JP2004271953A - Map data structure and map data processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a map data structure which enables processing with the latest information of a map even without acquiring new map data or updated data, and to provide a map data processing device for processing map data having the structure, a recoding medium with map data having the structure recorded, and a map data processing program. <P>SOLUTION: In the map data to be used for navigation, the data on links are provided with life cycle data. The life cycle data includes the data of status 35, construction start time 36, construction completion time 37, demolition start time 38, and demolition completion time 39. The present status is determined on the basis of the data of the acquired present date and time and the construction start time 36, construction completion time 37, demolition start time 38, and demolition completion time 39. In the status 35, the value of 1 (construction schedule), 2 (under construction), 3 (in service), 4 (under demolition), and 5 (disappearance) are stored. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a map data structure and a map data processing device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A navigation device that displays a road map and guides a vehicle is known. In such a navigation device, roads are represented using the concept of links and nodes. A node refers to an intersection or a specially designated point on a road, and a link corresponds to a road between nodes. The navigation device holds data on links and nodes as road map data, and performs various navigation processes such as displaying a road map and searching for a route.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-10-122887
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, new roads may be constructed or old roads may be demolished and disappear. In such a case, in order to perform navigation processing with the latest map information, it is necessary to replace the recording medium with the latest road map data. In addition, it is necessary to acquire a part of update data and update the road map data held.
[0005]
The present invention provides a map data structure that can be processed with the latest map information without acquiring new map data or updating data, and map data having such a structure. , A recording medium for recording map data having such a structure, and a map data processing program.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The invention according to claim 1 is applied to a structure of map data that has information on a map and can be processed by a map data processing device. The information on the map is managed for each predetermined management unit, and the map information of the predetermined management unit is related to the map. The information is characterized by having time information on the time when the information on the map of the predetermined management unit becomes valid.
The invention according to claim 2 is applied to a structure of map data that has information on a map and can be processed by a map data processing device. The information on the map is managed for each predetermined management unit, and the map information of the predetermined management unit is used. The information is characterized by having time information on the time when the information on the map of the predetermined management unit becomes invalid.
The invention according to claim 3 is applied to a structure of map data having information on a map and capable of being processed by a map data processing device, wherein information on the map is managed for each predetermined management unit, The information is characterized by having time information on a time when information on a map of a predetermined management unit becomes valid and time information on a time when the information becomes invalid.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the map data structure according to any one of the first to third aspects, the information on the map of the predetermined management unit relates to a status indicating whether the information on the map of the predetermined management unit is valid or invalid. It has status information.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the map data structure according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the information on the map of the predetermined management unit is a map display of the predetermined unit used for displaying the map on the display device. It is characterized by being data for use.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the map data structure according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the information on the map of the predetermined management unit is guidance data of a predetermined unit used for route guidance. Is what you do.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the map data structure according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the information on the map of the predetermined management unit is route search data of a predetermined unit used for the route search. It is a feature.
The invention according to claim 8 is the map data structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a point on the road is represented as a node, and a road between adjacent nodes is represented as a link, and a predetermined management unit is defined. The information related to the map is information related to a link.
According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the map data structure according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, a road on a road is represented as a node, and a road between adjacent nodes is represented as a link. The information relating to the map is characterized by being information relating to nodes.
According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a map data processing apparatus, wherein the map data obtaining means obtains map data having the structure of the map data according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, and uses the obtained map data. And processing means for processing map data.
According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the map data processing apparatus according to the tenth aspect, the date and time information acquiring means for acquiring the date and time information, and a predetermined date and time based on the acquired date and time information based on the acquired time and date information. And a valid / invalid determining means for determining whether the information on the map of the management unit is valid or invalid.
According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the map data processing apparatus according to the eleventh aspect, the processing means performs the processing of the map data using the information on the map of the predetermined management unit determined to be valid by the validity / invalidity determining means. It is characterized by the following.
According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in the map data processing device according to any one of the eleventh to twelfth aspects, the date and time information obtaining means obtains current date and time information.
