METHOD FOR TRANSMITTING LOCATION INFORMATION ON A DIGITAL MAP, APPARATUS FOR IMPLEMENTING THE METHOD, AND TRAFFIC INFORMATION PROVISION/RECEPTION SYSTEM

• US 20100106410A1
• Filed: 12/30/2009
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T&M Data Update LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Adachi, Shinya, Miyama, Satoko
• Granted Patent: US 8,838,386 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

Location information transmission apparatus for exchanging information about the on-road location on a digital map, characterized in that apparatus at an information provider comprises a location information converter for converting transmit on-road location information to road shape data including the on-road location consisting of a string of coordinates representing the road shape of a road section having a length that depends on the situation and relative data indicating the on-road location in the road section, and that apparatus at a party receiving the on-road location information comprises a shape matching section for performing shape matching by using the road shape data, identifying the road section on a digital map and identifying the on-road location in the road section by using the relative data. This makes it possible to correctly exchange information about the location on a digital map without defining node numbers or link numbers on a road network.

Claims

1. A system for transmitting location information from a transmitting apparatus to a receiving apparatus, the system comprising:

the transmitting apparatus that has a first digital map and transmits the location information which indicates a road segment on the first digital map to the receiving apparatus;

wherein the location information including;

coordinates information which indicates a list of coordinates of points on the road segment,

relative information which indicates a location on the road segment,

the receiving apparatus that has a second digital map which contains a different error from the first digital map,

wherein after the receiving apparatus receives the location information from the transmitting apparatus, the receiving apparatus identifies the road segment on the second digital map by using the coordinates information included in the location information, and identifies the location on the road segment on the second digital map by using the relative information included in the location information.

2. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the relative information includes a distance from a start point of the road segment on the first digital map to the location on the road segment on the first digital map.

3. A transmission apparatus adapted for operating as the transmission apparatus of the system according to claim 1.

4. A receiving apparatus adapted for operating as the receiving apparatus of the system according to claim 1.

5. A method of transmitting location information from a transmitting apparatus having a first digital map to a receiving apparatus having a second digital map which contains a different error from the first digital map, the method comprising:

transmitting the location information which indicates a road segment on the first digital map from the transmitting apparatus;

wherein the location information including;

coordinates information which indicates a list of coordinates of points on the road segment,

relative information which indicates a location on the road segment;

receiving the location information from the transmitting apparatus at the receiving apparatus;

identifying the road segment on the second digital map by using the coordinates information included in the received location information at the receiving apparatus, and

identifying the location on the road segment on the second digital map by using the relative information included in the received location information at the receiving apparatus.

6. The method according to claim 5,

wherein the relative information includes a distance from a start point of the road segment on the first digital map to the location on the road segment on the first digital map.