Device and method for creating and using data on road map expressed by polygons

• US 6,622,085 B1
• Filed: 10/01/2001
• Issued: 09/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.), Kabushiki Kaisya Sbl
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.), Kabushiki Kaisha Zenrin
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Hiroki, Kishikawa, Kiyonari, Hattori, Yaheiji, Amita, Junya
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gibson, Eric M
• Application Number:
  US09/890,081
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/208, 701/211, 340/990, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3819 Road shape data, e.g. outline of a route
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3867 Geometry of map features, e.g. shape points, polygons or for simplified maps
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/203 Drawing of straight lines or curves
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/00 Maps; Plans; Charts; Diagrams, e.g. route diagram star maps G09B27/04; devices for holding or supporting maps A47B97/02; for computing purposes G06G1/14, G09B1/16; display boards G09F

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to accomplish the automatic preparation of road data in which roads and intersections are expressed by polygons that show accurate agreement with the complicated road shapes on city maps. In simple polygon preparation processing 3, the respective line segments of road network data 2 in which roads are expressed as line segments are expanded in the direction of the width dimension, thus producing simple road polygon data 4 which has a width that is slightly greater than the width of the roads in the city map data 5. Next, in scissors data preparation processing 6, scissors data 7 which defines the outlines of roads is prepared from the city map data 5 by connecting shape lines in the vicinity of roads. Next, in road polygon preparation processing 9, road polygon data 9 which shows good agreement with the shapes of roads in the city map data is prepared by trimming the simple road polygons along the road outlines defined by the scissors data.

Claims

1. A road map display device comprising:

polygonal road map data which contains road polygon data in which respective roads are expressed by polygons each of which, as such, is representative of the two-dimensional outline of each of said roads; and

a display part which displays said roads with the two-dimensional outlines thereof represented by said polygons, using said road polygon data.

2. A road map display device comprising:

polygonal road map data which includes road polygon data in which the respective roads that are to be displayed are expressed by polygons; and

a display part which displays said roads using said road polygon data, wherein said polygonal road map data further includes traffic lane polygon data in which the respective traffic lanes within said roads are expressed by polygons, and said display part further displays the respective traffic lanes with said roads using said traffic lane polygon data.

3. The road map display device according to claim 2, wherein said polygonal road map data further includes guide line data which expresses a guide line which is set within each of said traffic lanes, and said display part displays a guide mark positioned within a selected traffic lane using said guide line data.

4. A road map display device comprising:

road network data in which intersections are modeled as nodes and roads are modeled as links that connect said nodes;

city map data in which roads are represented with the two-dimensional outlines thereof;

a road polygon data preparation part which dynamically prepares road polygon data in which respective roads are expressed by polygons each of which, as such, is representative of the two-dimensional outline of each of said roads, on the basis of said road network data and said city map data in cases where there is a need to display a road map; and

a display part which displays said roads with the two-dimensional outlines thereof represented by said polygons, using said road polygon data.

5. A road map display method comprising the steps of:

preparing road polygon data in which respective roads are expressed by polygons each of which, as such, is representative of the two-dimensional outline of each of said roads; and

displaying said roads with the two-dimensional outlines thereof represented by said polygons, using said road polygon data.

6. A road map display method comprising the steps of:

preparing road polygon data in which the respective roads that are to be displayed are expressed by polygons;

preparing traffic lane polygon data in which the respective traffic lanes within said roads are expressed by polygons; and

displaying said roads and the respective traffic lanes within said roads using said road polygon data and traffic lane polygon data.

7. The road map display method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

preparing guide line data that expresses guide lines which are set within said respective traffic lanes; and

displaying a guide mark positioned within a selected single traffic lane using said guide line data.

8. A road map display method comprising the steps of:

preparing road network data in which intersections are modeled as nodes and roads are modeled as links that connect said nodes;

preparing city map data in which roads are represented with the two-dimensional outlines thereof;

dynamically preparing road polygon data, in which respective roads are expressed by polygons each of which, as such, is representative of the two-dimensional outline of each of said roads, on the basis of said road network data and said city map data in cases where there is a need to display a road map; and

displaying said roads with the two-dimensional outlines thereof represented by said polygons, using said road polygon data.

