METHOD AND DEVICE FOR UPDATING MAP DATA

• US 20080240513A1
• Filed: 03/26/2008
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NEC China Co Ltd (NEC Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC China Co Ltd (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: HSUEH, Min-Yu, XIE, Jiecheng, XU, Chenghua
• Application Number:
  US12/055,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20080240513A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/113
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3848 Data obtained from both position sensors and additional sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/10 Terrestrial scenes scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and device for updating map data, wherein each site on the map being associated with geographic data and at least one scene image captured at the site, the method comprising: at each site, collecting video data and geographic data representing the position of the site; extracting a distinctive region from the scene image which represents the site on the basis of a predetermined criterion, and associating the distinctive region with the site; extracting from the video data at least one image which is captured at the site on the basis of the position of the site; matching the distinctive region and the extracted image to generate matching results; and updating the scene image using the image matched with the distinctive region as a updated image, in the case of the matching results indicating that the map data need to be updated. With the present invention, map data can be updated quickly so as to provide users with the latest geographic information.

Claims

1. A method for updating map data, wherein each site on the map being associated with geographic data and at least one scene image captured at the site, the method comprising:

at each site, collecting video data and geographic data representing the position of the site;

extracting a distinctive region from the scene image which represents the site on the basis of a predetermined criterion, and associating the distinctive region with the site;

extracting from the video data at least one image which is captured at the site on the basis of the position of the site;

matching the distinctive region and the extracted image to generate matching results; and

updating the scene image using the image matched with the distinctive region as a updated image, in the case of the matching results indicating that the map data need to be updated.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

further associating the site with the distinctive region included in the updated image and canceling the association of the site with the distinctive region included in the scene image, in case of the matching results indicating that the map data need to be updated.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

segmenting the video data into video segments corresponding to streets.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

counting the number of sites where the distinctive regions are not matched with the scene image;

wherein the step of updating is performed in case of the number exceeding a predetermined threshold.

5. The method according to claim 1, the step of extracting a distinctive region from the scene image which represents the site on the basis of a predetermined criterion comprises:

localizing character information included in the scene image by using optical character recognition technique; and

extracting the region occupied by the character information in the scene image as the distinctive region.

6. The method according to claim 1, the step of extracting a distinctive region from the scene image which represents the site on the basis of a predetermined criterion comprising:

retrieving images of the site from an external location;

determining features of the distinctive region from the retrieved images using feature matching technology; and

extracting the distinctive region from the scene image using the features.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of matching comprises:

detecting the local features for the distinctive region and the extracted image; and

matching the local feature of the distinctive region with the local feature of the extracted image to output the matching results.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the step of matching further comprises:

calculating a metric of parallelogram for the matched local features; and

correcting the matching results in case of the metric of parallelogram being less than a predetermined value.

9. A method for updating map data, wherein each site on the map being associated with geographic data, at least one scene image captured at the site and a distinctive region included in the scene image, the method comprising:

at each site, collecting video data and geographic data representing the position of the site;

extracting from the video data at least one image which is captured at the site;

matching the distinctive region and the extracted image to generate matching results; and

updating the scene image using the image matched with the distinctive region as a updated image, associating the site with the distinctive region included in the updated image, and canceling the association of the site with the distinctive region included in the scene image, in case of the matching results indicating that the map data need to be updated.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising a step of:

segmenting the video data into video segments corresponding to streets.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

counting the number of sites where the distinctive regions are not matched with the scene image;

wherein the step of updating is performed in case of the number exceeding a predetermined threshold.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the step of matching comprises:

detecting the local features for the distinctive region and the extracted image; and

matching the local feature of the distinctive region with the local feature of the extracted image to output the matching results.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the step of matching further comprises:

calculating a metric of parallelogram for the matched local features; and

correcting the matching results in case of the metric of parallelogram is less than a predetermined value.

14. A device for updating map data, wherein each site on the map being associated with geographic data and at least one scene image captured at the site, the device comprising:

data collecting means for, at each site, collecting video data and geographic data representing the position of the site;

distinctive region association means for extracting a distinctive region from the scene image which represents the site on the basis of a predetermined criterion, and associating the distinctive region with the site;

image extracting means for extracting from the video data at least one image which is captured at the site;

image comparison means for matching the distinctive region and the extracted image to generate matching results; and

output means for updating the scene image using the image matched with the distinctive region as a updated image, in case of the matching results indicating that the map data need to be updated.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein the output means further associates the site with the distinctive region included in the updated image and cancels the association of the site with the distinctive region included in the scene image, in case of the matching results indicating that the map data need to be updated.

16. The device according to claim 15, further comprising:

segmenting means for segmenting the video data into video segments corresponding to streets.

17. The device according to claim 14, wherein the output means comprises:

counting unit for counting the number of sites where the distinctive regions are not matched with the scene image; and

updating means for updating the scene image in case of the number exceeding a predetermined threshold.

18. The device according to claim 14, the distinctive region association means comprises:

localization unit for localizing character information included in the scene image by using optical character recognition technique;

extracting unit for extracting the region occupied by the character information in the scene image as the distinctive region; and

associating unit for associating the distinctive region and the site.

19. The device according to claim 14, the distinctive region association means comprises:

retrieval unit for retrieving images of the site from an external location;

localization unit for determining features of the distinctive region from the retrieved images using feature matching technology;

extracting unit for extracting the distinctive region from the scene image; and

associating unit for associating the distinctive region and the site.

20. The device according to claim 14, wherein the image comparison means comprises:

local feature detection unit for detecting the local features for the distinctive region and the extracted image; and

matching unit for matching the local feature of the distinctive region with the local feature of the extracted image to output the matching results.

21. The device according to claim 20, wherein the image comparison means further comprises:

verifying unit for calculating a metric of parallelogram for the matched local features, and correcting the matching results in case of the metric of parallelogram being less than a predetermined value.

22. A device for updating map data, wherein each site on the map being associated with geographic data, at least one scene image captured at the site and a distinctive region included in the scene image, the device comprising:

data collecting means for, at each site, collecting video data and geographic data representing the position of the site;

image extracting means for extracting from the video data at least one image which is captured at the site;

image comparison means for matching the distinctive region and the extracted image to generate matching results; and

output means for updating the scene image using the image matched with the distinctive region as a updated image, associating the site with the distinctive region included in the updated image, and canceling the association of the site with the distinctive region included in the scene image, in case of the matching results indicating that the map data need to be updated.

23. The device according to claim 22, further comprising:

segmenting means for segmenting the video data into video segments corresponding to streets.

25. The device according to claim 22, wherein the image comparison means comprises:

local feature detection unit for detecting the local features for the distinctive region and the extracted image; and

matching unit for matching the local feature of the distinctive region with the local feature of the extracted image to output the matching results.

26. The device according to claim 25, wherein the image comparison means further comprises:

verifying unit for calculating a metric of parallelogram for the matched local features, and correcting the matching results in case of the metric of parallelogram is less than a predetermined value.

24. The device according to claim 24, wherein the output means comprises:

counting unit for counting the number of sites where the distinctive regions are not matched with the scene image; and

updating means for updating the scene image in case of the number exceeding a predetermined threshold.