Navigation server, navigation apparatus, and navigation system

A navigation server which supports a guidance of a mobile subject guided by a navigation apparatus on the basis of communication with the navigation apparatus, comprising:

• a support map storing element which stores support map information;
• a first support processing element which:
• recognizes version information indicating a version of navigation map information stored in a navigation map storing element which is provided in the navigation apparatus,
• recognizes a navigation identifier for identifying the navigation apparatus, on the basis of communication with the navigation apparatus,
• determines whether newly-opened road information of differential information between the navigation map information and the support map information stored in the support map storing element is present on the basis of the version information, and
• transmits index information, which comprises an index of the differential information to the navigation apparatus identified by the navigation identifier in the case where it is determined that the differential information is present,
• generates and automatically outputs preliminary information,
• wherein the index information comprises information relating to what subject areas contain the differential information such that the navigation apparatus is not updated until a request is received from the navigation apparatus,
• wherein the preliminary information comprises at least one of a rough position of the newly-opened road, a road category of the newly-opened road, and an open time period of the newly-opened road;
• and
• a second support processing element which:
• transmits the differential information to the navigation apparatus in response to determining that the differential information is present in a subject area containing a determined navigation route based on the index information and in response to determining that a request signal for the differential information in accordance with a request operation by a user performed on the navigation apparatus is received from the navigation apparatus to which the index information is transmitted by the first support processing element, and
• updates the navigation map information on the basis of the differential information,
• wherein upon updating the navigation map information, deletes the differential information and the index information to avoid lowering available memory in the navigation apparatus.

A navigation system comprising:

• a navigation apparatus and a navigation server which supports a guidance of a mobile subject guided by the navigation apparatus on the basis of communication with the navigation apparatus, in which the navigation apparatus includes a navigation map storing element configured to store navigation map information;
• a first processing element which recognizes index information comprising differential information between the navigation map information stored in the navigation map storing element and support map information stored in a support map storing element provided in the navigation server on the basis of communication with the navigation server,
• wherein the index information comprises information relating to what subject areas contain the differential information such that the navigation apparatus is not updated until a request is received from the navigation apparatus;
• and
• a second processing element which:
• recognizes a departure or present position and a destination position of the mobile subject;
• searches or defines a navigation route joining the departure or present position and the destination on the basis of the navigation map information,
• determines whether the differential information comprising newly-opened road information is present in a subject area containing the navigation route on the basis of the index information recognized by the first processing element,
• generates and automatically outputs preliminary information on a condition that it is determined that the differential information is present in the subject area,
• determines whether a request operation by a user is present,
• transmits a request signal for the differential information to the navigation server in response to determining that the differential information is present in a subject area containing a determined navigation route based on the index information and in response to determining-that the request operation is present, and
• receives the differential information from the navigation server, and
• updates the navigation map information on the basis of the differential information and in response to receiving the request,
• wherein upon updating the navigation map information, deletes the differential information and the index information to avoid lowering available memory in the navigation apparatus;
• and
• wherein the navigation server includes:
• a support map storing element which stores support map information;
• a first support processing element which:
• recognizes version information indicating a version of the navigation map information stored in the navigation map storing element which is provided in the navigation apparatus,
• recognizes a navigation identifier for identifying the navigation apparatus, on the basis of communication with the navigation apparatus,
• determines whether newly-opened road information of differential information between the navigation map information and the support map information stored in the support map storing element is present on the basis of the version information,
• transmits index information which comprises a part of the newly-opened road information and which includes latitude and longitude of each of a plurality of locations on the newly-opened road information and a road category of the newly opened road information of the differential information to the navigation apparatus identified by the navigation identifier in the case where it is determined that the differential information is present to generate and output preliminary information including a line joining the plurality of locations on the newly opened road and based on the road category of the newly opened road, and
• if the index information is present in the subject area, prevents repeated transmissions of the differential information to the navigation apparatus;
• and
• a second support processing element which:
• transmits the differential information to the navigation apparatus on a condition that a request signal for the differential information in accordance with a request operation by a user performed on the navigation apparatus is received from the navigation apparatus to which the index information is transmitted by the first support processing element.