9. A medium readable by a machine carrying a program of instructions for execution by said machine to perform the steps of:

preparing road polygon data in which respective roads are expressed by polygons each of which, as such, is representative of the two-dimensional outline of each of said roads; and

displaying said roads with the two-dimensional outlines thereof represented by said polygons, using said road polygon data.

10. A road map display device comprising:

a road map data receiving part which receives road map data that has road polygon data and intersection polygon data, wherein said road polygon data expresses respective roads by road polygons each of which, as such, is representative of the two-dimensional outline of each of said roads, and wherein said intersection polygon data expresses respective intersections by intersection polygons each of which, as such, is representative of the two-dimensional outline of each of said intersections; and

a display part which selects a part of said road polygon data for a plurality of roads that are to be displayed and selects a part of said intersection polygon data for at least one intersection connecting said plurality of roads from said road map data, and displays said plurality of roads and said at least one intersection with the two-dimensional outlines thereof represented by said road and intersection polygons, using said selected parts of said road polygon data and guiding intersection polygon data.

11. A road map display device comprising:

a road map data receiving part which receives road map data that has road polygon data and guiding intersection polygon data;

traffic jam information receiving part which receives traffic jam information that indicates end positions of tailbacks of cars;

a polygon dividing part which selects said road polygon data or said intersection polygon data for a road or intersection in which the end positions of the tailbacks of cars are present from said road map data, and divides said selected road polygon data or intersection polygon data into a region inside said tailbacks of cars and a region outside said tailbacks of cars at said end positions; and

a display part which displays regions of roads and intersections in which said tailbacks of cars are present, using the region of said road polygon data or intersection polygon data inside said tailbacks of cars in which said end positions are present and which have been divided by said polygon dividing part, and said road polygon data and intersection polygon data for roads and intersections that are continuously present along said tailbacks of cars from the region inside said tailbacks of cars.

12. A road map display method comprising the steps of:

receiving road map data which has road polygon data and intersection polygon data, wherein said road polygon data expresses respective roads by road polygons each of which, as such, is representative of the two-dimensional outline of each of said roads, and wherein said intersection polygon data expresses respective intersections by intersection polygons each of which, as such, is representative of the two-dimensional outline of each of said intersections;

selecting a part of said road polygon data for a plurality of roads that are to be displayed, and selecting a part of said intersection polygon data for at least one intersection connecting said plurality of roads, from said road map data; and

displaying said plurality of roads and said at least one intersection with the two-dimensional outlines thereof represented by said road and intersection polygons, using said selected parts of said road polygon data and guiding intersection polygon data.

13. A road map display method comprising the steps of:

receiving road map data which has road polygon data and intersection polygon data;

receiving traffic jam information which indicates final end positions of tailbacks of cars;

selecting said road polygon data and intersection polygon data for a road or intersection in which said final end positions of the tailbacks of cars are present from said road map data, and dividing said selected road polygon data or intersection polygon data into an upstream side region and a downstream side regions at said final end positions; and

displaying the regions of roads and intersections in which said tailbacks of cars are present using the downstream side region of said road polygon data or intersection polygon data in which said final end positions are present and which have been produced by division in said polygon dividing step, and said road polygon data and intersection polygon data for roads and intersections that are present further downstream from said downstream region along said tailbacks of cars.

14. A medium readable by a machine carrying a program of instructions for execution by said machine to perform the steps of:

receiving road map data which has road polygon data and intersection polygon data, wherein said road polygon data expresses respective roads by road polygons each of which, as such, is representative of the two-dimensional outline of each of said roads, and wherein said intersection polygon data expresses respective intersections by intersection polygons each of which, as such, is representative of the two-dimensional outline of each of said intersections;

selecting a part of said road polygon data for a plurality of roads that are to be displayed, and selecting a part of said intersection polygon data for at least one intersection connecting said plurality of roads, from said road map data; and

displaying said plurality of roads and said at least one intersection with the two-dimensional outlines thereof represented by said road and intersection polygons, using said selected parts of said road polygon data and guiding intersection polygon data.

