METHOD FOR UPDATING DIGITAL MAPS USING ALTITUDE INFORMATION

• US 20120004845A1
• Filed: 12/31/2009
• Published: 01/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tomtom Polska Sp. Z O.O. (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: Tomtom Polska Sp. Z O.O. (TomTom NV)
• Inventors: Kmiecik, Marcin Michal, Nowak, Wojciech Tomasz
• Granted Patent: US 8,725,404 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/445
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3815 Road data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3841 Data obtained from two or more sources, e.g. probe vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/003 Maps
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B

Abstract

This invention relates to a method for updating digital maps and for matching global navigation devices to a digital map. Such navigation devices rely upon GPS signals (20, 24) from satellites (22, 26). One well-documented cause of position error in navigation devices arises from the phenomenon of GPS multi-path. It has been observed that GPS multi-path errors in the latitude/longitude direction are highly correlated with errors in altitude. By comparing altitude value of GPS probe data with reference specifications for altitude, unreliable probe data (outliers) can be easily identified and culled. Such techniques can be used as well by a mobile navigation device to confirm a match to a particular road segment and if not revert to other positioning techniques such as inertial guidance systems and the like. If the local altitude is not reliably known, an estimation can be derived directly from the collected probe data.

Claims

1. A method for updating a digital map using probe trace data received from probes wherein unreliable probe data is culled, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a digital map having at least one road segment corresponding to a section of road in real life, the road segment having an altitude specification which is reliably known and indicative of the actual altitude of the corresponding road section in real life;

receiving probe data from at least one probe matched to the road segment, the received data including or enabling derivation of altitude information;

calculating a correspondence value between the known altitude specification of the road segment and the reported altitude information for the probe matched to the road segment;

defining a correspondence threshold for the altitude specification;

identifying the matched probe as reliable if the calculated correspondence value does not exceed the correspondence threshold, and classifying the matched probe as unreliable if the calculated correspondence value exceeds the correspondence threshold;

accepting probe data received from a reliable probe while rejecting probe data received from an unreliable probe; and

updating the digital map using probe data received from a reliable probe but not from an unreliable probe.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of defining a correspondence threshold includes applying a dynamically variable threshold.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of updating the digital map includes altering the display screen of a personal navigation device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of updating the digital map includes filtering the probe data to find lane information.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said step of filtering the probe data to find lane information includes analyzing a cross section histogram of the probe data for peaks to determine the number of discrete lanes in the road.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said step of updating the digital map includes manipulating the proportions of the peaks to adjust the centerline estimation.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of updating the digital map includes capturing parallel roads.

8. The method of claim 1 further including the step of using a weighted mean averaging method to classify as unreliable a probe having a calculated correspondence value exceeding the correspondence threshold.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of receiving probe data includes transporting the at least one probe in a motor vehicle over the road segment.

14. A motor vehicle incorporating a mobile navigation device and implementing the method of claim 1.

10. A method for matching a mobile navigation device to a digital map using only reliable GPS data, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a mobile navigation device having a GPS receiver;

providing a digital map having at least one road segment corresponding to a section of road in real life, the road segment having an altitude specification which is reliably known and indicative of the actual altitude of the corresponding road in real life;

receiving GPS data in the mobile navigation device, the received GPS data including or enabling the calculation of an instantaneous altitude estimate;

provisionally matching the mobile navigation device to the road segment in the digital map;

calculating a correspondence value between the known altitude specification of the road segment and the instantaneous altitude estimate for the mobile navigation device;

defining a correspondence threshold for the altitude specification; and

accepting the provisional match to the road segment if the calculated correspondence value does not exceed the correspondence threshold, and rejecting the provisional match to the road segment if the calculated correspondence value exceeds the correspondence threshold.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said step of rejecting the provisional match further includes calculating the position of the mobile navigation device based on an auxiliary inertial guidance system.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein said step of rejecting the provisional match further includes analyzing the satellite signal for the presence of one or more bad satellites which cause the reported altitude to be erroneous, and then calculating a new position based on the remaining (good) satellites.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the mobile navigation device includes a display screen, and wherein said step of accepting the provisional match to the road segment includes altering the display screen of a personal navigation device.

15. A method for estimating the altitude of a road segment in a digital map using probe trace data, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a digital map having at least one road segment corresponding to a section of road in real life, the road segment having an unknown or unreliable altitude specification;

receiving probe data from a plurality of probes matched to the road segment;

deriving an altitude estimate from the probe data for each probe;

combining the altitude estimates from the plurality of probes;

calculating a probable altitude specification for the road segment from the combined altitude estimates;

updating the digital map to include the probable altitude specification as an attribute associated with the road segment.