Patent Document ID: 10001378
Application ID: 15137534
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A computer-implemented method for generating, refining and extending digital vector maps using GPS traces from probe data, comprising: providing, by a processor, a digital vector map having a plurality of nodes spatially associated within a coordinate system, each node having at least one line segment extending therefrom; collecting, by the processor, at least one GPS trace from a plurality of sequentially transmitted probe data points; establishing, by the processor, a map matching criteria; comparing, by the processor, each probe data point along the GPS trace to at least one line segment in the digital vector map using the map matching criteria; designating, by the processor, as “matched” each probe data point along the GPS trace that meets the map matching criteria while designating as “unmatched” each probe data point along the GPS trace that fails the map matching criteria; associating, by the processor, the portion of the GPS trace containing matched probe data points to the respective line segment(s) of the digital vector map; creating, by the processor, a new line segment in the digital vector map with the portion of the GPS trace containing unmatched probe data points; the method further comprising the steps of: calculating a measure and an offset distance between each line segment and probe data points of the GPS trace; searching along the GPS trace to determine a first probe data point having a highest measure and an offset distance to a last matched probe data point less than a predetermined maximum value; comparing the measure of the first probe data point with a measure of a projected probe data point; computing, by the processor, a split point based on the first probe data point when the measure of the first probe data point is larger than the measure of the projected probe data point; splitting, by the processor, the digital vector map by providing a new node at the first probe data point; and connecting, by the processor, the new node with a next node in the digital vector map.