15. A computer-readable recording medium which carries polygonal road network data that has node data and link data that are mutually connected so that a road network is constructed, wherein the respective items of node data include intersection polygon data that expresses the shapes of the intersections of the respective nodes as polygons, and the respective items of link data include road polygon data that expresses the shapes of the respective roads between the polygons of the intersections at the both ends of the respective links as polygons.

16. A road map display device comprising:

polygonal road network data that has node data and link data that are mutually connected so that a road network is constructed, wherein the respective items of node data include intersection polygon data that expresses the shapes of the intersections of the respective nodes as polygons, and the respective items of link data include road polygon data that expresses the shapes of the respective roads between the polygons of the intersections at the both ends of the respective links as polygons; and

a display part which receives said polygonal road network data, and prepares and displays polygonal road images consisting of polygons that express intersections and polygons that express roads.

17. The road map display device according to claim 16, wherein said display part can further perform route search or map matching operations using said polygonal road network data.

18. A road map display device comprising:

polygonal road network data that has node data and link data that are mutually connected so that a road network is constructed, wherein the respective items of node data include intersection polygon data that expresses the shapes of the intersections of the respective nodes as polygons, and the respective items of link data include road polygon data that expresses the shapes of the roads of the respective links as polygons;

city map data which has line segment data in which the shapes of map elements are expressed as sets of shape element points; and

a display part which receives said polygonal road network data, and prepares and displays polygonal road images consisting of polygons that express intersections and polygons that express roads, and which prepares city map images using said city map data, and displays said polygonal road images superimposed on said city map images.

19. A road map display method comprising the steps of:

receiving polygonal road network data that has node data and link data that are mutually connected so that a road network is constructed, wherein the respective items of node data include intersection polygon data that expresses the shapes of the intersections of the respective nodes as polygons, and the respective items of link data include road polygon data that expresses the shapes of the respective roads between the polygons of the intersections at the both ends of the respective links as polygons; and

preparing and displaying polygonal road images consisting of polygons that express intersections and polygons that express roads, using said received polygonal road network data.

20. A medium readable by a machine carrying a program of instructions for execution by said machine to perform the steps of:

receiving polygonal road network data that has node data and link data that are mutually connected so that a road network is constructed, wherein the respective items of node data include intersection polygon data that expresses the shapes of the intersections of the respective nodes as polygons, and the respective items of link data include road polygon data that expresses the shapes of the respective roads between the polygons of the intersections at the both ends of the respective links as polygons; and

preparing and displaying polygonal road images consisting of polygons that express intersections and polygons that express roads, using said received polygonal road network data.

21. A computer-readable recording medium which carries polygonal road network data that has node data and link data that are mutually connected so that a road network is constructed, wherein the respective items of node data include intersection polygon data that expresses the shapes of the intersections of the respective nodes as polygons with coordinates based on the outline coordinates of respective intersections contained in city map data, and the respective items of link data include road polygon data that expresses the shapes of the roads of the respective links as polygons with coordinates based on the outline coordinates of respective roads contained in city map data.

22. A road map display device comprising:

polygonal road network data that has node data and link data that are mutually connected so that a road network is constructed, wherein the respective items of node data include intersection polygon data that expresses the shapes of the intersections of the respective nodes as polygons with coordinates based on the outline coordinates of respective intersections contained in city map data, and the respective items of link data include road polygon data that expresses the shapes of the roads of the respective links as polygons with coordinates based on the outline coordinates of respective roads contained in city map data; and

a display part which receives said polygonal road network data, and prepares and displays polygonal road images consisting of polygons that express intersections and polygons that express roads.

23. A road map display method comprising the steps of:

receiving polygonal road network data which has node data and link data that are mutually connected so that a road network is constructed, wherein the respective items of node data include intersection polygon data that expresses the shapes of the intersections of the respective nodes as polygons with coordinates based on the outline coordinates of respective intersections contained in city map data, and the respective items of link data include road polygon data that expresses the shapes of the roads of the respective links as polygons with coordinates based on the outline coordinates of respective roads contained in city map data; and

preparing and displaying polygonal road images consisting of polygons that express intersections and polygons that express roads, using said received polygonal road network data.

