Map matching system, map matching method and program

• US 8,594,928 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2013
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kida, Kouji, Fujiyama, Kenichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatib, Rami
• Application Number:
  US13/740,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20130131979A1
• Time in Patent Office: 316 Days
• Field of Search: 701/400, 701/409, 701/411, 701/424, 701/430, 701/437, 701/445, 701/446, 701/447, 701/448, 701/455, 701/461, 701/462, 701/469, 701/532, 701/546, 340/995.1, 340/995.11, 340/995.14, 340/995.15, 340/995.17, 340/995.18, 340/995.22
• US Class Current: 701/446
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

Provided is a device, method and program enabling high-speed map matching while maintaining a precision of an analysis based on a map matching result even when event data is transmitted from numerous vehicles.

A grid is obtained by the division of a region in which a road network exists into a latitude direction and a longitude direction by equal spaces based on data stored in the road data storage unit. A grid ID is unitarily assigned to each set of grids whose sets of arcs which are roads are common and arc passing the grid.

An event grid matching unit correlates event data collected from a vehicle and a grid. When the number of pieces of event data correlated with the grid is large, a data selecting unit selects a part of the data. An event road matching unit correlates the selected event data and a road in the grid.

Claims

1. A map matching device accessible to a road data storage device which stores information indicative of a relationship among a range of each grid obtained by dividing a region where a road network exists in a latitude direction and a longitude direction by equal spaces, a grid ID unitarily assigned to each set of grids whose sets of arcs which are roads are common and an arc passing the grid, comprising:

an event collecting unit for receiving event data indicative of a position and a state of a vehicle;

a processor configured to provide;

an event grid matching unit for specifying a grid ID of a grid to which a generation position included in event data received by said event collecting unit belongs to generate information with the grid ID and the event data correlated with reference to the information stored in said road data storage device;

an event data selecting unit for selecting, on a basis of a grid ID correlated with event data by said event grid matching unit, when the number of pieces of event data correlated is larger than a threshold value, as many pieces of event data as the threshold value and when the number of pieces of event data correlated is not more than the threshold value, selecting all the event data correlated; and

an event road matching unit for specifying, on a basis of each event data selected by said event data selecting unit, an arc closest to a generation position of the event data from among arcs correlated with a grid ID corresponding to the event data; and

an event road storing unit for storing information indicative of a correspondence relationship between an arc specified by said event road matching unit and event data.

2. The map matching device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to provide

a threshold value control unit for determining a threshold value for use by said event data selecting unit on a grid ID basis such that the threshold value becomes larger as the number of arcs corresponding to the grid ID is increased.

3. The map matching device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to provide

a threshold value control unit for calculating a length of an arc in a grid corresponding to each grid ID to determine a threshold value for use by said event data selecting unit on a grid ID basis such that the threshold value becomes larger as the length of the arc in the grid corresponding to the grid ID is increased.

4. The map matching device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to provide

an event distribution analyzing unit for calculating, with reference to information with a grid ID and event data correlated which is generated by said event grid matching unit, a degree of variation in speed in the event data corresponding to the grid ID on a grid ID basis, and

a threshold value control unit for determining a threshold value for use by said event data selecting unit on a grid ID basis such that the threshold value becomes larger as a degree of variation in speed becomes higher.

5. The map matching device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to provide:

a threshold value control unit for determining a threshold value for use by said event data selecting unit such that the threshold value becomes larger as a load of the map matching device is increased.

6. The map matching device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to provide:

a monitoring unit for determining whether the number of pieces of event data received by said event collecting unit is increasing or decreasing, and

a threshold value control unit for varying a threshold value for use by said event data selecting unit according to whether the number of pieces of event data received by said event collecting unit is increasing or decreasing.

