Method for accurately updating positional information provided on a digital map

• US 4,891,761 A
• Filed: 03/31/1988
• Issued: 01/02/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: METSS Corporation
• Original Assignee: METSS Corporation
• Inventors: Green, Lawrence R. III, Spadafora, Anthony J., Gray, Donald R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lall, Parshotam S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Application Number:
  US07/176,163
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 364/452, 364/449, 364/447, 364/454, 364/457, 364/460, 364/571.08, 342/450, 342/451, 342/457, 340/988-993, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/219
• 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 21/3878 Hierarchical structures, e.g. layering

Abstract

A method and system for updating a digitized map. An operator-controlled vehicle provided with an onboard computer and a navigational transmitter unit is dispatched to a location provided on the map near to an unknown location. The vehicle would then traverse the segment between the known intersection and an unknown intersection while it is being tracked by the navigational tracking unit. When the unit reaches the unknown intersection, the address range as well as the street names of the intersection are verbally inputted into the system. The information collected by the computer is then inputted to the central computer which edits this information and updates its central file to produce a new updated version of the digital map.

Claims

1. A method for updating a digitized street and terrain map to be displayed on a visual display screen in communication with a central computer provided with a memory, said map provided with address information related to geographical information provided on said map, said map displayed on the screen utilizing a digital data baser stored in the memory of said central computer including the steps of:

first, determining geographical, street and address information for one or more locations which must be added to the digital data base;

second, determining positional location provided in said digital data base proximate to one piece of geographical, street or address information generated by said first determining step;

dispatching a vehicle controlled by an operator, said vehicle provided with an onboard computer and navigational tracking system, both of which are in communication with a central facility to said position determined in said second determining step;

initiating computer communication between said vehicle and said central facility wherein reference coordinates related to said positional location determined in said second determining step are logged into said onboard computer;

driving said vehicle to one location generated by said first determining step proximate to the location determined by said second determining step, while coordinate data utilizing said navigational tracking system is logged by the central facility as said vehicle traverses from the location determined in said second determining step to the location determined by said first determining step;

inputting information to said onboard computer from said operator indicating that said vehicle has reached the location generated by said first determining step;

transferring information collected by said onboard computer to said central computer; and

incorporating said data collected by said onboard computer of said vehicle to said digital data base.

2. The method of updating a digitized street and terrain map in accordance with claim 1, further including the step of entering the address range of the location between said location determined in said second determining step and the location determined in said first determining step when said vehicle has reached said location determined in said first determining step.

3. The method of updating a digitized street and terrain map in accordance with claim 2, further including the step of said operator repeatedly entering information into said onboard computer for each of the locations determined by said first determining step.

4. The method of updating a digitized street and terrain map in accordance with claim 1, further including the step of said operator repeatedly entering information into said onboard computer for each of the locations determined by said first determining step.

5. A method for updating a digitized street and terrain map to be displayed on a visual display screen in communication with a central computer provided with a memory, said map displayed on the screen utilizing a first digital data base stored in the memory of a central computer including the steps of:

conflating said street and terrain map with a digitized second map provided with address ranges to create a second digital data base;

first, determining geographical, street and address information for one or more locations which must be added to the second digital data base;

second, determining positional location provided in second data base proximate to one piece of geographical, street or address information generated by said first determining step;

dispatching a vehicle controlled by an operator, said vehicle provided with an onboard computer and navigational tracking system, both of which are in communication with a central facility to said position determined in said second determining step;

initiating computer communication between said vehicle and said central facility wherein reference coordinates related to said positional location determined in said second determining step are logged into said onboard computer;

driving said vehicle to one location generated by said first determining step proximate to the location determined by said second determining step, while coordinate data utilizing said navigational tracking system is logged by the central facility as said vehicle traverses from the location determined in said second determining step to the location determined by said first determining step;

inputting information to said onboard computer from said operator indicating that said vehicle has reached the location generated by said first determining step;

transferring information collected by said onboard computer to said central computer; and

incorporating said data collected by said onboard computer of said vehicle to said digital data base.

6. The method of updating a digitized street and terrain map in accordance with claim 5, further including the step of entering the address range of the location between said location determined in said second determining step and the location determined in said first determining step when said vehicle has reached said location determined in said first determining step.

7. The method of updating a digitized street and terrain map in accordance with claim 5, further including the step of repeatedly said operator entering information into said onboard computer for each of the locations determined by said first determining step.

8. The method of updating digitized street and terrain map in accordance with claim 6, further including the step of repeatedly said operator entering information into said onboard computer for each of the locations determined by said first determining step.

9. The method of updating a digitized street and terrain map in accordance with claim 5, further including the steps of:

inputting one or more addresses into the central computer; and

displaying the location of each of said addresses on the visual display screen.

10. A method for updating digitized street and terrain map in accordance with claim 5, further including the steps of:

inputting one or more addresses into the central computer, and

visually displaying the location of one or more vehicles visually on the display map.

11. A method of updating a digitized street and terrain map in accordance with claim 5, further including the steps of:

moving a cursor to a particular position on the display screen, and

displaying address information corresponding to the location of the cursor in tabular form on the display screen.

12. The method of updating a digitized street and terrain map in accordance with claim 5, further including the steps of:

inputting a particular vehicle identification number into the computer for a tracked vehicle, and

visually displaying the location of said tracked vehicle on the display map.

13. A method of updating a digitized street and terrain map in accordance with claim 12 including the further step of displaying address information in tabular form with respect to the location of said tracked vehicle.

14. The method of updating a digitized street and terrain map in accordance with claim 5, further including the steps of:

inputting information relating to particular landmarks into the central computer, and

visually displaying the location of said landmarks on the display screen.

15. The method of updating a digitized street and terrain map in accordance with claim 14, further including the step of displaying information relating to said landmarks in tabular form on the display screen.