Application programming interface (API) for navigation applications that merges incremental updates with existing map database

• US 9,304,005 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2009
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Roesser, Robert P., Hermiz, Sarmad Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alharbi, Adam
• Application Number:
  US12/631,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20110137546A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,314 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3859 Differential updating map data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3896 Transmission of map data from central databases

Abstract

A system and method for efficiently updating the map database in a mobile computing system, such as a vehicle navigation system. The system includes a central server that computes changes between the latest version of a master map database and a previous version of the map database, and wirelessly transmits the changes to participating vehicles'"'"' onboard navigation systems. The navigation system stores the changes in a look-aside buffer, and a navigation processor uses the stored changes to update a base map database.

Claims

1. A method for updating a map database, said method comprising:

providing a computing system programmed for;

determining changes between a latest version of the map database and a previous version of the map database;

formatting the changes into transaction files, wherein determining changes between a latest version of the map database and a previous version of the map database and formatting the changes into transaction files occur on a central server system, and wherein the changes between the latest version of the map database and the previous version of the map database include changes to identification reference numbers of map elements and changes to database indexing;

transmitting the transaction files;

storing the transmitted transaction files in a look-aside buffer;

providing a base map database and the transaction files from the look-aside buffer to a dynamic memory cache; and

updating the base map database in the dynamic memory cache using the transaction files, wherein storing the transaction files, providing the base map database and the transaction files to the dynamic memory cache, and updating the base map database using the transaction files occur at a location remote from the central server system, and wherein updating the base map database in the dynamic memory cache is done by reading into the dynamic memory cache all map elements from the base map database in the vicinity of the navigation system, searching the look-aside buffer for any transaction file records which apply to map elements currently in the dynamic memory cache, and using the transaction file records to modify the map elements of the base map database.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the location remote from the server system is a navigation system.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the navigation system is an onboard vehicle navigation system.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein transmitting the transaction files is done wirelessly.

5. A system for updating a map database, said system comprising:

a computing system that includes;

a computer server storing a plurality of different versions of an original map database, said server including a change comparison processor programmed for comparing the different versions of the original map database stored in the server and generating a plurality of transaction files identifying differences between the stored versions of the original map database, wherein the differences between a latest version of the map database and a previous version of the map database include changes to identification reference numbers of map elements and changes to database indexing, said server causing the transaction files to be broadcast;

a base map database stored at a location remote from the computer server, said base map database being one of the versions of the original map database that is stored on the server;

a look-aside buffer receiving one or more of the transaction files from the computer server at the remote location; and

a memory cache provided at the remote location, said cache receiving the transaction files from the look-aside buffer and the base map database and using the transaction files to update the base map database, wherein the look-aside buffer, the base map database and the memory cache are part of a vehicle navigation system on-board a vehicle, and wherein the cache is part of a vehicle navigation processor, and wherein the vehicle navigation processor is programmed to updates the base map database in the memory cache by reading into the memory cache all map elements from the base map database in the vicinity of the navigation system, searching the look-aside buffer for any transaction file records which apply to map elements currently in the memory cache, and using the transaction file records to modify the map elements of the base map database elements.

6. The system according to claim 5 wherein the transaction files are wirelessly transmitted.

7. An updating system for updating a map database on a vehicle navigation system, said updating system comprising:

a computer server storing a plurality of different versions of an original map database, said server including a change comparison processor programmed for comparing the different versions of the original map database stored in the server and generating a plurality of transaction files identifying differences between the stored versions of the original map database wherein the differences between a latest version of the map database and a previous version of the map database include changes to identification reference numbers of map elements and changes to database indexing, said server causing the transaction files to be wirelessly transmitted;

a base map database stored in the navigation system, said base map database being one of the versions of the original map database that is stored on the server;

a look-aside buffer provided in the navigation system, said look-aside buffer receiving one or more of the transaction files from the computer server; and

a navigation processor programmed for receiving the transaction files from the look-aside buffer and the base map database and using the transaction files to update the base map database, wherein the vehicle navigation processor updates the base map database in a dynamic memory cache by reading into the dynamic memory cache all map elements from the base map database in the vicinity of the navigation system, searching the look-aside buffer for any transaction file records which apply to map elements currently in the dynamic memory cache, and using the transaction file records to modify the map elements from the base map database.