Road information updating system and navigation apparatus

• US 9,097,543 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2012
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Kato, Noriko, Suzuki, Takamitsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jha, Abdhesh
• Application Number:
  US13/648,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20130096829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 701/400, 701/408, 701/410, 701/533
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3446 Details of route searching algorithms, e.g. Dijkstra, A*, arc-flags, using precalculated routes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3815 Road data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3844 Data obtained from position sensors only, e.g. from inertial navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3856 Data obtained from user input
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3859 Differential updating map data

Abstract

A road information update system comprising a navigation apparatus and an information center is disclosed. The navigation apparatus collects a travel trace when traveling a new road not present in a road map data, and sends the collected travel trace to the information center. The information center compares multiple road map data to extract a new road and an abandoned road, and generates multiple road change models based on the abandoned road and the new road. The information center receives the travel trace in the new road from the navigation apparatus, and estimates the new road and the abandoned road based on the received travel trace in the new road and the road change models.

Claims

1. A road information update system comprising:

a navigation apparatus that includes;

a storage device that stores a first road map data;

a travel trace detection device that detects a travel trace of a movable body; and

a navigation-side communication device that transmits information to an outside of the navigation apparatus; and

an information center that stores a second road map data, the information center including;

a center-side communication device that communicates with the navigation apparatus; and

a model generation device that compares a plurality of road map data to extract a road change part in which an abandoned road and a new road are present, thereby generating a plurality of road change models based on the abandoned road and the new road, wherein the new road is a newly-constructed road,

wherein;

the navigation apparatus further includes

a travel trace information collection device that, at least when the movable body travels the new road not present in the first road map data, collects information on the travel trace in the new road, wherein the travel trace is detected by the travel trace detection device, wherein the navigation-side communication device sends the collected information on the travel trace of the traveling of the new road to the information center;

the information center further includes

an estimation device that, upon receipt of the information on the travel trace in the new road from the navigation apparatus, estimates the new road and the abandoned road based on (i) the received information on the travel trace in the new road and (ii) the road change models generated by the model generation device; and

the information center incorporates the new road and the abandoned road estimated by the estimation device into the second road map data;

a plurality of road change models is generated by comparing a latest road map data, which has been updated most recently, with an old road map data, which was used in the past and is older than the latest road map data;

each road change model comprises a set of the new road and the abandoned road at a particular cite, the new road and the abandoned road appearing due to a road change at the particular cite between the old road map data and the latest road map data;

the navigation apparatus is configured to set a destination point and configured to send information on the destination point and a departure point of the movable body to the information center;

the navigation apparatus is further configured to perform, by using the first road map data, a process of calculating a first route from the departure point to the destination point and a process of calculating guidance information of the calculated first route;

the information center also has the first road map data and is configured to;

receive the information on the destination point and the departure point of the movable body from the navigation apparatus;

perform, by using the first road map data, the process of calculating the first route from the departure point to the destination point and the process of calculating the guidance information of the calculated first route;

perform, by using the second road map data, a process of calculating a second route from the departure point to the destination point and a process of calculating guidance information of the calculated second route;

compare the guidance information of the first route with the guidance information of the second route; and

send guidance information cancellation information and guidance information addition information to the navigation apparatus, wherein the guidance information cancellation information is provided for cancellation of the guidance information that is present in the first route but is not present in the second route, wherein the guidance information addition information is provided for addition of the guidance information that is not present in the first route but is present in the second route; and

the navigation apparatus is configured to

receive the guidance information cancellation information and the guidance information addition information from the information center; and

incorporate the cancellation of the guidance information and the addition of the guidance information into the guidance information of the first route based on the received guidance information cancellation information and the received guidance information addition information.

2. The road information update system according to claim 1, wherein:

the guidance information includes at least one of road map data and guidance command.

3. The road information update system according to claim 1, wherein:

the second road map data reflects, with respect to the first road map data, the new road and the abandoned road estimated by the estimation device.

4. The road information update system according to claim 1, wherein:

the information center further includes a traffic information collection device that collects traffic information; and

in estimating the new road and the abandoned road, the estimation device of the information center takes into account the collected traffic information.

5. A navigation apparatus configured to perform route guidance from a departure point and a destination point of a movable body, based on the guidance information cancellation information and the guidance information addition information recited in claim 1.

10. The road information update system according to claim 1, wherein:

the navigation apparatus sends identification information, which is information for identification of the first road map data, to the information center.

11. The road information update system according to claim 1, wherein:

the guidance information cancellation information includes information on cancellation of the guidance command and information on a map area in which map display and route display are prohibited.

