which of the logic rules have first parts that are satisfied, determines which one of the logic rules that have first parts that are satisfied should be executed first, and executes the action specified in the second part of the logic rule determined to be executed first.

14. The invention of claim 12 wherein said second part indicates one of a programming routine and a change of state.

15. The invention of claim 12 wherein said condition comprises one of an intrinsic condition relating to said geographic data and an extrinsic condition relating to a state previously determined by the deductive database engine.

16. An improved database architecture for a navigation system,

wherein the database architecture comprises a geographic database including geographic data stored on a medium in a first format,

and further wherein the database architecture includes data access programming that accepts requests for geographically-referenced data to be provided in a second format, accesses the geographic data from the medium, converts the geographic data from the first format into the second format, and provides responses to the requests for geographically-referenced data, wherein the improvement comprises:

logic rules associated with the geographic database, wherein each of said logic rules comprises a first part specifying a condition and a second part specifying an action; and

a deductive database engine included in the data access programming, wherein said deductive database engine accesses and combines said logic rules to determine how to convert the geographic data from the first format to the second format.

17. The invention of claim 16 wherein said deductive database engine determines which of the logic rules have first parts that are satisfied, determines which one of the logic rules that have first parts that are satisfied should be executed first, and executes the action specified in the second part of the logic rule determined to be executed first.

18. The invention of claim 16 wherein said second part indicates one of a programming routine and a change of state.

19. The invention of claim 16 wherein said condition comprises one of an intrinsic condition relating to said geographic data and an extrinsic condition relating to a state previously determined by the deductive database engine.