System and method for road map creation

• US 8,612,136 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2008
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Waze Mobile Limited (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Levine, Uri, Shinar, Amir, Shabtai, Ehud
• Primary Examiner(s): Mawari, Redhwan K
• Application Number:
  US12/199,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20100057336A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,938 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/202, 701/208, 701/209, 701/213, 340/990, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/408
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3815 Road data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3841 Data obtained from two or more sources, e.g. probe vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096816 where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods

Abstract

The present invention provides system and method for creation of a road map, the system comprising a plurality of navigation devices; and an application server to receive from the plurality of navigation devices time series of location points, and to create a road map based on the time series of location points. The method comprising receiving location points from plurality of navigation devices, along with respective time stamps indicating the time of recordation of each of the location points; identifying at least one route according to the location points and respective time stamps; and creating a road map based on the at least one route.

Claims

1. A system for road map creation, the system comprising:

an application server associated with a plurality of navigation devices, wherein the application server is configured;

(a) to receive from said plurality of navigation devices time series of location points;

(b) to perform statistical analysis to determine existence of roads based on at least one of speed and direction of said plurality of navigation devices, and to create a dynamic navigational road map by including said roads in said road map; and

(c) to determine road characteristics of at least one of said roads, based on navigation patterns of said time series of location points of said plurality of navigation devices.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said application server is further configured:

(a) to receive said time series of location points periodically and to record said time series of location points;

(b) to determine, as a time-related road characteristic, existence of a traffic sign that applies only at a certain time of day; and

(c) to create said dynamic navigational road map by taking into account said time-related road characteristic of said traffic sign that applies at said certain time of day.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said application server is further configured:

(a) to identify patterns with different times in a day and/or days in a week; and

(b) based on said patterns, to determine an average red light duration of a remote traffic light on one or more of said roads of said road map.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said application server is further configured:

(a) to identify based on said statistical analysis at least one feature from a list comprising one-way roads, two-way roads, dead ends, junctions of different types, allowable and unallowable turns, roundabouts, speed bumps, overpasses, underpasses, tunnels, number of lands, speed limits, traffic lights, traffic signs, gas stations, parking lots, and other static road characteristics and/or points of interest;

(b) to detect a pronounced and consistent disappearance of a plurality of navigation devices at a particular road portion and a pronounced and consistent reappearance of said plurality of navigation devices at said particular road portion;

(c) to reduce existence of a tunnel in said particular road portion; and

(d) to include in the dynamic navigational road map a location of said tunnel.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the map identifies a portion of a verified road as a tunnel upon detecting a pronounced and consistence disappearance and reappearance of the navigation devices along the verified road, and includes characteristics of the verified roads deduced from the statistical analysis.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the map specifies facilities at sides of the actual roads, identifies in realtime temporary and/or unusual events associated with the actual roads, and indicates static and time-related characteristics of the actual roads, wherein the static characteristics of the actual roads include indication of a tunnel when a pronounced and consistence disappearance and reappearance of the navigation devices along an actual road is detected, wherein the time-related characteristics of the actual roads include information regarding when a traffic sign applies, information regarding when a turn is allowable/unallowable, and information regarding average duration of red light at a certain time/day.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the application server is further configured to provide navigational instructions based on the road map to a navigation device, wherein the navigational device can display the instructions, voice the instructions or both.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the application server is further configured to request information from at least one of the plurality of navigation devices when no sufficient information is received from the plurality of navigation devices to determine characteristics of the at least one of said roads.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the application server is further configured to receive messages manually entered by users of the plurality of navigation devices.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of navigation devices is able to communicate with another of the plurality of navigation devices.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of navigation devices is configured to receive and display the road map created by the application server.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the map specifies any HOV (high-occupancy vehicle) lanes.