The invention of claim 14 is applied to a map data processing program, and causes a computer to execute the function of the map data processing device according to any one of claims 10 to 13.
The invention of claim 15 is applied to a recording medium readable by a computer or a map data processing apparatus, and records map data having the structure of map data according to claims 1 to 9.
[0007]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system for providing map data such as map display data and route search data. The in-vehicle navigation device 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as the navigation device 1) includes a hard disk 12 for storing map data, and a control device 11 for performing a navigation process using the map data stored in the hard disk 12.
[0008]
The navigation device 1 is connectable to a communication device 2 such as a mobile phone. The navigation device 1 can connect to the Internet 3 via the communication device 2 and further connect to the map server 4 via the Internet 3. The map server 4 holds from the old map data to the latest map data in the map database 5. Accordingly, the map server 4 can provide the navigation device 1 via the Internet 3 with update data for updating all or a part of the map data and further a part of the map data held by the navigation device 1.
[0009]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the navigation device 1. The navigation device 1 includes a control device 11, a hard disk 12, a current position detection device 13, an input device 14, a memory 15, a communication interface 16, a monitor 17, and a DVD drive 18.
[0010]
The control device 11 includes a microprocessor and its peripheral circuits. The hard disk 12 stores map data and various information. The hard disk 12 is a rewritable storage device, and is a non-volatile storage device in which written data is not erased even when the power of the navigation device 1 is turned off.
[0011]
The current position detection device 13 is a current position detection device that detects the current position of the vehicle. For example, a direction sensor that detects the traveling direction of the vehicle, a vehicle speed sensor that detects the vehicle speed, and a GPS that detects a GPS signal from a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite. It consists of sensors and the like. The input device 14 is an input device for inputting a destination of a vehicle or the like when searching for a route. The remote control may be used, or a touch panel provided on the screen of the monitor 17 may be used.
[0012]
The memory 15 is a memory that stores vehicle position information and the like detected by the current position detection device 13 and stores node information and link information on a recommended route calculated by the control device 11. It is. The communication interface 16 is an interface for connecting the communication device 2. Use of a mobile phone and connection to the Internet are possible via the communication interface 16. The monitor 17 is a display device that displays a map, a recommended route, and various information. The monitor 17 may be provided integrally as a part of the navigation device 1 or may be provided separately as a housing. Further, only the monitor 17 may be connected to the navigation apparatus main body by a cable or the like and provided at a separated position. The DVD drive device 18 is a device that mounts the recording medium 6 and reads map data and the like. The recording medium 6 is a DVD storing map data and the like. Note that a CD-ROM or another recording medium may be used.
[0013]
The hard disk 12 stores map data when the navigation device 1 is shipped. The map data is appropriately updated according to update data transmitted from the map server 4 via the Internet 3. The map data can also be updated by reading the update map data stored in the recording medium 6 via the DVD drive 18. In the case of updating the map data, the entire map data may be newly received or read and updated, or update data for updating a part of the map data may be received or read and updated.
[0014]
The control device 11 uses the current position information of the vehicle detected by the current position detection device 13 and the map data stored in the hard disk 12 to display various types of road maps, search for routes (calculate routes), and guide various routes. Perform navigation processing. Note that various processing programs executed by the control device 11 are incorporated in a ROM (not shown) provided in the control device 11.
[0015]
−Map data−
The data structure of the above-described map data will be described in more detail. The map data is information on a map, and is classified into map display data, route guidance data, route search data, and the like. The map display data is further classified into road data, background data, and name data. The road data is data used for displaying a road, identifying the current location of a vehicle, and performing map matching. The background data is data for displaying a background of a road or a road map. The name data includes a place name, a building name, and the like, and is data used when displaying a road map.
[0016]
The route guidance data includes intersection name, road name, destination signboard (direction name, etc.) information, and is used when guiding a recommended route to a driver or the like based on the calculated recommended route. The route search data is network data including branch information that is not directly related to the road shape, and is mainly used when calculating a recommended route (route search).
