Recording medium storing map information, map information processing device, map information processing system, map information processing method, map information processing program and recording medium storing the map information processing program

• US 7,613,331 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2004
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Increment P Corporation
• Original Assignee: Increment P Corporation
• Inventors: Maeda, Hidenori
• Primary Examiner(s): Strege; John B
• Application Number:
  US10/760,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20040151388A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,113 Days
• Field of Search: 382/232, 382/113, 701/208, 701/209, 701/213
• US Class Current: 382/113
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching

Abstract

A server unit (400) recognizes a travel route search request together with a current position information and a destination information from a terminal unit (300) over a network (200) and searches for a travel route with use of a matching data of a map information. The server unit (400) sends a matching mesh information including a node and link that represent a road corresponding to the travel route and a display mesh information for areas other than the areas represented by the matching mesh information together with the information for the travel route to the terminal unit (300) over the network (200). The terminal unit (300) displays a road based on the matching mesh information and the information excluding the road based on the display mesh information on a terminal display. Thus, the information amount of the map information to be processed can be reduced thereby improving the processing efficiency.

Claims

1. A map information processing device for displaying a current position of a movable body overlaid onto a map on a display, comprising:

a current position acquiring section that acquires a current position of the movable body;

a destination acquiring section that acquires a destination to which the movable body travels;

a matching data acquiring section that acquires a matching data including a plurality of point information that has a coordinates information and a unique point information and represents a predetermined point, and a segment information that has a unique segment information and connects a pair of the point information, the matching data representing a road with the point information and the segment information, the matching data further including a flag information that shows with one-bit a relation of one of the plurality of point information with other one of the plurality of point information having the same coordinates according to the determination whether the one of the plurality of point information and the other one of the plurality of point information are identical or not to represent the road arrangement, the matching data including a matching mesh information divided in a predetermined areas;

a display data acquiring section that acquires a display data for displaying the map information, the display data including a component data representing a component of the map of a predetermined area, and including a plurality of display mesh information divided in a predetermined areas;

a search section that searches for a travel route on which the movable body travels based on the current position and the destination using the matching data;

a correction section that recognizes the relation of the one of the plurality of point information with the other one of plurality of point information based on the flag information of the point information to recognize the road arrangement and corrects the current position so that the current position is on the road represented by the point information and the segment information of the matching data; and

a display controller that displays the travel route based on the point information and the segment information of the matching data on the display and overlays the current position corrected by the correction section onto the travel route displayed on the display,

the display controller displaying, on the display;

the matching mesh information including the point information and the segment information representing the road corresponding to the travel route; and

the display mesh information corresponding to areas not covered by the areas represented by the matching mesh information.

2. The map information processing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display data acquiring section that acquires a display data including an element data for an element constituting a map of a predetermined area corresponding to the matching data,

wherein the display controller displays an element of the map excluding the road displayed based on a road information based on the display data.

3. The map information processing device according to claim 2,

wherein the matching data has a plurality of matching mesh information divided into predetermined areas,

wherein the display data has a plurality of display mesh information divided into predetermined areas, and

wherein the display controller displays the current position overlaid onto the map based on the matching mesh information including the point information and the segment information, each of which generates the road information representing the road on which the corrected current position is overlaid on the display, and displays the map for areas other than the areas represented by the matching mesh information based on the display mesh information.

4. The map information processing device according to any one of claims 1,

wherein the matching data has a line block information including an information for the road arrangement associated with the plurality of the segment information that represent one road, and

wherein the display controller uses the information for the road arrangement in the line block information to display the road and displays the map on the display.

5. The map information processing device according to any one of claims 1,

wherein the display controller generates a polyline connecting the point information, and displays the road based on the polyline on the display.

6. The map information processing device according to anyone of claims 1 for distributing the map information over a network,

wherein the map information has the matching data including the plurality of point information that has the coordinates information and the unique point information and represents the predetermined points, and the segment information that has the unique segment information and connects the pair of point information, and representing the road with the point information and the segment information, and the display data including the element data for the element constituting the map of the predetermined area corresponding to the matching data,

the map information processing device, further comprising:

a request information recognizer that recognizes a request information for requesting the distribution of at least one of the matching data and the display data; and

a delivery controller that distributes at least one of the matching data and the display data over the network based on the request information recognized by the request information recognizer.

7. The map information processing device according to claim 6,

wherein the element data of the display data has a road element data for displaying the road and a secondary element data for displaying an element constituting a map excluding the road, and

wherein the delivery controller distributes only the secondary element data as the display data for the area corresponding to the matching data when the request information recognizer recognizes that the request information includes the matching data and the display data for the area corresponding to the requested matching data.

