Method and system for obtaining recurring delay data using navigation systems

• US 20040030670A1
• Filed: 01/15/2003
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navteq North America LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Barton, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,499,949 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A method for collecting data for a geographic database is disclosed. Speed and position data are collected using a plurality of mobile computing platforms moving in a geographic region. The speed and position data are analyzed to identify a location of a recurring delay point corresponding to a change in the speed. The geographic database is updated to indicate the location of the recurring delay point.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining data for a geographic database using a mobile computing platform moving in a geographic region comprising the steps of:

collecting data indicating a speed and position of the mobile computing platform as the mobile computing platform travels in the geographic region;

identifying a location of a recurring delay point corresponding to a change in the speed data; and

updating the geographic database to indicate the location of the recurring delay point.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the speed and position data are provided over a wireless communications link from the mobile computing platform to a navigation services server.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of collecting is performed by a program in the mobile computing platform.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile computing platform is a navigation system.

5. The method of claim 1 further including:

sending the speed and position data to a central data collection facility.

6. The method of claim 1 further including:

identifying a delay amount associated with the recurring delay point.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said delay amount is an average delay time.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said delay amount is an average speed reduction.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein said delay amount is a statistical distribution of speed data associated with the recurring delay point.

10. The method of claim 1 further including:

collecting time data with said speed and position data.

11. The method of claim 10 further including:

identifying a time associated with the recurring delay point.

12. The method of claim 1 further including:

collecting weather condition data with said speed and position data.

13. The method of claim 12 further including:

identifying a weather condition associated with the recurring delay point.

14. The method of claim 1 further including:

collecting traffic condition data with said speed and position data.

15. The method of claim 14 further including:

identifying a traffic condition associated with the recurring delay point.

16. The method of claim 1 further including:

identifying a geographic feature associated with the recurring delay point.

17. A method of obtaining data for a geographic database representing a geographic region using a plurality of vehicles comprising the steps of:

collecting speed and position data from each of said plurality of vehicles;

performing statistical analysis on said speed and position data to infer a location of a recurring delay point corresponding to a change in the speed data; and

storing data in the geographic database to indicate the location of the recurring delay point.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the speed and position data are collected by a navigation system associated with each of said vehicles.

19. The method of claim 17 further including:

filtering the speed and position data according to a filtering criterion.

20. A method of collecting data for a geographic database that represents roads in a geographic region, the method comprising:

with a plurality of vehicles that travel along the roads, collecting data that indicate speeds of said vehicles at locations along the roads at a plurality of different times;

statistically analyzing said data;

based on said analyzing, inferring positions along said roads of recurring delay points, and inferring which directions of traffic are affected by said recurring delay points; and

storing data in said geographic database that represent traffic effects of said recurring delay points.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said recurring delay point is a speed bump.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein said recurring delay point is traffic congestion.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein said recurring delay point is a point of interest.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein said recurring delay point is a traffic signal.

25. The method of claim 20 wherein said recurring delay point is a stop sign.

26. The method of claim 20 further including:

inferring a position of a stop line associated with said recurring delay point.