[0017]
-Road data-
In the map data of the present embodiment, roads are represented by the concept of links, nodes, and link strings. A node is an intersection or a specially designated point on a road. A link corresponds to a road between nodes, and a link string represents one road by a plurality of links. The road data is composed of link string data. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a data structure of the link string data. In FIG. 3, data of n link columns of the link columns LS1 (21) to LSn (22) are stored. Each link string has link string information 23 and node link information 24.
[0018]
The link string information 23 includes a link string size 25, the number of element points 26, a link attribute 27, a road name offset 28, and a route number 29. The link string size 25 is data indicating the data length of the link string. The element score 26 is data representing the sum of the node score and the interpolation score. The interpolation point is a point provided for finely defining the shape of a link (road) between nodes. The link attribute 27 is data representing a type of a road such as a national road, a prefectural road, and an expressway. The road name offset 28 has offset data indicating at which position from the beginning of the name data the data relating to the road name of the link string is stored. The route number 29 is a number of a national road or a prefectural road.
[0019]
The node link information 24 includes an attribute 1 + X coordinate 30, an attribute 2 + Y coordinate 31, the same node offset 32, a guidance offset 33, a link number 34, a status 35, a construction start time 36, and a construction completion time 37 for each node constituting the link sequence. , Dismantling start time 38 and dismantling end time 39. Further, when there are interpolation points, the coordinates of each interpolation point are stored continuously.
[0020]
Attribute 1 + X coordinate 30 has attribute 1 together with the X coordinate of the node. Attribute 1 is offset information for reading the link string data in the reverse direction. This is information indicating a header position such as immediately preceding node information. In the link string data, node information, interpolation point information, and the like are arranged according to the order in which they are actually connected. Therefore, if the link string data is sequentially read from the head address of the storage unit, the road shape from the head position can be accurately grasped. On the other hand, in some cases, it may be necessary to read the link string data from the end and grasp the road shape from the end. In this case, the link string data is read in the reverse direction using the data of the attribute 1.
[0021]
Attribute 2 + Y coordinate 31 has attribute 2 together with the Y coordinate of the node. Attribute 2 has traffic regulation information, road width information, lane number information, and the like. The same node offset 32 stores data for associating the same node such as an intersection between link strings. The address where the node information of the corresponding node in another link column is stored. When there is no node corresponding to another link string, a specific value indicating that there is no other node related to the same node, for example, FFFFh is stored.
[0022]
The guidance offset 33 has offset data indicating where the guidance data of the node is stored from the head of the route guidance data. The link number 34 has a link number of a link connected from the node in the forward direction. The link number is a unique number assigned to each link in the mesh. In the present embodiment, a map is divided into a plurality of mesh-shaped sections, and map data is managed in mesh units.
[0023]
The status 35, the construction start time 36, the construction completion time 37, the demolition start time 38, and the demolition end time 39 are life cycle data of a link connected to the node. It may be called life data. In the status 35, values of 1 (scheduled), 2 (under construction), 3 (during maintenance), 4 (during dismantling), and 5 (disappearing) are stored. The construction start time 36 stores data on the link (road) construction start time. The construction completion time 37 stores data on the link completion time. The disassembly start time 38 stores data on the disassembly start time of the link. The disassembly end time 39 stores data on the disassembly end time of the link. As described above, in the present embodiment, life cycle data is provided with a link as a management unit.
[0024]
For example, when the construction of a certain road is planned, 1 (scheduled) is stored in the status 35, and the data of the scheduled construction start time of the link (road) and the construction completion time are stored in the construction start time 36. 37 stores data on the scheduled completion time of link construction. When the road is a temporary detour for construction, there may be a plan for demolition. In this case, the disassembly start time 38 stores data on the scheduled disassembly start time of the link, and the disassembly end time 39 stores data on the scheduled disassembly end time of the link. In addition, old bridges may be rebuilt. In such a case, data on demolition is stored in the road data on the deteriorated bridge, and data on the planned construction is stored on a newly constructed bridge or the like together with data on the new road. Reference numerals 40 to 49 similarly have information on the next node and link.