7. A map matching method to be applied to a map matching device accessible to a road data storage device which stores information indicative of a relationship among a range of each grid obtained by dividing a region where a road network exists in a latitude direction and a longitude direction by equal spaces, a grid ID unitarily assigned to each set of grids whose sets of arcs which are roads are common and an arc passing the grid, the method comprising:

receiving event data indicative of a position and a state of a vehicle,

specifying, by a processor, a grid ID of a grid to which a generation position included in event data received by said event collecting unit belongs to generate information with the grid ID and the event data correlated with reference to the information stored in said road data storage device,

selecting, by the processor, on a basis of a grid ID correlated with event data, when the number of pieces of event data correlated is larger than a threshold value, as many pieces of event data as the threshold value and when the number of pieces of event data correlated is not more than the threshold value, selects all the event data correlated, and

specifying, by the processor, on a basis of each selected event data, an arc closest to a generation position of the event data from among arcs correlated with a grid ID corresponding to the event data.

8. The map matching method according to claim 7, further comprising:

determining a threshold value for use by said event data selecting unit on a grid ID basis such that the threshold value becomes larger as the number of arcs corresponding to the grid ID is increased.

9. The map matching method according to claim 7,

further comprising:

calculating a length of an arc in a grid corresponding to each grid ID to determine a threshold value for use in the selecting on a grid ID basis such that the threshold value becomes larger as the length of the arc in the grid corresponding to the grid ID is increased.

10. The map matching method according to claim 7,

further comprising:

calculating, with reference to information with a grid ID and event data correlated, a degree of variation in speed in the event data corresponding to the grid ID on a grid ID basis, and

determining a threshold value for use in the selecting on a grid ID basis such that the threshold value becomes larger as a degree of variation in speed is becomes higher.

11. The map matching method according to claim 7,

further comprising:

calculating a threshold value for use in the selecting such that the threshold value becomes larger as a load of the map matching device is increased.

12. The map matching method according to claim 7,

further comprising:

determining whether the number of pieces of event data received is increasing or decreasing, and

varying varies a threshold value for use in the selecting according to whether the number of pieces of event data received is increasing or decreasing.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium showing a map matching program mounted on a computer accessible to a road data storage device which stores information indicative of a relationship among a range of each grid obtained by dividing a region where a road network exists in a latitude direction and a longitude direction by equal spaces, a grid ID unitarily assigned to each set of grids whose sets of arcs which are roads are common and an arc passing the grid, the map matching program causes said computer to execute:

receiving event data indicative of a position and a state of a vehicle;

specifying a grid ID of a grid to which a generation position included in event data received belongs to generate information with the grid ID and the event data correlated with reference to the information stored in said road data storage device;

selecting, on a basis of a grid ID correlated with event data, when the number of pieces of event data correlated is larger than a threshold value, as many pieces of event data as the threshold value and when the number of pieces of event data correlated is not more than the threshold value, selecting all the event data correlated; and

specifying, on a basis of each event data selected, an arc closest to a generation position of the event data from among arcs correlated with a grid ID corresponding to the event data.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the map matching program further causes the computer to execute determining a threshold value for use in the selecting processing on a grid ID basis such that the threshold value becomes larger as the number of arcs corresponding to the grid ID is increased.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the map matching program further causes the computer to execute

calculating a length of an arc in a grid corresponding to each grid ID to determine a threshold value for use in the selecting on a grid ID basis such that the threshold value becomes larger as the length of the arc in the grid corresponding to the grid ID is increased.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the map matching program further causes the computer to execute:

calculating, with reference to information with a grid ID and event data correlated, a degree of variation in speed in the event data corresponding to the grid ID on a grid ID basis, and

determining a threshold value for use the selecting on a grid ID basis such that the threshold value becomes larger as a degree of variation in speed becomes higher.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the map matching program further causes the computer to execute

determining a threshold value for use in the selecting such that the threshold value becomes larger as a load of said computer is increased.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the map matching program further causes the computer to execute:

determining whether the number of pieces of event data received is increasing or decreasing, and

varying a threshold value for use in the selecting according to whether the number of pieces of event data received is increasing or decreasing.