DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ASSOCIATING NEW DATA WITH A DIGITAL MAP

• US 20120131084A1
• Filed: 05/18/2010
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Stählin, Ulrich, Grotendorst, Thomas, Keil, Anselm
• Granted Patent: US 9,541,408 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/201
• 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: G01C 21/3844 Data obtained from position sensors only, e.g. from inertial navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3859 Differential updating map data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3893 Transmission of map data from distributed sources, e.g. from roadside stations
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/004 Map manufacture or repair; Tear or ink or water resistant maps; Long-life maps printing processes for maps B41M3/02; by permanently attaching map sections to sheets B42B7/00

Abstract

The present invention describes a method for associating new data with a digital map which is available, preferably locally, in a vehicle, having the following steps: at least one new data value is received from a transmitter which is an element of a vehicle-to-vehicle communication and/or a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, the new data value is compared with the existing data values from the digital map, and the new data value is added to the digital map or the existing data values are updated with the new data value, in each case on the basis of the result of the comparison. The specified method is used for improving the digital map material. The invention also describes a device for associating new data with a reception device and with a computation device.

Claims

1-12. -12. (canceled)

13. A method for associating new data with a digital map which is available in a vehicle, comprising:

receiving at least one new data value from a transmitter which is an element of a vehicle-to-vehicle communication and/or of a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication;

comparing the new data value with the existing data values from the digital map; and

adding the new data value to the digital map or the existing data values are updated with the new data value, in each case on the basis of the result of the comparison.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the digital map which is available locally.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the transmitters are integrated in traffic guidance devices.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the traffic guidance devices are selected from the group consisting of traffic lights, road signs and display panels.

17. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the data values include the positions of the elements of the vehicle-to-infrastructure communication or of other vehicles, including at least one of previous positions, the type of the vehicles or of the elements of the vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, friction values for the road surface or for the subsurface, the speed of the vehicles or further properties of the vehicles or of the elements of the vehicle-to-infrastructure communication.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the data values are based on information from a road sign.

19. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the comparison of the new data value with the existing data values from the digital map includes a check being performed to determine whether existing data values corresponding to the new data value are already contained in the digital map, and then, if corresponding existing data values are contained in the digital map, the new data value is compared with one or more of the values from the corresponding existing data.

20. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the result of the comparison is additionally taken as a basis for assessing the existing data values from the digital map and/or the new data value.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the assessment of one or more data values from a portion of the digital map includes a reliability estimation for the data values which is stored for the respective data value or the respective portion of the digital map.

22. A device for associating new data with a digital map which is available in a vehicle, comprising:

a reception device for receiving at least one new data value from a transmitter which is an element of a vehicle-to-vehicle communication and/or of a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication; and

a computation device which compares the new data value with the existing data values from the digital map and adds the new data value to the digital map or updates the existing data values with the new data value, in each case on the basis of the result of the comparison.

23. The device as claimed in claim 22, wherein the digital map which is available locally.

24. The device as claimed in claim 22, wherein the transmitters are integrated in traffic guidance devices.

25. The device as claimed in claim 24, wherein the traffic guidance devices are selected from the group consisting of traffic lights, road signs and display panels.

26. The device as claimed in claim 22, wherein the data values include the positions of the elements of the vehicle-to-infrastructure communication or of other vehicles, including at least one of previous positions, the type of the vehicles or of the elements of the vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, friction values for the road surface or for the subsurface, the speed of the vehicles or further properties of the vehicles or of the elements of the vehicle-to-infrastructure communication.

27. The device as claimed in claim 26, wherein the data values are based on information from a road sign.

28. The device as claimed in claim 22, wherein the computation device, when comparing the new data value with the existing data values from the digital map,

checks whether existing data values corresponding to the new data value are already contained in the digital map,

and then, if corresponding existing data values are contained in the digital map, compares the new data value with one or more of the values from the corresponding existing data.

29. The device as claimed in claim 22, wherein the computation device takes the result of the comparison as a basis for additionally assessing the existing data values from the digital map and/or the new data value.

30. The device as claimed in claim 29, wherein the assessment of one or more existing data values involves a reliability estimation for the data values which is stored for the respective data value.