WO2016034918A1 - Method and system for creating at least one digital map - Google Patents

Method and system for creating at least one digital map Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2016034918A1
WO2016034918A1 PCT/IB2014/064246 IB2014064246W WO2016034918A1 WO 2016034918 A1 WO2016034918 A1 WO 2016034918A1 IB 2014064246 W IB2014064246 W IB 2014064246W WO 2016034918 A1 WO2016034918 A1 WO 2016034918A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
road
sectors
sector
routes
preset
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PCT/IB2014/064246
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Carsten KAUSCH
Original Assignee
Audi Ag
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
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Publication date
Application filed by Audi Ag filed Critical Audi Ag
Priority to PCT/IB2014/064246 priority Critical patent/WO2016034918A1/en
Publication of WO2016034918A1 publication Critical patent/WO2016034918A1/en

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01C—MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY
    • G01C21/00—Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C19/00
    • G01C21/26—Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C19/00 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
    • G01C21/34—Route searching; Route guidance
    • G01C21/3446—Details of route searching algorithms, e.g. Dijkstra, A*, arc-flags, using precalculated routes
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01C—MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY
    • G01C21/00—Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C19/00
    • G01C21/26—Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C19/00 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
    • G01C21/34—Route searching; Route guidance
    • G01C21/36—Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
    • G01C21/3605—Destination input or retrieval

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a method as well as to a system for creating at least one digital map.
  • the entry of navigation destinations into a navigation system of a motor vehicle can take up relatively much time. Until the actual destination entry has been effected, a driver of the motor vehicle usually stays at rest and only moves off as soon as the destination entry has been effected and a corresponding route to the entered destination has been determined. In particular, in large cities with severely branched road networks and a plurality of possible routes for reaching the destination, the problem can arise that after effected destination entry, the route calculation takes very long time, since a plurality of different possible routes first has to be calculated and the most suitable route has to be selected. Thereby, a time of departure can again considerably be extended.
  • US 2013/0013197 Al shows a navigation method for urban areas, in which a plurality of different routes for reaching the destination can be present. After destination entry, a kind of variable route corridor is determined, along which the destination can be reached from an initial start point.
  • US 5 410 485 A shows a method for determining a route, wherein a respectively shortest route between a start point and a destination point is determined. Therein, factors such as the traffic density along very
  • l different routes are also taken into account. Further, in determining the shortest possible route, it is considered if the start point and the destination point are within an urban area with high traffic density or within an area with relative low traffic density.
  • the method according to the invention for creating at least one digital map includes the following steps: a) providing a digital road map of a city; b) dividing the road map into multiple sectors such that respective sector boundaries of the sectors are constituted by at least one main traffic road of the road map, wherein at least a first road junction located on one of the sector boundaries is selected per sector, from which a road leads into the respective sector, and at least a second road junction located on one of the sector boundaries is selected, from which a road again leads out of the respective sector; c) determining at least one route per sector, which connects the first road junction to the second road junction; d) determining an average speed for each of the determined routes, which is achievable in traveling the respective routes; e) determining respective differences between the determined average speeds; f) examining if all of the determined differences are less than a preset value; g) if not all of the determined differences are less than the preset value: repeating steps b) to f) until the condition mentioned in step f) is satisfied, where
  • the essential inventive idea is in clustering an urban city area, wherein the city area is divided or clustered into respective sectors according to the criteria preset according to the invention. These sectors have standardized entry and exit points in the respective sectors, namely in the form of road junctions.
  • a constructional installation is to be understood by a road junction, which serves for linking roads or paths. Therein, it can be both at-grade and grade-separated junctions.
  • An at-grade junction is an intersection or branch of roads at the same level. This form is characterized in that traffic flows cross each other or traffic flows join. The most known form is the road intersection. A grade- separated junction is an intersection or branch at different levels. The most known forms are highway junctions and three-leg highway interchanges. Partially at-grade junctions guide two traffic paths at different levels one above the other, but are each connected to an at-level branch. Partially grade-separated junctions have one of the roads level-free in flowing traffic, the other has a level compensation. The most known form is the highway junction. The roundabout can also be regarded as a special form, which has a level such that traffic flows do not directly cross each other.
  • the created digital map includes all of the sectors and at least corresponds to a partial area of the city, from which the digital road map is provided.
  • the sectors and the routes selected therein for traversing the sectors are first once determined and afterwards iteratively adapted until the determined differences between the average speeds achievable on the respective routes are less than a preset value, for example 2 km/h, 5 km/h or 10 km/h.
  • the dimensions of the sectors - thus their extension in north-south direction and in east-west direction - can be altered. Therein, this is always effected such that the respective sector boundaries extend along respective main traffic roads even after alteration of the dimensions of the sectors.
  • respective routes connecting the road junctions of the sectors can further also be altered or replaced with other routes.
