Methods for digital mapping and associated apparatus

• US 8,805,078 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2010
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tomtom Global Content B.V (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: TomTom Germany Gmbh & Co. Kg. (TomTom NV)
• Inventors: Mund, Heiko, Schmelzle, Oleg
• Primary Examiner(s): Kassa, Yosef
• Application Number:
  US13/577,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20120308135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,646 Days
• Field of Search: 382/170, 382/171, 382/177, 382/190, 382/278, 382/282, 358/537, 358/538, 358/462
• US Class Current: 382/177
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3841 Data obtained from two or more sources, e.g. probe vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3848 Data obtained from both position sensors and additional sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes

Abstract

A method comprises extracting a local identifier (130, 730a, 730b) from an image (100, 500, 700), the image (100, 500, 700) also having positional data (120) relating to the location at which the image (100, 500, 700) was captured; and associating the extracted local identifier (130, 730a, 730b) with the corresponding positional data (120) to allow for associating the extracted local identifier with a digital map (300, 600, 800).

Claims

1. A method of associating information with a digital map comprising:

extracting at least one local identifier from at least one image, the at least one image also having positional data; and

determining the location of each of the at least one extracted local identifier using the positional data of the corresponding image;

creating at least one cluster of common or similar extracted local identifiers based on at least one of;

(i) the distance of the extracted local identifiers from each other; and

(ii) the distance of the extracted local identifiers from one or more segments of the digital map; and

associating the at least one cluster with at least one segment of the digital map.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the extracted at least one local identifier is a street name.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one extracted local identifier is extracted from the at least one image by using character recognition.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the positional data comprises data relating to one or more of:

global navigation satellite system data;

cellular network data;

local wireless network data; and

pseudolite data.

5. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the at least one cluster is further based on the orientation of the at least one extracted local identifier.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the segments of the digital map are derived from probe data.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer program code to make a computer execute the method as claimed in claim 1.

8. A digital map created using the method of claim 1.

9. An apparatus for associating information with a digital map comprising:

a processor configured to;

extract at least one local identifier from at least one image, the at least one image having positional data relating to the location at which the image is captured;

determine the location of each of the at least one extracted local identifiers using the positional data of the corresponding image;

create at least one cluster of common or similar extracted local identifiers based on at least one of;

(i) the distance of the extracted local identifiers from each other; and

(ii) (ii) the distance of the extracted local identifiers from one or more segments of the digital map; and

associate the one or more clusters with at least one segment of the digital map.