METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR UPDATING A DIGITAL MAP
A digital map update system includes a digital map update server in communication with each one of a plurality of remote client devices for providing data indicative of a set of one or more digital map incremental updates thereto for use by the client devices in incrementally updating respective existing digital maps of the devices. The system comprises two or more digital map update repositories, each update repository comprising data indicative of a plurality of digital map incremental updates for use in incrementally updating a client device, and each being in respect of a different digital map incremental update profile. In use, the digital map update server provides a set of one or more digital map incremental updates from a given one of the update repositories to a remote client device for use by the device in incrementally updating an existing digital map of the device in accordance with the update profile of the given update repository.
1 . A digital map update system, comprising, for each of one or more baseline digital maps, a plurality of digital map update repositories each comprising data which may be communicated to one or more remote client devices for use by the or each remote client device in incrementally updating an existing digital map of the device, wherein each digital map update repository for a given baseline map comprises data for incrementally updating the baseline digital map in accordance with a different given update profile, and wherein each digital map update repository comprises one or more digital map update journals, each digital map update journal being in respect of a given version of the baseline map to which the digital map update repository relates, wherein each digital map update journal comprises, for a respective given version of the baseline digital map, data indicative of a set of one or more incremental updates that may be used to update the given version of the baseline map to another version in accordance with the given update profile of the digital map update repository.
2 . The system of claim 1 , comprising: a first digital map update repository comprising data for incrementally updating the baseline digital map in accordance with a first update profile; and a second digital map update repository comprising data for incrementally updating the baseline digital map in accordance with a second update profile, wherein the first update profile results in an update repository providing data for incrementally updating the baseline digital map to at least one of a first level of detail and complexity, and the second update profile results in an update repository providing data for incrementally updating the baseline digital map to at least one of a second level of detail and[[/or]] complexity, wherein the first level is different to the second level.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each update profile is selected such that the digital map update repository comprising incremental update data for updating the baseline digital map in accordance with that profile comprises data indicative of incremental updates that are similar in relation to one or more of: a type of the update; a frequency with which the update is to be provided to client devices; a source of the update; and a level of detail of the update.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the or each digital map update repository for a given baseline digital map comprises one or more digital map forward update journals, each digital map forward update journal comprising, for a given version of the baseline digital map, data indicative of a set of one or more incremental updates that may be used to update the given version of the baseline map to another later version in accordance with the given update profile of the update repository.
5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein a plurality of digital map forward update journals are provided in respect of each of a plurality of different respective given versions of the baseline map, wherein the given versions of the map are successive versions, and wherein each digital map forward update journal comprises, for a respective given version of the baseline digital map, data indicative of a set of one or more incremental updates that may be used to update the given version of the baseline map to a successive later version.
6 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the or each digital map update repository for a given baseline digital map comprises one or more digital map reverse update journals for the baseline map to which the digital map data repository relates, wherein each digital map reverse update journal comprises, for a given version of the baseline map, data indicative of a set of one or more incremental updates that may be used to revert the baseline map from the given version to another earlier version in accordance with the given update profile of the update repository.
7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein a digital map reverse update journal is provided in respect of each digital map forward update journal for reversing the effects of the forward update journal and reverting the later version of the baseline map back to the earlier version.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each digital map update repository in respect of a given baseline digital map comprises digital map data for a version of the baseline digital map.
9 . A method of incrementally updating an existing digital map of a remote client device in a digital map update system, the digital map update system comprising, for each of one or more baseline digital maps, a plurality of digital map update repositories each comprising data which may be communicated to one or more of the remote client devices for use by the or each remote client device in incrementally updating an existing digital map of the device, wherein each digital map update repository for a given baseline map comprises data for incrementally updating the baseline digital map in accordance with a different given update profile, and wherein each digital map update repository comprises one or more digital map update journals, each digital map update journal being in respect of a given version of the baseline map to which the digital map update repository relates, wherein each digital map update journal comprises, for a respective given version of the baseline digital map, data indicative of a set of one or more incremental updates that may be used to update the given version of the baseline map to another version in accordance with the update profile of the digital map update repository, and wherein the method comprises communicating, from one or more digital map update journals of a digital map update repository to one or more remote client devices for use by the or each device in updating an existing digital map of the device, the data indicative of the set of one or more incremental updates that may be used to update the given version of the baseline map to another version in accordance with the update profile of the digital map update repository.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the data indicative of a set of one or more incremental updates is communicated to the or each remote client device without providing digital map incremental update data to the or each client device from any other one of the digital map incremental update data repositories in respect of the baseline map that are for updating the baseline map in accordance with a different update profile.
11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising communicating, from one or more digital map update journals of another digital map update repository in respect of the baseline map to a set of one or more different remote client devices, the data indicative of the set of one or more incremental updates for use by the device or devices in updating an existing digital map in accordance with the different update profile of the repository.
12 . The method of claim 11 , comprising providing digital map incremental update data to the set of one or more client devices from the given digital map update data repository at a first frequency, and providing digital map incremental update data to the set of one or more different remote client devices from the another digital map update repository at a second frequency that is different to the first frequency.
13 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising the client device implementing the set of one or more incremental digital map updates provided thereto.
14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein each update profile is specified by a client device, a user or a client device manufacturer.
15 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the digital map update data is of a standardized format.
16 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method according to claim 9 .
17 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the or each digital map update repository for a given baseline digital map comprises one or more digital map reverse update journals for the baseline map to which the digital map data repository relates, wherein each digital map reverse update journal comprises, for a given version of the baseline map, data indicative of a set of one or more incremental updates that may be used to revert the baseline map from the given version to another earlier version in accordance with the given update profile of the update repository.
18 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the version of the baseline digital map data is a latest version of the baseline digital map, and the digital map update repository comprises at least a forward update journal for updating a successive previous version of the digital map to the latest version.