Patent ID: 6591270
Filing Date: 2003-07-08
Classification: G01C,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of organizing map data on a physical storage medium, wherein the map data represent geographic features located in a region, the method comprising:separating the map data into a plurality of separate parcels, wherein each parcel contains a portion of the map data, wherein the portion in each parcel represents the geographic features located in a corresponding respective separate one of a plurality of rectangular areas into which the region is divided, wherein each rectangular area has a size that corresponds to a uniform dimension in a first coordinate direction and a dimension in a second coordinate direction perpendicular to the first coordinate direction that is selected so that the portion of map data contained in each parcel is close to but does not exceed a predetermined maximum parcel size; and locating the map data in each parcel together on the physical storage medium, wherein the boundaries that extend in the second coordinate direction of each rectangular area adjacent to another rectangular area in the second coordinate direction are colinear.