  • a driver of a motor vehicle can - if the digital map created according to the invention is provided in a navigation system - simply select one of the sectors and thus select it as a destination sector for the desired navigation. An expensive entry of city names, road names and house numbers can therefore be omitted.
  • the main traffic roads are characterized in that they have a preset traffic intensity and/or are traveled with at least a presettable average speed, in particular with 20 to 40 km/h.
  • the traffic intensity is a characteristic quantity in the traffic planning and describes the vehicle throughput per time unit.
  • the traffic intensity can for example be indicated in vehicles per hour, which travel a certain road section.
  • the underlying time unit can basically be arbitrarily selected.
  • a very short, instantaneously existing traffic state is considered. Thereby, distinct variations occur between the examined time units. For assessment, the consideration of these variations and peak values is not reasonable. Therefore, one preferably proceeds to use a time unit of an hour, thus an horal traffic intensity, a day, thus an average daily traffic intensity or for example also an average daily traffic intensity according to working days, weekend days and/or holidays for assessments in terms of traffic, for example of a certain road cross-section.
  • the traffic intensity for example, a value between 9,000 und 40,000 vehicles per hour can be preset.
  • an average speed is additionally preset, in particular in a range between 20 and 40 km/h, which a road must have in order that it is selected as a main traffic road.
  • the division of the road map of the city area is restricted to those areas, which are characterized in that they have a plurality of minor traffic roads with a plurality of traffic junctions, which in turn are enclosed by respective main traffic roads, which have a relatively low number of traffic junctions in proportion to the minor traffic roads.
  • a particularly systematic division of a city area into the respective sectors can be restricted in particular to an area of the city particularly dense in traffic.
  • step f) it is additionally preset that a minimum average speed has to be achieved along all of the routes through the respective sectors.
  • the sectors with their associated road junctions are thus determined to the effect that a particularly homogenized minimum average speed is achieved along all of the routes through the respective sectors.
  • the sector sizes are substantially inversely proportional to their traffic density.
  • step c) per sector eight routes for traversing the sectors are determined in the following directions: from north to south, from south to north, from east to west, from west to east, from north-east to south-west, from south-west to north-east, from north-west to south-west, from south-west to north-west, wherein in step b), as many road junctions positioned such that the eight routes can be determined per sector are selected.
  • the determination of the sectors is thus effected considering respective routes, along which one can traverse the sectors substantially in the above mentioned directions.
  • a further advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that in step e) respective differences between the average speeds of those routes are determined, which extend in the same direction, wherein the steps b) to f) are repeated until the condition mentioned in step f) with respect to the respective directions is satisfied.
  • the average speeds achievable in the above mentioned respective directions are homogenized per direction of travel over all of the sectors.
  • the digital map can be provided along with its pre-calculated routes to a navigation system, wherein such a navigation system is for example a navigation system integrated in a motor vehicle or else a mobile navigation system, which is for example integrated in a smart phone or the like.
  • a navigation system is for example a navigation system integrated in a motor vehicle or else a mobile navigation system, which is for example integrated in a smart phone or the like.
  • a driver of a motor vehicle can first select one of the sectors in a first step, wherein the respectively pre-calculated routes are used for route determination.
  • a particularly simple navigation entry can be effected and the selection of the routes required for reaching the destination can be particularly fast effected since the pre-calculated routes simply have to be selected and linked to each other.
  • step b) for those sectors having a common sector boundary the same road junction(s) on the common sector boundary is (are) selected. Thereby, it is ensured that respective routes extending through the individual sectors are also linked to corresponding routes, which extend through directly adjacent sectors.
  • a further advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the steps b) to f) are additionally repeated until the dimensions of the respective sectors are as large as all of the sectors can be displayed on a touch-sensitive display device of preset size of a motor vehicle and can be separately touched by a finger tip of preset size.
  • a touch-sensitive display device of preset size of a motor vehicle can be separately touched by a finger tip of preset size.
  • the respective sectors must have at least an edge length of 1 cm when they are presented on a touch- sensitive display device of preset size.
  • all of the determined sectors are to be able to be displayed on the display device at the same time.
  • the touch- sensitive display device has a size usual in motor vehicles, for example a screen diagonal in the range from 6 to 10 inch with a substantially rectangular shape.
  • a further advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the steps b) to f) are additionally repeated until the number of the sectors is in a range from 30 to 60 sectors. Thereby, a division of a city area into the respective sectors still simply ascertainable and thus clear for a vehicle occupant is provided.
  • step b) only those road junctions are selected, which are traversed with at least a preset average speed, in particular of 20 to 40 km/h, and have at least a preset number of road branches.
  • step b) it can for example also be preset that the road junctions must have a preset traffic intensity.
  • the number of the road branches it can for example be preset that they must have at least three to four roads leading away from the road junction.
