Data updating system, navigation device, server, and method of data updating

• US 8,892,517 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2007
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• 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: Takahata, Seiji, Sawai, Kimiyoshi, Kodan, Tomoki, Sugimoto, Hironobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Fan, Shiow-Jy
• Application Number:
  US12/227,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20090177706A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,720 Days
• Field of Search: 707/999.2, 707/E17.005, 707/821, 707/621, 707/625, 707/634, 707/809, 701/32.3, 701/32.4, 701/412
• US Class Current: 707/625
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3815 Road data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3859 Differential updating map data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

A data updating system includes a navigation device running according to a predefined application program; and a server providing the navigation device with a differential data file for updating a database containing road network data. The navigation device includes a navigation memory storing a local database in an updating data format in which the road network data is arranged in the order of data types and to be updated with the differential data file; and a navigation controller that converts data stored in the local database so as to have the reference data format in which the road network data is arranged in the order of connection of the road network to be referenced to by the application program. The server includes a server controller that outputs the differential data file to be provided to the navigation device.

Claims

1. A data updating system comprising:

a server that creates a differential data file for updating a navigation device, the differential data file containing road network data arranged by data types and guidance data that is linked to the road network data; and

the navigation device comprising;

a communication device for communicating with the server to receive the differential data file;

a navigation memory storing;

a local database organized in an updating data format in which the road network data is arranged in an order of the data types and which is updated with the road network data in the differential data file, the local database containing no guidance data; and

a referential database that organizes the road network data and guidance data in a reference data format in which the road network data is arranged in the order of connection of the road network; and

a navigation controller that;

converts data stored in the local database so as to have the reference data format by changing an order of the data from the order of the data types to an order in connection of the road network so that, in the converted data, the road network data is arranged in the order of connection of the road network;

stores the converted data in a temporary storage area; and

updates the road network data in the referential database with the converted data; and

updates the guidance data in the referential database directly based on the differential data file.

2. The data updating system according to claim 1, wherein:

the temporary storage area comprises a parallel updating data storage memory capable of storing data while the navigation controller refers to the referential database, and

the navigation controller sequentially stores converted data in the parallel updating data storage memory during the conversion of the data stored in the local database, and replaces the data stored in the referential database with the data stored in the parallel updating data storage memory so as to update the referential database after the navigation controller completes conversion.

3. The data updating system according to claim 1, wherein the navigation controller updates the local database based on the differential data file.

4. The data updating system according to claim 1, wherein:

the server further comprises a server memory storing a comparison local database having the same content as the local database, and

the server controller receives a new data entry, and generates a differential data file, based on the comparison local database and the new data.

5. The data updating system according to claim 4, wherein the server controller generates, based on the comparison local database and the new data, a new local database in the same data format as the comparison local database and updated with the content of the new data, and generates the differential data file based on a difference between the comparison local database and the new local database.

6. The data updating system according to claim 1, wherein:

the navigation device includes a plurality of application programs, and the navigation controller converts data stored in the local database so as to have the reference data format corresponding to each of the application programs.

7. The data updating system according to claim 1, wherein the differential data file contains data representing an updating status.

8. The data updating system according to claim 1, wherein:

the referential database is a navigation map database containing the road network data with the guidance data linked to the road network data,

the differential data file contains data representing an updating status, road network data for a portion to be updated, and guidance data to be updated.

9. A navigation device for use in a data updating system, the navigation device comprising:

a communication device for receiving a differential data file from a server, the differential data file containing road network data arranged by data types and guidance data that is linked to the road network data;

a navigation memory storing;

a local database organized in an updating data format in which the road network data is arranged in an order of the data types and which is updated with the road network data in the differential data file, the local database containing no guidance data; and

a referential database that organizes the road network data and guidance data in a reference data format in which the road network data is arranged in the order of connection of the road network; and

a navigation controller that;

converts data stored in the local database so as to have the reference data format by changing an order of the data from the order of the data types to an order in connection of the road network so that, in the converted data, the road network data is arranged in the order of connection of the road network;

stores the converted data in a temporary storage area; and

updates the road network data in the referential database with the converted data; and

updates the guidance data in the referential database directly based on the differential data file.

10. The navigation device according to claim 9, wherein:

the temporary storage area comprises a parallel updating data storage memory capable of storing data while the navigation controller refers to the referential database, and

the navigation controller sequentially stores converted data in the parallel updating data storage memory during the conversion of the data stored in the local database, and replaces the data stored in the referential database with the data stored in the parallel updating data storage memory so as to update the referential database after the navigation controller completes conversion.

11. The navigation device according to claim 9, wherein the navigation controller updates at least the local database based on the differential data file.

12. The navigation device according to claim 9, wherein:

the application program includes a plurality of application programs, and

the navigation controller converts data stored in the local database so as to have the reference data format corresponding to each of the application programs.

13. A method for updating data in a navigation device, the method comprising:

receiving, with a communication device of a navigation device, a differential data file for updating the navigation device, the differential data file containing road network data arranged by data types and guidance data that is linked to the road network data;

providing a memory in the navigation device storing;

a local database organized in an updating data format in which the road network data is arranged in an order of the data types and which is updated with the road network data in the differential data file, the local database containing no guidance data; and

a referential database that organizes the road network data and guidance data in a reference data format in which road network data is arranged in the order of connection of the road network; and

updating, with a processor in the navigation device, the local database with the differential data file;

converting, with the processor, data stored in the local database so as to have the reference data format by changing an order of the data from the order of the data types to an order in connection of the road network so that, in the converted data, the road network data is arranged in the order of connection of the road network;

storing, with the processor, the converted data in a temporary storage area; and

updating, with the processor, the road network data in the referential database with the converted data; and

updating, with the processor, the guidance data in the referential database directly based on the differential data.

14. The method for updating data according to claim 13, wherein the temporary storage area comprises a parallel updating data storage memory capable of storing data during reference of the referential database by the processor,

the method further comprising:

sequentially storing the data converted so as to have the reference data format in the parallel updating data storage memory during conversion of the data stored in the local database, and

after completion of conversion to the reference data format, replacing data stored in the referential database with the data stored in the parallel updating data storage memory so as to update the referential database.

15. The method for updating data according to claim 13, wherein the server further comprises a server memory storing a comparison local database having the same content as the local database,

the method further comprising:

receiving a new data entry, and

generating the road network data in differential data file based on the comparison local database and the new data, and

generating the guidance data in the differential data file based on the new data.

16. The method for updating data according to claim 15, wherein the server memory further comprises a new local database updated, based on the comparison local database and the new data, with the content of the new data to have the same data format as the comparison local database, and

the method further comprising:

generating the road network data in the differential data file based on a difference between the comparison local database and the new local database.