Map update data supply device and method

• US 8,626,704 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2011
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Sawai, Kimiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): GIRMA, ANTENEH B
• Application Number:
  US13/005,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20110191285A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/602
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3815 Road data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3859 Differential updating map data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3878 Hierarchical structures, e.g. layering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

A map update data supply device and method includes an update map database of per section versions of an update data file, and a request update data extraction unit for extracting a request update section and an update data file. A safeguard update data extraction unit extracts a safeguard update section to safeguard a road network connection between adjacent sections. An integrated data generation unit integrates all versions of the update data file for each extracted request update section and generates a request update integrated data file. The integrated data generation unit integrates, per safeguard update section, versions of the update data file up to the update safeguard version for each extracted safeguard update section, and generates a safeguard update integrated data file. An integrated data supply unit supplies the generated request update integrated data file and the safeguard update integrated data file to a navigation device.

Claims

1. A map update data supply device that is connectable to a navigation device that includes a map database via a communication network, the map update supply device being configured to supply data for updating the map database to the navigation device, the map database including at least road network information and being divided into a plurality of sections, the map update data supply device comprising:

a storage device including an update map database configured to

manage versions of an update data file for updating a difference in the map database for each of the sections, and

store the update data file of each of the versions for each of the sections; and

a control device including

a request update data extraction unit configured to, based on an update request from the navigation device,

extract a request update section that is a section for updating the difference, and

extract, for each request update section, the update data file of up to a latest version,

a safeguard update data extraction unit configured to, if all request update sections are updated up to the latest version,

extract a safeguard update section that is a section needed to be updated to ensure a road network connection between adjacent sections, and

extract, for each safeguard update section, the update data file of up to an update safeguard version that is a version needed to be updated to ensure the road network connection,

an integrated data generation unit configured to

generate a request update integrated data file for a single time of difference update by integrating, for each request update section, all versions up to the latest version of the update data file for each request update section extracted by the request update data extraction unit, and

generate a safeguard update integrated data file for a single time of difference update by integrating, for each safeguard update section, the update data file up to the update safeguard version for each safeguard update section extracted by the safeguard update data extraction unit, and

an integrated data supply unit configured to supply, to the navigation device, the request update integrated data file and the safeguard update integrated data file generated by the integrated data extraction unit.

2. The map update data supply device according to claim 1, wherein

a set of a plurality of data units respectively associated with identification codes constitutes the map database of each of the sections,

the update data file includes update data that includes any one of an addition, a modification, and a deletion for each of the data units, and

the integrated data generation unit is configured to, for all versions of the update data file extracted for each of the sections,

integrate a plurality of versions of update data in which a first data unit that had not existed before an update has been added and finally deleted, in such a manner that an update of the first data unit is not performed,

integrate a plurality of versions of update data in which a content of a second data unit that had existed before an update has been modified and finally deleted, as one piece of data for performing an update to delete the second data unit, and

integrate a plurality of versions of update data in which a third data unit that had not existed before an update has been added and modified, as one piece of data for performing an update to add the third data unit.

3. The map update data supply device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a management database configured to manage a current version of each of the sections in the map database for each of a plurality of navigation devices, wherein

the request update data extraction unit is configured to extract, for each request update section, all versions of the update data file that are newer than the current version managed by the management database and up to the latest version stored in the update map database, and

the safeguard update data extraction unit is configured to extract, for each safeguard update section, all versions of the update data file that are newer than the current version and up to the update safeguard version.

4. The map update data supply device according to claim 1, wherein

a set of a plurality of data units respectively associated with identification codes constitutes the map database of each of the sections, and

the update data file has, for each data unit, an update flag for each data item included in the data unit.

5. The map update data supply device according to claim 4, wherein the update data file has post-update data for only a data item for which the update flag indicates there is an update.

6. The map update data supply device according to claim 1, wherein

a set of a plurality of data units respectively associated with identification codes constitutes the map database of each of the sections, each of the data units including road data corresponding to a road that connects intersection points,

update data configured to add the road data includes attribute data including a start point intersection and an end point intersection in association with a new identification code corresponding to the road data, and

update data configured to modify the road data includes post-update attribute data not including the start point intersection and the end point intersection in association with a new identification code corresponding to the road data.

7. The map update data supply device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a safeguard version table configured to store, as a safeguard version, in association with a section group that is a combination of a section and a section adjacent thereto in the update map database, a version of the update data file of each of the sections when safeguarding of a road network connection between the sections that constitute the section group is required, wherein

the safeguard update data extraction unit is configured to

extract the safeguard update section based on the safeguard version table, the request update section, and a latest version of the request update section,

extract the update safeguard version for each safeguard update section, and

extract the update data file up to the update safeguard version.

10. The map update data supply device according to claim 1, wherein the control device includes a central processing unit and a storage medium.

8. A map update data supply method of a map update data supply device supplying data for updating a map database to a navigation device, the map database including at least road network information and being divided into a plurality of sections, the map update data supply method being executed by a control device included in the map update data supply device, the method comprising:

executing, utilizing a computational processing device, a map update data supply method, the map update data supply method including;

managing an update map database that manages, for each of the sections, versions of an update data file for updating a difference in the map database, and storing the update data file of each of the versions for each of the sections;

extracting, based on an update request from the navigation device, a request update section that is a section for updating the difference, and extracting the update data file of up to a latest version to be supplied to the navigation device for each request update section;

extracting, when all request update sections are updated up to the latest version, a safeguard update section that is a section needed to be updated to ensure a road network connection between adjacent sections, and extracting for each safeguard update section, the update data file of up to an update safeguard version that is a version needed to be updated to ensure the road network connection;

integrating, for each request update section, all versions up to the latest version of the update data files for each request update section, and generating a request update integrated data file for a single time of difference update;

integrating, for each safeguard update section, the update data file up to the update safeguard version for each safeguard update section, and generating a safeguard update integrated data for a single time of difference update; and

supplying, to the navigation device, the request update integrated data file and the safeguard update integrated data file.

11. The map update data supply method according to claim 8, wherein the control device includes a central processing unit and a storage medium.

12. The map update data supply method according to claim 8, wherein the control device includes a central processing unit and a storage medium, and wherein at least one of the actions of the map update data supply method is executed using at least one of the central processing unit or storage medium.

9. A non-transitory computer readable media including program instructions, which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform:

managing an update map database that manages, for respective section versions of an update data file for updating a difference in a map database, and storing the update data file of the versions for the respective sections;

extracting, based on an update request from a navigation device, a request update section that is a section for updating the difference, and extracting the update data file of up to a latest version to be supplied to the navigation device for each request update section;

extracting, when all request update sections are updated up to the latest version, a safeguard update section that is a section needed to be updated to ensure a road network connection between adjacent sections, and extracting for each safeguard update section, the update data file of up to an update safeguard version that is a version needed to be updated to ensure the road network connection;

integrating, for each request update section, all versions up to the latest version of the update data files for each request update section, and generating a request update integrated data file for a single time of difference update;

integrating, for each safeguard update section, the update data file up to the update safeguard version for each safeguard update section, and generating a safeguard update integrated data for a single time of difference update; and

supplying, to the navigation device, the request update integrated data file and the safeguard update integrated data file.