  • step c) only those routes are selected, which are the shortest connection between the respective road junctions.
  • the city area is divided into respective sectors with associated determined routes such that the city area can each be traversed on the shortest possible pre-calculated and stored routes.
  • traffic data related to the past is considered in creating the digital map.
  • this traffic data related to the past can be used for providing the above mentioned parameters such as for example the traffic intensity and the average speeds.
  • car-to-X information and/or information of a traffic guidance system are taken into account in creating and/or for updating the digital map.
  • the system according to the invention is adapted to perform the method according to the invention or an advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, wherein the system in particular has means for performing the method steps.
  • Fig. 1 a digital road map of a city, which is divided into a plurality of sectors;
  • Fig. 2 an enlarged illustration of the digital road map, wherein one of the sectors is illustrated in detail and respective road junctions located on the sector boundaries of the sector are identified;
  • Fig. 3 a schematic illustration of the sector shown in Fig. 2, wherein respective routes are identified by arrows, which connect different road junctions located on the sector boundaries to each other.
  • a digital road map 60 in the present example of Peking, is shown in Fig. 1 in a schematic illustration.
  • the digital road map 60 is divided into a plurality of sectors 1 to 54, which in turn constitute a digital map 70 in their entirety, which includes a part of the road map 10.
  • the sectors are spirally clockwise disposed ascending according to their numbering beginning from the center of the city.
  • the digital road map 60 of the city thus presently of Peking
  • the road map 60 is therein divided into multiple sectors, presently into the sectors 1 to 54.
  • the division into the respective sectors is effected such that respective sector boundaries 72, which are presently only drawn for the sector 40, are constituted by at least one main traffic road of the road map 60.
  • the respective main traffic roads are characterized in that they have a preset traffic intensity, thus a preset vehicle throughput per time unit.
  • roads are assessed and selected as main traffic roads in the sense of the method, which for example have an average traffic intensity between 9,000 and 40,000 vehicles per day.
  • Corresponding data with respect to the traffic intensity can for example be provided and considered based on traffic data related to the past.
  • Car2X information and/or information of a traffic guidance system are provided, whereby particularly current data is present.
  • each of the sectors has at least a first road junction located on one of the sector boundaries 72, from which a road leads into the respective sector, and at least a second road junction located on one of the sector boundaries 72 is selected, from which a road again exits the respective sector.
  • the sectors are thus determined such that they are enclosed by one or more main traffic roads on the one hand and at least one road leads into the sector and again leads out of it in the respective sectors from the main traffic roads constituting the sector boundaries on the other hand.
  • Fig. 2 the sector 40 is shown in an enlarged illustration.
  • a plurality of different road junctions F i2 , F 22 , F 2i , Fn, F 27 , F 26 , F 25 , F 28 , Fi 3 , F 24 and F 23 are drawn.
  • still further road junctions Si to Si 9 are drawn, which are also on the sector boundaries 72 and thus on corresponding main traffic roads.
  • the road junctions denoted by F and corresponding indices are such road junctions, which are traversed with at least a preset average speed, for example in a range from 20 to 40 km/h, and have at least a preset number of road branches.
  • the road junctions denoted by F and corresponding indices are selected such that traversing these road junctions is possible at least with a speed of 20 to 40 km/h on average. Further, the road junctions denoted by F and corresponding indices are characterized in that starting from these road junctions at least two or else more roads lead away. Only the condition is imposed to the road junctions denoted by S and corresponding indices that starting from these road junctions at least traveling into or traveling out of the sector 40 has to be possible.
  • the sector 40 is shown in a simplified schematic illustration. Presently, only some of the road junctions provided with F and corresponding indices are drawn.
  • respective routes for traversing the sectors are determined for the respective sectors, presently only shown exemplarily for the sector 40, for the following directions: from north to south, from south to north, from east to west, from west to east, from north-east to south-west, from south-west to north-east, from north-west to south-west and from south-west to north-west.
  • an average speed is determined, which is achievable in traveling the respective routes.
  • it can again be resorted to traffic data related to the past or else to current traffic data, such as for example Car2X information or information of a traffic guidance system.
  • the respective differences between the determined average speeds are determined for the corresponding routes.
  • it is examined if all of the determined differences are less than a preset value, for example 5 km/h.
  • a preset value for example 5 km/h.
  • a minimum average speed for example of 20 km/h, 30 km/h or the like, has to be achieved along all of the routes through the respective sectors.
  • the determined differences are less than the preset value and optionally the determined average speeds also would be less than the preset minimum average speed value, the division of the road map, the determination of the respective routes per sector, the determination of the average speeds, the determination of the respective differences between the determined average speeds and the examination if all of the determined differences are less than a preset value and optionally the average speeds reach a preset minimum average speed, are repeated until the mentioned condition with respect to the determined differences and optionally also the minimum average speed to be achieved is satisfied.