[0025]
When the road data is simply used to display usable roads or used for map matching, status 3 (maintained) is valid when data is available, and other than status 3 (maintained) is invalid as data. It is time. When a map is displayed while distinguishing between a construction schedule, under construction, and dismantling, the statuses 1, 2, and 4 are special statuses intermediate between valid and invalid.
[0026]
-Guidance data-
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a data structure of the guidance data. Each guidance data is provided corresponding to a node representing an intersection or the like. The guidance data file is accessed based on the data of the guidance offset 33 in FIG. Each guidance data 61 includes intersection names 62 and 66, road names 70, and destination signboard information 74. The intersection names 62 and 66 have data on the names of the intersections corresponding to the nodes. Since the name may change depending on the forward direction or the backward direction of the link string, the name corresponding to each direction is stored. The road name 70 has data on the name of the road. The destination signboard information 74 has data indicating the forward destination and the reverse destination information of the link row at a node having the link row. Various other types of guidance data are conceivable, but the types and contents of the guidance data are known contents.
[0027]
In the present embodiment, each of the information such as an intersection name, a road name, and a destination signboard information has life cycle data of a status, a use start time, and a use end time. For example, the status 63 stores values of 1 (valid) and 2 (invalid). The use start time 64 stores data of the time when the data of the intersection name 62 becomes valid. The use end time 65 stores data of a time when the data of the intersection name 62 becomes invalid. In the guidance data such as the intersection name, the road name, and the destination signboard information, the status such as “under construction” is not required. Therefore, only the status information of valid or invalid and the start or end time of each status may be sufficient.
[0028]
In the example of FIG. 4, data of two intersection names, an intersection name 62 and an intersection name 66, are stored. This shows an example in which, when an intersection name is scheduled to be changed at a certain time, two data, an intersection name before the change and an intersection name after the change, are stored. For example, if the current time is December 1, 2002, 1 (valid) is stored in the status 63 of the intersection name 62, the data 0:00 on April 1, 1985, the use end The data at 23:59 on July 1, 2003 is stored at the time 65, 2 (invalid) is stored at the status 67 of the intersection name 66, and the data at 0:00 on July 2, 2003 is used at the use start time 68. , Use end time 69 stores NULL (blank) data. On July 2, 2003, 2 (invalid) is stored in the status 63 of the intersection name 62 and 1 (valid) is stored in the status 67 of the intersection name 66 by the processing described later.
[0029]
As described above, in the present embodiment, the life cycle data is provided with the intersection name, the road name, and the destination signboard information of the guidance data as a management unit.
[0030]
-Route search data-
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a data structure of route (route) search data. The route search data stores, for each connection point (node) of a link that is a minimum unit expressing a road, node information indicating a connection relationship with another node. In the example of FIG. 5, node information on r nodes (own nodes) is stored. Each node information 101 includes own node information 102 and adjacent node information 1 to m (103 to 105).
[0031]
The own node information 102 has an X coordinate 111 and a Y coordinate 112 which are position coordinates of the node. Further, similarly to the link string data, it has status 113, construction start time 114, construction completion time 115, dismantling start time 116, and dismantling end time 117 which are life cycle data of the own node. In the status 113, values of 1 (scheduled), 2 (under construction), 3 (under maintenance), 4 (during dismantling), and 5 (disappearing) are stored. The construction start time 114 stores data on the construction start time of a node (intersection, designated point on a road, etc.). The construction completion time 115 stores data on the node completion time. The disassembly start time 116 stores data on the disassembly start time of the node. The disassembly end time 117 stores data on the disassembly end time of the node.
[0032]
Each of the adjacent node information 1 to m (103 to 105) includes an adjacent node number 121, a link number 122 of a link from the own node to the adjacent node, a link cost 123 of the link, and traffic regulation information of the link. 124. Further, similarly to the own node information, it has data of status 125 which is life cycle data of the adjacent node, construction start time 126, construction completion time 127, dismantling start time 128, and dismantling end time 129. The status 125 stores values of 1 (scheduled), 2 (under construction), 3 (maintenance), 4 (during dismantling), and 5 (disappearing). The construction start time 126 stores data on the construction start time of a node (an intersection or a designated point on a road). The construction completion time 127 stores data on the node construction completion time. The disassembly start time 128 stores data on the disassembly start time of the node. The disassembly end time 129 stores data on the disassembly end time of the node.
