Patent ID: 8396652

Claim:
A map data providing apparatus for providing map data to be used in a navigation system in response to a request from a user, comprising: a map data storage device including a computer-readable medium that stores information related to each of blocks resulting from dividing an area, over which the map data are available, into a plurality of blocks by using each of a plurality of division patterns, and a plurality of sets of map data each in correspondence to each of the blocks resulting from the divisions achieved with the plurality of division patterns, the information related to each of the blocks being information that identifies a division pattern and the plurality of sets of map data having been prepared in advance; and a computer configured to obtain information related to a place from the user, reference the information related to each of the blocks stored in the map data storage device using the obtained information related to the place, identify a division pattern among the plurality of division patterns that achieves a block substantially centered on the place, obtain a set of map data in correspondence to a block resulting from a division by the identified division pattern from the plurality of sets of map data stored in the map data storage device, and output the obtained set of map data, wherein: the plurality of division patterns includes a first division pattern with which the area is divided into a plurality of first blocks and a second division pattern with which the area is divided into a plurality of second blocks; the area to be divided with the first division pattern is the same as the area to be divided with the second division pattern; the first blocks do not overlap each other and the second blocks do not overlap each other; each of the first blocks is different from each of the second blocks; and the computer is configured to reference the information related to each of the blocks including the plurality of the first blocks and the plurality of the second blocks, and identify a division pattern that achieves a block substantially centered on the place among the plurality of division patterns including the first division pattern and the second division pattern.