US 7,082,443 B1Granted

Method and system for updating geographic databases

AssigneeNavteq North America, LLC

InventorRichard A. Ashby

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Abstract

A method and system for updating geographic databases used in systems that provide navigation-related features are disclosed. An original version of a geographic database is formed in which the data are organized into parcels. An updated version of the geographic database is formed that includes updated data. The updated version is organized into parcels so that the data in each parcel of the updated geographic database represent the same features that were represented in a corresponding one of the parcels of the original version. Incremental update transactions are formed that identify the differences between the parcels of data contained in the updated version of the geographic database relative to the parcels in the original version. The incremental update transactions are transmitted to the systems that provide navigation-related features where they are used to form updated parcels which are used in place of the corresponding parcels from the original version.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A method of updating geographic databases used in systems to provide navigation-related features, wherein the geographic databases are at a first version level, wherein the geographic databases represent geographic features located in a coverage area, wherein each of the geographic databases is separated into parcels of data, the method comprising:

forming an updated parcel of data for each parcel in the geographic databases at the first version level that contains data that have been updated;
wherein the updated parcel of data is formed so that the geographic features represented by the data in the updated parcel correspond to those represented by the data in a corresponding parcel in the geographic database at the first version level;
and
providing an incremental update transaction to the systems that provide navigation-related features, wherein the incremental update transaction identifies differences between the corresponding parcel from the geographic database at the first version level and the updated parcel
so that, in each of said systems that provide navigation-related features, a copy of the updated parcel of data can be formed from a copy of the corresponding parcel in the geographic database at the first version level and said incremental update transaction, and further wherein the updated parcel of data so formed is used in each of said systems that provide navigation-related features in place of said copy of the corresponding parcel in the geographic database at the first version level.

2 more elements

A method of updating a geographic database used in a system that provides navigation-related features, wherein the system includes a geographic database at a first version level, wherein the geographic database represents geographic features located in a coverage area, and wherein the geographic database is separated into parcels of data, the method comprising:

obtaining an updated parcel of data for each parcel in the geographic database at the first version level that contains data that have been updated;
wherein the updated parcel of data is formed so that the geographic features represented by the data in the updated parcel correspond to those represented by the data in a corresponding parcel in the geographic database at the first version level and further wherein the geographic features represented by the data in the updated parcel are located within a geographic area having identical geographic boundaries as those encompassing the geographic area in which the geographic features represented by the data in the corresponding parcel in the geographic database at the first version level are located;
and
storing the updated parcel on a media with the system;
and
using the updated parcel of data instead of the corresponding parcel in the geographic database at the first version level.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.