Map evaluation system, collation device, and map evaluation device

A collation device comprising:

• map collating means for determining, by collating a road location with a vehicle position path, whether a difference is present between the vehicle position path and the road location and for then generating difference information indicating a location of the difference when the difference is determined to be present, wherein the vehicle position path is detected by a vehicle position detecting unit while the road location is indicated on a road map that is stored in a map database and corresponds to the vehicle position path;
• difference accuracy information obtaining means for obtaining accuracy information used for determining degree of accuracy for the difference information, wherein the accuracy information includes at least generating-time information indicating a generating time when the vehicle position path is detected;
• and
• transmitting means for transmitting the difference information and the accuracy information to an outside device.

A map evaluation device capable of being communicated with a collation device that includes:

• map collating means for determining, by collating a road location with a vehicle position path, whether a difference is present between the vehicle position path and the road location and for then generating difference information indicating a location of the difference when the difference is determined to be present, wherein the vehicle position path is detected by a vehicle position detecting unit while the road location is indicated on a road map that is stored in a map database and corresponds to the vehicle position path;
• difference accuracy information obtaining means for obtaining accuracy information used for determining a degree of accuracy for the difference information, wherein the accuracy information includes at least generating-time information indicating a generating time when the vehicle position path is detected;
• and
• transmitting means for transmitting the difference information and the accuracy information to an outside device,
• the map evaluation device comprising:
• receiving means for receiving the difference information and the accuracy information transmitted by the collation device;
• difference accuracy determining means for executing determination of the degree of accuracy for the difference information based on the accuracy information;
• map evaluating means for executing evaluation of degree of credibility for a portion of the road map based on a result of determination of the degree of accuracy executed by the difference accuracy determining means, wherein the portion of the road map corresponds to the location of the difference indicated by the difference information;
• and
• outputting means for outputting a result of the evaluation of the degree of credibility executed by the map evaluating means.

A map evaluation device capable of being communicated with a collation device that includes:

• map collating means for determining, by collating a road location with a vehicle position path, whether a difference is present between the vehicle position path and the road location and for then generating difference information indicating a location of the difference when the difference is determined to be present, wherein the vehicle position path is detected by a vehicle position detecting unit while the road location is indicated on a road map that is stored in a map database and corresponds to the vehicle position path;
• difference accuracy information obtaining means for obtaining accuracy information used for determining degree of accuracy for the difference information;
• wherein the accuracy information includes at least generating-time information indicating a generating time when the vehicle position path is detected;
• and
• transmitting means for transmitting the difference information and the accuracy information to an outside device,
• wherein the accuracy information obtaining means obtains the accuracy information that includes information relating to degree of accuracy of position detection of the vehicle position detecting unit,
• the map evaluation device comprising:
• receiving means for receiving the difference information and the accuracy information transmitted by the collation device;
• difference accuracy determining means for executing determination of the degree of accuracy for the difference information based on the accuracy information;
• map evaluating means for executing evaluation of degree of credibility for a portion of the road map based on a result of determination of the degree of accuracy executed by the difference accuracy determining means, wherein the portion of the road map corresponds to the location of the difference indicated by the difference information;
• outputting means for outputting a result of the evaluation of the degree of credibility executed by the map evaluating means;
• and
• evaluation result storing means for storing the result of the evaluation executed by the map evaluating means,
• wherein the map evaluating means executes the evaluation of the degree of credibility for the portion of the road map based on the result of the determination of the degree of accuracy executed by the difference accuracy determining means and a history of the result of the evaluation stored by the evaluation result storing means,
• wherein, when the difference accuracy determining means executes the determination that the degree of accuracy for the difference information is a proper degree, the map evaluating means lowers the degree of credibility for the portion of the road map from a degree of credibility for the portion of the road map included in a previous result of the evaluation that is stored by the evaluation result storing means,
• wherein the difference accuracy determining means determines whether the degree of position detection of the position detecting unit is equal to a given degree or above based on the accuracy information, and
• wherein, when the degree of position detection is determined to be the given degree or above, the difference accuracy determining means determines that the degree of accuracy for the difference information is the proper degree.

