Conflict Islands for Map Data Update Management

Solution Overview

Problem

The existing methods for managing map data updates lead to inconsistencies and delays due to the need for manual conflict resolution between bulk and point updates, causing downstream delays in the bulk update process.

Innovation Solution

A computing device uses conflict islands to identify and isolate conflicts between bulk and point updates, allowing bulk updates to proceed while deferring updates within conflict islands until conflicts are resolved, thus decoupling conflict resolution from the bulk update process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual conflict resolution is performed between point updates and bulk updates, then data consistency is maintained, but the bulk update process is delayed considerably

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata consistencyVSAvoidbulk update delay

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the bulk update process into two distinct phases: a conflict-free bulk update phase that processes the majority of updates, and a separate conflict resolution phase that handles only the specific features with conflicts. This segmentation allows the bulk update to proceed without being blocked by conflicts, while still maintaining data consistency through subsequent resolution of the segmented conflict portions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary identification and isolation of conflicts before the bulk update completes. By detecting conflicts in advance and creating a separate resolution queue, the system prepares the conflict resolution process ahead of time, allowing the bulk update to proceed without waiting for manual resolution, thus reducing the delay while maintaining consistency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If bulk updates are processed quickly without waiting for conflict resolution, then productivity is improved, but downstream inconsistencies occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebulk update speedVSAvoiddata consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary conflict resolution queue that sits between the bulk update process and the final data publication. This intermediary structure allows bulk updates to proceed quickly to the queue without being blocked by conflicts, while conflicts are resolved separately and then merged back, ensuring consistency without sacrificing productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary identification and isolation of conflicts before the bulk update completes. By detecting conflicts in advance and creating a separate resolution queue, the system prepares the conflict resolution process ahead of time, allowing the bulk update to proceed without waiting for manual resolution, thus reducing the delay while maintaining consistency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If the bulk update process waits for manual conflict resolution, then data integrity is maintained, but the update process becomes indefinitely delayed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata integrityVSAvoidupdate throughput

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the bulk update process into two distinct phases: a conflict-free bulk update phase that processes the majority of updates, and a separate conflict resolution phase that handles only the specific features with conflicts. This segmentation allows the bulk update to proceed without being blocked by conflicts, while still maintaining data consistency through subsequent resolution of the segmented conflict portions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary conflict resolution queue that sits between the bulk update process and the final data publication. This intermediary structure allows bulk updates to proceed quickly to the queue without being blocked by conflicts, while conflicts are resolved separately and then merged back, ensuring consistency without sacrificing productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11680819B2Managing conflicts using conflict islands

Publication Date: 2023.06.20 RAPID7 INC

AI summary

In some implementations, a computing device can manage conflicts using conflict islands. For example, when a computing device receives bulk map data updates, the computing device can determine conflicts between point updates (e.g., small, ad hoc feature edits) in the current map data and the bulk map data updates. When the bulk map data updates are merged with the current map data, a point update for a map feature may conflict with the bulk update for the feature. The computing device can determine a perimeter of stable map features around the conflicted feature. The map features within the perimeter can correspond to a conflict island. The bulk updates for features within a conflict island (e.g., within the perimeter) can be deferred until resolved while bulk updates for features outside of a conflict island can be applied to the current map data.