METHOD OF PROCESSING POSITIONING DATA

• US 20100286907A1
• Filed: 10/22/2008
• Published: 11/11/2010
• 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: Wolf, Martin, Atkinson, Ian Malcom, Schäfer, Ralf-Peter, Mieth, Peter, Hilbrandie, Geert, Rutten, Ben
• Granted Patent: US 8,958,983 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• 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 server arranged to process GPS data to generate enhanced map data is disclosed. The enhanced map data includes a plurality of navigable segments representing segments of a navigable route in an area covered by a map. In at least one embodiment, the server is connected with a wireless telecommunications transceiver arranged to receive GPS fixes by wireless telecommunication from a plurality of navigation devices and send the received GPS fixes to the server, the server includes a processor arranged to generate at least one speed profile for each segment from the GPS fixes from at least two of the plurality of navigation devices, each speed profile comprising an expected speed of travel through the segment, and the server is arranged to subsequently cause the transceiver to send the speed profiles to the navigation devices.

Claims

1. A server arranged to process GPS data to generate map data comprising a plurality of navigable segments representing segments of a navigable route in an area covered by a map, the server connected with a wireless telecommunications transceiver arranged to receive GPS fixes by wireless telecommunication from a plurality of navigation devices and send the received GPS fixes to the server, the server comprising:

a processor arranged to generate at least one speed profile for each segment from the GPS fixes from at least two of the plurality of navigation devices, each speed profile including an expected speed of travel through the segment, the server being arranged to subsequently cause the transceiver to send the speed profiles to the navigation devices.

2. A server according to claim 1, wherein the speed profile is an average speed of travel of navigation devices, including the plurality of navigation devices, through the segment.

10. A data carrier containing instructions, which when read and executed by a processor of a server including a wireless telecommunications transceiver and the processor, cause the processor to operate in accordance with claim 1.

3. A method of processing GPS data to generate map data comprising a plurality of navigable segments representing segments of a navigable route in an area covered by the map, the method comprising:

transmitting GPS fixes from a plurality of navigation devices by wireless telecommunication to a processor;

causing the processor to generate at least one speed profile for each segment from the GPS fixes from at least two of the plurality of navigation devices, each speed profile including an expected speed of travel through the segment; and

sending the speed profiles to the navigation devices by wireless telecommunications.

13. A computer readable medium including program segments for, when executed on a computer device, causing the computer device to implement the method of claim 3.

4. A navigation device for determining a route across an area, the navigation device comprising:

a wireless telecommunications transceiver;

memory including stored thereon map data comprising a plurality of navigable segments representing segments of a navigable route in the area covered by the map data, at least one of the navigable segments including a speed profile associated therewith; and

a processor arranged to calculate a navigable route using the map data and, in response to at least one updated speed profile being received via the transceiver and upon the navigation device providing routing instructions for the calculated navigable route, to recalculate the navigable route using the at least one updated speed profile.

5. A navigation device according to claim 4, further comprising a positioning device arranged to determine position fixes for the navigation device, the processor being arranged to send the position fixes to a server over a telecommunications network via the transceiver to aid the server in identifying routes the navigation device has traveled.

6. A navigation device according to claim 5, wherein the positioning device is a GPS device that generates GPS fixes.

7. A navigation device according to claim 4, wherein the processor is arranged identify segments within a predetermined distance of a current position of the navigation device and to change the speed profile for the identified segments to at least one of the updated speed profiles.

8. A navigation device according to claim 7, wherein processor is arranged to determine the distance from a current speed at which the navigation device is travelling.

11. A data carrier containing instructions, which when read by a processor of a navigation device cause the navigation device to operate in accordance with claim 4.

14. A navigation device according to claim 5, wherein the processor is arranged identify segments within a distance of a current position of the navigation device and to change the speed profile for the identified segments to at least one of the updated speed profiles.

15. A navigation device according to claim 6, wherein the processor is arranged identify segments within a distance of a current position of the navigation device and to change the speed profile for the identified segments to at least one of the updated speed profiles.

9. A navigation device for the determination a route, the navigation device comprising:

a wireless telecommunications transceiver;

memory including stored thereon map data;

a GPS receiver; and

a processor arranged to send GPS fixes obtained by the GPS receiver to a server via the wireless telecommunication transceiver and to calculate a navigable route using the map data on request from a user.

12. A data carrier containing instructions, which when read by a processor of a navigation device cause the navigation device to operate in accordance with claim 9.