Navigation system and method

摘要

An apparatus and method are provided. A hierarchical navigation database with multiple levels including tiles is defined. Link data records representative of a road segments are stored in the hierarchical navigation database. A lower level tile containing a starting point data record of a route is identified. A link data record crossing the lower level tile border is identified. Whether the identified link data record also crosses a tile border of a higher level tile is determined. If the identified link data record crosses a tile border of a higher level tile, whether the higher level tile includes a destination point record is determined. Unless the higher level tile is determined to include the destination point record, a next link data record is determined in the route from the higher level.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
defining a plurality of levels of a hierarchical navigation database, wherein at least one level is divided into a plurality of tiles, wherein a geographic area of individual tiles of the level increases with higher levels of the hierarchical navigation database; storing a plurality of link data records in the plurality of levels of the hierarchical navigation database, the plurality of link data records representative of a plurality of road segments in a geographic region; identifying a lower level tile of a lower level of the hierarchical navigation database containing a starting point data record of a route, the route comprising link data records spanning a starting point data record and a destination point data record; identifying a link data record crossing a tile border of the lower level tile of the lower level of the hierarchical navigation database containing the starting point data record; determining whether the identified link data record also crosses a tile border of a higher level tile of a higher level of the hierarchical navigation database; determining whether the higher level tile includes the destination point data record of the route if the link data record is determined to be a border link data record of the higher level tile; determining a next link data record in the route from the higher level unless the higher level tile of the next link data record is determined to include the destination point data record; calculating, at a server, an optimal route from the starting point data record to the destination point data record based on identified link data records between the starting point data record and the destination point data record; and outputting the optimal route from the server to a different device.