Method and system for autonomously developing or augmenting geographical databases by mining uncoordinated probe data
AssigneeDaimlerChrysler AG
InventorsChristopher Kenneth Hoover Wilson, Seth Olds Rogers, Patrick Wyatt Langley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system are provided for developing geospatial information concerning a particular area using a plurality of uncoordinated probe vehicles moving in the area. The probe vehicles are equipped with a position determining system and gather probe vehicle specific geospatial information as the vehicles move in the area. This probe vehicle specific information is combined over time into a data set. A central processor analyzes the data set to determine geospatial information having a higher quality than that gathered by the individual probe vehicles for the particular area.
Claims17
A method for autonomously developing substantially static geospatial information concerning a particular area using a plurality of uncoordinated probe systems moving in said area, the method comprising the acts of:
- obtaining probe system specific geospatial information of a lower quality from only the plurality of probe systems moving in said area;
- combining said probe system specific information obtained over time into a data set;
- analyzing said data set to determine substantially static geospatial information of a higher quality;
- wherein said probe system specific geospatial information is position information;
- wherein the probe systems are probe vehicles, and further comprising the act of developing map information on the particular area based on the higher quality geospatial information;
- wherein the act of developing the map information comprises the act of deriving at least one of roadway and vehicle lane geometry information;
- and
- wherein the act of deriving at least one of roadway and vehicle lane geometry information comprises the acts of:
- obtaining a baseline trace of the position information of an initial probe vehicle to determine an initial virtual roadway centerline;
- and
- refining the initial virtual roadway centerline based on additional traces of position information from subsequent probe vehicles traveling the roadway to derive the location of the roadway.
A system for developing substantially static geospatial information concerning a particular area, comprising:
- a plurality of probe vehicles operable to move in the area in an uncoordinated manner, each probe vehicle including at least a position sensor to detect its position with a defined accuracy as it moves in the area, and a communications device to communicate the detected positions;
- a central processor which receives the detected positions from the plurality of probe vehicles, the central processor comprising means for combining only the detected positions into a data set and means for analyzing the data set to derive the substantially static geospatial information having a higher level of accuracy than that detected by the individual probe vehicles;
- wherein the geospatial information at a higher level of accuracy is roadway lane information, said means for analyzing the data set to determine the roadway lane information comprising:
- means for determining a virtual centerline of the roadway based on position traces formed by the detected positions from each probe vehicle;
- means for calculating offsets from the virtual centerline for each position in a position trace for each of the position traces;
- and
- means for clustering the offsets to determine the vehicle lane information for the roadway.
A method for autonomously developing vehicle lane information for a roadway map using a plurality of probe vehicles supplying position traces when traveling, the method comprising the acts of:
- obtaining a baseline roadway centerline from an initial position trace from one of the probe vehicles;
- refining the baseline roadway centerline to obtain a virtual centerline by iteratively performing a weighted averaging of the baseline roadway centerline with a number of position traces from the plurality of probe vehicles;
- calculating an offset from the virtual centerline for each position in the position traces supplied by the plurality of probe vehicles;
- and
- clustering the offsets into vehicle lanes and averaging the clustered offsets to determine each lane centerline.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.