8. The map information processing device according to claim 6, wherein the request information requests the distribution of the map information to be used to provide the traveling state of a movable body.

9. The map information processing device according to any one of claims 1 for distributing the map information over the network and providing the traveling state of a movable body with use of the map information,

wherein the map information has the matching data including the plurality of point information that has the coordinates information and the unique point information and represents the predetermined points, the segment information that has the unique segment information and connects the pair of point information, representing the road with the point information and the segment information and including the plurality of matching mesh information divided into predetermined areas, and the display data including the element data for the element constituting the map of the predetermined area corresponding to the matching data,

the map information processing device, further comprising:

a storage for storing the map information;

an information acquiring section that acquires the current position information for the current position of the movable body and a destination information for a destination to which the movable body travels;

a search section that searches a travel route on which the movable body travels with use of the matching data based on the current position information and the destination information; and

a delivery controller that distributes the matching mesh information including the point information and the segment information that represent the road corresponding to the searched travel route and the display mesh information corresponding to the area other than the area represented by the matching mesh information together with information for the travel route over the network.

10. The map information processing device according to claim 9,

wherein the element data of the display data has a road element data for displaying the road and a secondary element data for displaying an element consisting of a map excluding the road, and

wherein the delivery controller also distributes the secondary element data of the display data for the area corresponding to the matching mesh information to be distributed.

11. The map information processing device according to any one of claims 1, further comprising:

a map information acquiring section that acquires at least the point information out of the map information from a recording medium that stores the map information including the plurality of point information that has the coordinates information and the unique point information and represents the predetermined points, and the segment information that has the unique segment information and connects the pair of point information, and representing the road with the point information and the segment information, the point information further having a flag information that shows a relation of the point information with other point information according to the determination whether the represented points are identical or not and represents the road arrangement; and

a coordinates matching section that recognizes the relation of the point information with other point information based on the flag information of the point information acquired by the map information acquiring section and recognizes the road arrangement.

12. The map information processing device according to claim 11, comprising a storage having a recording medium that stores the map information and a reading section that reads the map information stored in the recording medium, the map information including the plurality of point information that has the coordinates information and the unique point information and represents predetermined points, and the segment information that has the unique segment information and connects the pair of point information, and representing the road with the point information and the segment information, the point information further having the flag information that shows the relation of the point information with other point information according to the determination whether the represented points are identical or not and represents the road arrangement.

13. The map information processing device according to any one of claims 1,

wherein the map information processing device performs a processing on the map information being stored in a storage, including the plurality of point information that has the coordinates information and the unique point information and represents the predetermined points, and the segment information that has the unique segment information and connects the pair of point information, and representing the road with the point information and the segment information, and

wherein the point information has a flag information showing a relation with other point information according to the determination whether the represented points are identical or not and representing the road arrangement;

the map information processing device, further comprising;

a map information acquiring section that acquires at least the point information out of the map information; and

a coordinates matching section that recognizes the relation of the point information with other point information based on the flag information of the point information acquired by the map information acquiring section and recognizes the road arrangement.

14. The map information processing device according to claim 13, comprising a storage that stores the map information, the map information including the plurality of point information that has the coordinates information and the unique point information and represents the predetermined points, and the segment information that has the unique segment information and connects the pair of point information, and representing the road with the point information and the segment information, the point information further having the flag information that shows the relation of the point information with other point information according to the determination whether the represented points are identical or not and represents the road arrangement.

15. The map information processing device according to any one of claims 11, wherein the coordinates matching section recognizes the relation of the point information as the coordinates information of the point information acquired by the map information acquiring section are identical based on the flag information.

16. The map information processing device according to any one of claims 13, wherein the coordinates matching section recognizes the relation of the point information as the coordinates information of the point information acquired by the map information acquiring section are identical based on the flag information.

17. The map information processing device according to any one of claims 11, wherein the coordinates matching section recognizes that the road arrangement is still continuing, the road being represented by the different point information connected with the different link, by recognizing that the different point information represents the identical point.

18. The map information processing device according to any one of claims 13, wherein the coordinates matching section recognizes that the road arrangement is still continuing, the road being represented by the different point information connected with the different link, by recognizing that the different point information represents the identical point.

19. The map information processing device according to any one of claims 11, further comprising a search section that searches the travel route based on the road arrangement recognized by the coordinates matching section.