[0033]
As described above, in the present embodiment, in the route search data, life cycle data is provided with a node as a management unit.
[0034]
-Update of map data-
Next, updating of the map data having the above-described life cycle data will be described. The user updates the map data at an appropriate time by selecting from a predetermined menu by the user. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a flowchart of the above-described road data update process in the map data. When the user selects the update of the map data from a predetermined menu, the processing in FIG. 6 is started. The processing in FIG. 6 is executed by the control device 11.
[0035]
The update of the map data does not need to be limited to a case where the user selects from a predetermined menu at an appropriate time. For example, the updating process may be performed every time the power is turned on (for example, by turning on the ignition key of the vehicle). Further, the update process may be performed periodically. For example, the update processing may be automatically performed every month or at designated intervals.
[0036]
In step S1, the control device 11 reads the current date and time. The control device 11 has a timer inside and measures the current date and time. In step S2, the life cycle data of the link in the link string data of the road data is read from the hard disk 12. When step S2 is executed for the first time, the life cycle data of the first link in the first link row of all link row data is read.
[0037]
In step S3, it is determined whether or not the read current date and time is before the construction start time of the read life cycle data. If it is determined that it is before the construction disclosure time, the process proceeds to step S4. In step S4, the status is set to 1 (construction planned), and the process proceeds to step S12. If it is determined in step S3 that it is after the construction start time, the process proceeds to step S5.
[0038]
In step S5, it is determined whether or not the read current date and time is before the construction completion time of the read life cycle data. If it is determined that it is before the construction completion time, the process proceeds to step S6. In step S6, the status is set to 2 (under construction), and the process proceeds to step S12. If it is determined in step S5 that the time is after the construction completion time, the process proceeds to step S7.
[0039]
In step S7, it is determined whether or not the read current date and time is before the disassembly start time of the read life cycle data. If it is determined that it is before the disassembly start time, the process proceeds to step S8. In step S8, the status is set to 3 (maintaining), and the process proceeds to step S12. If it is determined in step S7 that it is after the disassembly start time, the process proceeds to step S9.
[0040]
In step S9, it is determined whether or not the read current date and time is before the disassembly end time of the read life cycle data. If it is determined that the time is before the end of disassembly, the process proceeds to step S10. In step S10, the status is set to 4 (during dismantling), and the process proceeds to step S12. If it is determined in step S9 that the time is after the disassembly end time, the process proceeds to step S11.
[0041]
In step S11, the status is set to 5 (disappeared), and the process proceeds to step S12. In step S12, it is determined whether the processing has been completed for all links. If it is determined that the processing has not been completed for all links, the process returns to step S2 to read the life cycle data of the next link, and the processing is repeated. If it is determined that the processing has been completed for all the links, the processing ends.
[0042]
Through the above processing, the road data can be updated to the latest road data at the current date and time. Similar processing is performed on the guidance data and the route search data. Thereby, the latest map data can be generated.
[0043]
−Map display processing−
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a flowchart for displaying a road map around the current location. This is executed by the control device 11. In step S21, the current position of the vehicle is detected using the current position detection device 13. In step S22, the map data near the current location of the detected vehicle is read from the hard disk 12. In step S23, a flat road map around the current location is displayed on the monitor 17 based on the read map data. At this time, a road map is displayed using only the status 3 data. That is, only valid data is used.
[0044]
The status 1 under construction or the status 2 under construction can be displayed by a dotted line or can be displayed in different colors so as to be able to distinguish between them. Also, the status 4 during dismantling and the status 5 when disappearing can be similarly displayed with dotted lines and colors so as to be able to distinguish between them.
