Method for transmitting information on position on digital map and device used for the same

• US 8,655,580 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2011
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: T&M Data Update LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Adachi, Shinya
• Primary Examiner(s): Jen, Ian
• Application Number:
  US13/303,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20120065879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/409
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B

Abstract

A method of transmitting position information of a digital map capable of transmitting a position on a digital map efficiently and accurately in which a transmitting side transmits position information including coordinate series information for specifying a vector shape on a digital map and a receiving side execute map matching by the coordinate series information to thereby identify the vector shape on the digital map, the coordinate series information is transmitted by adding azimuth information of a coordinate point included in the coordinate series information thereto. By transmitting shape data by adding the azimuth information thereto, accuracy of matching can be promoted and necessary time for matching can be shortened.

Claims

1. A system comprising a transmitting apparatus and a receiving apparatus, the transmitting apparatus storing a first digital map including a first road section and the receiving apparatus storing a second digital map including a second road section,

the transmitting apparatus comprising:

a position information generating unit that generates position information, wherein the position information includes coordinates information, which represents the first road section, the first road section including a plurality of nodes, and further includes reference point relative position information which indicates a first reference point on the first road section by relative position from one of the nodes on the first road section and target position relative coordinates information which indicates a first target position outside of the first road section by relative coordinates from coordinates of the first reference point on the first road section; and

a transmitting unit that transmits the generated position information to the receiving apparatus; and

the receiving apparatus comprising;

a receiving unit that receives the generated position information; and

an identifying unit that identifies a second reference point on the second digital map corresponding to the first reference point on the first digital map by using the reference point relative position information and identifies a second target position on the second digital map corresponding to the first target position by using the identified second reference point and the target position relative coordinates information.

2. A transmitting apparatus storing a first digital map including a first road section, the transmitting apparatus comprising:

a position information generating unit that generates position information, wherein the position information includes

coordinates information, which represents the first road section, the first road section including a plurality of nodes, and further includes

reference point relative position information which indicates a first reference point on the first road section by relative position from one of the nodes on the first road section and target position relative coordinates information which indicates a first target position outside of the first road section by relative coordinates from coordinates of the first reference point on the first road section; and

a transmitting unit that transmits the generated position information.

3. A receiving apparatus storing a second digital map including a second road section, the receiving apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit that receives generated position information, whereby the generated position information includes coordinates information, which represents a first road section from a first digital map distinct from the second digital map, the first road section including a plurality of nodes, and further includes reference point relative position information which indicates a first reference point on the first road section by relative position from one of the nodes on the first road section and target position relative coordinates information which indicates a first target position outside of the first road section by relative coordinates from coordinates of the first reference point on the first road section; and

an identifying unit that identifies a second reference point on the second digital map corresponding to the first reference point on the first digital map by using the reference point relative position information and identifies a second target position on the second digital map corresponding to the first target position by using the identified second reference point and the target position relative coordinates information.

4. A method for identifying a second reference point on a second digital map stored at a receiver apparatus, the method comprising:

at a transmitting apparatus which stores a first digital map including a first road section;

generating position information, wherein the position information includes coordinates information, which represents the first road section, the first road section including a plurality of nodes, and further includes reference point relative position information which indicates a first reference point on the first road section by relative position from one of the nodes on the first road section and target position relative coordinates information which indicates a first target position outside of the first road section by relative coordinates from coordinates of the first reference point on the first road section; and

transmitting the generated position information to the receiving apparatus; and

at the receiving apparatus which stores the second digital map including a second road section;

receiving the generated position information; and

identifying a second reference point on the second digital map corresponding to the first reference point on the first digital map by using the reference point relative position information and identifying a second target position on the second digital map corresponding to the first target position by using the identified second reference point and the target position relative coordinates information.

5. A method for transmitting position information at a transmitting apparatus which stores a first digital map including a first road section, the method comprising:

generating position information, wherein the position information includes coordinates information, which represents the first road section, the first road section including a plurality of nodes, and further includes reference point relative position information which indicates a first reference point on the first road section by relative position from one of the nodes on the first road section and target position relative coordinates information which indicates a first target position outside of the first road section by relative coordinates from coordinates of the first reference point on the first road section; and

transmitting the generated position information to the receiving apparatus.

6. A method for receiving position information at a receiving apparatus which stores a second digital map including a second road section, whereby the position information includes coordinates information, which represents a first road section from a first digital map distinct from the second digital map, the first road section including a plurality of nodes, and further includes reference point relative position information which indicates a first reference point on the first road section by relative position from one of the nodes on the first road section and target position relative coordinates information which indicates a first target position outside of the first road section by relative coordinates from coordinates of the first reference point on the first road section, the method comprising:

receiving the generated position information; and

identifying a second reference point on the second digital map corresponding to the first reference point on the first digital map by using the reference point relative position information and identifying a second target position on the second digital map corresponding to the first target position by using the identified second reference point and the target position relative coordinates information.

