364 results about "Road map" patented technology

A map generation system comprising: a mobile device for acquiring location data of a vehicle and a status of the vehicle at a time of acquisition of the location; and a server for processing the acquired location data of the vehicle. The server comprises an input interface, a first storage unit, a processor and a second storage unit. The server includes a management unit for collecting a plurality of pieces of the track data obtained by a motion of the vehicle, an extraction unit for extracting feature points of the plurality of pieces of the track data on a road from which the plurality of pieces of the track data are collected to calculate a Spline curve satisfying the extracted feature points, and an update unit for adding the calculated Spline curve as a lane central line to the digital road map to update map data.

A real-time vehicular traffic flow display system employs groups of monitor stations positioned at spaced-apart locations along vehicular roadways, to sense the speed of traffic flow on a given portion of a route. Individual section stations each serve a sequential group of different monitor stations. Each monitor station senses the speed of vehicular traffic a given road portion and transmits corresponding information to an associated section station; each section station processes the received signals, and transmits them to display stations on board vehicles in addition to sending the signals to an optional geographic area central station. The signals transmitted to vehicles present information concerning traffic speed for each monitored portion of a road in addition to identifying the road portion; traffic speed information is processed to identify predetermined ranges of average speed in selected colors. Each vehicle station includes a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver and visual display device with access to both the GPS including a database of local area road maps for display. All portions of each monitored route on a displayed map are shown in a color corresponding to the average speed of traffic monitored on the corresponding route portion. The current position of the vehicle station is shown on the map, and a “preferred” route from that location to an optionally selected destination is highlighted; both functions are accomplished in accordance with known GPS technology. An optional geographic area central station stores information not usually available in the on-board vehicle station, such as wide-area maps, and also receives traffic condition signals from various section stations including those beyond the range of the vehicle station. The central station correlates these two sources of information and makes the combined results available for separate access by users of the system.

A navigation device displays a route superimposed on a road map, together with one or more symbols each indicating a location for which audio or visual traffic information exists, each symbol being selectable to play back the audio or visual information. Visual traffic information can be from a fixed traffic camera; a driver can hence rapidly view a video feed or still image from a traffic camera to allow him to assess the traffic conditions.

Apparatus and method for producing a virtual road map of a patient's vascular anatomy comprising a virtual 3D model of the patient's vascular and bony structure in proper registration with one another, a fluoroscope for providing real-time images of the bony structure of the patient, registration apparatus for placing the virtual 3D model in proper registration with the patient space of the fluoroscope, bone mask subtraction apparatus for generating a bone mask of the bony structure, and subtracting the same from the real-time images, whereby to create modified fluoroscope images omitting bony structure, and image generating apparatus for generating the virtual road map comprising a composite image combining (i) images of the virtual 3D structure representing the vascular structure, and (ii) modified fluoroscope images omitting bony structure, wherein the images of the virtual 3D structure representing vascular structure are in proper registration with the modified fluoroscope images omitting bony structure.

Road map feedback is used in a tightly coupled GPS and dead-reckoning system that collects wheel speed transducer data over a vehicle's CANbus network to compute vehicle range and direction. Road segment information provided by a network server provides a database of constraints that are templated on to current navigation solutions so that corrective feedback can be derived. The dead-reckoning bridges over gaps in navigation solutions that would otherwise occur when GPS signal transmission is lost in tunnels, parking garages, and other common situations. The road map fitting controls drift that would otherwise accumulate during long periods of dead reckoning only operation.

A navigation server 1, a map DB 102, a route searching part 104 for searching a guiding route between a departure place and a destination, a shape-simplified road map generating part 106 for generating shape-simplified road map data in which a road shape of the guiding route is simplified, a notice part detecting part 107 for detecting a part of the guiding route as a notice part having a difference grater than a predetermined quantity between the shape of the guiding route in the map data and a shape of the guiding route in the shape-simplified road map data, a notice information generating part 108 for generating, on the basis of the difference at the notice part between the guiding route in the map data and the shape-simplified road map data, a guidance notice information to be supplied to a navigation terminal 2 when a current place reaches the notice part, and a communicating part 110 for transmitting delivery information including the shape-simplified road map data and the guidance notice information are included. This improves a visibility of the guiding route and decrease error recognition of a guiding direction.

