Method, apparatus, and system for determining a bicycle lane deviation for autonomous vehicle operation

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 perform at least the following, retrieve probe data associated with a bicycle transportation mode;
• determine a plurality of probe points of the probe data that are map-matched outside of a bicycle lane;
• cluster the plurality of probe points into at least one location cluster based on a clustering model configured to cluster archived probe points or selected probe points of the plurality of probe points for determining one or more geographic areas where a plurality of bicycles are not staying in a given bicycle lane, wherein the clustering model is configured to use a sliding window for selection of the archived probe points;
• store the one or more location clusters in a geographic database as respective one or more hazard areas where a plurality of bicycles deviates outside of the bicycle lane;
• determine a confidence level of bicycle deviations for each of the one or more location clusters in the geographic databases based on a spatial relationship of the one or more location clusters to one or more bicycle lanes;
• determine a likelihood that a vehicle along a route is approaching the one or more location clusters;
• and
• provide an output signal for activation of one or more sensors coupled to the vehicle prior to the vehicle approaching the one or more location clusters and the determined confidence level, wherein activation of the one or more sensors includes one or more instructions to unretract a laser-based distance sensor from a retracted position to an unretracted position that enables the laser-based distance sensor to scan an area corresponding to the one or more location clusters.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to perform:

• retrieving probe data associated with a bicycle transportation mode;
• determining a plurality of probe points of the probe data that are map-matched outside of a bicycle lane;
• clustering the plurality of probe points into at least one location cluster based on a clustering model configured to cluster archived probe points or selected probe points of the plurality of probe points for determining one or more geographic areas where a plurality of bicycles are not staying in a given bicycle lane, wherein the clustering model is configured to use a sliding window for selection of the archived probe points;
• storing the one or more location clusters in a geographic database as respective one or more hazard areas where a plurality of bicycles deviates outside of the bicycle lane;
• determining a confidence level of bicycle deviations for each of the one or more location clusters in the geographic databases based on a spatial relationship of the one or more location clusters to one or more bicycle lanes;
• determining a likelihood that a vehicle along a route is approaching the one or more location clusters;
• and
• providing an output signal for activation of one or more sensors coupled to the vehicle prior to the vehicle approaching the one or more location clusters and the determined confidence level, wherein activation of the one or more sensors includes one or more instructions to unretract a laser-based distance sensor from a retracted position to an unretracted position that enables the laser-based distance sensor to scan an area corresponding to the one or more location clusters.