Map updating system

• US 8,392,367 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2007
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Moribe, Isao, Kodan, Tomoki, Sugimoto, Hironobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Ehichioya, Fred I
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fan, Shiow-Jy
• Application Number:
  US12/226,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20090172031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,014 Days
• Field of Search: 707/999.107, 707/999.002, 707/E17.005, 707/E17.018, 707/791, 707/802, 707/613, 707/634
• US Class Current: 707/634
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3859 Differential updating map data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3896 Transmission of map data from central databases

Abstract

A map updating system that stores map data and a priority sequence table, acquires first update data and second update data of the map data according to the priority sequence table, and updates the map data based on the first update data and second update data according to the priority sequence table.

Claims

1. A map updating system, comprising:

a map data storing unit that stores map data;

a first acquiring unit that acquires first update data of the map data;

a second acquiring unit that acquires second update data of the map data, wherein;

the first acquiring unit acquires the first update data by a first communication method and the second acquiring unit acquires the second update data by a second communication method, and

the first communication method and the second communication method are methods that use different communication apparatuses and different communication lines;

an updating unit that updates the map data based on at least one of the first update data and the second update data;

a plurality of priority sequence setting tables including a priority sequence for updating based on the first update data and updating based on the second update data which are executed by the updating unit; and

a computer processor unit (CPU) that determines whether or not timings of the updating based on the first update data and the second update data overlap and the updating conflicts, wherein;

if it is determined that the timings of the updating based on the first update data and the second update data overlap and the updating conflicts, the updating unit sets, based on the priority sequence setting table, an execution and a stop of the updating based on the first update data and the updating based on the second update data to update the map data;

the priority sequence is set different according to a processing status of acquisition processing of the first update data by the first acquiring unit or update processing of the map data based on the first update data by the updating unit at a time when the acquisition of the second update data by the second acquiring unit has started; and

the plurality of priority sequence setting tables are tables configured to provide priority sequences for each combination of the first communication method and the second communication method.

2. The map updating system according to claim 1, the priority sequence setting table defining operation of the updating unit when the acquisition of the second update data by the second acquiring unit starts during acquisition of the first update data by the first acquiring unit.

3. The map updating system according to claim 1, the priority sequence setting table defining operation of the updating unit when the acquisition of the second update data by the second acquiring unit starts during an interruption of the acquisition of the first update data acquired by the first acquiring unit.

4. The map updating system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first acquiring unit and the second acquiring unit acquires update data from a map distribution center by remote communication.

5. The map updating system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first acquiring unit and the second acquiring unit acquires update data from a recording medium.

6. The map updating system according to claim 1, comprising:

a comparing unit that compares update object areas and a version of the first update data with update object areas and a version of the second update data, wherein

the updating unit sets, based on a compared result of the comparing unit and the priority sequence setting table, an execution and a stop of the updating based on the first update data and the updating based on the second update data to update the map data.

7. A method for updating a map system, comprising:

acquiring first update data and second update data of map data stored in a storing unit according to a plurality of priority sequence setting tables including a priority sequence for updating based on the acquired update data, wherein;

the first update data is acquired by a first communication method and the second update data is acquired by a second communication method, and

the first communication method and the second communication method are methods that use different communication apparatuses and different communication lines;

updating the map data based on at least one of the first update data and the second update data according to the priority sequence setting table; and

determining by a computer processor unit (CPU) whether or not timings of the updating based on the first update data and the second update data overlap and the updating conflicts, wherein;

if it is determined that the timings of the updating based on the first update data and the second update data overlap and the updating conflicts, setting, based on the priority sequence setting table, an execution and a stop of the updating based on the first update data and of the updating based on the second update data to update the map data;

setting the priority sequence different according to a processing status of the acquiring of the first update data or of the updating of the map data based on the first update data at a time when the acquiring of the second update data has started; and

the plurality of priority sequence setting tables are tables configured to provide priority sequences for each combination of the first communication method and the second communication method.

8. The method for updating a map system according to claim 7, further comprising:

prioritizing acquisition of the second update data during acquisition of the first update data.

9. The method for updating a map system according to claim 7, further comprising:

prioritizing acquisition of the second update data during an interruption of the acquisition of the first update data.

10. The method for updating a map system according to claim 7, further comprising:

acquiring at least one of the first update data and second update data from a map distribution center by remote communication.

11. The method for updating a map system according to claim 7, further comprising:

acquiring at least one of the first update data and second update data from a recording medium.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer-executable program usable to update map data, the program comprising:

instructions for acquiring first update data and second update data of map data according to a plurality of priority sequence setting tables including a priority sequence for updating based on the acquired update data, wherein;

the first update data is acquired by a first communication method and the second update data is acquired by a second communication method, and

the first communication method and the second communication method are methods that use different communication apparatuses and different communication lines;

instructions for updating the map data based on at least one of the first update data and the second update data according to the priority sequence setting table; and

instructions for determining whether or not the timings of the updating based on the first update data and the second update data overlap and the updating conflicts, wherein;

if it is determined that timings of the updating based on the first update data and the second update data overlap and the updating conflicts, setting, based on the priority sequence setting table, an execution and a stop of the updating based on the first update data and of the updating based on the second update data to update the map data;

the priority sequence is set different according to a processing status of acquisition processing of the first update data by the instructions or update processing of the map data based on the first update data by the instructions at a time when the acquisition of the second update data by the instructions has started; and

the plurality of priority sequence setting tables are tables configured to provide priority sequences for each combination of the first communication method and the second communication method.