A novel mapping paradigm is provided for the visual display of information in the form of an improved navigational aid. Unlike today's road maps which use a point-arc-polygon paradigm, the new mapping paradigm uses a compressed linear-pictographic-topological design that typically depicts roads as vertical linear pictograms. Further, the display has a columnar layout, whereby the descriptive elements are grouped together by type, and displayed one above the other in columns. In this manner, the mapping paradigm also serves to increase traveler safety, provide navigation assistance during address-less trips, create valuable advertising space and new promotional opportunities, and dramatically increases the travelers' communications and entertainment options.

The present invention provides system and method for creation of a road map, the system comprising a plurality of navigation devices; and an application server to receive from the plurality of navigation devices time series of location points, and to create a road map based on the time series of location points. The method comprising receiving location points from plurality of navigation devices, along with respective time stamps indicating the time of recordation of each of the location points; identifying at least one route according to the location points and respective time stamps; and creating a road map based on the at least one route.

An information display board system especially adapted for use by travelers and tourists along an interstate highway. The display board is located at a rest stop or other location readily accessible by road travelers and displays a map of the road along which it is positioned and a listing of hotels / motels, points of interest and other lodgings in the region. ID / status indicators are provided which illuminate in one color, i.e., green, to indicate room availability and illuminate in a different color, i.e., red, to indicate room unavailability. Road alert indicators are positioned along the road map and are selectively illuminated to indicate delays or other road conditions. The illumination of the ID / status and road alert indicators are remotely changeable by hotel operators and the road authority, by directly calling a board manager. The board manager includes communication hardware in the form of a programmable computer and telephone control circuitry. A board manager receives information from the hotel operators and road authority as well as a central operator and controls the updating of the display boards via the communication hardware. Background information about the hotels and road locations can also be entered by the central operator and stored in the computer for later display to the operator.

The invention relates to map construction and application, and belongs to the technical field of map construction. The map construction method comprises the steps of successively collecting road image information on a road by multiple vehicles running on the road, and obtaining locating information at a position point where the road image information is collected; extracting road information from the road image information; uploading the road information and the corresponding locating information obtained by the vehicles through the vehicles; and generating or updating road map information on the road based on the road information and the corresponding locating information of the vehicles.

Road map data includes node data indicating a branch point, a junction point, or an intersection point and link data indicating a road between the preceding points. The node data and link data include distances, kinds of the roads, costs based on easiness of traveling. In a route search, a route is selected so that a total cost included in traveling on the route to a destination can be minimum. When command is generated as giving priority to an automatic travel road, costs included in the node and link data that correspond to the automatic travel road are lowered. A route including the automatic travel road is thereby selected in preference to other routes.

A non-scaled, linearly compressed pictographic mapping system is provided for the visual display of information in a navigational aid. Unlike today's road maps which use a point-arc-polygon paradigm, the new mapping uses a non-scaled, linearly-compressed pictographic design that shows roads as linear pictograms. The display has a columnar layout, whereby the descriptive elements are grouped together by type, and displayed one above the other in columns. The maps may also contain icons representing points of interest arranged in a cloud fashion. In this manner, the mapping paradigm also serves to increase traveler safety, provide navigation assistance during address-less trips, create valuable advertising space and new promotional opportunities, and dramatically increases the travelers' communications and entertainment options.

