System and method for providing accurate local maps from a central service

• US 20040064256A1
• Filed: 09/30/2002
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DRNC Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Weksel, David, Stevens, Douglas W., Pulford, Gary Douglas, Hoskins, Daniel H. Jr., Barinek, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,127,352 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/5
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

A system and method that provides economical and accurate data for a selected area (jurisdiction) from a centralized location by generating a base-line map from commercially available information and distributing portions of this map to local jurisdictions. Inaccuracies and other information only available locally are stored in a local database. Periodically these databases are uploaded to a central location and reconciled with the base line map. Advantageously, such reconciliation may include a rules based reconciliation wherein the geo-coordinates from the commercial vendors are used and applied to the local data. A new base line map is then generated and distributed back to the local user. In this manner, the local user has an accurate yet economical map.

Claims

1. A method for updating map data comprising the steps of:

generating a base-line map from predetermined geo-coordinate based data for a user;

determining local geographical data for inclusion on said map;

reconciling said local geographical data and said base-line map; and

generating a new base-line map that includes said local geographical data.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said step of determining comprises collecting local geographical data that is inconsistent with said base-line map.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said step of determining comprises collecting geographical data not included on said base-line map.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said step of determining comprises determining geo-coordinates of local geographical data for inclusion on said map.

5. A method in accordance with claim 4 wherein said step of reconciling comprises a rules-based comparison of said geo-coordinates of local geographical data with said geo-coordinate based data.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5 wherein said reconciling further comprises presuming that geo-coordinates in said geo-coordinate based data take precedence over said geo-coordinates of said local geographical data.

7. A method in accordance with claim 5 wherein said reconciling further comprises presuming that local geographical data takes precedence over said base-line map data.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said step of determining local geographical data comprises collecting said local geographical data in a local data base.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said step of generating said baseline map comprises generating said base-line map from commercial data at a central location.

10. A method in accordance with claim 9 wherein said step of determining local geographical data comprises collecting said local geographical data in a local data base.

11. A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein said step of reconciling said local geographical data and said base-line map comprises sending said collected local geographic data in said local data base to said central location.

12. A method in accordance with claim 11 further including the step of downloading said new base-line map that includes said local geographical data to said local user.

13. An apparatus for generating maps comprising:

means for collecting geo-coordinate data and generating a base-line map;

means for receiving local geographical data;

means for reconciling said local geographical data and said base-line map; and

means for generating a new base-line map that includes said local geographical data.

14. An apparatus in accordance with claim 13 further including means for transmitting said base-line map and said new base-line map to local users.

15. An apparatus in accordance with claim 14 wherein said means for transmitting transmits a portion of said base-line map to each of said local users.

16. An apparatus in accordance with claim 14 wherein said means for transmitting transmits a portion of said base-line map to each of said local users responsive to a selection by said local users.