[0045]
When the life cycle data of the map data is changed due to a change in the construction plan or the like, the update data is transmitted from the map server 4 to the navigation device 1 via the Internet 3 as described above. Alternatively, update data is supplied by the DVD 6 and read into the hard disk 12 using the DVD drive 18 to update the life cycle data of the map data. In the navigation device 1, the user may change the life cycle data using the input device 14.
[0046]
When the map data having the data structure of the present embodiment described above is used, the following effects are obtained.
(1) Since the life cycle data is provided in the map data, the latest map data can be used without obtaining the update map data. Further, the latest map data can be used in a timely manner without waiting for the issuance of update map data. For example, map data of a new road can be used from the day after the road construction is completed. In addition, even when the completion time of construction differs for many roads, the latest map data can be provided in a timely manner without obtaining new map data.
(2) Since the life cycle data can be updated, it is possible to appropriately cope with a change in the road construction plan.
(3) Since the life cycle data includes the demolition time, it is possible to appropriately cope with a case where a road disappears.
(4) Life cycle data includes data on construction start time, construction completion time, demolition start time, and demolition end time. Since information is provided, detailed information on road conditions can be provided. For example, display such as during construction (under construction) is also possible. It is also possible to display traces of a road that has disappeared.
(5) Since status information is also provided in the life cycle data, time information such as the construction start time is accessed only when map data in mesh units is first accessed, and ordinary navigation processing (map data processing) is performed. In), only the status needs to be accessed. As a result, the load does not increase in the normal navigation processing.
(6) Since it is possible to automatically update the map data, the user can always use the latest map data without being conscious of updating the map data.
(7) Since the life cycle data is provided to the map display data, the guidance data, and the route search data, it is possible to always display the map and route guidance in accordance with the actual road conditions. Update status frequently varies by road unit
[0047]
In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the life cycle data is provided with each link of the link string data as a management unit, but the present invention is not limited to this. Life cycle data may be provided using a link string as a management unit. In this case, it is sufficient to have life cycle data in the link string information 23 of FIG. The life cycle data may have the same contents as in the case of a link.
[0048]
In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the life data is provided in the road data, the guidance data, and the route search data, but the present invention is not limited to this. Life cycle data may also be given to name data, background data, landmark data of guidance data, and the like. In this case, each element constituting each data is a management unit that has life cycle data. For example, in the case of background data, each polygon is a management unit, and in the case of landmark data, each landmark is a management unit. That is, any other data constituting the map data that can have life cycle data may be provided. As a result, it is possible to cope with a case where a bank is formed where a department store was originally located. Even if the building is not changed, only the name can be changed.
[0049]
In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the current date and time is read in step S1 in FIG. 6 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. Instead of reading the current date and time, the user may specify an arbitrary date and time using the input device 14 or the like. When an arbitrary date and time is specified, the map data is updated at that date and time. Thus, a map can be displayed based on an arbitrary date and time. For example, it is possible to freely display a map before land readjustment or a map after land readjustment.
[0050]
The above embodiment does not describe that map data is provided for each level having a different scale. However, map data may be provided for each of the different scales, and life cycle data may be provided for the map data corresponding to each level.
[0051]
In the above embodiment, the example of the in-vehicle navigation device 1 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this content. It is also applicable to portable navigation devices. That is, the present invention can be applied to all devices that process map data related to a map.
[0052]
In the above embodiment, an example in which a planar map is displayed using map data has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. A bird's eye view may be displayed using this map data. The bird's-eye view is a map that can be seen when looking down on the planar map at a predetermined look-down angle and a predetermined spread angle from a predetermined viewpoint height. A method of converting the map data of the planar map into bird's-eye view data is known.
[0053]
In the above embodiment, the control program executed by the control device 11 of the navigation device has been described as an example stored in the ROM. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It is also possible to provide the control program and its installation program via a transmission medium such as a communication line represented by the Internet. That is, it is also possible to convert the program into a signal on a carrier wave that carries the transmission medium and transmit the signal. When the program is provided on the Internet, the program may be provided in the same configuration as in FIG. For example, the map server 4 may be a server that provides an application program.