A map evaluation device capable of being communicated with a collation device that includes:

• map collating means for determining, by collating a road location with a vehicle position path, whether a difference is present between the vehicle position path and the road location and for then generating difference information indicating a location of the difference when the difference is determined to be present, wherein the vehicle position path is detected by a vehicle position detecting unit while the road location is indicated on a road map that is stored in a map database and corresponds to the vehicle position path;
• difference accuracy information obtaining means for obtaining accuracy information used for determining degree of accuracy for the difference information;
• and
• transmitting means for transmitting the difference information and the accuracy information to an outside device,
• wherein the map database is internally included in the collation device, and
• wherein the accuracy information obtaining means obtains the accuracy information that includes version information indicating a version of the map database,
• the map evaluation device comprising:
• receiving means for receiving the difference information and the accuracy information transmitted by the collation device;
• difference accuracy determining means for executing determination of the degree of accuracy for the difference information based on the accuracy information;
• map evaluating means for executing evaluation of degree of credibility for a portion of the road map based on a result of determination of the degree of accuracy executed by the difference accuracy determining means, wherein the portion of the road map corresponds to the location of the difference indicated by the difference information;
• outputting means for outputting a result of the evaluation of the degree of credibility executed by the map evaluating means;
• and
• evaluation result storing means for storing the result of the evaluation executed by the map evaluating means,
• wherein the map evaluating means executes the evaluation of the degree of credibility for the portion of the road map based on the result of the determination of the degree of accuracy executed by the difference accuracy determining means and a history of the result of the evaluation stored by the evaluation result storing means,
• wherein, when the difference accuracy determining means executes the determination that the degree of accuracy for the difference information is a proper degree, the map evaluating means lowers the degree of credibility for the portion of the road map from a degree of credibility for the portion of the road map included in a previous result of the evaluation that is stored by the evaluation result storing means,
• wherein the difference accuracy determining means determines whether the version of the map database is latest based on the accuracy information,
• wherein, when the version of the map database is determined to be latest, the difference accuracy determining means determines that the degree of accuracy for the difference information is the proper degree and then causes a command to be output fo updating the map database based on the difference information.

A map evaluation device capable of being communicated with a collation device that includes:

• map collating means for determining, by collating a road location with a vehicle position path, whether a difference is present between the vehicle position path and the road location and for then generating difference information indicating a location of the difference when the difference is determined to be present, wherein the vehicle position path is detected by a vehicle position detecting unit while the road location is indicated on a road map that is stored in a map database and corresponds to the vehicle position path;
• difference accuracy information obtaining means for obtaining accuracy information used for determining degree of accuracy for the difference information;
• and
• transmitting means for transmitting the difference information and the accuracy information to an outside device,
• wherein the map database is internally included in the collation device, and
• wherein the accuracy information obtaining means obtains the accuracy information that includes version information indicating a version of the map database and information relating to a degree of accuracy of position detection of the vehicle position detecting unit,
• the map evaluation device comprising:
• receiving means for receiving the difference information and the accuracy information transmitted by the collation device;
• difference accuracy determining means for executing determination of the degree of accuracy for the difference information based on the accuracy information;
• map evaluating means for executing evaluation of degree of credibility for a portion of the road map based on a result of determination of the degree of accuracy executed by the difference accuracy determining means, wherein the portion of the road map corresponds to the location of the difference indicated by the difference information;
• outputting means for outputting a result of the evaluation of the degree of credibility executed by the map evaluating means;
• and
• evaluation result storing means for storing the result of the evaluation executed by the map evaluating means,
• wherein the map evaluating means executes the evaluation of the degree of credibility for the portion of the road map based on the result of the determination of the degree of accuracy executed by the difference accuracy determining means and a history of the result of the evaluation stored by the evaluation result storing means,
• wherein, when the difference accuracy determining means executes the determination that the degree of the accuracy for the difference information is a proper degree, the map evaluating means lowers the degree of credibility for the portion of the road map from a degree of credibility for the portion of the road map included in a previous result of the evaluation that is stored by the evaluation result storing means,
• wherein the difference accuracy determining means determines whether the version of the map database is latest and whether the degree of position detection of the position detecting unit is equal to a given degree or above based on the accuracy information, and
• wherein, when the version of the map database is determined to be latest and the degree of position detection is determined to be the given degree or above, the difference accuracy determining means determines that the degree of accuracy for the difference information is the proper degree and then causes a command to be output for updating the map database based on the difference information, and
• wherein, when the version of the map database is determined to be not latest or the degree position detectionis determined to be not the given degree or above, the difference accuracy determining means determines that the degree of accuracy for the difference information is not the proper degree and causes no command to be output for updating the map database based on the difference information.