Navigation apparatus and method for updating map data thereof

• US 9,417,079 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2015
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.), MiTAC Research (Shanghai) Ltd. (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.), MiTAC Research (Shanghai) Ltd. (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Xie, Shuang
• Primary Examiner(s): MARC-COLEMAN, MARTHE Y
• Application Number:
  US14/620,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20150316388A1
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 701/410, 701/532, 701/451, 701/409
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3815 Road data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3837 Data obtained from a single source
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3844 Data obtained from position sensors only, e.g. from inertial navigation

Abstract

A navigation apparatus and a method for updating map data thereof are provided. A map database of the navigation apparatus stores data of a plurality of existed roads. When coordinates of the navigation apparatus are not located on any one of the existed roads, a comparison module of the navigation apparatus determines whether the shortest distance between the coordinates and the existed roads exceeds a predetermined threshold. If the shortest distance exceeds the predetermined threshold, a map data adding module updates a traveling path according to a plurality of succeeding coordinates of the navigation apparatus until the navigation apparatus is determined to return on one of the existed roads. When the map data adding module finishes updating the traveling path, the map data adding module stores data of the traveling path in the map database of the navigation apparatus.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus, comprising:

a memory;

a map database, stored in the memory and configured to store data of a plurality of existed roads;

a positioning module, configured to receive a positioning signal to acquire coordinates of a current position of the navigation apparatus;

a comparison module, configured to determine if the coordinates are located on any one of the existed roads, and configured to determine if a shortest distance between the coordinates and any one of the existed roads exceeds a predetermined threshold when the coordinates are not located on any one of the existed roads;

a map data adding module, configured to establish a traveling path when the coordinates are not located on any one of the existed roads, and configured to update the traveling path according to succeeding coordinates of the navigation apparatus acquired by the positioning module while the shortest distance exceeds the predetermined threshold until the navigation apparatus return to any one of the existed roads, wherein the map data adding module stores data of the traveling path in the map database as data of a new existed road only when a distance between the traveling path and the existed roads exceeds the predetermined threshold; and

a display, configured to display a map according to data of all existed roads stored in the map database.

2. The navigation apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a navigation module configured to plan at least one navigation route according to the data of the traveling path and the data of the existed roads stored in the map database.

3. The navigation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the map data adding module stores coordinates of a starting point, coordinates of an end point and a traveling distance of the traveling path in the map database when the map data adding module finishes updating the traveling path.

4. The navigation apparatus of claim 3, wherein the map data adding module further stores a travelling direction of the traveling path in the map database of the navigation apparatus when the map data adding module finishes updating the traveling path.

5. The navigation apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a transmission module configured to upload the data of the traveling path to a server.

6. A method of updating map data of a navigation apparatus, comprising:

accessing data of a plurality of existed roads stored in a map database of the navigation apparatus;

a positioning module of the navigation apparatus receiving a positioning signal to acquire coordinates of a current position of the navigation apparatus;

a comparison module of the navigation apparatus determining if the coordinates are located in any one of the existed roads;

a map data adding module of the navigation apparatus establishing a traveling path and the comparison module determining if a shortest distance between the coordinates and any one of the existed roads exceeds a predetermined threshold when the coordinates are not located in any one of the existed roads;

updating the traveling path according to succeeding coordinates of the navigation apparatus acquired by the positioning module while the shortest distance exceeds the predetermined threshold until the navigation apparatus return on any one of the existed roads;

the map data adding module storing data of the traveling path in the map database of the navigation apparatus as data of a new existed road only when a distance between the traveling path and the existed roads exceeds the predetermined threshold; and

a display of the navigation apparatus displaying a map according to the data of all existed roads stored in the map database.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

a transmission module of the navigation apparatus uploading the data of the traveling path to a server such that the server stores the data of the traveling path as a new set of data of existed roads when the map data adding module finishes updating the traveling path.