Map database generating systems, methods, and programs

• US 9,142,147 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation), Toyota Mapmaster Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation), Zenrin Company Limited (Zenrin)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation), Toyota Mapmaster Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation), Zenrin Company Limited (Zenrin)
• Inventors: Sugimoto, Hironobu, Nakamura, Motohiro, Matsumoto, Yoshikatsu, Koshiba, Sadahiro, Tsujiko, Masahiro, Maekawa, Kazuteru, Yano, Kenji, Ochi, Yuichi, Iwata, Shoji, Shono, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEEMA, AZAM M
• Application Number:
  US11/992,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20100121886A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,280 Days
• Field of Search: 707/803, 701/208
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3822 Road feature data, e.g. slope data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/387 Organisation of map data, e.g. version management or database structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/00 Maps; Plans; Charts; Diagrams, e.g. route diagram star maps G09B27/04; devices for holding or supporting maps A47B97/02; for computing purposes G06G1/14, G09B1/16; display boards G09F

Abstract

Systems, methods, and programs store feature information relating to features existing on a road and on the periphery of the road, each piece of feature information being associated with a unique identification symbol, each piece of feature information including disposition information expressing a spatial disposition of each feature independently of the road network, form information expressing a form of each feature, accuracy information expressing an accuracy of the information, and acquisition timing information expressing an acquisition timing of the information. The systems, methods, and programs (1) output the feature information stored in the feature database and input map information constituting the map database, the map information being generated based on the output feature information, or (2) generate map information constituting the map database on the basis of the feature information stored in the feature database.

Claims

1. A map database generating system for generating a map database, the map database including a road network comprising a plurality of nodes having position information and a link connecting two of the nodes, and road attribute information associated with the road network, the system comprising:

a non-transitory memory including a feature database that stores feature information relating to features existing on a road and on a periphery of the road, each piece of feature information being associated with a unique identification symbol, each piece of feature information including;

disposition information expressing a spatial disposition of the feature independently of the road network;

form information that defines a physical form of the feature as the feature exists on or adjacent to the road;

accuracy information expressing an accuracy of the feature information; and

acquisition timing information expressing an acquisition timing of the feature information;

wherein identification symbols having at least one part in common are allocated to feature information relating to an identical feature in the feature database; and

a processor that is programmed to;

output the feature information stored in the feature database;

input map information constituting the map database, the map information being generated based on the output feature information;

detect a presence of plural feature information relating to an identical feature but having different accuracy information from the feature database, the detection being made based on the acquisition timing information and at least one of the identification symbol, the disposition information, and the form information of each piece of feature information; and

select feature information having an accuracy required to generate the map information as the feature information to be output, the selection being made on the basis of the accuracy information included in each piece of detected feature information.

2. The map database generating system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to extract, as the feature information to be output, feature information that satisfies a condition required to generate the map information from the feature database on the basis of at least one of the identification symbol, the disposition information, the form information, the accuracy information, and the acquisition timing information of each piece of feature information.

3. The map database generating system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to:

extract feature information relating to a feature that has varied from a past feature condition from the feature database on the basis of the disposition information of each piece of feature information; and

generate update information expressing a content of the variation in the extracted feature information in a manner enabling output.

4. The map database generating system according to claim 1, wherein the stored features include at least one of a painted feature provided on a road, a traffic regulation feature expressing a traffic regulation, and a road area defining feature defining a road area.

5. The map database generating system according to claim 1, wherein the road attribute information includes at least one of point attribute information associated with a point on the road network, section attribute information associated with a fixed section along the road network, and route attribute information associated with a single node on the road network and one or more links connected to the node.

6. The map database generating system according to claim 1, wherein the map database is a map database used in a car navigation system.

7. A map database generating system for generating a map database including a road network comprising a plurality of nodes having position information and a link connecting two of the nodes, and road attribute information associated with the road network, the system comprising:

a non-transitory memory including a feature database that stores feature information relating to features existing on a road and on a periphery of the road, each piece of feature information being associated with a unique identification symbol, each piece of feature information including;

disposition information expressing a spatial disposition of the feature independently of the road network;

form information that defines a physical form of the feature as the feature exists on or adjacent to the road;

accuracy information expressing an accuracy of the feature information; and

acquisition timing information expressing an acquisition timing of the feature information;

wherein identification symbols having at least one part in common are allocated to feature information relating to an identical feature in the feature database; and

a processor that is programmed to;

output the feature information stored in the feature database;

input map information constituting the map database, the map information being generated based on the output feature information;

detect a presence of plural feature information relating to an identical feature but having different accuracy information from the feature database, the detection being made based on the acquisition timing information and at least one of the identification symbol, the disposition information, and the form information of each piece of feature information;

select feature information having an accuracy required to generate the map information on the basis of the accuracy information included in each piece of detected feature information; and

generate the map information on the basis of the selected feature information.

8. The map database generating system according to claim 7, wherein the processor is programmed to:

extract feature information that satisfies a condition required to generate the map information from the feature database on the basis of the disposition information of each piece of feature information,

generate the map information on the basis of the extracted feature information.

9. The map database generating system according to claim 7, wherein the processor is programmed to:

extract feature information relating to a feature that has varied from a past feature condition from the feature database on the basis of the acquisition timing information and at least one of the identification symbol, the disposition information, and the form information of each piece of feature information;

generate update information expressing a content of the variation in the extracted feature information; and

updates the map information on the basis of the update information.