  • the dimensions of the sectors can be altered, the respective selection of the road junctions and the selection of the routes connecting the road junctions can be altered.
  • the iteration loop is repeated for creating the digital map 70 until the dimensions of the respective sectors are as large as all of the sectors can be displayed on a touch- sensitive display device of preset size of a motor vehicle and can be separately touched with a finger tip of preset size. Further, as a further optimization criterion, it can also be provided that the iteration loop is repeated until the number of the sectors is in the range between 30 and 60 sectors. This has the background that a user can individually tip the respective sectors for example on a touch screen of a motor vehicle without further ado on the one hand to be able to preset these sectors as a coarse navigation destination. Furthermore, by presetting that the number of the sectors is to be in a range from 30 to 60 sectors, the clarity of the presentation is ensured.
  • the explained approach for creating the digital map 70 can be performed according to different criteria. For example, only those road junctions provided with F and corresponding indices are taken into account, which are particularly fast traversable road junctions having many road branches. The individual sectors and road junctions and correspondingly the routes required for traversing the sectors are thus determined such that particularly fast traverse of the concerned city area is allowed, which is defined by the sectors and the correspondingly selected routes.

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for creating at least one digital map (70), in which a digital road map (60) of a city is divided into individual sectors according to preset criteria such that respective sector boundaries (72) of the sectors are constituted by at least one main traffic road of the road map (60), wherein per sector at least a first road junction (F, S) located on one of the sector boundaries (72) is selected, from which a road leads into the respective sector, and at least a second road junction (F, S) located on one of the sector boundaries (72) is selected, from which a road again leads out of the respective sector. Furthermore, the invention relates to a system adapted for performing the method.

Description

Method and system for creating at least one digital map Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method as well as to a system for creating at least one digital map.
Background Art
Often, the entry of navigation destinations into a navigation system of a motor vehicle can take up relatively much time. Until the actual destination entry has been effected, a driver of the motor vehicle usually stays at rest and only moves off as soon as the destination entry has been effected and a corresponding route to the entered destination has been determined. In particular, in large cities with severely branched road networks and a plurality of possible routes for reaching the destination, the problem can arise that after effected destination entry, the route calculation takes very long time, since a plurality of different possible routes first has to be calculated and the most suitable route has to be selected. Thereby, a time of departure can again considerably be extended.
US 2013/0013197 Al shows a navigation method for urban areas, in which a plurality of different routes for reaching the destination can be present. After destination entry, a kind of variable route corridor is determined, along which the destination can be reached from an initial start point.
US 5 410 485 A shows a method for determining a route, wherein a respectively shortest route between a start point and a destination point is determined. Therein, factors such as the traffic density along very
l different routes are also taken into account. Further, in determining the shortest possible route, it is considered if the start point and the destination point are within an urban area with high traffic density or within an area with relative low traffic density.
Summary of the Invention
Technical problem to be solved
It is the object of the present invention to provide a method and a system for creating at least one digital map, by means of which a particularly simple and fast destination entry as well as a particularly fast route determination for an effected destination entry is allowed.
Technical solution
This object is solved by a method as well as by a system for creating at least one digital map having the features of the independent claims. Advantageous developments with convenient and non-trivial further embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.
The method according to the invention for creating at least one digital map includes the following steps: a) providing a digital road map of a city; b) dividing the road map into multiple sectors such that respective sector boundaries of the sectors are constituted by at least one main traffic road of the road map, wherein at least a first road junction located on one of the sector boundaries is selected per sector, from which a road leads into the respective sector, and at least a second road junction located on one of the sector boundaries is selected, from which a road again leads out of the respective sector; c) determining at least one route per sector, which connects the first road junction to the second road junction; d) determining an average speed for each of the determined routes, which is achievable in traveling the respective routes; e) determining respective differences between the determined average speeds; f) examining if all of the determined differences are less than a preset value; g) if not all of the determined differences are less than the preset value: repeating steps b) to f) until the condition mentioned in step f) is satisfied, wherein in step b), at least one of the sectors is altered by selecting at least one other road junction and/or altering the dimensions of at least one of the sectors, and/or in step c), at least one other route is determined for at least one of the sectors.
The essential inventive idea is in clustering an urban city area, wherein the city area is divided or clustered into respective sectors according to the criteria preset according to the invention. These sectors have standardized entry and exit points in the respective sectors, namely in the form of road junctions.
Therein, a constructional installation is to be understood by a road junction, which serves for linking roads or paths. Therein, it can be both at-grade and grade-separated junctions. An at-grade junction is an intersection or branch of roads at the same level. This form is characterized in that traffic flows cross each other or traffic flows join. The most known form is the road intersection. A grade- separated junction is an intersection or branch at different levels. The most known forms are highway junctions and three-leg highway interchanges. Partially at-grade junctions guide two traffic paths at different levels one above the other, but are each connected to an at-level branch. Partially grade-separated junctions have one of the roads level-free in flowing traffic, the other has a level compensation. The most known form is the highway junction. The roundabout can also be regarded as a special form, which has a level such that traffic flows do not directly cross each other.