24. A medium readable by a machine carrying a program of instructions for execution by said machine to perform the steps of:

receiving polygonal road network data which has node data and link data that are mutually connected so that a road network is constructed, wherein the respective items of node data include intersection polygon data that expresses the shapes of the intersections of the respective nodes as polygons with coordinates based on the outline coordinates of respective intersections contained in city map data, and the respective items of link data include road polygon data that expresses the shapes of the roads of the respective links as polygons with coordinates based on the outline coordinates of respective roads contained in city map data; and

preparing and displaying polygonal road images consisting of polygons that express intersections and polygons that express roads, using said received polygonal road network data.

25. A computer-readable recording medium which carries polygonal road network data, said polygonal road network data comprising:

intersection polygon data expressing respective intersections as intersection polygons;

road polygon data expressing respective roads as road polygons;

node data expressing said respective intersections as nodes; and

link data expressing said respective roads as vectors linking between said nodes,

wherein said respective intersection and road polygons in said intersection and road polygon data are associated in a one-to-one correspondence with said respective nodes and vectors in said node and link data.

26. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 25, wherein said polygonal road network data further comprises traffic lane polygon data expressing respective traffic lanes within said roads as traffic lane polygons.

27. A device for preparing polygonal road network data comprising:

a data receiving part for receiving road network data and city map data, said road network data including node data and link data, said node data expressing respective intersections as nodes, said link data expressing respective roads as vectors linking between said nodes, said city map data including line segment data expressing the shapes of said respective intersections and roads as sets of line segments; and

data generating part for generating polygonal road network data using said road network data and said city map data received by said data receiving part, said polygonal road network data comprising intersection polygon data expressing said respective intersections as intersection polygons;

road polygon data expressing said respective roads as road polygons;

said node data; and

said link data, said respective intersection and road polygons in said intersection and road polygon data being associated in a one-to-one correspondence with said respective nodes and vectors in said node and link data.

28. The device according to claim 27, wherein said polygonal road network data further comprises traffic lane polygon data expressing respective traffic lanes within said roads as traffic lane polygons.

29. A method for preparing polygonal road network data comprising the steps of:

receiving road network data and city map data, said road network data including node data and link data, said node data expressing respective intersections as nodes, said link data expressing respective roads as vectors linking between said nodes, said city map data including line segment data expressing the shapes of said respective intersections and roads as sets of line segments; and

generating polygonal road network data using said road network data and said city map data, said polygonal road network data comprising intersection polygon data expressing said respective intersections as intersection polygons;

road polygon data expressing said respective roads as road polygons;

said node data; and

said link data, said respective intersection and road polygons in said intersection and road polygon data being associated in a one-to-one correspondence with said respective nodes and vectors in said node and link data.

30. A medium readable by a machine carrying a program of instructions for execution by said machine to perform a method for preparing polygonal road network data comprising the steps of:

receiving road network data and city map data, said road network data including node data and link data, said node data expressing respective intersections as nodes, said link data expressing respective roads as vectors linking between said nodes, said city map data including line segment data expressing the shapes of said respective intersections and roads as sets of line segments; and

generating polygonal road network data using said road network data and said city map data, said polygonal road network data comprising intersection polygon data expressing said respective intersections as intersection polygons;

road polygon data expressing said respective roads as road polygons;

said node data; and

said link data, said respective intersection and road polygons in said intersection and road polygon data being associated in a one-to-one correspondence with said respective nodes and vectors in said node and link data.

31. A device for displaying a road map comprising:

a data receiving part for receiving polygonal road network data, said polygonal road network data comprising intersection polygon data expressing respective intersections as intersection polygons;

road polygon data expressing respective roads as road polygons;

node data expressing said respective intersections as nodes; and

link data expressing said respective roads as vectors linking between said nodes, said respective intersection and road polygons in said intersection and road polygon data being associated in a one-to-one correspondence with said respective nodes and vectors in said node and link data; and

displaying part for generating and displaying polygonal road images including images of said intersection and road polygons using said polygonal road network data received by said data receiving part.

32. The device according to claim 31, wherein said polygonal road network data further comprises traffic lane polygon data expressing respective traffic lanes within said roads as traffic lane polygons, and said polygonal road images further includes images of said traffic lane polygons.

33. The device according to claim 31, further comprising:

a route searching part for performing a route search using said node and link data included in said polygonal road network data received by said data receiving part.