20. The map information processing device according to any one of claims 13, further comprising a search section that searches the travel route based on the road arrangement recognized by the coordinates matching section.

21. A map information processing system, comprising:

a terminal unit including a display for displaying a current position of a movable body overlaid onto a map; and

a map information processing device being connected to the terminal unit over a network in a manner capable of sending/receiving various information

the map information processing device, comprising;

a current position acquiring section that acquires a current position of the movable body;

a destination acquiring section that acquires a destination to which the movable body travels;

a matching data acquiring section that acquires a matching data including a plurality of point information that has a coordinates information and a unique point information and represents a predetermined point, and a segment information that has a unique segment information and connects the pair of the point information, the matching data representing a road with the point information and the segment information, the matching data further including a flag information that shows with one-bit a relation of one of the plurality of point information with other one of the plurality of point information having the same coordinates according to the determination whether the one of the plurality of point information and the other one of the plurality of point information are identical or not to represent the road arrangement, the matching data including a matching mesh information divided in a predetermined areas;

a display data acquiring section that acquires a display data for displaying the map information, the display data including a component data representing a component of the map of a predetermined area, and including a plurality of display mesh information divided in a predetermined areas;

a search section that searches for a travel route on which the movable body travels based on the current position and the destination using the matching data;

a correction section that recognizes the relation of the one of the plurality of point information with the other one of plurality of point information based on the flag information of the point information to recognize the road arrangement and corrects the current position so that the current position is on the road represented by the point information and the segment information of the matching data; and

a display controller that displays the travel route based on the point information and the segment information of the matching data on the display and overlays the current position corrected by the correction section onto the travel route displayed on the display,

the display controller displaying, on the display;

the matching mesh information including the point information and the segment information representing the road corresponding to the travel route; and

the display mesh information corresponding to areas not covered by the areas represented by the matching mesh information.

22. A map information processing system, comprising:

a map information processing device, comprising;

a map information acquiring section that acquires at least a point information out of a map information from a recording medium that stores a matching data and a display data for displaying a map information, the matching data including a plurality of point information that has a coordinates information and a unique point information and represents a predetermined point, and a segment information that has a unique segment information and connects a pair of the point information, the matching data representing a road with the point information and the segment information, the point information further having a flag information that shows with one-bit a relation of one of the plurality of point information with other one of plurality of point information according to the determination whether the represented points are identical or not to represent the road arrangement, the matching data including a matching mesh information divided in a predetermined areas, the display data including a component data representing a component of the map of a predetermined area and including a plurality of display mesh information divided in a predetermined areas;

a coordinates matching section that recognizes the relation of the point information with the other point information based on the flag information of the point information acquired by the map information acquiring section and recognizes the road arrangement,

a current position acquiring section that acquires a current position of the movable body information for the current position;

a destination acquiring section that acquires a destination to which the movable body travels; and

a search section that searches for a travel route on which the movable body travels based on the current position and the destination using the matching data;

the system, further comprising;

a terminal unit that acquires the road arrangement and the travel route recognized by the map information processing device over a network,

the map information processing device distributing, to the terminal unit;

the matching mesh information including the point information and the segment information representing the road corresponding to the travel route; and

the display mesh information corresponding to areas not covered by the areas represented by the matching mesh information,

the terminal unit displaying the distributed map information overlaying on the travel route.

23. A map information processing method for displaying a current position of a movable body overlaid onto a map on a display, comprising the steps of:

acquiring a current position for the current position of the movable body and a destination to which the movable body travels;

correcting the current position so that the current position based on the acquired current position is on a road represented by a point information and a segment information of a matching data including the plurality of point information that has a coordinates information and a unique point information and represents predetermined points and a segment information that has a unique segment information and connects the pair of point information, the matching data further including a flag information that shows with one-bit a relation of the point information with other point information according to the determination whether the represented points are identical or not and represents the road arrangement, the current position being corrected by recognizing the relation of the point information with the other point information having the same coordinates information based on the flag information of the point information to recognize the road arrangement;

searching a travel route on which the movable body travels based on the current position and the destination using the matching data;

displaying the travel route based on the point information and the segment information on the display to display the map on the display, and overlaying the current position corrected by the correction section onto the travel route displayed on the display, the matching data including a matching mesh information divided in a predetermined areas;

acquiring a display data for displaying the map information, the display data including a component data representing a component of the map of a predetermined area, and including a plurality of display mesh information divided in a predetermined areas; and

displaying on the display;

the matching mesh information including the point information and the segment information representing the road corresponding to the travel route; and

the display mesh information corresponding to areas not covered by the areas represented by the matching mesh information.

