Vehicular Environment Scanning Techniques

A method for creating and managing a digital map for use by vehicles and including information relating to a travel lane on which the vehicles can travel or are traveling, comprising:

• arranging a scanner on the vehicle to direct infrared illumination in the eye-safe portion of the infrared spectrum into the environment outside of and around the vehicle;
• forming images of objects in the environment from which infrared illumination has been reflected;
• determining identity and location of objects in the environment based on the images;
• and
• incorporating the information about the identity and location of objects into the map if not already present therein.

An arrangement for creating and managing a digital map for use by vehicles and including information relating to a travel lane on which the vehicles can travel or are traveling, comprising:

• a scanner arranged on the vehicle to direct infrared illumination in the eye-safe portion of the infrared spectrum into the environment outside of and around the vehicle;
• an image forming system arranged on the vehicle to form images of objects in the environment from which infrared illumination has been reflected;
• and
• a processor coupled to said image forming system for determining identity and location of objects in the environment based on the images and incorporating the information about the identity and location of objects into the map if not already present therein.