The created digital map includes all of the sectors and at least corresponds to a partial area of the city, from which the digital road map is provided. Therein, the sectors and the routes selected therein for traversing the sectors are first once determined and afterwards iteratively adapted until the determined differences between the average speeds achievable on the respective routes are less than a preset value, for example 2 km/h, 5 km/h or 10 km/h.
Therein, the dimensions of the sectors - thus their extension in north-south direction and in east-west direction - can be altered. Therein, this is always effected such that the respective sector boundaries extend along respective main traffic roads even after alteration of the dimensions of the sectors.
Additionally or alternatively, different road junctions, which are always on the sector boundaries, can also be selected, exchanged or cancelled.
Additionally or alternatively, respective routes connecting the road junctions of the sectors can further also be altered or replaced with other routes.
With the aid of the digital map of an urban city area created according to the invention, it is possible to effect destination entries and to determine routes required for reaching the destination in particularly simple manner by means of a navigation system of a motor vehicle or also of a mobile navigation system in using this digital map and the information stored therein.
A driver of a motor vehicle can - if the digital map created according to the invention is provided in a navigation system - simply select one of the sectors and thus select it as a destination sector for the desired navigation. An expensive entry of city names, road names and house numbers can therefore be omitted.
In an advantageous development of the invention, it is provided that the main traffic roads are characterized in that they have a preset traffic intensity and/or are traveled with at least a presettable average speed, in particular with 20 to 40 km/h. The traffic intensity is a characteristic quantity in the traffic planning and describes the vehicle throughput per time unit. One designates the number of the traffic elements of a traffic flow per time unit on a cross-section, thus a particular location of a road, as the traffic intensity. In this case, one also speaks of the intensity of a traffic flow. The traffic intensity can for example be indicated in vehicles per hour, which travel a certain road section. Therein, the underlying time unit can basically be arbitrarily selected. However, if one uses very short time units, for example minutes, then a very short, instantaneously existing traffic state is considered. Thereby, distinct variations occur between the examined time units. For assessment, the consideration of these variations and peak values is not reasonable. Therefore, one preferably proceeds to use a time unit of an hour, thus an horal traffic intensity, a day, thus an average daily traffic intensity or for example also an average daily traffic intensity according to working days, weekend days and/or holidays for assessments in terms of traffic, for example of a certain road cross-section. As the traffic intensity, for example, a value between 9,000 und 40,000 vehicles per hour can be preset. Alternatively or additionally, it is also possible that an average speed is additionally preset, in particular in a range between 20 and 40 km/h, which a road must have in order that it is selected as a main traffic road. By presetting the traffic intensity and/or the average speed as a constraint for selecting the main traffic roads, a selection of the possible main traffic roads, which constitute the respective sector boundaries, is allowed in simple and unique manner.
According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that only that part of the road map is divided into the sectors in step b), in which the ratio of the number of the road junctions on the sector boundaries to the number of the road junctions within the sectors falls below a preset value, in particular the value 0.01. Thereby, the division of the road map of the city area is restricted to those areas, which are characterized in that they have a plurality of minor traffic roads with a plurality of traffic junctions, which in turn are enclosed by respective main traffic roads, which have a relatively low number of traffic junctions in proportion to the minor traffic roads. Thereby, a particularly systematic division of a city area into the respective sectors can be restricted in particular to an area of the city particularly dense in traffic.
In a further advantageous development of the invention, it is provided that as a part of the condition in step f), it is additionally preset that a minimum average speed has to be achieved along all of the routes through the respective sectors. The sectors with their associated road junctions are thus determined to the effect that a particularly homogenized minimum average speed is achieved along all of the routes through the respective sectors. Therein, it can for example occur that the sector sizes are substantially inversely proportional to their traffic density.
According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that in step c), per sector eight routes for traversing the sectors are determined in the following directions: from north to south, from south to north, from east to west, from west to east, from north-east to south-west, from south-west to north-east, from north-west to south-west, from south-west to north-west, wherein in step b), as many road junctions positioned such that the eight routes can be determined per sector are selected. The determination of the sectors is thus effected considering respective routes, along which one can traverse the sectors substantially in the above mentioned directions.
A further advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that in step e) respective differences between the average speeds of those routes are determined, which extend in the same direction, wherein the steps b) to f) are repeated until the condition mentioned in step f) with respect to the respective directions is satisfied. In other words, it is thus provided that the average speeds achievable in the above mentioned respective directions are homogenized per direction of travel over all of the sectors.
