Method for updating a digital road map

• US 9,291,465 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2013
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kapsch TrafficCom AG (Datax Handelsgmbh)
• Original Assignee: Kapsch TrafficCom AG (Datax Handelsgmbh)
• Inventors: Tijink, Jasja, Scheider, Thomas, Weimann, Franz, Schrodl, Soren
• Primary Examiner(s): Tissot, Adam
• Application Number:
  US13/965,576
• Publication Number:
  US 20140046582A1
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• Field of Search: 701445-447, 701/469, 701/475, 701/412
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3815 Road data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3819 Road shape data, e.g. outline of a route
• 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

Abstract

Methods are provided for updating a digital road map in which road segments having segment lengths are stored. At least two vehicles are equipped with at least one respective onboard unit generating position readings. If a first set of position readings of a first onboard unit can be associated with a road segment, a first path length is determined based on the position readings of the first set. If a second set of position readings of a second onboard unit can be associated with the road segment, a second path length is determined based on the position readings of the second set. An average path length is calculated based on at least the first and second path lengths. If the average path length deviates from the stored segment length, the average path length is stored as an updated stored segment length of this road segment in the digital road map.

Claims

1. A method for updating a digital road map which represents a road system and in which road segments having segment lengths are stored, comprising:

equipping at least two vehicles moving about in the road system with at least one respective onboard unit generating position readings;

when a first set of position readings of a first onboard unit can be associated with a road segment of the digital road map, determining a first path length traveled in the associated road segment based at least on mutual distances of consecutive position readings of the first set;

when a second set of position readings of a second onboard unit can be associated with the same road segment, determining a second path length traveled in the associated road segment based at least on mutual distances of consecutive position readings of the second set;

calculating an average path length for the road segment based on at least the first and second path lengths; and

when the calculated average path length deviates from the stored segment length of the road segment by at least a predetermined minimum amount and/or by no more than a predetermined maximum amount, storing the average path length as an updated stored segment length of the road segment in the digital road map.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the path length traveled by the first or second vehicle is determined based on at least the updated stored segment length.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the path length traveled by a third vehicle is determined based on at least the updated stored segment length if position readings of the third onboard unit of a third vehicle can be associated with the road segment.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the respective path length is determined based on the aforementioned mutual distances, plus the distances of the first and last position readings of the respective set from the respective neighboring segment boundary.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the position readings are transmitted from the onboard units to a central unit, where the digital road map is stored and updated.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the updated digital road map is returned by the central unit to at least one onboard unit.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the association of the first and second sets with the road segment is done by locating the respective nearest road segment.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the digital road map includes a respective separate road segment for different driving directions on a road, and that the association takes place by locating the respective nearest road segment having the same driving direction.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mutual distances are determined directly based on the position readings.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the onboard units generate a related pair comprising a speed and measuring time for every position reading, and the mutual distances of two respective consecutive position readings of an onboard unit are determined based on the speed at the first of the two position readings and the difference of the measuring times of the two position readings.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the onboard units also generate a related position quality index for each position reading, and only those position readings are used for determining a path length, the position quality index of which exceeds a predetermined first threshold value.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein a set quality index is formed based on a number, or on position quality indices, of position readings of an onboard unit that can be associated with a road segment, and that a path length is determined based on these position readings, or these readings are used for calculating the average path length, only if the set quality index exceeds a predetermined second threshold value.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the set quality index is determined based on the position quality indices of the set as an average thereof, or as a ratio of the number of position readings that are considered in the set to the number of considered and not-considered position readings.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the position readings are generated by way of a satellite navigation receiver of the onboard unit by localization in a satellite navigation system.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the satellite navigation receiver issues a related DOP value for each position reading as a basis for the position quality index thereof.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the position quality measure of a position reading is generated depending on the distance thereof from the located nearest road segment of the digital road map.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the position quality index of a position reading is generated depending on the distance thereof from an expected value, which is formed for the position reading by way of interpolation based on neighboring, or by way of extrapolation based on preceding, position readings.

18. An onboard unit included in a vehicle moving about a road system, the onboard unit comprising:

a memory that stores a digital road map which represents the road system;

a satellite navigation receiver that receives navigation signals used to generate a first set of position readings, wherein the onboard unit generates a related pair comprising a speed and measuring time for every position reading of the first set, and the mutual distances of two respective consecutive position readings of the first set are determined based on the speed at the first of the two position readings and the difference of the measuring times of the two position readings;

a microprocessor configured to associate the first set of position readings with a road segment of the digital road map, and, responsive to an association of the first set of position readings with the road segment of the digital map, to determine a first path length traveled in the associated road segment based at least on mutual distances of consecutive position readings of the first set; and

a transceiver configured to transmit the first path length from the onboard unit to be used to update a segment length of the road segment in the digital road map.

19. The onboard unit of claim 18, wherein the onboard unit generates a related position quality index for each position reading, and only those position readings having a related position quality index that exceeds a predetermined first threshold value are used for determining the first path length.

20. An apparatus for updating a digital road map which represents a road system and in which road segments having segment lengths are stored, comprising:

a central unit configured to receive sets of position readings from at least two vehicles moving about in the road system with at least one respective onboard unit generating position readings;

when a first set of position readings of a first onboard unit can be associated with a road segment of the digital road map, the central unit is configured to determine a first path length traveled in the associated road segment based at least on mutual distances of consecutive position readings of the first set;

when a second set of position readings of a second onboard unit can be associated with the same road segment, the central unit is configured to determine a second path length traveled in the associated road segment based at least on mutual distances of consecutive position readings of the second set;

wherein the central unit is configured to calculate an average path length for the road segment based on at least the first and second path lengths; and

when the calculated average path length deviates from the stored segment length of the road segment by at least a predetermined minimum amount and/or by no more than a predetermined maximum amount, the central unit is configured to store the average path length as an updated stored segment length of the road segment in the digital road map.