Navigation apparatus

• US 7,890,255 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2004
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Auto Tech Group LLC
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimotani, Mitsuo, Umezu, Masaharu, Mikuriya, Makoto, Ikeuchi, Tomoya
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith; Jack
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Chuong P
• Application Number:
  US10/892,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20050049784A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,405 Days
• Field of Search: 701/208, 701/213, 701/212, 701/1, 3409951-99512, 34099514-99516, 340/995.18, 340/995, 340/14, 717168-178, 707/200, 707/203, 434/111
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3859 Differential updating map data

Abstract

A map information processing apparatus includes a map information storage unit (15) for storing map information, a map update information storage unit (8) for storing one or more pieces of map update information (30 to 32) used for updating yet-to-be-updated map information, a map update information selection unit (19) for selecting one or more pieces of map update information required to update the map information stored in the map information storage unit (15) from the one or more pieces of map update information stored in the map update information storage unit, and a map information updating unit (20) for updating the map information stored in the map information storage unit (15) by applying the one or more pieces of map update information selected by the map update information selection unit to the map information one by one in order of updating.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus comprising:

a map information storage unit configured to store map information containing road information;

a map update information storage unit configured to store map update information comprised of replacement information including color information and difference information which is a difference of the map information before and after revision created for each of continuous revisions for updating the map information;

an updated map information storage unit configured to store updated map information updated by applying the map update information;

a map update information selection unit configured to select one or more pieces of map update information according to the version number of the map information or the updated map information in order to update the map information stored in the map information storage unit or the updated map information stored in the updated map information storage unit; and

a map information updating unit configured to perform an update by applying the difference information selected by the map update information selection unit in chronological order of the revisions to the map information stored in the map information storage unit or the updated map information stored in the updated map information storage unit, and by replacing a part corresponding to the replacement information with the replacement information selected by the map update information selection unit.

2. The navigation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the map information updated by the map information updating unit has the same data representation format as that of the information before updating.

3. A method of updating maps stored in a navigation apparatus comprising:

storing map information containing road information;

storing map update information comprised of replacement information including color information and difference information which is a difference of the map information before and after revision created for each of continuous revisions for updating the map information

storing updated map information updated by applying the map update information;

selecting by a computer one or more pieces of map update information according to the version number of the map information or the updated map information in order to update the stored map information or the updated map information; and

updating by a computer the map information by applying the selected difference information in chronological order of the revisions to the map information or the updated map information, and by replacing a part corresponding to the replacement information with the selected replacement information.