Reporting of changes in navigation map data for navigation system

• US 8,554,474 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2008
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Kruithof, Jacobus Martinus
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOTT, ADAM R
• Application Number:
  US13/125,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20110202271A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,813 Days
• Field of Search: 701/411, 701/412, 701/417, 701/450, 701/451, 701/532
• US Class Current: 701/451
• 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

Abstract

A method, navigation unit and map update server for updating navigation map data are disclosed. Navigation map update data is received from a navigation unit using mobile communications. The navigation map update data is obtained by detecting the position of a vehicle, calculating a route for the vehicle to a destination using the navigation map data and detecting when the calculated route to the destination is left. If so, the method begins storing position data until the vehicle is back on the calculated route, on a recalculated route to the destination from an actual position, or when it has reached the destination. Furthermore, the method comprises evaluating the stored position data to obtain navigation map update data. Navigation map update data is kept local for a geographically limited area corresponding to an area serviced by a network node in the cellular communication network.

Claims

1. A method for updating navigation map data, comprising using mobile communications to receive navigation map update data from a plurality of navigation units each carried by a corresponding one of a plurality of vehicles, the navigation map update data being obtained by;

detecting a position of each vehicle via operation of a respective navigation unit;

calculating a route for each vehicle to a destination via operation of the respective navigation unit using the navigation map data;

detecting when the calculated route to the destination is left by each vehicle via operation of the respective navigation unit, and then storing position data of the vehicle in a memory of the vehicle'"'"'s navigation unit until;

the vehicle is back on the calculated route,

the vehicle is on a recalculated route to the destination from an actual position, or

the vehicle has reached the destination, and

evaluating the position data stored by the respective navigation units of the plurality of vehicles to obtain the navigation map update data after a number of the plurality of vehicles that left the calculated route exceeds a threshold value;

wherein storing the position data and evaluating the position data includes filtering out position data corresponding to detours for fuel stations, restaurants visits, and other events associated with prolonged periods of the navigation unit being stationary.

2. A method according to claim 1, in which evaluating the position data to obtain the navigation map update data based on the threshold value of occurrences of position data is performed by a first navigation map server of a first geographically limited service area, and in which the method further comprises exchanging the navigation map update data with a second navigation map server of a second geographically limited service area.

3. A navigation unit arranged to communicate with a cellular communication network, the navigation unit comprising:

a processor connected to a navigation device, a mobile communication unit and toa memory unit,

the navigation device being arranged to detect an actual location of the navigation unit,

the memory unit being arranged to store navigation map data, and

the processor being arranged to;

calculate a route to a destination using the navigation map data;

detect when the calculated route to the destination is left, and if so, store detected position data in the memory unit;

filter out detected position data corresponding to detours for fuel stations, restaurant visits, and other events associated with prolonged periods of the navigation unit being stationary; and

initialize a transmission of the detected and filtered position data to a navigation map server via the mobile communication unit upon detection that;

a detected actual location is back on the calculated route,

the detected actual location is on a recalculated route to the destination from the actual location, or

the destination has been reached.

4. The navigation unit according to claim 3, in which the processor is further arranged to:

determine navigation map update data by comparing the stored and filtered position data with the navigation map data stored in the memory unit, and

transmit the navigation map update data to the navigation map server.

5. The navigation unit according to claim 3, in which the processor is further arranged to receive navigation map update data when entering a geographically limited area associated with the navigation map server.

6. A method performed by a navigation unit of a vehicle for updating navigation map data, comprising:

detecting an actual position;

calculating a route for a vehicle to a destination using navigation map data;

detecting when the calculated route to the destination is left, and if so, continuously storing detected actual position data until;

the vehicle is back on the calculated route,

the vehicle is on a recalculated route to the destination from the actual position, or

the destination has been reached;

wherein storing detected actual position data comprises filtering out detected position data corresponding to detours for fuel stations, restaurant visits, and other events associated with prolonged periods of the navigation unit being stationary; and

then

transmitting the detected actual position data to a navigation map server.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising transmitting to the navigation map server an indication that:

the vehicle is back on the calculated route,

the vehicle is on the recalculated route to the destination from the actual position, or

the destination has been reached.

8. A navigation map server in communication with a network node associated with a group of cells of a cellular communication network, the navigation map server comprising:

a memory unit for storing navigation map data,

a map update service module being arranged to receive position data from a plurality of navigation units via the cellular communication network, the position data comprising deviations from a calculated route, wherein data corresponding to detours for fuel stations, restaurant visits, and other events associated with prolonged periods of the navigation unit being stationary are filtered out; and

an evaluation module in communication with the map update service module, the evaluation module being arranged to evaluate the position data to obtain navigation map update data for a geographically limited area associated with the group of cells based on a threshold value of occurrences of the position data.

9. The navigation map server according to claim 8, in which the map update service module is arranged to disseminate the navigation map update data to the plurality of navigation units operating in the geographically limited area.

10. The navigation map server according to claim 8, wherein the network node is a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) of a mobile telecommunication network.

11. The navigation map server according to claim 8, wherein the network node is an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) application server in a mobile telecommunication network.

12. A navigation map server according to claim 8, in which the network node associated with the group of cells of the cellular communication network is a first network node associated with a first group of cells of the cellular communication network, and in which the map update service module is arranged to exchange the navigation map update data with a navigation map server of a second network node associated with a second group of cells of the cellular communication network.

13. A method for updating navigation map data, comprising:

receiving via a network node associated with a group of cells of a cellular communication network position data from a plurality of navigation units,

storing the position data comprising deviations from a calculated route, filtering out detected position data corresponding to detours for fuel stations, restaurant visits, and other events associated with prolonged periods of the navigation unit being stationary; and

evaluating the position data to obtain navigation map update data for a geographically limited area associated with the group of cells, wherein evaluating the position data to obtain navigation map update data is based on a threshold value of deviations from the calculated route.

14. The method according to claim 13, in which the network node associated with the group of cells of the cellular communication network is a first network node associated with a first group of cells of the cellular communication network, and in which the method further comprises exchanging the navigation map update data with a second network node associated with a second group of cells of the cellular communication network.