The invention claims for protection of a coordinated local path planning method based on V2X communication and binocular vision. An OBU acquires vehicle body information and environmental informationthrough a binocular preposed camera, OBD equipment and V2X communication and the information is transmitted to a coordinated local path planning controller; with a traffic object mixed state estimation model, state prediction is carried out on a traffic object state, spatio-temporal data fusion is carried out on the traffic object information and traffic rules after state estimation based on a multi-source data fusion algorithm, a traffic road map with high credibility is constructed by the fused traffic data according to a coordinate mapping model, an own vehicle state is calculated by combining own vehicle information according to an own vehicle state estimation model, and then an optimal smooth driving path of the current vehicle is calculated based on an improved local path planning algorithm; and then the path is transmitted to the OBU and the information is broadcasted to other vehicles through V2X. According to the invention, the accuracy of vehicle environment perception and local path planning is improved by combining visibility-range and non-visibility-range traffic object sense sensing.

A route searching system is provided with: a road map database for storing a road map data; a searching device for performing a link cost calculation on the basis of the road map data and thereby searching an optimal route. The searching device increases or decreases the link cost of a link corresponding to a road section that requires a difficult turn on a route option, the difficult turn being a right turn or a left turn, one of which is more difficult than the other in accordance with a traffic rule, and connecting a node corresponding to an intersection, in at least two cases depending on the difficulty of the difficult turn at the intersection.

The present invention provides system and method for creation of a road map, the system comprising a plurality of navigation devices; and an application server to receive from the plurality of navigation devices time series of location points, and to create a road map based on the time series of location points. The method comprising receiving location points from plurality of navigation devices, along with respective time stamps indicating the time of recordation of each of the location points; identifying at least one route according to the location points and respective time stamps; and creating a road map based on the at least one route.

A car navigation system by which a user can easily grasp a drop-in target in the course of a route. In a summary road map displayed in a two- or one-window display representation, contents of a two-dimensional road map is properly selected and simplified, roads are made linear, roads connected to an intersection are made orthogonal so that the user can easily see it, the position of a vehicle is expressed by a mark, and even the running route is expressed with a predetermined color or the like. Accordingly, the system offers the user such a display form as able to easily refer to. When the user specifies a target at which the user wants to drop in, the drop-in target is displayed at a corresponding position on the summary road map in the form of a land mark.

An absolute position detector of a navigation device detects an absolute position of a vehicle. An on-map position of the vehicle is acquired based on the detected absolute position to be on a road map indicated by map data stored in the navigation device. Absolute positions detected by the absolute position detector are stored in association with on-map positions acquired based on the detected absolute positions as travel track information when the vehicle travels. An error of the map data as a reliability degree of the map data is set by comparing the travel track information with the map data.

A three-dimensional terrain-information generating system extracts a road region from altitude information arranged on a two-dimensional plane and adjusts the position and scale by matching the road region with a building / road map. Altitude information of a road region with a width that is greater than or equal to a preset width is obtained from the building / road map, and the obtained altitude information is arranged in a three-dimensional space. Ribbon forms that may intersect one another at a plurality of points are generated. Altitude information of a region such as a park that is almost free from the effects of a building on the three-dimensional terrain is obtained from the building / road map. Subsequently, a surface including such altitude information is created, thereby generating three-dimensional terrain data.

A non-scaled, linearly compressed pictographic mapping system is provided for the visual display of information in a navigational aid. Unlike today's road maps which use a point-arc-polygon paradigm, the new mapping uses a non-scaled, linearly-compressed pictographic design that shows roads as linear pictograms. The display has a columnar layout, whereby the descriptive elements are grouped together by type, and displayed one above the other in columns. The maps may also contain icons representing points of interest arranged in a cloud fashion. In this manner, the mapping paradigm also serves to increase traveler safety, provide navigation assistance during address-less trips, create valuable advertising space and new promotional opportunities, and dramatically increases the travelers' communications and entertainment options.

Provided is a GPS correction system and method which corrects position information obtained from a low-precision GPS device using image recognition information. The GPS correction system using image recognition system includes: a GPS module; an image recognition device having a line recognition function; a road map storage unit configured to store road map information including line characteristic information or a road map receiving unit configured to receive the road map information; and an information processing device configured to compare the line recognition information acquired through the image recognition device to the line characteristic information, correct a current position measured by the GPS module, and calculate traveling lane information.