26. The map information processing method according to claim 23 for distributing the map information by a computing section over a network,

wherein the map information has the matching data including the plurality of point information that has the coordinates information and the unique point information and represents the predetermined points, and the segment information that has the unique segment information and connects the pair of point information, and representing the road with the point information and the segment information, and a display data including an element data for an element constituting the map of a predetermined area corresponding to the matching data,

the map information processing method executed by the computing section, comprising the steps of:

recognizing a request information for requesting the distribution of at least one of the matching data and the display data; and

distributing at least one of the matching data and the display data over the network based on the recognized request information.

27. The map information processing method according to claim 23 for distributing the map information by a computing section over a network to provide the traveling state of a movable body with use of the map information,

wherein the map information has the matching data including the plurality of point information that has the coordinates information and the unique point information and represents the predetermined points, the segment information that has the unique segment information and connects the pair of point information, representing the road with the point information and the segment information, and including a plurality of matching mesh information divided into predetermined areas, and a display data including an element data for an element constituting the map of a predetermined area corresponding to the matching data,

the map information processing method executed by the computing section, comprising the steps of:

acquiring a current position information for a current position of the movable body and a destination information for a destination to which the movable body travels;

searching a travel route on which the movable body travels with use of the matching data based on the current position information and the destination information; and

distributing a matching mesh information including the point information and the segment information that represent the road corresponding to the searched travel route and a display mesh information corresponding to an area other than the area represented by the matching mesh information together with information for the travel route over the network.

28. The map information processing method according to claim 23 for processing the map information including the plurality of point information that has the coordinates information and the unique point information and represents the predetermined points, and the segment information that has the unique segment information and connects the pair of point information, and representing the road with the point information and the segment information,

wherein the point information has a flag information showing a relation with other point information according to the determination whether the represented points are identical or not and representing the road arrangement,

the map information processing method, comprising the step of recognizing the road arrangement by recognizing the relation of the point information with other point information based on the flag information.

29. The map information processing method according to claim 28, comprising the step of recognizing the road arrangement by recognizing the relation of the point information with other point information based on the flag information of the map information stored in a recording medium storing the map information.

24. A map information processing method executed by a computing section for displaying a current position overlaid onto a map on a display of a terminal unit connected to a server unit that stores a map information over a network in a manner capable of sending/receiving various information,

the map information processing method executed by the computing section, comprising the steps of:

generating a current position for a current position of a movable body and a destination to which the movable body travels at the terminal unit;

acquiring the current position at the server unit from the terminal unit over the network;

correcting the current position at the server unit so that the current position is on a road represented by a point information and a segment information of a matching data of the map information including the plurality of point information that has a coordinates information and a unique point information and represents predetermined points and a segment information that has a unique segment information and connects the pair of point information, the matching data further including a flag information that shows with one-bit a relation of the point information with other point information according to the determination whether the represented points are identical or not and represents the road arrangement, the current position being corrected by recognizing the relation of the point information with the other point information having the same coordinates information based on the flag information of the point information to recognize the road arrangement;

acquiring the corrected current position and the matching data at the terminal unit from the server unit over the network;

searching a travel route on which the movable body travels based on the current position and the destination using the matching data;

displaying the represented travel route based on the point information and the segment information of the acquired matching data on the display of the terminal unit, and overlaying the acquired and corrected current position onto the travel route displayed on the display, the matching data including a matching mesh information divided in a predetermined areas;

acquiring a display data for displaying the map information, the display data including a component data representing a component of the map of a predetermined area, and including a plurality of display mesh information divided in a predetermined areas; and

displaying on the display;

the matching mesh information including the point information and the segment information representing the road corresponding to the travel route; and

the display mesh information corresponding to areas not covered by the areas represented by the matching mesh information.

