Real time high accuracy geospatial database for onboard intelligent vehicle applications

• US 20050149251A1
• Filed: 10/20/2004
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: University of Minnesota
• Original Assignee: University of Minnesota
• Inventors: Alexander, Lee, Donath, Max, Gorjestani, Alec, Newstrom, Bryan, Shankwitz, Craig R., Lim, Heonmin
• Application Number:
  US10/969,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20050149251A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/08 Lane monitoring; Lane Keeping Systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/082 using alarm actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/32 Structuring or formatting of map data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

A geospatial database management system includes a geospatial database containing data elements that identify locations of a plurality of road features of a tangible road. The road features are displaced from each other in a widthwise direction that is transverse to the road.

Claims

1. A geospatial database management system accessible by components of a motorized vehicle comprising a geospatial database including data elements identifying locations of a plurality of road features of a tangible road, wherein the road features are displaced from each other in a widthwise direction that is transverse to the road.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the locations are defined in three dimensional space and have an accuracy of approximately one decimeter or less.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the road features include road boundaries that are proximate side edges of the road.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the road features include a road boundary of the road that extends proximate the road in a lengthwise direction.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the road boundary corresponds to a guard rail positioned proximate a side of the road.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the road features correspond to lane boundaries of at least one lane of the road that are displaced from each other in the widthwise direction and extend along the road in a lengthwise direction.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the lane boundaries correspond to line markings on the road.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the line markings correspond to a group consisting of a centerline and a lane boundary line.

9. The system of claim 1 including a data storage medium supported by the motorized vehicle, wherein the locations are stored on the data storage medium.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the geospatial database includes attribute data identifying the road features corresponding to the locations.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the attribute data includes information indicative of how the road feature should be graphically represented on a display.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the geospatial database includes locations of structures that are adjacent to the road.

13. A geospatial database management system for use with a motorized vehicle, the system comprising:

a geospatial database including data elements identifying locations of a plurality of road features of a tangible road, wherein the road features are displaced from each other in a widthwise direction that is transverse to the road;

a driver assist subsystem component supported on the motor vehicle and configured to assist a driver of the motor vehicle based on the locations of the geospatial database;

a database manager component configured to maintain the locations in the geospatial database and receive database queries from the driver assist subsystem; and

a query processor configured to receive the database queries from the database manager component, query the geospatial database based on the database queries and return query results to the database manager component.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the locations have an accuracy of approximately one decimeter or less.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the road features include road boundaries at approximate side edges of the road.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the road features include a road boundary of the road that extends proximate the road in a lengthwise direction.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the road boundary corresponds to a guard rail positioned proximate a side of the road.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the road features include lane boundaries of at least one lane of the road that are displaced from each other in the widthwise direction and extend along the road in a lengthwise direction.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the lane boundaries correspond to line markings on the road.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the line markings correspond to a group consisting of a centerline and a lane boundary line.

21. The system of claim 13 including a data storage medium supported by the motorized vehicle, wherein the locations are stored on the data storage medium.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the geospatial database includes attribute data identifying the road features corresponding to the locations.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the attribute data includes information indicative of how the road feature should be graphically represented on a display.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein the geospatial database includes locations of structures that are adjacent to the road.

25. The system of claim 13, wherein the driver assist subsystem generates haptic feedback to the driver of the vehicle.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the haptic feedback is generated in response to a position of the vehicle relative to the locations of the road features identified by the data elements.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the haptic feedback is generated through a steering wheel, a brake pedal, or a seat.

28. The system of claim 13, wherein the driver assist subsystem generates a warning based on a position of the vehicle relative to the locations of the road features identified by the data of the geospatial database.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the warning is at least one of a visual warning, an audio warning, a tactile warning, and a haptic warning.

30. The system of claim 13, wherein the haptic feedback includes at least one stimulus applied to the driver of the vehicle.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the stimulus includes at least one of a vibration, a force, a torque, and a motion.

32. The system of claim 13, including a radar subsystem configured to detect objects in a vicinity of the vehicle and pass a location of the detected objects to the driver assist subsystem.

33. A geospatial database management system accessible by components of a motorized vehicle, the system comprising a geospatial database including data elements identifying a plurality of road features of a tangible road and locations of the road features, the road features including lane boundaries of a vehicle lane of the road that are displaced from each other in a widthwise direction that is transverse to the road and extend in a lengthwise direction along the road.

34. The system of claim 33 including a data storage medium supported by the motorized vehicle, wherein the data elements are stored on the data storage medium.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the locations of the road features identified by the data elements have an accuracy of approximately one decimeter or less.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein the road features include road boundaries that are proximate side edges of the road.

37. The system of claim 33, wherein the road features correspond to line markings on the road.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the line markings are selected from a group consisting of a center line marking on the road and a lane boundary line marking on the road.