Patent ID: 7379812

Claim:
A map information updating apparatus which is connected to plural map information providing devices that provide plural different types of update map information, and which updates map information stored within said apparatus itself, said map information updating apparatus comprising: a map information storage unit which stores map information; a position detecting unit operable to detect a current position; a movement history storage unit which stores, as movement histories, a series of positions detected by said position detecting unit; a map information selecting/updating unit operable to select one of the plural update map information based on the movement histories stored in said movement history storage unit, and to obtain the selected update map information from the corresponding map information providing device; an update map information storage unit which stores the update map information obtained by said map information selecting/updating unit; a combining/displaying unit operable to combine the map information with the update map information, and to display the combined map information so as to display a geographic area with the corresponding update map information from among the geographic areas each having the map information stored in said map information storage unit; a movement model calculating unit operable to calculate a movement model indicating a characteristic of movement of a user based on the movement histories stored in said movement history storage unit, wherein said map information selecting/updating unit is operable to select update map information corresponding to the movement model calculated by said movement model calculating unit, and to obtain the selected update map information from the corresponding map information providing device, wherein said movement model calculating unit is operable to calculate, as the movement model, movement areas of the user for each category of destinations to which the user moves, based on the movement histories stored in said movement history storage unit, and wherein said map information selecting/updating unit is operable to select map information as the update map information, the map information being map information regarding the movement area indicated by the movement model calculated by said movement model calculating unit and the map information detailing the category.