Application programming interface (API) for navigation applications that merges incremental updates with existing map database

摘要

A system and method for efficiently updating the map database in a mobile computing system, such as a vehicle navigation system. The system includes a central server that computes changes between the latest version of a master map database and a previous version of the map database, and wirelessly transmits the changes to participating vehicles' onboard navigation systems. The navigation system stores the changes in a look-aside buffer, and a navigation processor uses the stored changes to update a base map database.

主权项

1. A method for updating a map database, said method comprising:
providing a computing system programmed for: determining changes between a latest version of the map database and a previous version of the map database; formatting the changes into transaction files, wherein determining changes between a latest version of the map database and a previous version of the map database and formatting the changes into transaction files occur on a central server system, and wherein the changes between the latest version of the map database and the previous version of the map database include changes to identification reference numbers of map elements and changes to database indexing; transmitting the transaction files; storing the transmitted transaction files in a look-aside buffer; providing a base map database and the transaction files from the look-aside buffer to a dynamic memory cache; and updating the base map database in the dynamic memory cache using the transaction files, wherein storing the transaction files, providing the base map database and the transaction files to the dynamic memory cache, and updating the base map database using the transaction files occur at a location remote from the central server system, and wherein updating the base map database in the dynamic memory cache is done by reading into the dynamic memory cache all map elements from the base map database in the vicinity of the navigation system, searching the look-aside buffer for any transaction file records which apply to map elements currently in the dynamic memory cache, and using the transaction file records to modify the map elements of the base map database.