In a further advantageous development of the invention, it is provided that as soon as the condition mentioned in step f) is satisfied, at least one of the determined routes per sector, in particular all of the eight routes per sector, is stored. In other words, the determined routes are stored together with the created digital map. Thus, the digital map can be provided along with its pre-calculated routes to a navigation system, wherein such a navigation system is for example a navigation system integrated in a motor vehicle or else a mobile navigation system, which is for example integrated in a smart phone or the like. Upon navigation entry, for example, a driver of a motor vehicle can first select one of the sectors in a first step, wherein the respectively pre-calculated routes are used for route determination. Thereby, a particularly simple navigation entry can be effected and the selection of the routes required for reaching the destination can be particularly fast effected since the pre-calculated routes simply have to be selected and linked to each other.
In a further advantageous development of the invention, it is provided that in step b) for those sectors having a common sector boundary the same road junction(s) on the common sector boundary is (are) selected. Thereby, it is ensured that respective routes extending through the individual sectors are also linked to corresponding routes, which extend through directly adjacent sectors.
A further advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the steps b) to f) are additionally repeated until the dimensions of the respective sectors are as large as all of the sectors can be displayed on a touch-sensitive display device of preset size of a motor vehicle and can be separately touched by a finger tip of preset size. For example, it can be preset that the respective sectors must have at least an edge length of 1 cm when they are presented on a touch- sensitive display device of preset size. Therein, all of the determined sectors are to be able to be displayed on the display device at the same time. The touch- sensitive display device has a size usual in motor vehicles, for example a screen diagonal in the range from 6 to 10 inch with a substantially rectangular shape. By this condition, it is ensured that a vehicle occupant can comfortably and uniquely select one of the sectors respectively by tipping with his finger in particularly simple and comfortable manner.
A further advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the steps b) to f) are additionally repeated until the number of the sectors is in a range from 30 to 60 sectors. Thereby, a division of a city area into the respective sectors still simply ascertainable and thus clear for a vehicle occupant is provided.
In a further advantageous development of the invention, it is provided that in step b) only those road junctions are selected, which are traversed with at least a preset average speed, in particular of 20 to 40 km/h, and have at least a preset number of road branches. In addition, in step b), it can for example also be preset that the road junctions must have a preset traffic intensity. With respect to the number of the road branches, it can for example be preset that they must have at least three to four roads leading away from the road junction. By the above mentioned conditions with respect to the preset average speed and the number of the road branches and optionally also the preset traffic intensity, thus, only those road junctions are selected, which can be particularly fast traversed. By means of the road junctions selected under these conditions, a division of the road map into the respective sectors is effected to the effect that clustering of the city area is effected such that a particularly fast traverse of the city area divided into the sectors is allowed.
According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that in step c) only those routes are selected, which are the shortest connection between the respective road junctions. Upon satisfying this criterion, the city area is divided into respective sectors with associated determined routes such that the city area can each be traversed on the shortest possible pre-calculated and stored routes.
In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that traffic data related to the past is considered in creating the digital map. For example, this traffic data related to the past can be used for providing the above mentioned parameters such as for example the traffic intensity and the average speeds.
In a further advantageous development of the invention, it is provided that car-to-X information and/or information of a traffic guidance system are taken into account in creating and/or for updating the digital map. In other words, it is thus possible to use current data with respect to the traffic occurrence of the concerned city area in creating and/or updating the digital map such that the above mentioned parameters such as the traffic density and/or the average speed can in particular be provided in particularly accurate form.
The system according to the invention is adapted to perform the method according to the invention or an advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, wherein the system in particular has means for performing the method steps.
Further advantages, features and details of the invention are apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments as well as based on the drawings. The features and feature combinations mentioned above in the description as well as the features and feature combinations mentioned below in the description of figures and/or shown in the figures alone are usable not only in the respectively specified combination, but also in other combinations or alone without departing from the scope of the invention.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Below, embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail based on schematic drawings. There show:
Fig. 1 a digital road map of a city, which is divided into a plurality of sectors;
Fig. 2 an enlarged illustration of the digital road map, wherein one of the sectors is illustrated in detail and respective road junctions located on the sector boundaries of the sector are identified; and
Fig. 3 a schematic illustration of the sector shown in Fig. 2, wherein respective routes are identified by arrows, which connect different road junctions located on the sector boundaries to each other.
In the figures, identical or functionally identical elements are provided with the same reference characters.
Detailed Description of Embodiments
A digital road map 60, in the present example of Peking, is shown in Fig. 1 in a schematic illustration. The digital road map 60 is divided into a plurality of sectors 1 to 54, which in turn constitute a digital map 70 in their entirety, which includes a part of the road map 10. As is apparent, the sectors are spirally clockwise disposed ascending according to their numbering beginning from the center of the city.