7. A system comprising a transmitting apparatus and a receiving apparatus, the transmitting apparatus storing a first digital map including a first road section and the receiving apparatus storing a second digital map including a second road section,

the transmitting apparatus comprising:

a position information generating unit that generates position information, wherein the position information includes coordinates information, which represents the first road section, the first road section including a plurality of nodes, and further includes reference point relative position information which indicates a first reference point on the first road section by relative position from one of the nodes on the first road section and data of distance and an azimuth from the first reference point to a first target position which indicates the first target position outside of the first road section by the data of distance and the azimuth from coordinates of the first reference point on the first road section; and

a transmitting unit that transmits the generated position information to the receiving apparatus; and

the receiving apparatus comprising;

a receiving unit that receives the generated position information; and

an identifying unit that identifies a second reference point on the second digital map corresponding to the first reference point on the first digital map by using the reference point relative position information and identifies a second target position on the second digital map corresponding to the first target position by using the identified second reference point and the data of distance and the azimuth from the first reference point to the first target position.

8. A transmitting apparatus storing a first digital map including a first road section, the transmitting apparatus comprising:

a position information generating unit that generates position information, wherein the position information includes

coordinates information, which represents the first road section, the first road section including a plurality of nodes, and further includes

reference point relative position information which indicates a first reference point on the first road section by relative position from one of the nodes on the first road section and

data of distance and an azimuth from the first reference point to a first target position which indicates the first target position outside of the first road section by the data of distance and the azimuth from the first reference point to the first target position from coordinates of the first reference point on the first road section; and

a transmitting unit that transmits the generated position information.

9. A receiving apparatus storing a second digital map including a second road section, the receiving apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit that receives generated position information, whereby the generated position information includes coordinates information, which represents a first road section from a first digital map distinct from the second digital map, the first road section including a plurality of nodes, and further includes reference point relative position information which indicates a first reference point on the first road section by relative position from one of the nodes on the first road section and data of distance and an azimuth from the first reference point to a first target position which indicates the first target position outside of the first road section by the data of distance and the azimuth from the first reference point to the first target position from coordinates of the first reference point on the first road section; and

an identifying unit that identifies a second reference point on the second digital map corresponding to the first reference point on the first digital map by using the reference point relative position information and identifies a second target position on the second digital map corresponding to the first target position by using the identified second reference point and the data of distance and the azimuth from the first reference point to the first target position.

10. A method for identifying a second reference point on a second digital map stored at a receiver apparatus, the method comprising:

at a transmitting apparatus which stores a first digital map including a first road section;

generating position information, wherein the position information includes coordinates information, which represents the first road section, the first road section including a plurality of nodes, and further includes reference point relative position information which indicates a first reference point on the first road section by relative position from one of the nodes on the first road section and data of distance and an azimuth from the first reference point to a first target position which indicates the first target position outside of the first road section by relative coordinates from coordinates of a first reference point on the first road section; and

transmitting the generated position information to the receiving apparatus; and

at the receiving apparatus which stores the second digital map including a second road section;

receiving the generated position information; and

identifying a second reference point on the second digital map corresponding to the first reference point on the first digital map by using the reference point relative position information and identifying a second target position on the second digital map corresponding to the first target position by using the identified second reference point and the data of distance and the azimuth from the first reference point to the first target position.

11. A method for transmitting position information at a transmitting apparatus which stores a first digital map including a first road section, the method comprising:

generating position information, wherein the position information includes coordinates information, which represents the first road section, the first road section including a plurality of nodes, and further includes reference point relative position information which indicates a first reference point on the first road section by relative position from one of the nodes on the first road section and data of distance and an azimuth from the first reference point to a first target position which indicates the first target position outside of the first road section by the data of distance and an azimuth from the first reference point to the first target position from coordinates of a first reference point on the first road section; and

transmitting the generated position information to the receiving apparatus.

12. A method for receiving position information at a receiving apparatus which stores a second digital map including a second road section, whereby the position information includes coordinates information, which represents a first road section from a first digital map distinct from the second digital map, the first road section including a plurality of nodes, and further includes reference point relative position information which indicates a first reference point on the first road section by relative position from one of the nodes on the first road section and data of distance and an azimuth from the first reference point to a first target position which indicates the first target position outside of the first road section from coordinates of the first reference point on the first road section, the method comprising:

receiving the generated position information; and

identifying a second reference point on the second digital map corresponding to the first reference point on the first digital map by using the reference point relative position information and identifying a second target position on the second digital map corresponding to the first target position by using the identified second reference point and the data of distance and the azimuth from the first reference point to the first target position.