Abstract: A map information processing apparatus includes an intersecting determining means (20) for determining intersection points where a new road detected by a new road detecting means (19) intersects either roads included in map information or roads previously detected by a new road detecting means, other than start and end points of the new road, a road update information generating means (21) for generating road update information including information for updating new road information and road information included in the map information based on new road information about the detected new road and intersection information indicating the intersection points determined by the intersecting determining means, and a road information updating means (24) for updating the road information included in the map information based on the road update information, and for writing the new road information into a new road information storage means (16b).

Abstract: In a road data frame for displaying road maps, each node/link data record describing a link corresponding to a road part includes link identification information identifying an original link, and auxiliary link identification information used for identifying a plurality of alternative links which substitute for any of the original links in the map data. In a route planning data frame for route planning, each connection record describing the interconnection of nodes also includes corresponding link identification information identifying an original link, and corresponding auxiliary link identification information used for identifying a plurality of alternative links which substitute for any of the original links in the map data. By means of identification information of the original link and auxiliary links, it is facilitated to identify the correlation among links in the road data frame and the route planning data frame having different versions.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a map information storage section (16) for storing map information on an area by area basis formed in meshes; a positioning section (15) for measuring its own present location; a new road detecting section (19) for deciding that a new road is detected when the present location measured by the positioning section is on a road not included in the map information stored in the map information storage section; a new road registration decision section (20) for deciding that the new road is additionally registrable to the map information stored in the map information storage section when the road density in the area including the new road detected by the new road detecting section is equal to or less than a predetermined value; and a new road registration section (21) for making additional registration of the new road, as to which the new road registration decision section makes an additionally registrable decision, to the map information stored in the map information storage section.

Abstract: In a map information processing apparatus including a processor 5 for updating map information containing map data stored in a map information storage device 3, road network data contained in the map data stored in the map information storage device has a data structure in which the road network data is composed of link strings each of which represents a series of roads in a road network as a series of links connecting nodes, the road network being represented by the nodes and the links; each of the link strings is represented by a link string record in which link records defining the links are arranged in order of the series of the links; each link constituting the link strings is provided with an invariable link identifier proper to each link; and node indication information for designating each node included in the link strings is represented by the link identifier of the link having the node as its one end.

Abstract: In a road data frame for displaying road maps, each node/link data record describing a link corresponding to a road part includes link identification information identifying an original link, and auxiliary link identification information used for identifying a plurality of alternative links which substitute for any of the original links in the map data. In a route planning data frame for route planning, each connection record describing the interconnection of nodes also includes corresponding link identification information identifying an original link, and corresponding auxiliary link identification information used for identifying a plurality of alternative links which substitute for any of the original links in the map data. By means of identification information of the original link and auxiliary links, it is facilitated to identify the correlation among links in the road data frame and the route planning data frame having different versions.

Abstract: A map data processing apparatus includes: a map data storage unit, a differential data input unit, and a map data multiple update unit. The map data storage unit stores map data. The differential data input unit inputs differential data representing the difference between current map data stored in the map data storage unit and the most recent map data in a script format for each version. The map data multiple update unit updates the map data in the map data storage unit to the most recent map data using the differential data corresponding to the version.

Abstract: A map information processing apparatus includes an intersecting determining means (20) for determining intersection points where a new road detected by a new road detecting means (19) intersects either roads included in map information or roads previously detected by a new road detecting means, other than start and end points of the new road, a road update information generating means (21) for generating road update information including information for updating new road information and road information included in the map information based on new road information about the detected new road and intersection information indicating the intersection points determined by the intersecting determining means, and a road information updating means (24) for updating the road information included in the map information based on the road update information, and for writing the new road information into a new road information storage means (16b).

Abstract: In a road data frame for displaying road maps, each node/link data record describing a link corresponding to a road part includes link identification information identifying an original link, and auxiliary link identification information used for identifying a plurality of alternative links which substitute for any of the original links in the map data. In a route planning data frame for route planning, each connection record describing the interconnection of nodes also includes corresponding link identification information identifying an original link, and corresponding auxiliary link identification information used for identifying a plurality of alternative links which substitute for any of the original links in the map data. By means of identification information of the original link and auxiliary links, it is facilitated to identify the correlation among links in the road data frame and the route planning data frame having different versions.

Abstract: A map data processing unit includes a batch update section and dynamic update section. A type of update data fed from an update data input section is decided using header information. If the update data is route search data, the batch update section collectively updates all the map data to latest version map data according to the update data from the update data input section. If the update data is not the route search data, the dynamic update section updates the map data to the latest version map data according to the update data every time the map data becomes necessary. Thus performing the collective or dynamic update according to the type of the update data enables the update to the latest map data without affecting the operation speed of a navigation function, with minimizing the time precluding the use of the navigation function.