Below, a method for creating the digital map 70 is explained in more detail. First, the digital road map 60 of the city, thus presently of Peking, is provided. Initially, the road map 60 is therein divided into multiple sectors, presently into the sectors 1 to 54. Therein, the division into the respective sectors is effected such that respective sector boundaries 72, which are presently only drawn for the sector 40, are constituted by at least one main traffic road of the road map 60. Therein, the respective main traffic roads are characterized in that they have a preset traffic intensity, thus a preset vehicle throughput per time unit.
For example, it can be provided that only those roads are assessed and selected as main traffic roads in the sense of the method, which for example have an average traffic intensity between 9,000 and 40,000 vehicles per day. Corresponding data with respect to the traffic intensity can for example be provided and considered based on traffic data related to the past. In addition, it is also possible that for example Car2X information and/or information of a traffic guidance system are provided, whereby particularly current data is present.
Furthermore, upon dividing the road map 60 into the respective sectors, it is taken into account that each of the sectors has at least a first road junction located on one of the sector boundaries 72, from which a road leads into the respective sector, and at least a second road junction located on one of the sector boundaries 72 is selected, from which a road again exits the respective sector. In other words, the sectors are thus determined such that they are enclosed by one or more main traffic roads on the one hand and at least one road leads into the sector and again leads out of it in the respective sectors from the main traffic roads constituting the sector boundaries on the other hand.
As soon as the sectors have once been determined, respective routes through the sectors are determined, which connect the corresponding road junctions to each other.
In Fig. 2, the sector 40 is shown in an enlarged illustration. Presently, a plurality of different road junctions Fi2, F22, F2i, Fn, F27, F26, F25, F28, Fi3, F24 and F23 are drawn. Furthermore, still further road junctions Si to Si9 are drawn, which are also on the sector boundaries 72 and thus on corresponding main traffic roads. Therein, the road junctions denoted by F and corresponding indices are such road junctions, which are traversed with at least a preset average speed, for example in a range from 20 to 40 km/h, and have at least a preset number of road branches. In other words, the road junctions denoted by F and corresponding indices are selected such that traversing these road junctions is possible at least with a speed of 20 to 40 km/h on average. Further, the road junctions denoted by F and corresponding indices are characterized in that starting from these road junctions at least two or else more roads lead away. Only the condition is imposed to the road junctions denoted by S and corresponding indices that starting from these road junctions at least traveling into or traveling out of the sector 40 has to be possible.
In Fig. 3, the sector 40 is shown in a simplified schematic illustration. Presently, only some of the road junctions provided with F and corresponding indices are drawn. After the road map 60 shown in Fig. 1 has first been initially divided into the respective sectors 1 to 54, respective routes for traversing the sectors are determined for the respective sectors, presently only shown exemplarily for the sector 40, for the following directions: from north to south, from south to north, from east to west, from west to east, from north-east to south-west, from south-west to north-east, from north-west to south-west and from south-west to north-west. In Fig. 3, corresponding routes extending in the above mentioned cardinal directions are identified with arrows not designated in more detail, which connect the road junctions F21, Fn, F26, F25, F28, Fi3, F24 as well as Fi2 drawn here to each other.
For the respective routes connecting the corresponding road junctions, an average speed is determined, which is achievable in traveling the respective routes. Herein, it can again be resorted to traffic data related to the past or else to current traffic data, such as for example Car2X information or information of a traffic guidance system. Subsequently, the respective differences between the determined average speeds are determined for the corresponding routes. Thereafter, it is examined if all of the determined differences are less than a preset value, for example 5 km/h. As an additional condition, it can also be preset that a minimum average speed, for example of 20 km/h, 30 km/h or the like, has to be achieved along all of the routes through the respective sectors. If not all of the determined differences are less than the preset value and optionally the determined average speeds also would be less than the preset minimum average speed value, the division of the road map, the determination of the respective routes per sector, the determination of the average speeds, the determination of the respective differences between the determined average speeds and the examination if all of the determined differences are less than a preset value and optionally the average speeds reach a preset minimum average speed, are repeated until the mentioned condition with respect to the determined differences and optionally also the minimum average speed to be achieved is satisfied.
Upon division of the road map again, the dimensions of the sectors can be altered, the respective selection of the road junctions and the selection of the routes connecting the road junctions can be altered.
Only respective differences between the average speeds of those routes are determined, which extend in the same direction, thus for example for all of the routes of all of the sectors from north to south, from east to west or the like, wherein the previously mentioned iteration loop is repeated until the condition with respect to the differences and/or the minimum speeds with respect to the respective cardinal directions is satisfied. As soon as this condition is satisfied, the routes extending in the respective cardinal directions are stored per sector.
