Method of enrichment of road information data

• US 9,234,759 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2010
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB (AB Volvo)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB (AB Volvo)
• Inventors: Eriksson, Anders, Bjernetun, Johan
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALSOMIRI, MAJDI A
• Application Number:
  US13/991,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20140324337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,868 Days
• Field of Search: 701/450
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0088 Adaptive recalibration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0091 of control inputs
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for
• 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 21/3844 Data obtained from position sensors only, e.g. from inertial navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/337 Profile generation, learning or modification
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/00 Maps; Plans; Charts; Diagrams, e.g. route diagram star maps G09B27/04; devices for holding or supporting maps A47B97/02; for computing purposes G06G1/14, G09B1/16; display boards G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/004 Map manufacture or repair; Tear or ink or water resistant maps; Long-life maps printing processes for maps B41M3/02; by permanently attaching map sections to sheets B42B7/00

Abstract

Road information data is enriched and a vehicle drive train is controlled on basis of this data. Based on vehicle position, data about possible routes which may be taken is collected from at least three sources (A, B, C). Data with the highest quality is chosen for controlling the drive train. When running, information about the traveled route is recorded and saved, thus providing a continuous update.

Claims

1. Method of enrichment of road information data, wherein the road information data is used to control a drive train of a vehicle, and wherein the drive train is controlled by an electronic control unit (ECU), the ECU having access to road information data from a plurality of different types of road information sources (A, B, C), and a position sensor (P), wherein the road information sources (A, B, C) at least comprises;

a digital map (A), a fleet database (B) and a local vehicle database (C), and wherein the ECU is adapted to make a selection between road information data from the plurality of road information sources (A, B, C), wherein the selection is based on a data quality rating of the road information data from the different road information sources (A, B, C), and the method comprising

determining a position of the vehicle,

collecting road information data, about possible routes in surroundings of the position of vehicle, from the plurality of road information sources (A, B, C),

evaluating the data quality rating of the collected road information data,

selecting the road information data with the highest data quality rating, and

controlling at least one vehicle parameter, dependent of the selected road information data,

recording road information data about a traveled route as the vehicle is moving, and during move of the vehicle, performing the steps of

making a selection of relevant recorded road information data, and

saving the relevant road information data to the local database (C).

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the method also comprises

determining a direction of travel of the vehicle, and

thereby just collecting road information data for possible routes in the direction of travel of the vehicle.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein the quality of the road information data is dependent on at least one of

a source (A, B, C) of the road information data,

an age of the road information data,

an amount of records a mean value of the road information data is based upon,

a spread of a mean value of the road information data, and

a deviation between an expected outcome of the control of the at least one vehicle parameter and an actual outcome of the control of the at least one vehicle parameter.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein the road information data for a route is saved in portions, and wherein only the road information data is saved for those portions of route, during which the inclination and/or direction of the road fulfil predefined conditions of increase of inclination and/or change of direction.

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein the road information data saved to the local database (C) is tagged with its date of recording.

6. Method according to claim 1, wherein if the local database (C) includes several recordings of the same route, a mean value of that route is formed from the several recordings.

7. Method according to claim 6, wherein the recordings are weighted in the calculation of the mean value, wherein recent recordings are weighted with a higher data quality rating than recordings of an older date.

8. Method according to claim 6, wherein a mean value with a low spread between the individual recordings becomes a higher data quality rating than a mean value with a higher spread between the individual recordings.

9. Method according to claim 1, wherein if the most recent recording of a route differs more than a predefined percentage from a mean value of the road information data for the route, the new recording is not included in the mean value, wherein the most recent recording is saved separately.

10. Method according to claim 9, wherein if both the most recent and the predetermined number of earlier recordings of a route differs more than a predefined percentage and about equally much from the mean value, a new mean value is calculated from the most recent and the number of earlier recordings of the route.

11. Method according to claim 1, wherein the recorded road information data about a route is incorporated into existing road information data about the route, in the local database (C).

12. Method according to claim 1, wherein a mean value from a high number of recordings becomes a higher data quality rating than a mean value based upon a lower number of recordings.

14. Method according to claim 1, wherein when recording road information data during driving of the vehicle, outer conditions, such as wind and weather are taken into consideration.

15. Method according to claim 1, comprising controlling the drive train based on the saved relevant road information data.

13. Method according to claim L, wherein data saved into the local database (C) is transmitted to the fleet database (B) and saved therein.