Abstract: A guidance information retrieval apparatus includes a data holding unit (11) for holding guidance retrieval data including category data specifying categories in which retrieval targets are put, and substance data respectively specifying the substances of retrieval targets, another data holding unit (12) for holding update data including correction data for correcting category or substance data and additional data for adding new category or substance data to the guidance retrieval data, and a control unit (13) for, when the update data has correction data corresponding to category or substance data contained in the guidance retrieval data, outputting a category, in which a retrieval target corresponding to the correction data is put, or the substance of the retrieval target, and for, when the update data has additional data, outputting a category, in which a retrieval target corresponding to the additional data is put, or the substance of the retrieval target.

Abstract: A map data processing unit includes a batch update section and dynamic update section. A type of update data fed from an update data input section is decided using header information. If the update data is route search data, the batch update section collectively updates all the map data to latest version map data according to the update data from the update data input section. If the update data is not the route search data, the dynamic update section updates the map data to the latest version map data according to the update data every time the map data becomes necessary. Thus performing the collective or dynamic update according to the type of the update data enables the update to the latest map data without affecting the operation speed of a navigation function, with minimizing the time precluding the use of the navigation function.

Abstract: A map data processing unit includes a batch update section and dynamic update section. A type of update data fed from an update data input section is decided using header information. If the update data is route search data, the batch update section collectively updates all the map data to latest version map data according to the update data from the update data input section. If the update data is not the route search data, the dynamic update section updates the map data to the latest version map data according to the update data every time the map data becomes necessary. Thus performing the collective or dynamic update according to the type of the update data enables the update to the latest map data without affecting the operation speed of a navigation function, with minimizing the time precluding the use of the navigation function.

Abstract: For map data, a road system is represented by using node data, which is information concerning nodes representing points along a road, and link data, which is information concerning a link representing a road between the points. A link row is a series of links representing a series of roads in a road system, and as link row data, link data for the links that constitute the link row are arranged in the order in which the links are connected. The node data for the individual nodes of the road system are provided separately from the link row data, and to identify nodes, node identifiers are provided for the nodes of the road system. The link data includes information indicating a node identifier for a node that is located at one link end defined in the direction of the link row.

Abstract: A map information processing apparatus includes a map information storage unit (15) for storing map information, a map update information storage unit (8) for storing one or more pieces of map update information (30 to 32) used for updating yet-to-be-updated map information, a map update information selection unit (19) for selecting one or more pieces of map update information required to update the map information stored in the map information storage unit (15) from the one or more pieces of map update information stored in the map update information storage unit, and a map information updating unit (20) for updating the map information stored in the map information storage unit (15) by applying the one or more pieces of map update information selected by the map update information selection unit to the map information one by one in order of updating.

Abstract: Location equipment includes a calibration unit for calibrating scale factors used for calculating distances traveled by left and right wheels of a vehicle from pulse signals delivered from wheel sensors respectively installed in the left and right wheels, based on global positioning satellite signals received by a GPS receiver, and an estimation unit for estimating vehicle position and movement from the GPS signals received by the GPS receiver and the pulse signals delivered from the wheel sensors, using the scale factors calibrated by the calibration unit.

Abstract: A map data processing unit includes a batch update section and dynamic update section. A type of update data fed from an update data input section is decided using header information. If the update data is route search data, the batch update section collectively updates all the map data to latest version map data according to the update data from the update data input section. If the update data is not the route search data, the dynamic update section updates the map data to the latest version map data according to the update data every time the map data becomes necessary. Thus performing the collective or dynamic update according to the type of the update data enables the update to the latest map data without affecting the operation speed of a navigation function, with minimizing the time precluding the use of the navigation function.

Abstract: A map data processing apparatus includes: a map data storage unit, a differential data input unit, and a map data multiple update unit. The map data storage unit stores map data. The differential data input unit inputs differential data representing the difference between current map data stored in the map data storage unit and the most recent map data in a script format for each version. The map data multiple update unit updates the map data in the map data storage unit to the most recent map data using the differential data corresponding to the version.

Abstract: In a road data frame for displaying road maps, each node/link data record describing a link corresponding to a road part includes link identification information identifying an original link, and auxiliary link identification information used for identifying a plurality of alternative links which substitute for any of the original links in the map data. In a route planning data frame for route planning, each connection record describing the interconnection of nodes also includes corresponding link identification information identifying an original link, and corresponding auxiliary link identification information used for identifying a plurality of alternative links which substitute for any of the original links in the map data. By means of identification information of the original link and auxiliary links, it is facilitated to identify the correlation among links in the road data frame and the route planning data frame having different versions.

Abstract: A map data processing apparatus and a method of obtaining updating operation information indicating updating content of map data, and updating the map data according to the updating operation information obtained.

Abstract: A map information processing apparatus includes a route determination unit for determining a route between two arbitrary points by using map information for route determination having one or more levels of hierarchy, and an external map information acquiring unit for, when acquiring map information about a predetermined region from outside the map information processing apparatus, acquiring map information for route determination result providing having information about a region of an arbitrary size including the predetermined region, and map information for route determination about at least one unit region including the predetermined region, which is included in map information for route determination at the top level of the hierarchy, and map information for route determination about all unit regions that exist at levels of the hierarchy lower than the former unit region including the predetermined region.