# US 2021/0240746 A1 · Use of geographic database comprising lane level information for traffic parameter prediction

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- Number: US 2021/0240746 A1
- Document ID: US20210240746A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/302,092
- Filed: 2021-04-23
- Published: 2021-08-05
- Earliest claimed: 2018-08-31
- Assignees: HERE Global B.V.
- Applicants: HERE Global B.V.
- Inventors: James Fowe
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210240746A1

## CPC

- G06F 16/29: Geographical information databases
- G01C 21/3658: {Lane guidance}
- G01C 21/3691: {Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions (arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09)}
- G06F 16/285: {Clustering or classification}
- G08G 1/0112: {from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]}
- G08G 1/0129: {for creating historical data or processing based on historical data}
- G08G 1/0133: {for classifying traffic situation}
- G08G 1/0141: {for traffic information dissemination}
- H04L 67/10: in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46)
- H04L 67/12: specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
- H04L 67/52: specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- 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)
- 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})
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

A plurality of instances of probe data are received. Each instance of probe data corresponds to travel of a vehicle apparatus along a first segment, comprises an indication of at least one parameter characterizing the travel of the vehicle apparatus along the first segment. The at least one parameter is extracted from the instances of probe data to generate a distribution of parameters. One or more clusters of instances of probe data are identified based on the distribution of parameters. Responsive to identifying two or more clusters, a representative at least one parameter is determined for each cluster, and an element of a data structure is modified based thereon for each cluster. Responsive to identifying only one cluster of instances of probe data, the data structure is not modified based on the cluster. A navigation application is configured to use the data structure to perform a navigation function.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus comprising at least one processor, at least one non-transitory memory storing computer program code, and at least one communications interface configured to communicate via at least one network, the computer program code configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least:
generate or update a data structure of a geographic database, wherein the data structure is generated or updated to comprise at least a first representative parameter and a second representative parameter, the first representative parameter corresponds to travel in one or more first lanes of the first segment, the second representative parameter corresponding to travel in one or more second lanes of the first segment, the one or more first lanes not overlapping with the one or more second lanes and the first representative parameter having a different value from the second representative parameter, wherein the geographic database is configured to be used to perform a navigation function.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first representative parameter and the second representative parameter corresponds to a same epoch, the epoch being a predefined particular period of time.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer program code is further configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least determine the first representative parameter and the second representative parameter by analyzing a distribution of parameters extracted from probe data generated by one or more vehicle apparatuses traversing the first segment to identify one or more clusters of parameters within the distribution of parameters.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first representative parameter and second representative parameter each comprise an indication of at least one of (a) travel speed, (b) travel time, or (c) free flow ratio respectively for the one or more first lanes and the one or more second lanes.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the data structure is linked to a link record of the geographic database corresponding to the first segment.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein performing the navigation function comprises using at least a portion of the data structure to predict a traffic parameter corresponding to the first segment.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data structure further comprises third representative parameter corresponding to travel in one or more third lanes, the one or more third lanes not overlapping the one or more first lanes or the one or more second lanes, the third representative parameter being different from the first representative parameter and the second representative parameter.

### Claim 8

A method comprising:
generating or updating a data structure of a geographic database, wherein the data structure is generated or updated by a network apparatus comprising a processor, memory, and a communication interface configured to communicate via at least one network, wherein the data structure is generated or updated to comprise at least a first representative parameter and a second representative parameter, the first representative parameter corresponds to travel in one or more first lanes of the first segment, the second representative parameter corresponding to travel in one or more second lanes of the first segment, the one or more first lanes not overlapping with the one or more second lanes and the first representative parameter having a different value from the second representative parameter, wherein the geographic database is configured to be used to perform a navigation function.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the first representative parameter and the second representative parameter corresponds to a same epoch, the epoch being a predefined particular period of time.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising determining the first representative parameter and the second representative parameter by analyzing a distribution of parameters extracted from probe data generated by one or more vehicle apparatuses traversing the first segment to identify one or more clusters of parameters within the distribution of parameters.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the first representative parameter and second representative parameter each comprise an indication of at least one of (a) travel speed, (b) travel time, or (c) free flow ratio respectively for the one or more first lanes and the one or more second lanes.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein at least a portion of the data structure is linked to a link record of the geographic database corresponding to the first segment.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein performing the navigation function comprises using at least a portion of the data structure to predict a traffic parameter corresponding to the first segment.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the data structure further comprises third representative parameter corresponding to travel in one or more third lanes, the one or more third lanes not overlapping the one or more first lanes or the one or more second lanes, the third representative parameter being different from the first representative parameter and the second representative parameter.

### Claim 15

A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein with the computer-executable program code instructions comprising program code instructions configured to, when executed by a processor of an apparatus, cause the apparatus to at least:
generate or update a data structure of a geographic database, wherein the data structure is generated or updated to comprise at least a first representative parameter and a second representative parameter, the first representative parameter corresponds to travel in one or more first lanes of the first segment, the second representative parameter corresponding to travel in one or more second lanes of the first segment, the one or more first lanes not overlapping with the one or more second lanes and the first representative parameter having a different value from the second representative parameter, wherein the geographic database is configured to be used to perform a navigation function.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the first representative parameter and the second representative parameter corresponds to a same epoch, the epoch being a predefined particular period of time.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer program code is further configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least determine the first representative parameter and the second representative parameter by analyzing a distribution of parameters extracted from probe data generated by one or more vehicle apparatuses traversing the first segment to identify one or more clusters of parameters within the distribution of parameters.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the first representative parameter and second representative parameter each comprise an indication of at least one of (a) travel speed, (b) travel time, or (c) free flow ratio respectively for the one or more first lanes and the one or more second lanes.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The computer program product of claim 15, wherein at least a portion of the data structure is linked to a link record of the geographic database corresponding to the first segment.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The computer program product of claim 15, wherein performing the navigation function comprises using at least a portion of the data structure to predict a traffic parameter corresponding to the first segment.