Method and apparatus for updating road map geometry based on received probe data

• US 9,892,318 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2015
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Inventors: Mittal, Anish, Tabb, Mark David, Gupta, Himaanshu, Perelmutova, Yelena, Lawlor, David
• Primary Examiner(s): MOYER, ANDREW M
• Application Number:
  US14/978,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20170177933A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 382113
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map
• 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: G06F 18/22 Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/60 Analysis of geometric attributes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/42 Global feature extraction by analysis of the whole pattern, e.g. using frequency domain transformations or autocorrelation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/467 Encoded features or binary features, e.g. local binary patterns [LBP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/422 Technical drawings; Geographical maps
• 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

A method is provided for generating and revising map geometry based on a received image and probe data. A method may include: receiving probe data from a first period of time, where the probe data from a first period of time is from a plurality of probes within a predefined geographic region; generating a first image of the predefined geographic region based on the probe data from the first period of time; receiving probe data from a second period of time different from the first period of time, where the probe data from the second period of time is from a plurality of probes within the predefined geographic region; generating a second image based on the probe data from the second period of time; comparing the first image to the second image; and generating a revised route geometry based on changes detected between the first image and the second image.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving probe data from a first period of time, wherein the probe data from a first period of time is from a plurality of probes within a predefined geographic region;

generating a first image of the predefined geographic region based on the probe data from the first period of time, wherein generating the first image based on the probe data from the first period of time comprises determining a number of probe data points corresponding to a pixel and presenting the pixel in a first hue in response to the number of probe data points satisfying a predefined threshold, and presenting the pixel in a second hue in response to the number of probe data points failing to satisfy the predefined threshold;

receiving probe data from a second period of time different from the first period of time, wherein the probe data from the second period of time is from a plurality of probes within the predefined geographic region;

generating a second image of the predefined geographic region based on the probe data from the second period of time;

comparing the first image to the second image; and

generating a revised route geometry based on changes detected between the first image and the second image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a revised route geometry based on changes detected between the first image and the second image comprises:

eliminating routes appearing on the first image but failing to appear on the second image;

adding routes appearing on the second image, but failing to appear on the first image; and

retaining routes appearing on both the first image and the second image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the probe data from the first period of time used to generate the first image and the probe data from the second period of time used to generate the second image are each filtered to remove probe data having a speed below a predetermined level.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the first image to the second image comprises generating a differential image including a delta between the first image and the second image.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising performing a connected component analysis on the differential image and eliminating components from the differential image failing to satisfy the connected component analysis to within a predetermined amount.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising performing a morphological image processing function on the differential image to connect broken clusters of pixels within the differential image.

7. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

receive probe data from a first period of time, wherein the probe data from a first period of time is from a plurality of probes within a predefined geographic region;

generate a first image of the predefined geographic region based on the probe data from the first period of time, wherein causing the apparatus to generate the first image based on the probe data from the first period of time comprises causing the apparatus to determine a number of probe data points corresponding to a pixel and present the pixel in a first hue in response to the number of probe data points satisfying a predefined threshold, and present the pixel in a second hue in response to the number of probe data points failing to satisfy the predefined threshold;

receive probe data from a second period of time different from the first period of time, wherein the probe data from the second period of time is from a plurality of probes within the predefined geographic region;

generate a second image of the predefined geographic region based on the probe data from the second period of time;

compare the first image to the second image; and

generate a revised route geometry based on changes detected between the first image and the second image.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein causing the apparatus to generate a revised route geometry based on changes detected between the first image and the second image comprises causing the apparatus to:

eliminate routes appearing on the first image but failing to appear on the second image;

add routes appearing on the second image, but failing to appear on the first image; and

retain routes appearing on both the first image and the second image.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the probe data from the first period of time used to generate the first image and the probe data from the second period of time used to generate the second image are each filtered to remove probe data having a speed below a predetermined level.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein causing the apparatus to compare the first image to the second image comprises causing the apparatus to generate a differential image including a delta between the first image and the second image.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising causing the apparatus to perform a connected component analysis on the differential image and causing the apparatus to eliminate components from the differential image failing to satisfy the connected component analysis to within a predetermined amount.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising causing the apparatus to perform a morphological image processing function on the differential image to connect broken clusters of pixels within the differential image.

13. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code portions stored therein, the computer-executable program code portions comprising program code instructions configured to:

receive probe data from a first period of time, wherein the probe data from a first period of time is from a plurality of probes within a predefined geographic region;

generate a first image of the predefined geographic region based on the probe data from the first period of time, wherein the program code instructions configured to generate the first image based on the probe data from the first period of time comprises program code instructions configured to determine a number of probe data points corresponding to a pixel and present the pixel in a first hue in response to the number of probe data points satisfying a predefined threshold, and present the pixel in a second hue in response to the number of probe data points failing to satisfy the predefined threshold;

receive probe data from a second period of time different from the first period of time, wherein the probe data from the second period of time is from a plurality of probes within the predefined geographic region;

generate a second image of the predefined geographic region based on the probe data from the second period of time;

compare the first image to the second image; and

generate a revised route geometry based on changes detected between the first image and the second image.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the program code instructions configured to generate a revised route geometry based on changes detected between the first image and the second image comprises program code instructions configured to:

eliminate routes appearing on the first image but failing to appear on the second image;

add routes appearing on the second image, but failing to appear on the first image; and

retain routes appearing on both the first image and the second image.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the probe data from the first period of time used to generate the first image and the probe data from the second period of time used to generate the second image are each filtered to remove probe data having a speed below a predetermined level.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the program code instructions configured to compare the first image to the second image comprises program code instructions configured to generate a differential image including a delta between the first image and the second image.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising program code instructions configured to perform a connected component analysis on the differential image and program code instructions configured to eliminate components from the differential image failing to satisfy the connected component analysis to within a predetermined amount.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising program code instructions configured to perform a morphological image processing function on the differential image to connect broken clusters of pixels within the differential image.