Road detection using traffic sign information

A method for operating a vehicle comprising:

• storing, by one or more processors on the vehicle, a database including sign information for a plurality of different sign types of traffic signs, the sign information including, for each sign type of the plurality of sign types, a predefined lateral distance from the sign type to a road edge, wherein the sign information in the database is initially generated at least using information specified by a jurisdictional entity, wherein the sign information in the database is subsequently updated using empirical data received from a plurality of vehicles over time;
• receiving, by the one or more processors, at least one image from at least one sensor;
• recognizing, by the one or more processors, the sign type of a traffic sign in the at least one image;
• determining, by the one or more processors, a likely location of the road edge in relation to the vehicle based at least partially on the recognized sign type and the predefined lateral distance specified by the sign information in the database, wherein determining the likely location of the road edge includes applying a first weight to the information specified by the jurisdictional entity in the database, and a second weight to the empirical data in the database;
• and
• sending, by the one or more processors, one or more control signals to at least one component of the vehicle based on the determined likely location of the road edge relative to the vehicle.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing processor executable instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, configure the one or more processors to:

• store, in a storage in a vehicle, a database including sign information for a plurality of different sign types of traffic signs, the sign information including, for each sign type of the plurality of sign types, a predefined lateral distance from the sign type to a road edge, wherein the sign information in the database is initially generated at least using information specified by a jurisdictional entity, wherein the sign information in the database is subsequently updated using empirical data received from a plurality of vehicles over time;
• receive at least one image from at least one sensor;
• recognize the sign type of a traffic sign in the at least one image;
• and
• determine a likely location of the road edge in relation to the vehicle based at least partially on the recognized sign type and the predefined lateral distance specified by the sign information in the database, wherein determining the likely location of the road edge includes applying a first weight to the information specified by the jurisdictional entity in the database, and a second weight to the empirical data in the database.