Method for Segmenting and Computing the Pattern of a Road

• US 20080247645A1
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Kersken, Ulrich, Vogt, Wilhelm, Varchmin, Axel
• Granted Patent: US 8,111,917 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/173
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3819 Road shape data, e.g. outline of a route
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/203 Drawing of straight lines or curves

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for subdividing the road pattern in digital road maps into segments, in which, starting from the digital road maps in which the road pattern is subdivided into successive segments, new segment borders are established via new segment starting points and segment end points, by selecting the segment starting points and the segment end points in such a way that the shape of the segments between the segment starting points and the segment end points does not change. The invention also relates to the computation of the road pattern with the aid of digital road maps, in which the road is subdivided into successive segments, to each of which one segment starting point and one segment end point is assigned. The shape of the segment is established and, from its relative position, its pattern is computed with the aid of the number of support points situated between the segment starting points and the segment end points, and/or with the aid of transition conditions between the segments and/or the consideration of attributes.

Claims

1-11. -11. (canceled)

12. A method for subdividing a road pattern in digital road maps into segments, comprising:

starting from digital road maps in which the road pattern is subdivided into successive segments, establishing new segment borders via new segment starting points and segment end points, by selecting the segment starting points and the segment end points in such a way that the shape of the segments between the segment starting points and the segment end points does not change.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the segment pattern is computed while additionally taking into consideration the position of the support points and the position of the segment starting points and the segment end points.

15. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein in response to errors of a support point, the segment is established as a straight line.

16. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the segment is established as a circular arc via only one support point.

17. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the segment is established as a clothoid via two support points.

18. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the support points are provided with attributes which distinguish them from segment starting points and segment end points.

19. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the segment starting points and the segment end points are computed anew based on present, digital road maps.

20. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein a segment end point of a segment is used as the segment starting point of the segment immediately subsequent to it.

21. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the segment starting point, the segment end point and the support points that are present are used for the computation of the pattern of the segment.

22. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the road pattern is established via additional conditions with respect to the transition between the segments or via attributes at the segments.

13. A method for computing a road pattern with the aid of digital road maps, comprising:

subdividing a road into successive segments to each of which one segment starting point and one segment end point is assigned, wherein the shape of the segment is established and its pattern is computed with the aid of the support points situated between the segment starting points and the segment end points, and/or with the aid of transition conditions between the segments and/or of an attribute.