12. The road information update system according to claim 1, wherein:

the model generation device includes

a difference group generation portion that generates a difference group by grouping, as the difference group, a map difference data corresponding to a road change based on road update information or road map data;

a difference group storage portion that stores the generated difference group;

a model storage portion that stores a plurality of road change models; and

a model extraction portion that

(i) checks the difference group against the road change models in the model storage portion, and

(ii) generates a new road change model based on the difference group in response to a mismatch between the difference group and the road change models.

13. The road information update system according to claim 12, wherein:

each road change model has a model number, a road intended-use, a road layout change, an acceptable judgment value and the guidance information.

14. The road information update system according to claim 13, wherein:

if the difference group matches one of the road change models when the model extraction portion checks the difference group against the road change models in the model storage portion, the model extraction portion makes a correction to the acceptable judgment value of the one of the road change model matching the difference group.

16. The road information update system according to claim 13, wherein:

based on the acceptable judgment value of the road change model, the navigation apparatus adjusts a point where the guidance information is to be outputted.

17. The navigation apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

before a high accuracy map data update is performed on the first road map data, the route guidance meeting an actual road situation is performable by the navigation apparatus.

6. A road information update system comprising:

a navigation apparatus that includes;

a storage device that stores a first road map data;

a travel trace detection device that detects a travel trace of a movable body; and

a navigation-side communication device that transmits information to an outside of the navigation apparatus; and

an information center that stores a second road map data and includes

a center-side communication device that communicates with the navigation apparatus,

wherein;

the information center also stores the first road map data and is configured to;

receive information on a departure point and a destination point of the movable body from the navigation apparatus;

perform, by using the first road map data, a process of calculating a first route from the departure point to the destination point and a process of calculating guidance information of the calculated first route;

perform, by using the second road map data, a process of calculating a second route from the departure point to the destination point and a process of calculating guidance information of the calculated second route;

compare the guidance information of the first route with the guidance information of the second route; and

send guidance information cancellation information and guidance information addition information to the navigation apparatus, wherein the guidance information cancellation information is provided for cancellation of the guidance information that is present in the first route but is not present in the second route, wherein the guidance information addition information is provided for addition of the guidance information that is not present in the first route but is present in the second route; and

the navigation apparatus is configured to

receive the guidance information cancellation information and the guidance information addition information from the information center, and

incorporate the cancellation of the guidance information and the addition of the guidance information into the guidance information of the first route based on the received guidance information cancellation information and the received guidance information addition information;

the second road map data stored in the information center is newer than the first road map data stored in the information center;

the first road map data stored in the information center is the same as the first road map data stored in the navigation apparatus;

the guidance information of the first route includes a point for guidance instruction and a message of the guidance instruction in the first route;

the guidance information of the second route includes a point for guidance instruction and a message of the guidance instruction in the second route;

the guidance information cancellation information includes information for cancellation of the guidance instruction that is present in the guidance information of the first route but absent in the guidance information of the second route;

the guidance information addition information includes information for addition of the guidance instruction that is absent in the guidance information of the first route but present in the guidance information of the second route; and

the navigation apparatus adds the guidance instruction to and cancels the guidance instruction from the guidance information of the first route according to the received guidance information cancellation information and the received guidance information addition information.

7. A navigation apparatus mountable to a movable body for traveling on a road in combination with an information center, the navigation apparatus comprising:

a travel trace detection device that detects a travel trace of the movable body;

a storage device that stores a first road map data; and

a communication device that transmits information to an outside of the navigation apparatus,

wherein;

the information center also stores the first road map data and is configured to;

receive information on a departure point and a destination point of the movable body from the navigation apparatus;

perform, by using the first road map data, a process of calculating a first route from the departure point to the destination point and a process of calculating guidance information of the calculated first route;

perform, by using the second road map data, a process of calculating a second route from the departure point to the destination point and a process of calculating guidance information of the calculated second route;

compare the guidance information of the first route with the guidance information of the second route; and

send guidance information cancellation information and guidance information addition information to the navigation apparatus, wherein the guidance information cancellation information is provided for cancellation of the guidance information that is present in the first route but is not present in the second route, wherein the guidance information addition information is provided for addition of the guidance information that is not present in the first route but is present in the second route; and

wherein the navigation apparatus is configured to;

send information on a departure point and a destination point of the movable body to the information center;

perform, by using the first road map data, a process of calculating the first route from the departure point to the destination point of the movable body and the process of calculating guidance information of the first route; and

upon receipt of guidance information cancellation information and guidance information addition information from the information center, incorporate cancellation of the guidance information and addition of the guidance information into the guidance information of the first route based on the received guidance information cancellation information and the received guidance information addition information;

the second road map data stored in the information center is newer than the first road map data stored in the information center;

the first road map data stored in the information center is the same as the first road map data stored in the navigation apparatus;

the guidance information of the first route includes a point for guidance instruction and a message of the guidance instruction in the first route;

the guidance information of the second route includes a point for guidance instruction and a message of the guidance instruction in the second route;

the guidance information cancellation information includes information for cancellation of the guidance instruction that is present in the guidance information of the first route but absent in the guidance information of the second route;

the guidance information addition information includes information for addition of the guidance instruction that is absent in the guidance information of the first route but present in the guidance information of the second route; and

the navigation apparatus adds the guidance instruction to and cancels the guidance instruction from the guidance information of the first route according to the received guidance information cancellation information and the received guidance information addition information.

