Method of generating improved map data for use in navigation devices

Abstract

An end-user can input a correction to a map error, directly on the device. The device is then able to use the correction without external processing of the correction. Hence, it is no longer necessary for an end-user to simply report errors to the map vendor over a web link then wait for that map vendor to verify the error, update its maps and finally supply the end-user with updates—a cycle that can take months and sometimes years to complete. Instead, the navigation device can use the correction immediately. End-users can also share corrections with other end-users and also with a shared remote server that aggregates, validates and distributes corrections.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]This invention relates to a method of generating improved map data for use in navigation devices. Navigation devices include GPS based electronic personal navigation devices.DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART[0002]Map data for electronic navigation devices, such as GPS based personal navigation devices like the GO™ from TomTom International BV, comes from specialist map vendors such as Tele Atlas NV. This map data is specially designed to be used by route guidance algorithms, typically using location data from the GPS system. For example, roads can be described as lines—i.e. vectors (e.g. start point, end point, direction for a road, with an entire road being made up of many hundreds of such sections, each uniquely defined by start point / end point direction parameters). A map is then a set of such road vectors, data associated with each vector (speed limit; travel direction etc.) plus points of interest (POIs), plus road names, plus other geographic features li...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This approach enables immediate application of user corrections, reducing the time for map data updates and improving map accuracy by allowing users to directly influence route calculations and map data on their devices, while also facilitating community-driven correction sharing and validation.

Problems solved by technology

Despite the huge resources that go into updating and verifying these maps, the data for some geographic areas maybe a year or more out of date.

These error reports are generally just in a free text format, so that considerable effort has to be expended in working out what the error really means and what exact location they relate to.

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