Method and system using delivery trucks to collect address location data

• US 6,816,784 B1
• Filed: 03/08/2002
• Issued: 11/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navteq North America LLC (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Inventors: Alwar, Narayanan, Khan, M. Salahuddin
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tan Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US10/094,081
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: 701/209, 701/213, 701/214, 701/25, 701/208, 701/117, 340/988, 340/995, 342/357.07, 342/357.13, 342/457, 455/426, 455/456, 455/457, 455/466, 455/553, 455/556, 455/557
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for collecting data that relate addresses to map-referenced locations. A fleet of delivery trucks delivers items to locations throughout a geographic region. Each item to be delivered includes a tracking code. An electronic code reader device is used to record the tracking code of an item when the item is being delivered. A position determining device, such as a GPS unit, is used to determine a geographic position associated with the delivery of each item. Data indicating the tracking code of an item and the corresponding geographic position associated with the delivery are stored. Then, using data that indicate an address associated with each tracking code, each address is associated with a geographic position. This information is used to revise a geographic database, e.g., to relate addresses to map-referenced locations.

Claims

1. A method of collecting data for a geographic database comprising the steps of:

making deliveries with delivery trucks;

with each of said delivery trucks,

traveling on roads in a geographic area to deliver items;

using a portable code recording device to record a code associated with an item when attempting to make a delivery of the item;

using location determining equipment to determine a location associated with the delivery; and

storing data by which the code associated with the item is related to the location associated with the delivery;

collecting the data acquired while making the deliveries with the delivery trucks;

relating the locations of the respective deliveries with addresses associated with the codes; and

revising the geographic database based on a relationship between the locations of deliveries and the addresses associated with the codes.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of collecting is performed using a wireless communications system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of collecting is performed at a facility at which delivery trucks return on a regular basis.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

after collecting the data acquired while making the deliveries with the delivery trucks at the facility at which the delivery trucks return on a regular basis, forwarding the data to a geographic database developer who performs the step of revising.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of collecting is performed at a facility of a geographic database developer.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the data by which the code associated with the item is related to the location associated with the delivery are stored temporarily in a storage unit located in the delivery truck.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the data by which the code associated with the item is related to the location associated with the delivery are stored temporarily in the code recording device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the data by which the code associated with the item is related to the location associated with the delivery are stored temporarily in the code recording device and then stored temporarily in a storage unit located in the delivery truck.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the portable code reading device records the code associated with an item by scanning a label on the item.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the data indicating the code associated with the item when an attempt to deliver the item is being made are transferred from the code recording device to a docking station in the delivery truck.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the data indicating the code associated with the item when an attempt to deliver the item is being made are transferred wirelessly from the code recording device to a docking station in the delivery truck.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

recharging the portable code recording device in the delivery truck.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the data indicating the code associated with the item when an attempt to deliver the item is being made are transferred from the code recording device to a docking station in the delivery truck while recharging the portable code recording device in the delivery truck.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein data indicating the code associated with the item when an attempt to deliver the item is being made are simultaneously transferred to a docking station and a data collection system in the delivery truck.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the location determining equipment uses GPS.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of revising includes updating address ranges associated with road segments represented in the geographic database.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of revising includes associating geographic coordinates with addresses to provide improved estimates of address locations.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

prior to the step of revising, performing statistical analysis on data representing multiple deliveries of items to the same address.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

prior to the step of revising, performing statistical analysis on data representing multiple deliveries of items to addresses in proximity to each other.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the location determining equipment is located in the portable code recording device.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the location determining equipment is located in the delivery truck.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the location determining equipment includes a first location determining unit located in the portable code recording device and a second location determining unit located in the delivery truck.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein data collected by the first location determining unit, when available, takes precedence over data collected by the second location determining unit.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the portable code recording device stores data indicating a time when attempting to make the delivery of the item.

25. A method for collecting data that relate addresses to map-referenced locations;

using a fleet of delivery trucks to deliver items to addresses throughout a geographic region, wherein each item includes a tracking code affixed thereto;

using an electronic code reader device associated with each of said delivery trucks to record the tracking code of an item when the item is being delivered;

using a position determining system to determine the geographic positions of the delivery trucks as each of the items is being delivered;

storing data indicating the tracking code of an item and the corresponding position of the delivery truck when the item is being delivered;

obtaining data that indicate an address associated with each tracking code; and

using said data that indicate an address associated with each tracking code to associate each address with a geographic position.

26. A method of collecting data for a geographic database comprising the steps of:

making deliveries with delivery trucks;

with each of said delivery trucks,

traveling on roads in a geographic area to deliver items;

using a portable code recording device to record a code associated with an item when attempting to make a delivery of the item;

using location determining equipment to determine a location associated with the delivery; and

storing data by which the code associated with the item is related to the location associated with the delivery;

collecting the data acquired while making the deliveries with the delivery trucks;

relating the locations of the respective deliveries with other information associated with the codes; and

revising the geographic database based on a relationship between the locations of deliveries and the other information associated with the codes,

wherein the other information includes at least one of vanity addresses, building or location names, business names, individual person names, facility names, and administrative names.

27. A method of collecting data for a geographic database comprising the steps of:

picking up items to be delivered with delivery trucks;

with each of said delivery trucks,

traveling on roads in a geographic area to deliver items;

using a portable code recording device to record a code associated with an item when picking up the item to be delivered;

using location determining equipment to determine a location associated with the delivery; and

storing data by which the code associated with the item is related to the location at which the item is picked up;

collecting the data acquired while picking up the items to be delivered with the delivery trucks;

relating the respective locations at which items were picked up with addresses associated with the codes; and

revising the geographic database based on a relationship between the locations at which items were picked up and the addresses associated with the codes.