SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROCESSING INFORMATION RELATED TO A GEOGRAPHIC REGION

• US 20120023057A1
• Filed: 12/31/2008
• Published: 01/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tomtom North America Incorporated (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: Tomtom North America Incorporated (TomTom NV)
• Inventors: Winberry, Mark, Angwin, Truen
• Application Number:
  US13/140,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20120023057A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/50
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3841 Data obtained from two or more sources, e.g. probe vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3844 Data obtained from position sensors only, e.g. from inertial navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/00 Maps; Plans; Charts; Diagrams, e.g. route diagram star maps G09B27/04; devices for holding or supporting maps A47B97/02; for computing purposes G06G1/14, G09B1/16; display boards G09F

Abstract

Methods and systems for processing information related to a geographic region are disclosed. A method includes determining a probability that at least one difference between a map database and a geographic region represented by the map database is valid based on probe data from the geographic region and at least one change request, the change request being associated with the at least one difference, and storing the probability and the at least one difference in memory. A system includes a processor configured to determine a probability that at least one difference between a map database and a geographic region represented by the map database is valid based on probe data from the geographic region and at least one change request, the change request being associated with the at least one difference, and memory operable coupled to the processor to store the probability and the at least one difference.

Claims

1. A method of processing information related to a geographic region, the method comprising:

determining a probability that at least one difference between a map database and a geographic region represented by the map database is valid based on probe data from the geographic region and at least one change request, the change request being associated with the at least one difference, and

storing the probability and the at least one difference in memory.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the probe data and the at least one change request are associated with an object defined by the map database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the probe data includes a probe data map, further comprising identifying the at least one difference from a conflated map generated from the map database and the probe data map, the at least one difference being associated with an object defined by at least one of the conflated map and the map database.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the probe data and the at least one change request is associated with a position within the geographic region.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising identifying an object defined by the map database coextensive with or within a predetermined distance from said position.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the map database to reflect the at least one difference when the probability exceeds an update threshold;

and storing the updated map database in the memory.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising releasing the update map database, whereby calculating the probability based on the probe data and the at least one change request accelerates a timing between identifying the at least one difference and releasing the update map database.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying the at least one difference from the at least one change request.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at least one of an error message from a navigation device and an update request;

and generating the at least one change request based on the at least one of the error message and the update request.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a change lead and generating the at least one change request based on the change lead.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one change request includes a change type indicated by the error message, the change lead, or the update request, further comprising comparing the at least one change request to the probe data to ensure the change type is consistent.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the probe data from at least one navigation device, via a communication channel.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying a map developer when the probability is above a check threshold and below an update threshold.

14. (canceled)

15. A method of updating a map database representing a geographic region, the method comprising:

updating a map database to include at least one difference between the map database and a geographic region represented by the map database based on probe data and at least one change request, the change request being associated with the at least one difference; and

storing the updated map database in a memory.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising identifying at least one difference between the map database and probe data related to said geographic region.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the probe data and the at least one change request are associated with an object defined by the map database.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the probe data includes a probe data map, further comprising generating a conflated map from the map database and the probe data map, the at least one difference being associated with an object defined by one of the conflated map and the map database.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein at least one of the probe data and the at least one change request are associated with a bounded area centered on a position within the map database.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising calculating a probability that the at least one difference is valid based on the probe data and the at least one change request;

wherein updating the map database includes automatically updating the map database to reflect the at least one difference when the probability is at least equal to an update threshold.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising distributing the updated map database to at least one navigation device.

22. A system for processing information related to a geographic region, the system comprising:

a processor configured to determine a probability that at least one difference between a map database and a geographic region represented by the map database is valid based on probe data from the geographic region and at least one change request, the change request being associated with the at least one difference; and

memory operable coupled to the processor to store the probability and the at least one difference.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the probe data and the at least one change request are associated with one of an object defined by the map database and a position within the geographic region.

24. The system of claim 22, further comprising a receiver connectable to at least one navigation device to receive the probe data from the at least one navigation device, via a communication channel.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the processor is configured to update the map database to reflect the at least one difference and store the updated map database in the memory.

26. A system for updating map information in a map database representing a geographic region, the system comprising:

a processor configured to update a map database to include at least one difference between the map database and a geographic region represented by the map database based on probe data and at least one change request, each of the probe data and the change request being associated with the at least one difference; and

memory operable coupled to the processor to store the updated map database.

27. A computer software comprising one or more software modules operable, when executed in an execution environment, to cause a processor to:

determine a probability that at least one difference between a map database and a geographic region represented by the map database is valid based on probe data from the geographic region and at least one change request, the change request being associated with the at least one difference; and

store the probability and the at least one difference in a memory.

28. The computer software of claim 27, wherein the probe data and the at least one change request are associated with an object defined by the map database.

29. The computer software of claim 27, wherein the at least one difference and the at least one change request are associated with a position within map database.

30. The computer software according to claim 27, wherein the one or more software modules operable, when executed in the execution environment, cause the processor to generate the at least one change request based on at least one of an error message, a change lead, and an update request.

31. The computer software according to claim 30, wherein the one or more software modules operable, when executed in the execution environment, cause the processor to update the map database to include the at least one difference when the probability exceeds an update threshold.

32. A computer software comprising one or more software modules operable, when executed in an execution environment, to cause a processor to:

update a map database to include at least one difference between the map database and a geographic region represented by the map database based on probe data and at least one change request, the change request being associated with the at least one difference; and

store the updated map database in a memory.

33. The computer software according to claim 32, wherein the probe data and the at least one change request are associated with one of an object defined by the map database and a position within the geographic region.

34. The computer software according to claim 32, wherein the one or more software modules operable, when executed in the execution environment, cause the processor to generate a conflated map from the map database and the probe data, the conflated map including a plurality of identifiers defined by the map database.

35. The computer software according to claim 32, wherein the map database is updated automatically when a probability derived from the probe data and the at least one change request exceeds an update threshold.