Update of digital maps and position-finding

• US 9,383,213 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2008
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Rieth, Peter, Sthlin, Ulrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Do, Truc M
• Application Number:
  US12/673,697
• Publication Number:
  US 20110022246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,995 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/409, 701/450, 701/462, 701/532
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/32 Structuring or formatting of map data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3896 Transmission of map data from central databases
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

A control system for a vehicle which has a first controller for storing navigation map data and a separate second controller for storing update data. The navigation map data are updated outside of the first controller. The first controller or at least the navigation system is designed to perform map matching and to ascertain a possible location area for the vehicle on the basis of an evaluation of a travel history for a travel angle, or other measurement data which characterize the movement or the location of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A control system in a vehicle, said control system comprising:

a first controller including a first processor in the vehicle for storing navigation map data in a first storage memory device;

a navigation monitor controlled by the first controller for displaying information to a driver of the vehicle; and

a second controller connected to a vehicle data bus, the second controller including a second processor in the vehicle for storing update data in a second storage memory device separately from the navigation map data stored in the first storage memory device, and for receiving the navigation map data from the first processor of the first controller;

wherein the second processor of the second controller;

generates updated navigation map data based on the navigation map data received from the first processor of the first controller and the update data stored in the second storage memory device,

stores the updated navigation map data separately from the navigation map data, and

transmits the stored updated navigation map data to;

1) a driver assistance system connected to the vehicle data bus and physically separate from the navigation monitor, where the updated navigation map data is used by the driver assistance system to control at least one of antilock braking system (ABS), electronic stability program (ESP), traction control system (TCS) and electronic differential lock (EDL), and

2) the navigation monitor via the first controller.

2. The control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first controller is in the form of a head unit.

3. The control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second controller is in the form of a driver assistance system or is at least coupled to a driver assistance system.

4. The control system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the driver assistance system is designed to enhance or update the navigation map data on the basis of the update data.

5. The control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first controller does not update the navigation map data on the basis of the update data.

6. The control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first controller is in the form of a navigation system for the vehicle or is at least coupled to a navigation system for the vehicle.

7. The control system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the navigation system is designed for navigation exclusively on a basis of the navigation map data.

8. The control system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the navigation system is designed to enhance or update the navigation map data on the basis of the update data.

9. The control system as claimed claim 6, wherein the first controller or at least the navigation system is designed to perform map matching and to ascertain a possible location area for the vehicle on the basis of an evaluation of a travel history.

10. The control system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first controller or at least the navigation system is designed to ascertain a local location probability for the vehicle on the basis of the possible location area and to subsequently supplement a location information item.

11. The control system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the location information item is supplemented in the form of textual meta data.

12. The control system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first controller or at least the navigation system is designed to transmit data for the location area or for the local location probability to a control center or to an advanced driver assistance system, even if explicit association with a permitted position on a navigation map is not possible.

13. The control system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the data transmitted to the control center or to the advanced driver assistance system contains information about a plurality of possible positions of the vehicle.

14. The control system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the information about the plurality of possible positions of the vehicle contains a statement indicating a location probability.

15. A method for updating a navigation map in a vehicle, said method comprising the following steps:

storing, by a first processor of a first controller in the vehicle, navigation map data in a first storage memory device;

controlling, by the first controller, a navigation monitor for displaying information to a driver of the vehicle;

storing, by a second processor of a second controller connected to a vehicle data bus in the vehicle, update data in a second storage memory device separate from the navigation map data stored in the first storage memory device;

receiving, by the second processor of the second controller, navigation map data transmitted from the first processor of the first controller;

generating, by the second processor of the second controller, updated navigation map data based on the navigation map data received from the first processor of the first controller and the update data stored in the second storage memory device;

storing, by the second processor of the second controller, the updated navigation map data separately from the navigation map data; and

transmitting, by the second processor of the second controller, the stored updated navigation map data to;

1) a driver assistance system connected to the vehicle data bus and physically separate from the navigation monitor, where the updated navigation map data is used by the driver assistance system to control at least one of antilock braking system (ABS), electronic stability program (ESP), traction control system (TCS) and electronic differential lock (EDL), and

2) the navigation monitor via the first controller.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15,

wherein the first controller is in the form of a navigation system for the vehicle or is at least coupled to a navigation system for the vehicle;

and

wherein the second controller is in the form of a driver assistance system or is at least coupled to a driver assistance system.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15 further comprising the steps of:

performing map matching;

ascertaining a possible location area for the vehicle on a basis of an evaluation of a travel history by the first controller or at least the navigation system.

18. A computer program product which, when executed on a processor in a vehicle, instructs the processor to perform the following steps:

storing, by a first processor of a first controller in the vehicle, navigation map data in a first storage memory device;

controlling, by the first controller, a navigation monitor for displaying information to a driver of the vehicle;

storing, by a second processor of a second controller connected to a vehicle data bus in the vehicle, update data in a second storage memory device separately from the navigation map data stored in the first storage memory device;

receiving, by the second processor of the second controller, navigation map data transmitted from the first processor of the first controller;

generating, by the second processor of the second controller, updated navigation map data based on the navigation map data received from the first processor of the first controller and the update data stored in the second storage memory device;

storing, by the second processor of the second controller, the updated navigation map data separately from the navigation map data; and

transmitting, by the second processor of the second controller, the stored updated navigation map data to;

1) a driver assistance system connected to the vehicle data bus and physically separate from the navigation monitor, where the updated navigation map data is used by the driver assistance system to control at least one of antilock braking system (ABS), electronic stability program (ESP), traction control system (TCS) and electronic differential lock (EDL), and

2) the navigation monitor via the first controller.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium which stores a computer program product which, when executed on a processor in a vehicle, instructs the processor to perform the following steps:

storing, by a first processor of a first controller in the vehicle, navigation map data in a first storage memory device;

controlling, by the first controller, a navigation monitor for displaying information to a driver of the vehicle;

storing, by a second processor of a second controller connected to a vehicle data bus in the vehicle, update data in a second storage memory device separately from the navigation map data stored in the first storage memory device;

receiving, by the second processor of the second controller, navigation map data transmitted from the first processor of the first controller;

generating, by the second processor of the second controller, updated navigation map data based on the navigation map data received from the first processor of the first controller and the update data stored in the second storage memory device;

storing, by the second processor of the second controller, the updated navigation map data separately from the navigation map data; and

transmitting, by the second processor of the second controller, the stored updated navigation map data to;

1) a driver assistance system connected to the vehicle data bus and physically separate from the navigation monitor, where the updated navigation map data is used by the driver assistance system to control at least one of antilock braking system (ABS), electronic stability program (ESP), traction control system (TCS) and electronic differential lock (EDL), and

2) the navigation monitor via the first controller.