A Spatio-temporal Data Model for Road Network in Data Center Based on Incremental Updating in Vehicle Navigation System

Key words: 
• spatio-temporal data model /
• reverse map with overlay model /
• road network /
• incremental updating /
• vehicle navigation system /
• data center /
• vehicle terminal

Abstract: The technique of incremental updating, which can better guarantee the real-time situation of navigational map, is the developing orientation of navigational road network updating. The data center of vehicle navigation system is in charge of storing incremental data, and the spatio-temporal data model for storing incremental data does affect the efficiency of the response of the data center to the requirements of incremental data from the vehicle terminal. According to the analysis on the shortcomings of several typical spatio-temporal data models used in the data center and based on the base map with overlay model, the reverse map with overlay model (RMOM) was put forward for the data center to make rapid response to incremental data request. RMOM supports the data center to store not only the current complete road network data, but also the overlays of incremental data from the time when each road network changed to the current moment. Moreover, the storage mechanism and index structure of the incremental data were designed, and the implementation algorithm of RMOM was developed. Taking navigational road network in Guangzhou City as an example, the simulation test was conducted to validate the efficiency of RMOM. Results show that the navigation database in the data center can response to the requirements of incremental data by only one query with RMOM, and costs less time. Compared with the base map with overlay model, the data center does not need to temporarily overlay incremental data with RMOM, so time-consuming of response is significantly reduced. RMOM greatly improves the efficiency of response and provides strong support for the real-time situation of navigational road network.