Map data product, map data processing program product, map data processing method and map data processing device

• US 8,224,795 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2011
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Original Assignee: Xanavi Informatics Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nomura, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoang, Son T
• Application Number:
  US13/198,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20110307648A1
• Time in Patent Office: 347 Days
• Field of Search: 707/694, 707/802
• US Class Current: 707/694
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

A first data product that can be read into a computer or a map data processing apparatus, contains therein map data having map-related information of a map. The map data includes: a structure having the map-related information divided into units of a plurality of divisions into which the map is divided; and a structure having management information for the map-related information divided into units of the divisions, and: the map-related information obtained by the computer or the map data processing apparatus can be updated in units of the individual divisions by using the management information.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method utilizing a computer processor for processing map data in a map data processing apparatus, the method comprising steps of:

confirming that a recording medium is loaded at the map data processing apparatus, the recording medium having stored thereon the map data divided into a plurality of divisions and map data management information indicating specific storage positions of the plurality of map data divisions in the recording medium;

storing identification information, which bears an initial value indicating that the map data management information used in the map data processing apparatus is stored in the recording medium, into a first nonvolatile memory;

storing update data obtained to update part of the map data in units of individual divisions into a second nonvolatile memory, obtaining the map data management information from the recording medium, altering part of the management information corresponding to the update data so as to indicate a storage position of the update data in the second nonvolatile memory, storing the management information into a third nonvolatile memory, and altering the identification information stored in the first nonvolatile memory to indicate that the map data management information is stored in the third nonvolatile memory;

obtaining the identification information to ascertain whether the map data management information is stored in the recording medium or in the third nonvolatile memory by accessing the first nonvolatile memory when accessing the map data;

obtaining the map data management information from the recording medium when the map data management information is determined as being stored in the recording medium;

obtaining the map data management information from the third nonvolatile memory when the map data management information is determined as being stored in the third nonvolatile memory; and

accessing the map data based upon the obtained map data management information.

2. A non-transitory recording medium readable by a computer or the map data processing apparatus, containing a map data processing program having the computer or the map data processing apparatus execute the method for processing map data according to claim 1.

3. A map data processing apparatus, comprising:

a recording medium drive unit at which a recording medium is loaded having stored thereon the map data divided into a plurality of divisions and map data management information indicating specific storage positions of the plurality of map data divisions in the recording medium;

a first nonvolatile memory in which identification information bearing an initial value indicating that map data management information used in the map data processing apparatus is stored in the recording medium is stored when the recording medium is loaded into the recording medium drive unit;

an update data acquisition unit that obtains update data to be used to update part of the map data in units of the individual divisions;

a second nonvolatile memory in which the update data obtained by the update data acquisition unit are stored;

a third nonvolatile memory into which the management information read from the recording medium is stored; and

a control unit that obtains the map data management information from the recording medium when the update data acquisition unit obtains the update data, alters part of the management information corresponding to the update data so as to indicate a storage position of the update data in the second nonvolatile memory, stores the map data management information having been altered into the third nonvolatile memory, and alters the identification information stored in the first nonvolatile memory to indicate that the map data management information is stored in the third nonvolatile memory;

wherein the control unit obtains the identification information by accessing the first nonvolatile memory to ascertain whether the map data management information is stored in the recording medium or in the third nonvolatile memory when accessing the map data, obtains the map data management information from the recording medium when the map data management information is determined as being stored in the recording medium, obtains the map data management information from the third nonvolatile memory when the map data management information is determined as being stored in the third nonvolatile memory, and accesses the map data based upon the obtained map data management information.

4. A computer-implemented method utilizing a computer processor for processing map data in a map data processing apparatus, the method comprising steps of:

confirming that recording medium is loaded at the map data processing apparatus, the recording medium having stored thereon the map data divided into a plurality of divisions and map data management information indicating specific storage positions of the plurality of map data divisions in the recording medium;

storing identification information, which bears an initial value indicating that the map data management information used in the map data processing apparatus is stored in the recording medium, into a first nonvolatile memory;

confirming a connection with a second nonvolatile memory in which update data used to update part of the map data in units of the individual divisions are written;

obtaining the map data management information from the recording medium when the connection with the second nonvolatile memory is confirmed, altering part of the management information corresponding to the update data so as to indicate a storage position of the update data in the second nonvolatile memory, storing the management information into the third nonvolatile memory and altering the identification information stored in the first nonvolatile memory to indicate that the map data management information is stored in the third nonvolatile memory;

obtaining the identification information to ascertain whether the map data management information is stored in the recording medium or in the third nonvolatile memory by accessing the first nonvolatile memory when accessing the map data;

obtaining the map data management information from the recording medium when the map data management information is determined as being stored in the recording medium;

obtaining the map data management from the third nonvolatile memory when the map data management information is determined as being stored in the third nonvolatile memory; and

accessing the map data based upon the obtained map data management information.

5. A non-transitory recording medium readable by a computer or the map data processing apparatus, containing a map data processing program having the computer or the map data processing apparatus execute the method for processing map data according to claim 4.

6. A map data processing apparatus, comprising:

a recording medium drive unit at which a recording medium is loaded having stored thereon the map data divided into a plurality of divisions and map data management information indicating specific storage positions of the plurality of map data divisions in the recording medium;

a first nonvolatile memory in which identification information bearing an initial value indicating that map data management information used in the map data processing apparatus is stored in the recording medium is stored when the recording medium is loaded into the recording medium drive unit;

a memory connection unit that enables a connection with a second nonvolatile memory in which update data used to update part of the map data in units of the individual divisions are written;

a third nonvolatile memory into which the management information read from the recording medium is stored; and

a control unit that obtains the map data management information from the recording medium when a connection of the second nonvolatile memory with the memory connection unit is confirmed, alters part of the management information corresponding to the update data so as to indicate a storage position of the update data in the second nonvolatile memory, stores the map data management information having been altered into the third nonvolatile memory, and alters the identification information stored in the first nonvolatile memory to indicate that the map data management information is stored in the third nonvolatile memory;

wherein the control unit obtains the identification information by accessing the first nonvolatile memory to ascertain whether the map data management information is stored in the recording medium or in the third nonvolatile memory when accessing the map data, obtains the map data management information from the recording medium when the map data management information is determined as being stored in the recording medium, obtains the map data management information from the third nonvolatile memory when the map data management information is determined as being stored in the third nonvolatile memory, and accesses the map data based upon the obtained map data management information.