METHOD OF PROCESSING POSITIONING DATA

• US 20100250127A1
• Filed: 10/22/2008
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TomTom Traffic B.V. (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: TomTom Traffic B.V. (TomTom NV)
• Inventors: Atkinson, Ian Malcom, Wolf, Martin, Hilbrandie, Karine, Schäfer, Ralf-Peter, Mieth, Peter, Hilbrandie, Geert, Rutten, Ben
• Granted Patent: US 9,297,664 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3844 Data obtained from position sensors only, e.g. from inertial navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096888 where input information is obtained using learning systems, e.g. history databases

Abstract

A method is disclosed, for processing positioning data to generate map data which includes a plurality of navigable segments representing segments of a navigable route in the area covered by the map, with each segment being arranged to have speed data associated therewith. In at least one embodiment, the method includes classifying the speed data associated with at least some, and generally each, navigable segment having speed data associated therewith into a category of a classification having a plurality of categories into which the speed data can be classified according to a parameter of a navigable segment with which the speed data is associated; generating a category average for each category within the classification; assessing at least some, and generally each, navigable segment within the map data to determine whether there is speed data associated therewith; and if there is no speed data associated with a navigable segment, using the category average, according to the parameter of the navigable segment being processed, as the speed data for the navigable segment being processed.

Claims

1. A method of processing positioning data to generate map data which comprises a plurality of navigable segments representing segments of a navigable route in an area covered by the map data, speed data being associated with each segment, the method comprising:

classifying the speed data associated with at least some navigable segments having speed data associated therewith into a category of a classification including a plurality of categories into which the speed data is classifiable according to a parameter of a navigable segment with which the speed data is associated;

generating a category average for each category within the classification;

assessing at least some navigable segments within the map data to determine whether there is speed data associated therewith; and

using the category average, if there is no speed data associated with a navigable segment, according to the parameter of the navigable segment being processed, as the speed data for the navigable segment being processed.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises an initially receiving captured GPS data by way of uploading GPS data from at least one Portable Navigation Device (PND) and processing the GPS data to generate the speed data associated with one or more navigable segments.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein speed data associated with a navigable segment is analyzed to determine quality of the speed data and, if the quality of the speed data falls below a threshold, replacing the speed data.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein processing of the speed data aims to generate a measured speed profile for each navigable segment within the map data.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the processing aims to generate a measured speed profile for each navigable segment covering a first period, which first period may be a day.

6. A method according to claim 4, wherein, if the quality of the measured speed profile falls below a threshold, the method replaces that measured speed profile, for the navigable segment, with a measured speed profile covering a second period, longer than the first time period.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein, the average speeds are classified according to a determined classification.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

performing cluster analysis on the measured speed profiles in order to generate a set of cluster generated speed profiles.

9. A method according to claim 8, further comprising:

mapping the speed data associated with at least some navigable segments to a cluster generated speed profile.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein the speed data associated with at least some navigable segments is replaced with a reference to the cluster generated segment.

11. A method according to claim 8, wherein the cluster generated speed profiles are normalised according to a parameter.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:

storing, for the navigable segment, the parameter used to normalise the cluster generated speed profile in the map data.

15. A machine readable medium containing instructions which, when read by a machine, cause that machine to perform the method of claim 1.

16. A method according to claim 2, wherein speed data associated with a navigable segment is analyzed to determine quality of the speed data and, if the quality of the speed data falls below a threshold, replacing the speed data.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein processing of the speed data aims to generate a measured speed profile for each navigable segment within the map data.

13. A machine, comprising:

a processor arranged to process map data comprising a plurality of navigable segments representing segments of a navigable route in the area covered by the map, speed data being associated with each segment, the processor being arranged to;

classify the speed data of at least some navigable segments including speed data associated therewith into a category of a classification having a plurality of categories into which the speed data is classifiable according to a parameter of a navigable segment with which the speed data is associated;

generate a category average for each category within the classification;

assess at least some navigable segments within the map data to determine whether there is speed data associated therewith; and

associating, if there is no speed data associated with a navigable segment, the category average, according to the parameter of the navigable segment being processed, as the speed date for the navigable segment being processed.

14. Map data comprising:

a plurality of navigable segments representing segments of a navigable route in the area covered by the map data, speed data being associated with each navigable segment, wherein each of the navigable segments is classified into a category of a classification and at least one of the navigable segments includes speed data associated therewith which comprises an average of the speed data of other navigable segments with the same category of the classification.

18. A memory, for storing the map data of claim 14.