Systems and method are provided for controlling a vehicle. In one embodiment, a method includes calculating, via a router of a vehicle system that accesses road map data, at least one route to a destination based on the road map data, thereby producing route solution data. The vehicle system enters a remote assistance mode in response to remote assistance decision data received from a blockage arbiter of the vehicle system. In the remote assistance mode, the method includes determining, via the router, at least one road segment of the road map data that is permitted to be blacklisted, thereby producing permitted blacklist data. The method includes transmitting the permitted blacklist data and the route solution data, via a vehicle communications module of the vehicle system, to a remote vehicle assistance system. The method includes updating, via the router, the road map data to exclude at least one blacklisted road segment defined by the permitted blacklist data.

A road map management system is provided as follows: drawing a past-direction distribution map (Image A) and a future-direction distribution map (Image B) using multiple vehicles' traveling position data collected via a wide area network during a past-direction data collection period and a future-direction data collection period, respectively; comparing the two distribution maps to extract a differential distribution; defining under a predetermined condition as a recently opened or closed road the differential distribution, which is absent from Image A and present in Image B, or present in Image A and absent from Image B, respectively; and reflecting the defined results on the existing road map data to update.

The invention provides a navigation device which guides the speed limit of each traffic lane to the user in advance when each traffic lane of the road is set with speed limit. The navigation device comprises a detecting unit for detecting the position of the vehicle; a road map display unit for displaying the road map (400) surround the detected position of the vehicle; an identification unit for identifying the road existed in the forward direction of the vehicle that is the speed limit object road set with the speed limit according to the detected position of the vehicle; a measuring unit for measuring the distance from the position of the vehicle to the speed limit object road; a speed limit information display unit for displaying the speed limit information (401) expressing the speed limit of each traffic lane on the road map when the distance measured by the measuring unit achieves to the desired value.

Road map feedback is included in a tightly coupled GPS and dead-reckoning system that collects wheel speed transducer data over a vehicle's network to compute vehicle range and direction. On-board road maps in DVD disks provide a database of road segments that are matched to the current navigation solutions. The dead-reckoning bridges over gaps in navigation solutions that would otherwise occur when GPS signal transmission is lost in tunnels, parking garages, and other common situations. The road map fitting controls drift that would otherwise accumulate during long periods of dead reckoning only operation.

An on-vehicle navigation apparatus 50 includes a current location calculator 21 calculating a current location of an own vehicle, a map information database 2 storing map information including road map data, a driving lane specifying section 23 detecting a lane change in response to an operation signal from a winker and specifying a driving lane of the own vehicle, and a guidance-timing controller 24 detecting a turnoff road ahead of the own vehicle in a traveling direction and conducting turnoff road guidance on a driver at a forward position distanced from the detected turnoff road depending on a location of the specified driving lane of the own vehicle.

Vehicular swept path data and electronic map data representing a road map are compared with each other to compute correction information that represents the amount of deviation of the electronic map data from the vehicular swept path data with respect to each predetermined block. The electronic map data is corrected using the computed correction information, and the corrected electronic map data is provided.

A method and apparatus for combining two dissimilar road map databases of a given geographic region are provided. The road map database differ in degree of coverage or accuracy of coverage, or both, of the geographic region. Each database includes data defining a plurality of roads. A first set of loops is defined from roads represented in a first of the two road map databases. For each of the first set of loops, a corresponding loop is identified from roads represented in a second of the two road map databases, to define a second set of loops. Each loop of the second set of loops may include one or more links, and each link represents a portion of a road represented in the second road map database. A set of output loops corresponding to the first set of loops is generated to form an output road map database. Links enclosed within loops of the second set of loops and not represented in the first road map database are then copied into the set of output loops, such that the output road map database represents a combination of the first road map database and the second road map database.