# US 10,309,796 B2 · Method of representing road lanes > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,309,796 B2 - Document ID: US10309796B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/299,079 - Filed: 2016-10-20 - Published: 2017-02-16 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2003-06-19 - Assignees: HERE Global B.V. - Applicants: HERE Global B.V. - Inventors: Michael Weiland; Gregory Nyczak; William McDonough; Michael Tsengouras; David Shuman; Paul Ford - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10309796B2 ## CPC - G01C 21/367: {Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker} - B60T 8/17: Using electrical or electronic regulation means to control braking {(detecting or indicating faulty operation B60T8/885)} - G01C 21/26: specially adapted for navigation in a road network - G06F 16/50: of still image data - G06F 16/51: Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures - G06F 17/00: Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions (information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00) - G16Z 99/00: Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass - Y02T 10/82: Elements for improving aerodynamics - 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) - B60T: VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF; BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF, IN GENERAL (electrodynamic brake systems for vehicle, in general B60L; brakes per se, i.e. devices where braking effect occurs, including ultimate brake actuators, F16D); ARRANGEMENT OF BRAKING ELEMENTS ON VEHICLES IN GENERAL; PORTABLE DEVICES FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES; VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITATE COOLING OF BRAKES - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G16Z: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR SPECIFIC APPLICATION FIELDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A method is disclosed for representing road lanes as data in a database that can be used by a system in a vehicle to provide a safety-related function. Each data representation of a physical road lane includes data indicating start and end points of the represented lane and other data attributes pertaining to the represented lane, including data indicating what physical features are adjacent to the represented lane on right and left sides thereof and data indicating a geometry of the represented lane. The database is compatible with navigation-related applications that use a different data model to provide navigation-related functions. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: storing, in a navigation database, at least one data representation of a road lane including a boundary for the road lane and an adjacency attribute for the at least one data representation of the road lane, wherein the adjacency attribute for the road lane describes at least one feature adjacent to the road lane and outside of the boundary for the road lane; receiving, at a driving assistance system, data from one or more sensors of a vehicle; accessing, from the navigation database, the adjacency attribute for the at least one data representation of the road lane; and generating data indicative of an action for the driving assistance system in response to the adjacency attribute accessed from the navigation database. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the data indicative of the action for the driving assistance system controls a mechanical system of the vehicle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the mechanical system includes the brakes of the vehicle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: capturing an image including at least part of an environment of the vehicle, wherein the image is the data from the one or more sensors of the vehicle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the data indicative of the action for the driving assistance system includes a driver warning. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the data indicative of the action for the driving assistance system includes an obstacle warning, an obstacle avoidance, a lane departure warning, a collision warning, a collision avoidance, adaptive cruise control, adaptive transmission operation, or automatic headlight aiming operation. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the data indicative of the action for the driving assistance system includes a warning or operation for a lateral lane change. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the driving assistance system determines where a lane change is possible along the at least one data representation of the road lane. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the driving assistance system determines where other vehicles are likely to be present along the at least one data representation of the road lane. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one data representation of the road lane indicates a transitioning lane that is less than full width and the adjacent attribute represents one or more features adjacent to the transitioning lane. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the adjacency attribute for the at least one data representation of the road lane describes at least one feature adjacent to the road lane on a first side thereof and at least one feature adjacent to the road lane on a second side thereof. ### Claim 12 A method comprising: receiving at least one data representation of a road lane including a boundary of the road lane and an adjacency attribute for the at least one data representation of the road lane, wherein the adjacency attribute for the road lane describes at least one feature adjacent to the road lane and outside of the boundary for the road lane; receiving data from one or more sensors of a vehicle; and generating data indicative of an action for the driving assistance system in response to the adjacency attribute. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the data indicative of the action for the driving assistance system controls a mechanical system of the vehicle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the mechanical system includes the brakes of the vehicle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the data indicative of the action for the driving assistance system includes a driver warning. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the data indicative of the action for the driving assistance system includes an obstacle warning, an obstacle avoidance, a lane departure warning, a collision warning, a collision avoidance, adaptive cruise control, adaptive transmission operation, or an automatic headlight operation. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the data indicative of the action for the driving assistance system includes a warning or operation for a lateral lane change. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the driving assistance system determines where a lane change is possible along the at least one data representation of the road lane. ### Claim 19 An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs; the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform: storing at least one data representation of a road lane including a boundary for the road lane and an adjacency attribute for the at least one data representation of the road lane, wherein the adjacency attribute for the road lane describes at least one feature adjacent to the road lane and outside of the boundary for the road lane; receiving data from one or more sensors of a vehicle; accessing the adjacency attribute for the at least one data representation of the road lane; and generating data indicative of an action for a driving assistance system in response to the adjacency attribute accessed from the navigation database.