Map data utilization apparatus

• US 8,655,584 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2007
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Kimura, Hiroki
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafi, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US11/905,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20080082260A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,335 Days
• Field of Search: 701200-226, 701/400, 701/509, 701/540, 701408-475, 701/24, 340988-996
• US Class Current: 701/450
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3859 Differential updating map data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3889 Transmission of selected map data, e.g. depending on route
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3896 Transmission of map data from central databases

Abstract

A map data utilization apparatus retrieves a version information of map data for a specific area when a current position of a vehicle is updated. Then, the version information of the map data of the specific area is compared with a version information of the map data of an identical area in a version list that is retrieved in advance for map data updating. When the version of the map data in the version list is different from the one of the map data of the specific area, an inquiry screen is displayed on a display unit for inquiring a user whether the map data is updated. When an update is instructed by the user, map data update data is acquired from an information center, and the map data of the specific area is updated by using the map data update data.

Claims

1. A map data utilization apparatus comprising:

a storage that stores map data to be utilized in a process that is executed in the map data utilization apparatus, wherein the map data is capable of being updated by an area of a predetermined range in a map;

a communication unit that communicates with an external information center;

a list acquisition unit that acquires a version list of the map data for updating respective areas in the map;

a map data acquisition unit that acquires map data from the external information center by the communication unit, wherein the map data acquisition unit compares a version of the map data of a specific area with a version of the map data in the version list for map data updating so as to acquire the map data of the specific area when the version of the map data of the specific area is different from the version of the map data of a same area in the version list for map data updating; and

a map data update unit that updates the map data of the specific area stored in the storage based on map data that is acquired by the map data acquisition unit for map data updating,

wherein,

the map data acquisition unit is configured, after the comparison is performed by the map data acquisition unit, when the version of the map data of the specific area is determined to be different from the version of the map data of the same area in the version list for map data updating, before acquiring the map data of the specific area from the external information center, to interact with a user to request a user authorization of downloading to update the map data of the specific area, and

the data acquisition unit further is configured, when the user authorizes downloading to update of the map data of the specific area in response to the map data acquisition unit requesting the user authorization of said downloading, to acquire the map data for map data updating of the specific area from the information center through the communication unit,

the map data acquisition unit allows the user to select one of an automatic update mode for automatically updating the map data through acquiring the map data and an inquiry update mode for updating the map data after making an inquiry about map data updating to the user.

2. A navigation apparatus having the map data utilization apparatus of claim 1,

wherein a function of route navigation that provides a navigation route towards a specified destination based on the map data is provided.

3. A navigation apparatus having the map data utilization apparatus of claim 1, wherein a function of route navigation that provides a navigation route towards a specified destination based on the map data is provided by said navigation apparatus having the map data utilization apparatus.

4. A map data utilization apparatus comprising:

a storage that stores map data to be utilized in a process that is executed in the map data utilization apparatus, wherein the map data is capable of being updated by an area of a predetermined range in a map;

a communication unit that communicates with an external information center;

a list acquisition unit that acquires a version list of the map data for updating respective areas in the map;

a map data acquisition unit that acquires map data from the external information center by the communication unit, wherein the map data acquisition unit compares a version of the map data of a specific area with a version of the map data in the version list for map data updating so as to acquire the map data of the specific area when the version of the map data of the specific area is different from the version of the map data of a same area in the version list for map data updating;

a map data update unit that updates the map data of the specific area stored in the storage based on map data that is acquired by the map data acquisition unit for map data updating; and

a position detector that detects a current position of a mobile body of the map data utilization apparatus for a mobility of the apparatus,

wherein

the map data acquisition unit compares the version of the map data of an area that includes the current position of the mobile body with the version of the map data of a same area in the version list for map data updating when the current position is updated based on a detection result of the position detector,

the map data acquisition unit is configured, after the comparison is performed by the map data acquisition unit, when the version of the map data of the specific area is determined to be different from the version of the map data of the same area in the version list for map data updating, before acquiring the map data of the specific area from the external information center, to interact with a user to request a user authorization of downloading to update the map data of the specific area, and

the map data acquisition unit is further configured, when the user authorizes downloading to update the map data of the specific area in response to the map data acquisition unit requesting the user authorization of said downloading, to acquire the map data for map data updating of the specific area from the information center through the communication unit.

