Methods and Systems for Detecting an Open Navigable Element

• US 20180252541A1
• Filed: 09/01/2016
• Published: 09/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TomTom Traffic B.V. (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: TomTom Traffic B.V. (TomTom NV)
• Inventors: Kesting, Arne, Witte, Nikolaus, Tenhagen, Robin
• Granted Patent: US 11,162,801 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• 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 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3694 Output thereof on a road map
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3889 Transmission of selected map data, e.g. depending on route
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/065 by counting the vehicles in a section of the road or in a parking area, i.e. comparing incoming count with outgoing count
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters

Abstract

A method and system of detecting when a navigable element previously determined to be closed is in an open state is disclosed, the navigable element forming part of a network of navigable elements within a geographic area, the navigable elements being represented by segments of an electronic map. Positional data relating to the movement of a plurality of devices along the navigable elements of the navigable network with respect to time is obtained, and a navigable element is identified as being in a closed state based at least on the positional data and a first visit interval associated with the segment representing the navigable element. The positional data is then used to determine a second visit interval for the segment representing the navigable element, and the navigable element is changed to be in an open state when a parameter based on the determined second visit interval for the segment representing the navigable element passes a predetermined threshold value.

Claims

1. A method of detecting when a navigable element previously determined to be closed is in an open state, the navigable element forming part of a network of navigable elements within a geographic area, the navigable elements being represented by segments of an electronic map, the method comprising:

obtaining positional data relating to the movement of a plurality of devices along the navigable elements of the navigable network with respect to time;

identifying a navigable element as being in a closed state based at least on the positional data and a first visit interval associated with the segment representing the navigable element, wherein said first visit interval is indicative of an expected time interval between consecutive devices being detected on the element when in an open state;

using the positional data to determine a second visit interval for the segment representing the navigable element, wherein said second visit interval is indicative of an average time interval between consecutive devices being detected on the element when in the closed state; and

changing the navigable element to be in an open state when a parameter based on the determined second visit interval for the segment representing the navigable element passes a predetermined threshold value, wherein at least some of the segments of the electronic map are each associated with data indicative of a passability parameter for the segment, the passability parameter being indicative of the likelihood of the navigable element represented by the segment being closed, and wherein the value of the passability parameter varies according to a predefined function with respect to time such that the likelihood of the navigable element represented by the segment being closed increases with respect to time, the predefined function being based on the first time interval, wherein the passability parameter can vary between an upper limit which is representative of flow along the navigable element represented by the segment at an expected or greater than average level, and a lower limit which is representative of zero flow.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined threshold value is based on one or more parameters indicative of the significance of the element.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more parameters include, or are based on, at least one of:

a functional road class of the segment representing the element;

a speed limit associated with the segment representing the element; and

an expected speed of travel for the element.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first time interval is based on an average visit interval determined using historic positional data relating to the movement of devices along the navigable element represent by the segment with respect to time.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first time interval is determined by scaling the average visit interval in dependent on the number of devices concurrently present in the network of navigable elements at a given time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first time interval is time dependent.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the identification of the navigable element as being in a closed state comprises:

modifying the value of the passability parameter associated with the segment representing the navigable element, such that the likelihood of the navigable element being closed is decreased, when the positional data indicates that a device has been detected traversing the navigable element; and

identifying the navigable element as being in a closed state when the value of the passability parameter associated with the segment representing the navigable element passes a predetermined threshold value.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

generating data indicative of the identified closed state of the navigable element, and associating the data with the segment representing the element; and

generating data indicative of the change of the navigable element to an open, and associating data indicative of the open state with the segment representing the element.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, once a determination has been made that a previously closed navigable element is in an open state, modifying data indicative of the existence of the closure associated with data indicative of the segment of the electronic map representing the navigable element to indicate that the element is once again open and/or associating data indicative of the open state with data indicative of the segment of the electronic map representing the navigable element.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising at least one of:

displaying the data indicative of an open state on a display device;

transmitting the data indicative of an open state to a remote device for use thereby; and

using the data indicative of an open state when generating a route through the navigable network represented by the electronic map.

11. A system for detecting when a navigable element previously determined to be closed is in an open state, the navigable element forming part of a network of navigable elements within a geographic area, the navigable elements being represented by segments of an electronic map, the system comprising a processing resource configured to:

obtain positional data relating to the movement of a plurality of devices along the navigable elements of the navigable network with respect to time;

identify a navigable element as being in a closed state based at least on the positional data and a first visit interval associated with the segment representing the navigable element, wherein said first visit interval is indicative of an expected time interval between consecutive devices being detected on the element when in an open state;

use the positional data to determine a second visit interval for the segment representing the navigable element, wherein said second visit interval is indicative of an average time interval between consecutive devices being detected on the element when in the closed state; and

change the navigable element to be in an open state when a parameter based on the determined second visit interval for the segment representing the navigable element passes a predetermined threshold value, wherein at least some of the segments of the electronic map are each associated with data indicative of a passability parameter for the segment, the passability parameter being indicative of the likelihood of the navigable element represented by the segment being closed, and wherein the value of the passability parameter varies according to a predefined function with respect to time such that the likelihood of the navigable element represented by the segment being closed increases with respect to time, the predefined function being based on the first time interval, wherein the passability parameter can vary between an upper limit which is representative of flow along the navigable element represented by the segment at an expected or greater than average level, and a lower limit which is representative of zero flow.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the system is a server.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium provided with a computer program product comprising computer readable instructions executable to perform a method of detecting when a navigable element previously determined to be closed is in an open state, the navigable element forming part of a network of navigable elements within a geographic area, the navigable elements being represented by segments of an electronic map, the method comprising:

obtaining positional data relating to the movement of a plurality of devices along the navigable elements of the navigable network with respect to time;

identifying a navigable element as being in a closed state based at least on the positional data and a first visit interval associated with the segment representing the navigable element, wherein said first visit interval is indicative of an expected time interval between consecutive devices being detected on the element when in an open state;

using the positional data to determine a second visit interval for the segment representing the navigable element, wherein said second visit interval is indicative of an average time interval between consecutive devices being detected on the element when in the closed state; and

changing the navigable element to be in an open state when a parameter based on the determined second visit interval for the segment representing the navigable element passes a predetermined threshold value, wherein at least some of the segments of the electronic map are each associated with data indicative of a passability parameter for the segment, the passability parameter being indicative of the likelihood of the navigable element represented by the segment being closed, and wherein the value of the passability parameter varies according to a predefined function with respect to time such that the likelihood of the navigable element represented by the segment being closed increases with respect to time, the predefined function being based on the first time interval, wherein the passability parameter can vary between an upper limit which is representative of flow along the navigable element represented by the segment at an expected or greater than average level, and a lower limit which is representative of zero flow.