[0054]
Further, the above-described control program may be executed on a personal computer to realize a car navigation device. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing this state. In this case, the current position detection device 13 and the input device 14 may be connected to a predetermined I / O port or interface of the personal computer 200. The program may be provided on a recording medium such as the Internet 201 or the CD-ROM 204. The recording medium need not be limited to a CD-ROM, but may be a DVD, a magnetic tape, or any other recording medium. When providing the program via the Internet 201, the application program server 202 reads and provides the program stored in the database 203. The database 203 can also be said to be a recording medium.
[0055]
Although various embodiments and modifications have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these contents. Other embodiments that can be considered within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention are also included in the scope of the present invention.
[0056]
【The invention's effect】
Since the present invention is configured as described above, it is possible to perform, for example, a navigation process using the latest map data without acquiring new map data and without acquiring update data. It becomes.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system for providing map data such as map display data and route search data.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a navigation device.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a data structure of link string data.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a data structure of guidance data.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a data structure of route search data.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a flowchart of a road data update process.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a flowchart for displaying a road map around a current location.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing how a program is executed on a personal computer to realize a car navigation device.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Navigation device
2 Communication device
3 Internet
4 Map server
5 map database
6 Recording media
11 Control device
12 Hard Disk
13 Current location detector
14 Input device
15 Memory
16 Communication interface
17 Monitor
18 DVD drive

Claims (15)

A map data structure that has information about the map and can be processed by the map data processing device;
The information on the map is managed for each predetermined management unit,
The map data structure, wherein the information on the map of the predetermined management unit includes time information on a time when the information on the map of the predetermined management unit is valid. A map data structure that has information about the map and can be processed by the map data processing device;
The information on the map is managed for each predetermined management unit,
The map data structure, wherein the information on the map of the predetermined management unit includes time information on a time when the information on the map of the predetermined management unit becomes invalid. A map data structure that has information about the map and can be processed by the map data processing device;
The information on the map is managed for each predetermined management unit,
The map data structure, wherein the information on the map of the predetermined management unit includes time information on a time when the information on the map of the predetermined management unit is valid and time information on a time when the information is invalid. The structure of the map data according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The map data structure, wherein the information on the map of the predetermined management unit includes status information on a status of whether the information on the map of the predetermined management unit is valid or invalid. The structure of the map data according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The information on the map of the predetermined management unit is map display data of a predetermined unit used for displaying the map on a display device, wherein the map data has a structure. The structure of the map data according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The information on the map of the predetermined management unit is guidance data of a predetermined unit used for route guidance. The structure of the map data according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The information on the map of the predetermined management unit is route search data of a predetermined unit used for a route search. The structure of the map data according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A road is represented by a point on the road as a node and a road between adjacent nodes as a link.
The map data structure, wherein the information on the map of the predetermined management unit is information on the link. The structure of the map data according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A road is represented by a point on the road as a node and a road between adjacent nodes as a link.
The map data structure, wherein the information on the map of the predetermined management unit is information on the node. A map data processing device,
Map data acquisition means for acquiring map data having the structure of map data according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
Processing means for processing the map data using the acquired map data. The map data processing device according to claim 10,
Date and time information obtaining means for obtaining date and time information;
Based on the obtained date and time information and the time information, further comprising a validity / invalidity determination unit that determines whether information on the map of the predetermined management unit is valid or invalid at a date and time based on the obtained date and time information. Characteristic map data processing device. The map data processing device according to claim 11,
A map data processing apparatus, wherein the processing means performs map data processing using information on a map of a predetermined management unit determined to be valid by the validity / invalidity determination means. The map data processing device according to any one of claims 11 to 12,
The map data processing device, wherein the date and time information obtaining means obtains current date and time information. A map data processing program for causing a computer to execute the functions of the map data processing device according to claim 10. A recording medium readable by a computer or a map data processing device, wherein the map data having the map data structure according to claim 1 is recorded.

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