Digital Map Route Aggregation via Multi-Vehicle Trajectory Merging

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing digital road map creation and updating methods fail to accurately account for local conditions and traffic situations, leading to errors in route representation.

Innovation Solution

A method that aggregates lane information by collecting and linking position coordinates from multiple vehicles within a short time frame to determine the course of a route section, considering the trajectories of multiple vehicles for more reliable route determination, particularly in server-based systems like cloud-based systems.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If position data from a single vehicle is used to determine route profiles, then data collection is simple, but the accuracy and reliability of route representation deteriorates due to arbitrary lane changes and curve cutting by individual drivers

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveroute profile accuracyVSAvoiddata collection complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines position data from multiple vehicles traveling on the same route segment within a specific time window to determine a consensus route profile. By merging trajectories of several vehicles (e.g., vehicles 10, 11, 12 shown in Figure 1) rather than relying on a single vehicle, the system achieves more accurate route representation that reflects actual road geometry rather than individual driver behavior variations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If position coordinates from multiple vehicles are collected and analyzed, then the reliability of route determination improves by accounting for traffic situations, but the data processing complexity and computational requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveroute determination reliabilityVSAvoiddata processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the route into multiple route segments (e.g., segments 20, 30, 40 shown in Figure 2) and processes position data for each segment independently. This segmentation allows the system to handle multiple vehicles' data in manageable units, comparing trajectories within each segment to determine the most probable correct route representation, thereby reducing overall computational complexity while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system collects position data from more vehicles than strictly necessary (excessive action) and uses statistical analysis to determine the consensus route. By gathering data from multiple vehicles and applying filtering logic (e.g., requiring a threshold number of vehicles to agree on a trajectory), the system achieves high reliability without needing to process every possible data point, balancing computational load with accuracy requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Quantity of substance

If a longer time period is used to collect position data, then more data points are available for analysis, but the traffic situation may change making the data less relevant for current conditions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of position data pointsVSAvoiddata relevance to current conditions
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic data collection and processing in defined time windows (e.g., comparing positions at time T1 and T2 shown in Figure 1). By establishing periodic evaluation cycles where route profiles are determined based on vehicles' positions within specific time intervals, the system ensures data remains relevant to current traffic conditions while accumulating sufficient data points for reliable statistical analysis.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentEP3377858B1Method for aggregating traffic lane information for digital map services
Publication Date: 2021.09.29 ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
  • EP3377858B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1b
  • EP3377858B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2b
  • EP3377858B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3b

AI summary

The aim of the invention is to improve a method for aggregating traffic lane information in order to generate and/or update a street map such that even local conditions and traffic situations are taken into consideration when ascertaining a route course (13) of the route section (12). According to the invention this is achieved in that a route course (13) of the route section (12) is ascertained on the basis of detected position coordinates of a first vehicle (10) and on the basis of additional position coordinates of at least one additional vehicle (11). The respective position coordinates of the first vehicle (10) and the respective additional position coordinates of the at least one additional vehicle (11) with timestamps within an identical or overlapping period of time are taken into consideration.