Map having computer executable instructions embedded therein

• US 10,072,937 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2016
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Lynch, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Antonucci, Anne Marie
• Application Number:
  US15/210,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20180017396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3841 Data obtained from two or more sources, e.g. probe vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3848 Data obtained from both position sensors and additional sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3881 Tile-based structures

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, systems, and computer program products are provided. An example method comprises accessing a record for a particular traversable map element. The record comprises an executable instruction. The example method further comprises receiving sensor data from one or more sensors. The sensor data corresponds to the particular traversable map element. The method further comprises executing, by a processor, the executable instruction. Executing the executable instruction causes analysis of at least a portion of the sensor data.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising at least one processor, a location sensor configured for determining the location of the apparatus, a communication interface configured to communicate via at least one network, and at least one memory storing (a) computer program code and (b) a plurality of map element records received from an update apparatus via the communication interface, wherein the apparatus is onboard a vehicle, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

identify, via the location sensor, a location of the apparatus;

access a record from the plurality of map element records that corresponds to a particular traversable map element, the record comprising (a) an executable instruction and (b) map data corresponding to the particular traversable map element, wherein the particular traversable map element is identified based on the location of the apparatus;

receive sensor data from one or more sensors, the sensor data corresponding to the vehicle traversing a road segment corresponding to the particular traversable map element, wherein the one or more sensors are onboard the vehicle and in communication with the at least one processor; and

execute the executable instruction with the processor, wherein executing the executable instruction causes (a) at least a portion of the sensor data to be analyzed in accordance with an algorithm encoded by or referenced by the executable instruction and (b) a response indicating a result of the analysis to be provided to the update apparatus via the communication interface to permit the update apparatus to update a map element record based at least in part on the received response.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein executing the executable instructions causes analysis of (a) at least a portion of second sensor data corresponding to a second particular traversable map element or (b) a combination of at least a portion of the second sensor data and at least a portion of the sensor data.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein execution of the executable instructions is influenced by at least one of vehicle type, vehicle make/model, time of day, road segment immediately previously traversed by the vehicle, and vehicle route.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the executable instruction comprises at least one of a minimum reporting threshold and a maximum reporting threshold, and wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

determine if a result of analyzing the at least a portion of the sensor data is greater than the minimum reporting threshold, less than the maximum reporting threshold, or both; and

if the result is greater than the minimum reporting threshold, less than the maximum reporting threshold, or both, transmit an indication of the result of analyzing the at least a portion of the sensor data.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, the executable instruction comprises an instruction to access a particular record of a function repository.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the particular record comprises at least one of an algorithm in a computer executable format or one or more parameters for use with the algorithm.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the function repository provides different executable instructions to the vehicle based on the rules or conventions of the country or political region in which the vehicle is located.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the sensor data is collected by the one or more sensors as a vehicle traverses a road segment represented by the particular link, wherein the processor and the one or more sensors are on-board the vehicle.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the executable instruction comprises one or more parameters for use with a factory programmed algorithm.

10. A system comprising:

a plurality of vehicle apparatuses, each vehicle apparatus comprising at least one first processor, a first location sensor configured for determining the location of the vehicle apparatus, a first communication interface configured to communicate via at least one network, and at least one first memory storing (a) computer program code and (b) a plurality of map element records, wherein each vehicle apparatus is onboard a first vehicle, the at least one first memory and the computer program code configured to, with the first processor, cause the vehicle apparatus to at least;

identify, via the first location sensor, a location of the vehicle apparatus;

access a record from the plurality of map element records that corresponds to a particular traversable map element, the record comprising (a) an executable instruction and (b) map data corresponding to the particular traversable map element, wherein the particular traversable map element is identified based on the location of the vehicle apparatus;

receive sensor data from one or more sensors, the sensor data corresponding to the vehicle traversing a road segment corresponding to the particular traversable map element, wherein the one or more sensors are onboard the vehicle; and

execute, by the first processor, the executable instruction, wherein executing the executable instruction causes (a) at least a portion of the sensor data to be analyzed in accordance with an algorithm encoded by or referenced by the executable instruction and (b) a response indicating a result of the analysis to be provided to an update apparatus via the first communication interface; and

the update apparatus, the update apparatus comprising at least one second processor, a second communication interface configured to communicate via at least one network, and at least one second memory storing computer program code, the at least one second memory and the computer program code configured to, with the second processor, cause the update apparatus to at least;

provide a first map tile comprising the record for the particular traversable map element to a first set of vehicle apparatuses of the plurality of vehicle apparatuses via the second communication interface;

receive one or more responses from at least one vehicle apparatus of the first set of vehicle apparatuses via the second communication interface;

update the executable instruction, based at least in part on the one or more responses, to generate a second map tile; and

provide the second map tile to a second set of vehicle apparatuses of the plurality of vehicle apparatuses via the second communication interface.

11. The system according to claim 10 wherein executing the executable instructions causes analysis of (a) at least a portion of second sensor data corresponding to a second particular traversable map element or (b) a combination of at least a portion of the second sensor data and at least a portion of the sensor data.

12. The system according to claim 10 wherein execution of the executable instructions is influenced by at least one of vehicle type, vehicle make/model, time of day, road segment immediately previously traversed by the vehicle, or vehicle route.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein the executable instruction comprises at least one of a minimum reporting threshold or a maximum reporting threshold, and wherein the at least one first memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the first processor, cause the vehicle apparatus to at least:

determine if a result of analyzing the at least a portion of the sensor data is greater than the minimum reporting threshold, less than the maximum reporting threshold, or both; and

if the result is greater than the minimum reporting threshold, less than the maximum reporting threshold, or both, transmit an indication of the result of analyzing the at least a portion of the sensor data.

14. The system according to claim 10, the executable instruction comprises an instruction to access a particular record of a function repository.

15. The system according to claim 14 wherein the function repository provides different executable instructions to the vehicle based on the rules or conventions of the country or political region in which the vehicle is located.

16. The system according to claim 14 wherein the particular record comprises at least one of an algorithm in a computer executable format or one or more parameters for use with the algorithm.

17. The system according to claim 10 wherein the sensor data is collected by the one or more sensors as a vehicle traverses a road element corresponding to the particular traversable map element, wherein the processor and the one or more sensors are on-board the vehicle.

18. The system according to claim 10 wherein the executable instruction comprises one or more parameters for use with a factory programmed algorithm.