Method, data format, encoding device, decoding device and system

• US 7,925,667 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2001
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Hessing, Bernd, Hessling, Matthias, Brandes, Henry, Pfeiffer, Heinz Werner, Hahlweg, Cornelius
• Primary Examiner(s): LeRoux; Etienne P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cindy
• Application Number:
  US10/031,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20020183923A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,619 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 707/790, 707/791, 707/795, 701/208, 701/217, 701/207
• US Class Current: 707/790
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network

Abstract

A method, a data format, an encoding device, a decoding device and a system for encoding, for decoding and/or for transmitting location information, the location information including both locating information and description information, a data packet separately containing locating information and description information, and the data packet containing assignment information for assigning at least a part of the locating information to at least a part of the description information.

Claims

1. A method for at least one of electronically encoding, decoding and transmitting location information of objects for a map, the method comprising:

at least one of electronically encoding using an encoding device, decoding using a decoding device and transmitting an electronic data packet using a transmitting device, the data packet containing location information of at least one object for a map, the location information of at least one object including locating information and description information, wherein the data packet separately contains the locating information and the description information, and includes assignment information assigning at least a part of the locating information to at least a part of the description information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the locating information includes at least one first coordinate chain including at least one first point.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one first coordinate chain contains a second point, the at least one first point of the at least one first coordinate chain is specified in absolute coordinates and the second point of the at least one first coordinate chain is specified in relative coordinates, with respect to one of a centroid coordinate and the at least one first point of the at least one first coordinate chain.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one first point of the at least one first coordinate chain is interpreted in a defined direction by the second point of the at least one first coordinate chain.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the description information includes at least one first attribute field.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one first attribute field includes a type specification and description data, and the description data is determined by the type specification with respect to at least one of a name, an accuracy, a direction, a time, a point of interest and a physical link.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the assignment information includes at least one first assignment entry, and the at least one first attribute field and the at least one first point of the at least one first coordinate chain are assigned to each other by the at least one first assignment entry.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one first assignment entry includes a reference to the at least one first attribute field and a reference to the at least one first point of the at least one first coordinate chain.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one first assignment entry includes one of (i) a reference to the at least one first attribute field and a reference to a plurality of points of coordinate chains of the locating information, and (ii) a reference to a plurality of attribute fields and a reference to the at least one first point of the at least one first coordinate chain.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the data packet includes a header part of the location information and a data part of the location information.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the header part includes structure information specifying a data structure of the location information, and includes interpreting instructions specifying a purpose of the location information.

19. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one first point includes a geographical point.

12. A method of at least one of electronically encoding, decoding and transmitting location information of objects for a map, the method comprising:

at least one of an encoding device, a decoding device and a transmitting device, providing an electronic data packet including location information of at least one object for a map, wherein the location information of at least one object includes locating information and description information, wherein the data packet separately contains the locating information and the description information, and includes assignment information assigning at least a part of the locating information to at least a part of the description information.

13. An electronic encoding device for encoding location information of objects for a map, the encoding device comprising:

an arrangement to electronically encode a data packet including location information of at least one object for a map, the location information including locating information and description information, wherein the data packet separately contains the locating information and the description information, and includes assignment information assigning at least a part of the locating information to at least a part of the description information.

14. The encoding device of claim 13, wherein the locating information includes at least one first coordinate chain that includes at least one first point, and a definition of the at least one first point of the at least one first coordinate chain is definable as a function of a location information query.

15. An electronic decoding device for decoding location information of objects for a map, the decoding device comprising:

an arrangement to electronically decode an electronic data packet containing location information of at least one object for a map, the location information including locating information and description information, wherein the data packet separately contains the locating information and the description information, and includes assignment information assigning at least a part of the locating information to at least a part of the description information.

16. The decoding device of claim 15, wherein the location information is at least partially correlatable with data of a first data base associated with the decoding device.

17. The decoding device of claim 16, wherein at least one of location information that is not contained in the first data base and location information that is not correlated with data of the first data base is stored in a second data base associated with the decoding device.

18. An electronic system for transmitting location information, the system comprising:

an arrangement to electronically transmit an electronic data packet using a transmitting device, the data packet containing location information of at least one object for a map, the location information including locating information and description information, wherein the data packet separately contains the locating information and the description information and includes assignment information assigning at least a part of the locating information to at least a part of the description information.