10. The map database generating system according to claim 7, wherein the stored features include at least one of a painted feature provided on a road, a traffic regulation feature expressing a traffic regulation, and a road area defining feature defining a road area.

11. The map database generating system according to claim 7, wherein the road attribute information includes at least one of point attribute information associated with a point on the road network, section attribute information associated with a fixed section along the road network, and route attribute information associated with a single node on the road network and one or more links connected to the node.

12. The map database generating system according to claim 7, wherein the map database is a map database used in a car navigation system.

13. A map database generating method for generating a map database, the map database including a road network comprising a plurality of nodes having position information and a link connecting two of the nodes, and road attribute information associated with the road network, the method comprising:

accessing, with a processor, stored feature information relating to features existing on a road and on a periphery of the road, each piece of feature information being associated with a unique identification symbol, each piece of feature information including;

disposition information expressing a spatial disposition of the feature independently of the road network;

form information that defines a physical form of the feature as the feature exists on or adjacent to the road;

accuracy information expressing an accuracy of the feature information; and

acquisition timing information expressing an acquisition timing of the feature information;

outputting, with the processor, the feature information stored in the feature database;

inputting, with the processor, map information constituting the map database, the map information being generated based on the output feature information;

detecting, with the processor, a presence of plural feature information relating to an identical feature but having different accuracy information from the feature database, the detection being made based on the acquisition timing information and at least one of the identification symbol, the disposition information, and the form information of each piece of feature information; and

selecting, with the processor, feature information having an accuracy required to generate the map information as the feature information to be output, the selection being made on the basis of the accuracy information included in each piece of detected feature information;

wherein identification symbols having at least one part in common are allocated to feature information relating to an identical feature in the feature database.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program usable to generate a map database including a road network comprising a plurality of nodes having position information and a link connecting two of the nodes, and road attribute information associated with the road network, the program comprising:

instructions for accessing stored feature information relating to features existing on a road and on a periphery of the road, each piece of feature information being associated with a unique identification symbol, each piece of feature information including;

disposition information expressing a spatial disposition of the feature independently of the road network;

form information that defines a physical form of the feature as the feature exists on or adjacent to the road;

accuracy information expressing an accuracy of the feature information; and

acquisition timing information expressing an acquisition timing of the feature information;

instructions for outputting the feature information stored in the feature database; and

instructions for inputting map information constituting the map database, the map information being generated based on the output feature information;

instructions for detecting a presence of plural feature information relating to an identical feature but having different accuracy information from the feature database, the detection being made based on the acquisition timing information and at least one of the identification symbol, the disposition information, and the form information of each piece of feature information; and

instructions for selecting feature information having an accuracy required to generate the map information as the feature information to be output, the selection being made on the basis of the accuracy information included in each piece of detected feature information;

wherein identification symbols having at least one part in common are allocated to feature information relating to an identical feature in the feature database.

15. A map database generating method for generating a map database including a road network comprising a plurality of nodes having position information and a link connecting two of the nodes, and road attribute information associated with the road network, the method comprising:

accessing, with a processor, stored feature information relating to features existing on a road and on a periphery of the road, each feature being associated with a unique identification symbol, each piece of feature information including;

disposition information expressing a spatial disposition of the feature independently of the road network;

form information that defines a physical form of the feature as the feature exists on or adjacent to the road;

accuracy information expressing an accuracy of the feature information; and

acquisition timing information expressing an acquisition timing of the feature information; and

outputting the feature information stored in the feature database;

inputting map information constituting the map database, the map information being generated based on the output feature information;

detecting, with the processor, a presence of plural feature information relating to an identical feature but having different accuracy information from the feature database, the detection being made based on the acquisition timing information and at least one of the identification symbol, the disposition information, and the form information of each piece of feature information;

selecting, with the processor, feature information having an accuracy required to generate the map information on the basis of the accuracy information included in each piece of detected feature information; and

generating, with the processor, the map information on the basis of the selected feature;

wherein identification symbols having at least one part in common are allocated to feature information relating to an identical feature in the feature database.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program usable to generate a map database including a road network comprising a plurality of nodes having position information and a link connecting two of the nodes, and road attribute information associated with the road network, the program comprising:

instructions for accessing stored feature information relating to features existing on a road and on the periphery of the road, each feature being associated with a unique identification symbol, each piece of feature information including;

disposition information expressing a spatial disposition of the feature independently of the road network;

form information that defines a physical form of the feature as the feature exists on or adjacent to the road;

accuracy information expressing an accuracy of the feature information; and

acquisition timing information expressing an acquisition timing of the feature information; and

instructions for outputting the feature information stored in the feature database;

instructions for inputting map information constituting the map database, the map information being generated based on the output feature information;

instructions for detecting a presence of plural feature information relating to an identical feature but having different accuracy information from the feature database, the detection being made based on the acquisition timing information and at least one of the identification symbol, the disposition information, and the form information of each piece of feature information;

instructions for selecting feature information having an accuracy required to generate the map information on the basis of the accuracy information included in each piece of detected feature information; and

instructions for generating the map information on the basis of the selected feature;

wherein identification symbols having at least one part in common are allocated to feature information relating to an identical feature in the feature database.