# US 12,002,358 B2 · Systems and methods for using a distributed data center to create map data

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- Number: US 12,002,358 B2
- Document ID: US12002358B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/188,188
- Filed: 2023-03-22
- Published: 2023-07-20
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2018-04-20
- Assignees: SmartDrive Systems, Inc.
- Applicants: SmartDrive Systems, Inc.
- Inventors: Nicholas Shayne Brookins; Reza Ghanbari; David Forney; Mark Freitas; Daniel Andrew Deninger; Jeffrey Griswold; Jason Palmer
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12002358B2

## CPC

- G08G 1/096791: {where the origin of the information is another vehicle}
- G01C 21/3492: {employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical (traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968)}
- G01C 21/3822: {Road feature data, e.g. slope data}
- G08G 1/0112: {from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]}
- G08G 1/0133: {for classifying traffic situation}
- G08G 1/0141: {for traffic information dissemination}
- G08G 1/096716: {where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control}
- G08G 1/096741: {where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle}
- G08G 1/096775: {where the origin of the information is a central station}
- G08G 1/096844: {where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data}
- G08G 1/0969: having a display in the form of a map
- G08G 1/20: {Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles}
- G08G 1/205: {Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental}
- G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93})
- G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S)

## Abstract

This disclosure relates to a distributed data center that includes resources carried by a fleet of vehicles. The system includes sensors configured to generate output signals conveying information related to the vehicles and/or the surroundings of vehicles. The system includes a remote computing server configured to maintain map data and distribute it to the fleet, including local map data to individual vehicles pertaining to their surroundings. Individual vehicles may compare the local map data with the information related to their individual surroundings. Based on such comparisons, individual vehicles may detect discrepancies between the local map data and the information related to their individual surroundings. The remote computing server may modify and/or update the map data based on the detected discrepancies.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system configured to use data-processing resources carried by multiple vehicles to modify map data, the system configured to couple with the multiple vehicles, including a first vehicle located near first surroundings and a second vehicle located near second surroundings, the system comprising:
a remote computing server including one or more processors, wherein the remote computing server is separate from the multiple vehicles, and wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to:
maintain a real-time map of a geographical area, wherein the real-time map includes information related to one or more location-specific features of the first surroundings and the second surroundings;
receive, from a first transceiver carried by the first vehicle, first discrepancy information, wherein the first discrepancy information reflects a first detected discrepancy between the real-time map and the first surroundings of the first vehicle that have been detected;
receive, from a second transceiver carried by the second vehicle, second discrepancy information, wherein the second discrepancy information reflects a second detected discrepancy between the real-time map and the second surroundings of the second vehicle that have been detected;
determine whether the first detected discrepancy corresponds to the second detected discrepancy; and
responsive to a threshold number of more than one different vehicles having detected corresponding discrepancies, modify the real-time map, wherein a modification of the real-time map is based on one or both of the received first discrepancy information and the received second discrepancy information.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the multiple vehicles are part of a fleet of vehicles.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein detections by the first vehicle are based on first output signals generated by a first set of sensors carried by the first vehicle.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the first detected discrepancy is based on a comparison of the real-time map and the first surroundings of the first vehicle.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to compare the first discrepancy information with the second discrepancy information.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
transmit at least a first part of the modified real-time map to the first vehicle; and
transmit at least a second part of the modified real-time map to the second vehicle.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more location-specific features are not pertaining to current local traffic conditions regarding nearby vehicles.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the information related to one or more location-specific features includes information related to road-side construction and/or information related to road-side hazards.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the information related to one or more location-specific features includes information related to one or more conditions of the road surface and/or information related to lane-usage.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the information related to one or more location-specific features includes information related to road-closures and/or detours.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the information related to one or more location-specific features includes information related to road-side signage.

### Claim 12

A method for using data-processing resources carried by multiple vehicles to modify map data, including a first vehicle located near first surroundings and a second vehicle located near second surroundings, the method comprising:
maintaining a real-time map of a geographical area, wherein the real-time map includes information related to one or more location-specific features of the first surroundings and the second surroundings;
receiving, from a first transceiver carried by the first vehicle, first discrepancy information, wherein the first discrepancy information reflects a first detected discrepancy between the real-time map and the first surroundings of the first vehicle that have been detected;
receiving, from a second transceiver carried by the second vehicle, second discrepancy information, wherein the second discrepancy information reflects a second detected discrepancy between the real-time map and the second surroundings of the second vehicle that have been detected;
determining whether the first detected discrepancy corresponds to the second detected discrepancy; and
responsive to a threshold number of more than one different vehicles having detected corresponding discrepancies, modifying the real-time map, wherein a modification of the real-time map is based on one or both of the received first discrepancy information and the received second discrepancy information.