Shared overlay maps

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11774263-B2
Application number	US-202016815333-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2020
Priority date	Mar 11, 2020
Publication date	Oct 3, 2023
Grant date	Oct 3, 2023

Abstract

The described technology is generally directed towards creation of shared overlay maps to support automated, real-time, cross-platform sharing of map information among groups of digital navigational map users, including but not limited to unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs). A central map authority (or other collaborative/federated organizational entity) can receive map overlay information from a mobile subscriber device, such as a UGV. The central map authority can promulgate the map overlay information to a group of multiple mobile subscriber devices according to the techniques described herein. Individual mobile subscriber devices can use received map overlay information, along with their individual digital navigational maps (DNMs) and navigation systems, to plan their individual routes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
enabling, by a server device comprising a processor, a shared overlay map service,
wherein the server device is included in a communication service provider network adapted to provide wireless communication to unmanned ground vehicles via multiple radio access network nodes,
wherein the shared overlay map service is accessible by subscriber unmanned ground vehicles that subscribe to the shared overlay map service,
wherein enabling the shared overlay map service comprises:
enabling, by the server device, a shared overlay map service application programming interface, which is accessible by the subscriber unmanned ground vehicles via wireless network communications with the multiple radio access network nodes;

receiving, by the server device, map overlay information from a subscriber unmanned ground vehicle of the subscriber unmanned ground vehicles via the shared overlay map service application programming interface, the map overlay information comprising a map location and description information associated with the map location,
wherein the description information associated with the map location comprises wireless coverage information indicating a measured wireless signal strength of a wireless signal received at the subscriber unmanned ground vehicle while the subscriber unmanned ground vehicle is at the map location, wherein the measured wireless signal strength comprises a signal strength from among at least three different signal strengths, and wherein the wireless signal is associated with a radio access network node of the radio access network nodes;
receiving, by the server device, unmanned ground vehicle restriction zone information, wherein the unmanned ground vehicle restriction zone information comprises a restriction zone that defines the unmanned ground vehicle restriction zone information as being applicable to subscriber unmanned ground vehicles and not being applicable to non-subscriber unmanned ground vehicles;
processing, by the server device, the map overlay information along with other received map overlay information, other than the map overlay information, in order to generate an active overlay for use by the subscriber unmanned ground vehicles;
adjusting, by the server device, a planned route of the unmanned ground vehicle based on the map overlay information; and
sending, by the server device, the active overlay to the subscriber unmanned ground vehicles.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending, by the server device, the unmanned ground vehicle restriction zone information to subscriber unmanned ground vehicles corresponding to the restriction zone type.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the server device, unmanned ground vehicle restriction zone information from a stationary server outside the communication service provider network; and
sending, by the server device, the unmanned ground vehicle restriction zone information to the subscriber unmanned ground vehicles.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the server device, location updates from the subscriber unmanned ground vehicles, each respective location update comprising a respective current location of a respective subscriber unmanned ground vehicle, wherein the location updates are sent as a function of displacement of the subscriber unmanned ground vehicles, wherein the displacement comprises displacement between the respective current location and a previous location of the respective subscriber unmanned ground vehicle during a previous location update;
storing, by the server device, location history information comprising the location updates from the subscriber unmanned ground vehicles; and
sending, by the server device, a limited amount of the location history information to the subscriber unmanned ground vehicles.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the other received map overlay information, other than the map overlay information, comprises wireless coverage information from within a wireless coverage area that comprises the map location.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the description information associated with the map location further comprises a sensor input from a machine vision sensor, and wherein the method further comprises processing, by the server device, the sensor input along with other sensor inputs in a multifactor analysis to determine route blockage information at the map location.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shared overlay map service comprises an indoor shared overlay map service for a physical structure, wherein the subscriber unmanned ground vehicles are inside the physical structure, wherein the map location of the map overlay information comprises a location inside the physical structure, and wherein the server device comprises a multi-access edge computer.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shared overlay map service comprises a city shared overlay map service for a city, wherein the subscriber unmanned ground vehicles are inside the city, wherein the map location of the map overlay information comprises a location inside the city, and wherein the server device comprises a radio access network intelligent controller.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the enabling the shared overlay map service further comprises determining a group of the subscriber unmanned ground vehicles to which to send the map overlay information, and wherein sending the map overlay information to the subscriber unmanned ground vehicles comprises sending the map overlay information to only the group of the subscriber unmanned ground vehicles.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the map overlay information further comprises an identification of the subscriber unmanned ground vehicle and time information associated with the map overlay information.

11. An unmanned ground vehicle, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
subscribing to a shared overlay map service that is accessible by unmanned ground vehicles via wireless network communications with radio access network nodes resulting in a subscriber unmanned ground vehicle,
sending map overlay information to a shared overlay map service application programming interface of the shared overlay map service via a radio access network node of the radio access network nodes, the map overlay information comprising a map location and description information associated with the map location, wherein the description information associated with the map location comprises wireless coverage information indicating a measured wireless signal strength of a wireless signal received at the subscriber unmanned ground vehicle while the subscriber unmanned ground vehicle is at the map location, wherein the measured wireless signal strength comprises a signal strength from among at least three different signal strengths, wherein the wireless signal is associated with the radio access network node of the radio access network nodes, and wherein the map overlay information is processed along with other map overlay information, other than the map overlay information, at the shared overlay map service in order to generate an active overlay for use by the subscriber unmanned ground vehicle,
receiving unmanned ground vehicle restriction zone information from the shared overlay map service, wherein the unmanned ground vehicle restriction zone information comprises a restriction zone type that defines the unmanned ground vehicle restriction zone information as being applicable to subscriber unmanned ground vehicles and not being applicable

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Sharma Deva-Datta
• Oetting John

Classifications

• G01C21/3694 Primary

  Output thereof on a road map · CPC title

• G01C21/3673

  Labelling using text of road map data items, e.g. road names, POI names · CPC title

• H04W4/029

  Location-based management or tracking services · CPC title

• H04W4/33

  for indoor environments, e.g. buildings · CPC title

• H04W4/46

  for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V] · CPC title