Map data production system for providing map data including road grade data

• US 6,876,923 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2003
• Issued: 04/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Tsurumi, Kiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US10/717,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20040117111A1
• Time in Patent Office: 501 Days
• Field of Search: 701/208, 701/200, 701/206, 701/209, 701/211, 701/1, 701/23, 701/24, 701/25, 701/35, 340/995.1, 340/995.12, 340/995.14, 731/78.R
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching

Abstract

A map data production system includes a workstation, a keyboard, a mouse, a data storage and a display. The data storage stores road map data. A section of a road on a map read from the data storage and displayed on a display. An access road, grade data of which will be added or altered, is specified by clicking its start and end points on the map with the mouse. An elevation value of the road in the specified section is entered at a data entry screen display on the display by a user via the keyboard. A grade value of the road in the specified section is calculated from the entered elevation value and map data stored in the data storage. The calculated grade value is added to the road map data and stored in the data storage.

Claims

1. A map data production system comprising:

a data storing means for storing road map data;

a map data display means for displaying a map retrieved from the road map data stored in the data storing means;

a map section specifying means for specifying a section of a road on the map displayed on the display;

an elevation data entry means for obtaining elevation data of the section specified with the map section specifying means via an external input device; and

a grade data adding means for adding a grade data of the section of the road by calculating a grade of the section from the elevation data and a distance of the section derived from the map data and storing the grade as the grade data in the data storing means,

wherein the elevation data entry means includes entry options for selectively enabling a predetermined value entry and an arbitrary value entry via the external input device.

2. The map data production system according to claim 1, further comprising a grade data entry means for obtaining grade data of the specified section of the road via the external input device, wherein the grade data adding means stores the grade data into the data storing means after the grade data entry means has obtained the grade data.

3. The map data production system according to claim 2, further comprising a grade data display means for displaying the grade data of the specified section of the road on the display when the grade data is stored in the data storing means.