5. The map data utilization apparatus of claim 4, wherein

when the version of the map data of an area including the current position which is updated is different from the version of map data of the same area in the version list, the map data acquisition unit acquires the map data for the map data updating by the communication unit from the external information center.

7. The map data utilization apparatus of claim 5, wherein

when the version of the map data of the area that includes the position of the POI is different from the version of the map data of the same area in the version list, the map data acquisition unit acquires the map data for the map data updating by the communication unit from the external information center.

6. A map data utilization apparatus comprising:

a storage that stores map data to be utilized in a process that is executed in the map data utilization apparatus, wherein the map data is capable of being updated by an area of a predetermined range in a map;

a communication unit that communicates with an external information center;

a list acquisition unit that acquires a version list of the map data for updating respective areas in the map;

a map data acquisition unit that acquires map data from the external information center by the communication unit, wherein the map data acquisition unit compares a version of the map data of a specific area with a version of the map data in the version list for map data updating so as to acquire the map data of the specific area when the version of the map data of the specific area is different from the version of the map data of a same area in the version list for map data updating; and

a map data update unit that updates the map data of the specific area stored in the storage based on map data that is acquired by the map data acquisition unit for map data updating,

wherein the map data includes POI information that specifies attributes of a point of interest (POI),

the map data is capable of being utilized in a predetermined process regarding the POI,

the map data acquisition unit compares the version of the map data of an area that includes a position of the POI with the version of the map data of a same area in the version list for map data updating when a user provides an instruction of specifying the POI,

wherein,

the map data acquisition unit is configured, after the comparison is performed by the map data acquisition unit, when the version of the map data of the specific area is determined to be different from the version of the map data of the same area in the version list for map data updating, before acquiring the map data of the specific area from the external information center, to interact with a user to request a user authorization of downloading to update the map data of the specific area, and

the map data acquisition unit further is configured, when the user authorizes downloading to update the map data of the specific area in response to the map data acquisition unit requesting the user authorization of said downloading, to acquire the map data for map data updating of the specific area from the information center through the communication unit.

8. A map data utilization apparatus comprising:

a storage that stores map data to be utilized in a process that is executed in the map data utilization apparatus, wherein the map data is capable of being updated by an area of a predetermined range in a map;

a communication unit that communicates with an external information center;

a list acquisition unit that acquires a version list of the map data for updating respective areas in the map;

a map data acquisition unit that acquires map data from the external information center by the communication unit, wherein the map data acquisition unit compares a version of the map data of a specific area with a version of the map data in the version list for map data updating so as to acquire the map data of the specific area when the version of the map data of the specific area is different from the version of the map data of a same area in the version list for map data updating;

a map data update unit that updates the map data of the specific area stored in the storage based on map data that is acquired by the map data acquisition unit for map data updating; and

a display unit that displays a map image based on the map data,

wherein,

when a geographical area of a map to be displayed on the display unit is changed, the map data acquisition unit compares the version of the map data of a display area after display area change with the version of the map data of a same area in the version list for map data updating,

the map data acquisition unit is configured, after the comparison is performed by the map data acquisition unit, when the version of the map data of the specific area is determined to be different from the version of the map data of the same area in the version list for map data updating, before acquiring the map data of the specific area from the external information center, to interact with a user to request a user authorization of downloading to update the map data of the specific area, and

the map data acquisition unit further is configured, when the user authorizes downloading to update the map data of the specific area in response to the map data acquisition unit requesting the user authorization of said download, to acquire the map data for map data updating of the specific area from the information center through the communication unit.

9. The map data utilization apparatus of claim 8,

wherein, when the geographical area of the map to be displayed on the display unit is changed by scrolling, the map data acquisition unit compares the version of the map data of the display area after display area change with the version of the map data of a same area in the version list for map data updating.