As an additional optimization criterion, it can also be provided that the iteration loop is repeated for creating the digital map 70 until the dimensions of the respective sectors are as large as all of the sectors can be displayed on a touch- sensitive display device of preset size of a motor vehicle and can be separately touched with a finger tip of preset size. Further, as a further optimization criterion, it can also be provided that the iteration loop is repeated until the number of the sectors is in the range between 30 and 60 sectors. This has the background that a user can individually tip the respective sectors for example on a touch screen of a motor vehicle without further ado on the one hand to be able to preset these sectors as a coarse navigation destination. Furthermore, by presetting that the number of the sectors is to be in a range from 30 to 60 sectors, the clarity of the presentation is ensured.
Therein, the explained approach for creating the digital map 70 can be performed according to different criteria. For example, only those road junctions provided with F and corresponding indices are taken into account, which are particularly fast traversable road junctions having many road branches. The individual sectors and road junctions and correspondingly the routes required for traversing the sectors are thus determined such that particularly fast traverse of the concerned city area is allowed, which is defined by the sectors and the correspondingly selected routes.
Alternatively, it can also be provided that only the road junctions provided with S and corresponding indices - as schematically illustrated in Fig. 2 - are taken into account, wherein additionally only those routes connecting the road junctions provided with S and corresponding indices are selected, which are the shortest distance for connecting the respective road junctions. In this case, the creation of the sectors and determination of corresponding routes are effected according to the criterion that the city area is respectively to be able to be traversed on the shortest path.

Claims

What is claimed is:
1. Method for creating at least one digital map (70) including the steps of:
a) providing a digital road map (60) of a city;
b) dividing the road map (60) into multiple sectors such that respective sector boundaries (72) of the sectors are constituted by at least one main traffic road of the road map (60), wherein per sector at least a first road junction (F, S) located on one of the sector boundaries (72) is selected, from which a road leads into the respective sector, and at least a second road junction (F, S) located on one of the sector boundaries (72) is selected, from which a road again leads out of the respective sector; c) determining at least one route per sector, which connects the first road junction (F, S) to the second road junction (F, S); d) determining an average speed for each of the determined routes, which is achievable in traveling the respective routes; e) determining respective differences between the determined average speeds;
f) examining if all of the determined differences are less than a preset value;
g) if not all of the determined differences are less than the preset value: repeating steps b) to f) until the condition mentioned in step f) is satisfied, wherein in step b) at least one of the sectors is altered by selecting at least one other road junction (F, S) and/or altering the dimensions of at least one of the sectors, and/or in step c) at least one other route is determined for at least one of the sectors.
2. Method according to claim 1,
characterized in that
the main traffic roads are characterized in that they have a preset traffic intensity and/or are traveled with at least a preset average speed, in particular with 20 to 40 km/h.
3. Method according to claim 1 or 2,
characterized in that
only that part of the road map (60) is divided into the sectors in step b), in which the ratio of the number of the road junctions (F, S) on the sector boundaries (72) to the number of the road junctions within the sectors falls below a preset value, in particular the value 0.01.
4. Method according to any one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
in addition, as a part of the condition in step f), it is preset that a minimum average speed has to be achieved along all of the routes through the respective sectors.
5. Method according to any one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
from north to south,
from south to north,
from east to west,
from west to east,
from north-east to south-west,
from south-west to north-east,
from north-west to south-west,
from south-west to north-west
wherein in step b) as many road junctions (F, S) positioned such that the eight routes per sector can be determined are selected.
6. Method according to claim 5,
characterized in that
in step e), respective differences between the average speeds of those routes are determined, which extend in the same direction, wherein the steps b) to f) are repeated until the condition mentioned in step f) with respect to the respective directions is satisfied.
7. Method according to any one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
as soon as the condition mentioned in step f) is satisfied, at least one of the determined routes is stored per sector, in particular all of the eight routes are stored per sector.
8. Method according to any one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
in step b), for those sectors having a common sector boundary (72), the same road junction(s) (F, S) on the common sector boundary (72) is (are) selected.
9. Method according to any one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
the steps b) to f) are additionally repeated until the dimensions of the respective sectors are as large as all of the sectors can be displayed on a touch- sensitive display device of preset size of a motor vehicle and can be separately touched with a finger tip of preset size.
10. Method according to any one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
the steps b) to f) are additionally repeated until the number of the sectors is in a range between 30 and 60 sectors.
11. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that
in step b), only those road junctions (F) are selected, which are traversed with at least a preset average speed, in particular from 20 to 40 km/h, and have at least a preset number of road branches.
12. Method according to any one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
in step c), only those routes are selected, which are the shortest connection between the respective road junctions (F, S).
13. Method according to any one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
traffic data related to the past is taken into account in creating the digital map (70).
14. Method according to any one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
Car2X information and/or information of a traffic guidance system are taken into account in creating and/or for updating the digital map (70).
15. System adapted for performing a method according to any one of the preceding claims.
PCT/IB2014/064246 2014-09-04 2014-09-04 Method and system for creating at least one digital map WO2016034918A1 (en)

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