25. A map information processing method executed by a computing section for and displaying a current position overlaid onto a map on a display of a terminal unit connected to a server unit that stores a map information over a network in a manner capable of sending/receiving various information,

the map information processing method executed by the computing section, comprising the steps of:

generating a current position for a current position of a movable body and a destination to which the movable body travels at the terminal unit;

acquiring a matching data of the map information including a plurality of point information that has a coordinates information and a unique point information and represents predetermined points, and a segment information that has a unique segment information and connects the pair of point information, and representing a road with the point information and the segment information, at the terminal unit from the server unit over the network, the matching data further including a flag information that shows with one-bit a relation of the point information with other point information according to the determination whether the represented points are identical or not and represents the road arrangement;

correcting the current position so that the current position is on the road represented by the point information and the segment information of the acquired matching data at the terminal unit, the current position being corrected by recognizing the relation of the point information with the other point information having the same coordinates information based on the flag information of the point information to recognize the road arrangement;

searching a travel route on which the movable body travels based on the current position and the destination using the matching data;

displaying the travel route based on the point information and the segment information of the matching data on the display and overlaying the corrected current position onto the travel route displayed on the display, the matching data including a matching mesh information divided in a predetermined areas;

acquiring a display data for displaying the map information, the display data including a component data representing a component of the map of a predetermined area, and including a plurality of display mesh information divided in a predetermined areas; and

displaying on the display;

the matching mesh information including the point information and the segment information representing the road corresponding to the travel route; and

the display mesh information corresponding to areas not covered by the areas represented by the matching mesh information.

30. A computer readable medium storing a map information processing program in a manner readable by a computing section, the program executing a map information processing method by a computing section,

the method, comprising the steps of:

acquiring a current position information for the current position;

correcting the current position information so that the current position based on the acquired current position information is on a road represented by a point information and a segment information of a matching data including the plurality of point information that has a coordinates information and a unique point information and represents predetermined points and a segment information that has a unique segment information and connects the pair of point information;

displaying the road based on the point information and the segment information on a display to display the map on the display, and overlaying the current position corrected by the correction section onto the road displayed on the display, the matching data including a matching mesh information divided in a predetermined areas;

acquiring a display data for displaying the map information, the display data including a component data representing a component of the map of a predetermined area, and including a plurality of display mesh information divided in a predetermined areas; and

displaying on the display;

the matching mesh information including the point information and the segment information representing the road corresponding to the travel route; and

the display mesh information corresponding to areas not covered by the areas represented by the matching mesh information.

31. A computer readable medium storing a map information processing program in a manner readable by a computing section, the program executing a map information processing method for displaying a current position overlaid onto a map on a display of a terminal unit connected to a server unit that stores a map information over a network in a manner capable of sending/receiving various information, the program being executed by a computing section,

the map information processing method executed by the computing section, comprising the steps of:

generating a current position information for a current position at the terminal unit;

acquiring the current position information at the server unit from the terminal unit over the network;

correcting the current position information at the server unit so that the current position is on a road represented by a point information and a segment information of a matching data of the map information including the plurality of point information that has a coordinates information and a unique point information and represents predetermined points and a segment information that has a unique segment information and connects the pair of point information;

acquiring the corrected current position information and the matching data at the terminal unit from the server unit over the network;

displaying the represented road based on the point information and the segment information of the acquired matching data on the display of the terminal unit, and overlaying the acquired and corrected current position information onto the road displayed on the display, the matching data including a matching mesh information divided in a predetermined areas;

acquiring a display data for displaying the map information, the display data including a component data representing a component of the map of a predetermined area, and including a plurality of display mesh information divided in a predetermined areas; and

displaying on the display;

the matching mesh information including the point information and the segment information representing the road corresponding to the travel route; and

the display mesh information corresponding to areas not covered by the areas represented by the matching mesh information.

32. A computer readable medium storing a map information processing program in a manner readable by a computing section, the program executing a map information processing method for and displaying a current position overlaid onto a map on a display of a terminal unit connected to a server unit that stores a map information over a network in a manner capable of sending/receiving various information, the program being executed by a computing section,

the map information processing method executed by the computing section, comprising the steps of:

generating a current position information for a current position at the terminal unit;

acquiring a matching data of the map information including a plurality of point information that has a coordinates information and a unique point information and represents predetermined points, and a segment information that has a unique segment information and connects the pair of point information, and representing a road with the point information and the segment information, at the terminal unit from the server unit over the network;

correcting the current position information so that the current position is on the road represented by the point information and the segment information of the acquired matching data at the terminal unit;

displaying the road based on the point information and the segment information of the matching data on the display and overlaying the corrected current position information onto the road displayed on the display, the matching data including a matching mesh information divided in a predetermined areas;

acquiring a display data for displaying the map information, the display data including a component data representing a component of the map of a predetermined area, and including a plurality of display mesh information divided in a predetermined areas; and

displaying on the display;

the matching mesh information including the point information and the segment information representing the road corresponding to the travel route; and

the display mesh information corresponding to areas not covered by the areas represented by the matching mesh information.