# US 2019/0170519 A1 · Identifying missing features in digital maps based on mobile telemetry data

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- Number: US 2019/0170519 A1
- Document ID: US20190170519A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/831,245
- Filed: 2017-12-04
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-12-04
- Assignees: Mapbox, Inc.
- Applicants: Mapbox, Inc.
- Inventors: Sajjad Koonari Muhammed Anwar; Bhargav Kowshik KR; Aaron Lidman
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190170519A1

## CPC

- G01C 21/3841: {Data obtained from two or more sources, e.g. probe vehicles}
- G01C 21/3867: {Geometry of map features, e.g. shape points, polygons or for simplified maps}
- G01S 19/14: specially adapted for specific applications
- G06F 16/29: Geographical information databases
- G01S 19/43: using carrier phase measurements, e.g. kinematic positioning; using long or short baseline interferometry
- H04W 4/38: for collecting sensor information
- 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)
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

A method for identifying missing map features in an electronic map, involving receiving telemetry probes indicating a geographic location of a mobile computing device, and identifying a subset of telemetry probes corresponding to an existing map feature. The identified subset is then removed from an aggregation of telemetry probes, and the remaining telemetry probes used to generate a density map and identify missing clusters of telemetry probes. A geometry of the missing clusters is determined, and a missing map feature defined from the geometry of the missing cluster. An electronic map may be updated with the missing map feature.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of identifying missing map features in an electronic map, the method comprising:
receiving, from each of a plurality of mobile computing devices, a plurality of telemetry probes, each telemetry probe comprising a geographic location of a mobile computing device at a time of the probe;
aggregating the received pluralities of telemetry probes to obtain an aggregated set of telemetry probes;
identifying a subset of telemetry probes in the set of aggregated telemetry probes, each telemetry probe in the subset of telemetry probes corresponding to an existing map feature based on the geographic location of the telemetry probe in an electronic map;
removing the identified subset of telemetry probes from the set of aggregated telemetry probes to obtain a set of remaining telemetry probes;
generating a density map of the set of remaining telemetry probes;
identifying a missing cluster in the density map, the missing cluster comprising a subset of the remaining telemetry probes having at least a threshold density in the density map;
determining a geometry formed by the identified missing cluster; and
defining a missing map feature from the determined geometry.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a subset of telemetry probes in the set of aggregated telemetry probes, each telemetry probe in the subset of telemetry probes corresponding to an existing map feature based on the geographic locations of the telemetry probe in an electronic map, further comprises:
forming a buffer region around an existing map feature by adding a distance to a perimeter of the existing map feature; and
including telemetry probes within the buffer region in the identified subset of telemetry probes.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the pluralities of telemetry probes are obtained over a first time interval.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein generating a density map of the set of remaining telemetry probes comprises:
aggregating a set of remaining telemetry probes collected during a first time interval with a stored set of remaining telemetry probes collected during a second time interval; and
generating the density map based on the aggregation of remaining telemetry probes during the first time interval and the second time interval.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
selecting a threshold density for a region of the density map based at least in part on a number of telemetry probes in the region.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the determined geometries formed by missing clusters comprise at least a line.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the determined geometries formed by missing clusters comprise at least a polygon.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
retrieving data describing map tiles; and
for each telemetry probe in the aggregated set of telemetry probes:
identifying a map tile to which a telemetry probe corresponds based on a geographic location of the telemetry probe and the data describing map tiles; and
storing the telemetry probe in a subset of telemetry probes associated with the identified map tile.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining that the geometry formed by the identified missing cluster is an existing map feature misaligned in the electronic map; and
in response to the determining, adjusting a location of the existing map feature in the electronic map based on the geometry formed by the missing cluster.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining that the geometry formed by the identified missing cluster is located in a body of water in the electronic map; and
in response to the determining, adding a waterway route to the electronic map based on the geometry formed by the identified missing cluster.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
automatically updating the electronic map with missing map features.

### Claim 12

A non-transitory computer-readable storage containing computer program code executable on a processor for identifying missing map features in an electronic map, the computer program code for:
receiving, from each of a plurality of mobile computing devices, a plurality of telemetry probes, each telemetry probe comprising a geographic location of a mobile computing device at a time of the probe;
aggregating the received pluralities of telemetry probes to obtain an aggregated set of telemetry probes;
identifying a subset of telemetry probes in the set of aggregated telemetry probes, each telemetry probe in the subset of telemetry probes corresponding to an existing map feature based on the geographic location of the telemetry probe in an electronic map;
removing the identified subset of telemetry probes from the set of aggregated telemetry probes to obtain a set of remaining telemetry probes;
generating a density map of the set of remaining telemetry probes;
identifying a missing cluster in the density map, the missing cluster comprising a subset of the remaining telemetry probes having at least a threshold density in the density map;
determining a geometry formed by the identified missing cluster; and
defining a missing map feature from the determined geometry.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein identifying a subset of telemetry probes in the set of aggregated telemetry probes, each telemetry probe in the subset of telemetry probes corresponding to an existing map feature based on the geographic locations of the telemetry probe in an electronic map, further comprises:
forming a buffer region around an existing map feature by adding a distance to a perimeter of the existing map feature; and
including telemetry probes within the buffer region in the identified subset of telemetry probes.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the pluralities of telemetry probes are obtained over a first time interval.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein generating a density map of the set of remaining telemetry probes comprises:
aggregating a set of remaining telemetry probes collected during a first time interval with a stored set of remaining telemetry probes collected during a second time interval; and
generating the density map based on the aggregation of remaining telemetry probes during the first time interval and the second time interval.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:
selecting a threshold density for a region of the density map based at least in part on a number of telemetry probes in the region.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the determined geometries formed by missing clusters comprise at least a line.

### Claim 18 (depends on 12)

The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the determined geometries formed by missing clusters comprise at least a polygon.

### Claim 19 (depends on 12)

The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:
retrieving data describing map tiles; and
for each telemetry probe in the aggregated set of telemetry probes:
identifying a map tile to which a telemetry probe corresponds based on a geographic location of the telemetry probe and the data describing map tiles; and
storing the telemetry probe in a subset of telemetry probes associated with the identified map tile.

### Claim 20 (depends on 12)

The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:
determining that the geometry formed by the identified missing cluster is an existing map feature misaligned in the electronic map; and
in response to the determining, adjusting a location of the existing map feature in the electronic map based on the geometry formed by the missing cluster.

### Claim 21 (depends on 12)

The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:
determining that the geometry formed by the identified missing cluster is located in a body of water in the electronic map; and
in response to the determining, adding a waterway route to the electronic map based on the geometry formed by the identified missing cluster.

### Claim 22 (depends on 12)

The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:
automatically updating the electronic map with missing map features.