US 7,890,252 B2 · Map-data-generation device and map-generation method used therefor, and navigation device and route-search method used therefor

Abstract

A map-data-generation device and a map-generation method used therefor, and a navigation device and a route-search method used therefor are provided. The map-data-generation device generates hierarchical guide-route-search-map data by using information about a road link of level 2 (reference level), the road link generating a guide-object road. A first upper-level-link-determination unit determines a level-3 link by performing level-raising processing by using level-2-link information. A second-upper-level-link-determination unit acquires a plurality of links of levels (levels 4 to 8) higher than level 3 by performing the level-raising processing by using information about the level-3 link, and specifies an upper level map to which the link belongs on the basis of the range of a distance between a departure-point link and a destination-point link.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A map-data-generation method capable of generating hierarchical map data by using road link information associated with a reference level map, the method comprising:

determining, with a first link-determination unit, at least one first upper level link of a first upper level map by using the road link information associated with the reference level map, the first upper level map being at a higher map level than the reference level map, and specifying at least one link to function as a route-search-start link of the first upper level map;
and
determining, with a second-link determination unit, upper level links of a plurality of upper level maps higher than the first upper level map by using information associated with the first upper level link, and specifying at least one upper level link to function as a route-search-start link for each of the plurality of upper level maps,
wherein the plurality of upper level maps are defined according to a distance range between a departure point and a destination point.

1 more element

A map-data-generation device configured to generate hierarchical map data by using road link information associated with a reference level map, the device comprising:

a first link-determination unit configured to determine at least one first upper level link of a first upper level map higher than the reference level map by using the road link information associated with the reference level map, and specify at least one link to function as a route-search-start link of the first upper level map;
and
a second link-determination unit configured to determine upper level links associated with a plurality of upper level maps by using information associated with the first upper level link, each of the plurality of the upper level maps being at a higher level than the first upper level map, and specify at least one link to function as a route-search-start link of each of the plurality of upper level maps;
and
an upper-level-setting unit configured to set a distance range of each of the plurality of upper level maps so that an upper level map to which a predetermined link used to perform the route search belongs can be determined on the basis of a distance between a departure-point link and a destination-point link.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Map-data-generation device and map-generation method used therefor, and navigation device and route-search method used therefor

Life of this patent

Map-data-generation device and map-generation method used therefor, and navigation device and route-search method used therefor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16