34. A method for displaying a road map comprising the steps of:

receiving polygonal road network data, said polygonal road network data comprising intersection polygon data expressing respective intersections as intersection polygons;

road polygon data expressing respective roads as road polygons;

node data expressing said respective intersections as nodes; and

link data expressing said respective roads as vectors linking between said nodes, said respective intersection and road polygons in said intersection and road polygon data being associated in a one-to-one correspondence with said respective nodes and vectors in said node and link data; and

generating and displaying polygonal road images including images of said intersection and road polygons using said polygonal road network data.

35. A medium readable by a machine carrying a program of instructions for execution by said machine to perform a method for displaying a road map comprising the steps of:

receiving polygonal road network data, said polygonal road network data comprising intersection polygon data expressing respective intersections as intersection polygons;

road polygon data expressing respective roads as road polygons;

node data expressing said respective intersections as nodes; and

link data expressing said respective roads as vectors linking between said nodes, said respective intersection and road polygons in said intersection and road polygon data being associated in a one-to-one correspondence with said respective nodes and vectors in said node and link data; and

generating and displaying polygonal road images including images of said intersection and road polygons using said polygonal road network data.

36. A computer-readable recording medium which carries polygonal road map data, said polygonal road map data comprising:

road polygon data expressing respective roads as road polygons; and

traffic lane polygon data expressing respective traffic lanes within said roads as traffic lane polygons.

37. A device for preparing polygonal road map data comprising:

a data receiving part for receiving road network data and city map data, said road network data including node data and link data, said node data expressing respective intersections as nodes, said link data expressing respective roads as vectors linking between said nodes, said city map data including line segment data expressing the shapes of said respective intersections and roads as sets of line segments; and

data generating part for generating polygonal road map data using said road network data and said city map data received by said data receiving part, said polygonal road map data comprising road polygon data expressing respective roads as road polygons; and

traffic lane polygon data expressing respective traffic lanes within said roads as traffic lane polygons.

38. A method for preparing polygonal road map data comprising the steps of:

receiving road network data and city map data, said road network data including node data and link data, said node data expressing respective intersections as nodes, said link data expressing respective roads as vectors linking between said nodes, said city map data including line segment data expressing the shapes of said respective intersections and roads as sets of line segments; and

generating polygonal road map data using said road network data, said polygonal road map data comprising road polygon data expressing respective roads as road polygons; and

traffic lane polygon data expressing respective traffic lanes within said roads as traffic lane polygons.

39. A medium readable by a machine carrying a program of instructions for execution by said machine to perform a method for preparing polygonal road map data comprising the steps of:

receiving road network data and city map data, said road network data including node data and link data, said node data expressing respective intersections as nodes, said link data expressing respective roads as vectors linking between said nodes, said city map data including line segment data expressing the shapes of said respective intersections and roads as sets of line segments; and

generating polygonal road map data using said road network data, said polygonal road map data comprising road polygon data expressing respective roads as road polygons; and

traffic lane polygon data expressing respective traffic lanes within said roads as traffic lane polygons.

40. A device for displaying a road map comprising:

a data receiving part for receiving polygonal road map data, said polygonal road map data comprising road polygon data expressing respective roads as road polygons; and

traffic lane polygon data expressing respective traffic lanes within said roads as traffic lane polygons; and

displaying part for generating and displaying polygonal road images including images of said road and traffic lane polygons using said polygonal road map data received by said data receiving part.

41. A method for displaying a road map comprising the steps of:

receiving polygonal road map data, said polygonal road map data comprising road polygon data expressing respective roads as road polygons; and

traffic lane polygon data expressing respective traffic lanes within said roads as traffic lane polygons; and

generating and displaying polygonal road images including images of said road and traffic lane polygons using said polygonal road map data.

42. A medium readable by a machine carrying a program of instructions for execution by said machine to perform a method for displaying a road map comprising the steps of:

receiving polygonal road map data, said polygonal road map data comprising road polygon data expressing respective roads as road polygons; and

traffic lane polygon data expressing respective traffic lanes within said roads as traffic lane polygons; and

generating and displaying polygonal road images including images of said road and traffic lane polygons using said polygonal road map data.