Probe data evaluation apparatus, and storage medium storing probe data evaluation program product

1. A probe data evaluation apparatus, including a processor and a memory for causing a computer to provide relevant functions of following configuration and units, the probe data evaluation apparatus comprising:

a probe data collection unit configured to collect probe data including traveling state data and having a reliability set to the probe data based on a traveling state from a vehicle;

a provisional map data generation unit configured to generate provisional map data based on the probe data collected by the probe data collection unit;

a comparison unit configured to compare the provisional map data generated by the provisional map data generation unit with reference map data to provide a comparison result; and

a determination unit configured to determine whether or not to adopt the probe data collected by the probe data collection unit based on the comparison result by the comparison unit,

wherein:

the comparison unit is further configured to

compare the provisional map data with the reference map data in a state where a feature portion set on a road in the provisional map data is overlapped on a corresponding feature portion set in the reference map data, and

determine a counted number of the feature portions to be overlapped when comparing the provisional map data with the reference map data, based on a predetermined reliability.

2. The probe data evaluation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

the comparison unit is configured to compare the provisional map data with the reference map data in a state where a plurality of the feature portions included in the provisional map data are overlapped, respectively, on a plurality of the feature portions included in the reference map data.

3. The probe data evaluation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

the probe data includes traveling state data indicating traveling states of the vehicle; and the comparison unit is configured to set the reliability, based on the traveling state data.

4. The probe data evaluation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

the comparison unit is configured to set a length of a comparison segment for comparing the provisional map data and the reference map data, based on the reliability.

5. The probe data evaluation apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein:

when the length of the comparison segment set based on the reliability exceeds a predetermined length, the comparison unit is configured to set the predetermined length as the comparison segment.

6. The probe data evaluation apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a verification unit configured to verify traveling of the vehicle based on the provisional map data when the determination unit has determined that the probe data are adopted.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a probe data evaluation program comprising instructions configured to, when executed by a processor, perform a method comprising:

collecting probe data including traveling state data and having a reliability set to the probe data based on a traveling state from a vehicle;

generating provisional map data based on the collected probe data;

comparing the generated provisional map data with reference map data in a state where a feature portion set on a road in the provisional map data is overlapped on a corresponding feature portion set in the reference map data, to provide a comparison result, wherein a counted number of the feature portions to be overlapped when comparing the provisional map data with reference map data is determined based on a predetermined reliability set in the probe data forming the provisional map data; and

determining whether or not to adopt the collected probe data based on the comparison result.

8. A probe data evaluation apparatus, including a processor and memory for causing a computer to provide relevant functions of following configuration and units, the probe data evaluation apparatus comprising:

one or more processors connected with a transceiver and a storage via a communication link, the one or more processors being configured to

collect probe data including traveling state data and having a reliability set to the probe data based on a traveling state from a vehicle using the transceiver communicating with the vehicle via a wireless communication link;

generate provisional map data based on the collected probe data;

compare the generated provisional map data with reference map data, which is stored in the memory, in a state where a feature portion set on a road in the provisional map data is overlapped on a corresponding feature portion set in the reference map data, to provide a comparison result; and

determine whether or not to adopt the collected probe data based on the provided comparison result,

wherein:

the one or more processors are further configured to determine a counted number of the feature portions to be overlapped when comparing the provisional map data with the reference map data, based on a predetermined reliability set in the probe data forming the provisional map data.