8. The navigation apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

the information center has the first road map data, which is also stored in the navigation apparatus;

the information center further has a second road map data, which is different from the first road map data; and

the information center is configured to;

receive the information on the departure point and the destination point of the movable body from the navigation apparatus;

perform, by using the first road map data, the process of calculating the first route from the departure point to the destination point and the process of calculating guidance information of the calculated first route;

perform, by using the second road map data, a process of calculating a second route from the departure point to the destination point and a process of calculating guidance information of the calculated second route;

compare the guidance information of the first route with the guidance information of the second route; and

send the guidance information cancellation information and the guidance information addition information to the navigation apparatus, wherein the guidance information cancellation information is provided for the cancellation of the guidance information that is present in the first route but is not present in the second route, wherein the guidance information addition information is provided for the addition of the guidance information that is not present in the first route but is present in the second route.

9. The navigation apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

the guidance information includes at least one of road map data and guidance command.

15. A road information update system comprising:

a navigation apparatus that includes

a storage device that stores a first road map data,

a travel trace detection device that detects a travel trace of a movable body, and

a navigation-side communication device that transmits information to an outside of the navigation apparatus; and

an information center that stores a second road map data and includes

a center-side communication device that communicates with the navigation apparatus, and

a model generation device that

compares a plurality of road map data to extract a road change part where an abandoned road and a new road, which is a newly-constructed road, are present, and

generates a plurality of road change models based on the abandoned road, roads before and after the abandoned road, the new road, and roads before and after the new roads,

wherein;

the navigation apparatus further includes

a travel trace information collection device that, at least when the movable body travels on the new road not present in the first road map data, collects information on the travel trace in the new road, wherein the travel trace is detected by the travel trace detection device, wherein the navigation-side communication device sends the collected information on the travel trace in the new road to the information center;

the information center further includes

an estimation device that, upon receipt of the information on the travel trace in the new road and the roads before and after the new roads from the navigation apparatus, estimates the new road and the abandoned road based on (i) the received information on the travel trace in the new road and the roads before and after the new road and (ii) the road change models generated by the model generation device; and

the information center incorporates the new road and the abandoned road estimated by the estimation device into the second road map data;

a plurality of road change models is generated by comparing a latest road map data, which has been updated most recently, with an old road map data, which was used in the past and is older than the latest road map data; and

each road change model comprises a set of the new road and the abandoned road at a particular cite, the new road and the abandoned road appearing due to a road change at the particular cite between the old road map data and the latest road map data.

18. A road information update system comprising:

a navigation apparatus that includes

a storage device that stores a first road map data,

a travel trace detection device that detects a travel trace of a movable body, and

a navigation-side communication device that transmits information to an outside of the navigation apparatus; and

an information center that stores a second road map data and includes

a center-side communication device that communicates with the navigation apparatus; and

a model generation device that

compares a plurality of road map data to extract a road change part where an abandoned road and a new road, which is a newly-constructed road, are present, and

generates a plurality of road change models based on the abandoned road and the new road,

wherein;

the navigation apparatus further includes;

a first travel trace information collection device that, at least when the movable body travels on the new road not present in the first road map data, collects information on the travel trace in the new road, wherein the travel trace is detected by the travel trace detection device; and

a second travel trace information collection device that collects information on the travel trace in the abandoned road, which was detected in past in the first road map data by the travel trace detection device before the movable body travels on the new road;

the navigation-side communication device sends the collected information on the travel trace in the new road and the collected information on the travel trace in the abandoned road to the information center;

the information center further includes

an estimation device that, upon receipt of the information on the travel trace in the new road and the information on the travel trace in the abandoned road from the navigation apparatus, estimates the new road and the abandoned road based on (i) the received information on the travel trace in the new road, (ii) the received information on the travel trace in the abandoned road and (iii) the road change models generated by the model generation device; and

the information center incorporates the new road and the abandoned road estimated by the estimation device into the second road map data;

a plurality of road change models is generated by comparing a latest road map data, which has been updated most recently, with an old road map data, which was used in the past and is older than the latest road map data; and

each road change model comprises a set of the new road and the abandoned road at a particular cite, the new road and the abandoned road appearing due to a road change at the particular cite between the old road map data and the latest road map data.