TRAFFIC SIGNAL MAPPING AND DETECTION

• US 20140185880A1
• Filed: 03/10/2014
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Fairfield, Nathaniel, Urmson, Christopher Paul, Thrun, Sebastian
• Granted Patent: US 8,818,043 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/104
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09623 Systems involving the acquisition of information from passive traffic signs by means mounted on the vehicle G08G1/0967 takes precedence

Abstract

A system and method provides maps identifying the 3D location of traffic lights. The position, location, and orientation of a traffic light may be automatically extrapolated from two or more images. The maps may then be used to assist robotic vehicles or human drivers to identify the location and status of a traffic signal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors of a vehicle, an image of a traffic intersection captured using a camera of the vehicle as the vehicle approaches the intersection, the image being associated with location information;

identifying, by one or more processors of the vehicle, a set of red, yellow, and green objects within the image;

generating, by the one or more processors of the vehicle, a set of traffic signal labels based on the set of identified red, yellow and green objects;

filtering, by the one or more processors of the vehicle, the set of traffic signal labels to remove labels for red, yellow, or green objects that correspond to objects other than a traffic signal light; and

determining, by the one or more processors of the vehicle, a three-dimensional location of a traffic signal based on the filtered set of traffic signal labels and location information of the image; and

determining, by the one or more processors of the vehicle, a status of the traffic signal based on the three-dimensional location and the image.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising capturing the image using the camera.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising accessing a detailed map in order to identify the intersection before capturing the image.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, maneuvering, by the one or more processors of the vehicle, the vehicle through the intersection in an autonomous driving mode based on the status.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising announcing the status audibly to a driver of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

incorporating the status into a navigation direction; and

providing the navigation direction to a driver of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying associated labels within two or more images captured using the camera of the vehicle as the vehicle approaches the intersection, based on the geographic locations of the two or more images.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the three-dimensional location of the traffic signal is further based on the identified associated labels.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising when the one or more processors of the vehicle are unable to discern the status, using a default value to provide a notification of the status of the traffic signal to the driver of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising when the one or more processors of the vehicle are unable to discern the status, using a default value to provide a notification of the status of the traffic signal to the driver of the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising when the one or more processors of the vehicle are unable to discern the status, using a default value to provide a notification of the status of the traffic signal to the driver of the vehicle.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine the three-dimensional location of the traffic signal further based on the identified associated labels.

19. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to when the one or more processors of the vehicle are unable to discern the status, use a default value to provide a notification of the status of the traffic signal to the driver of the vehicle.

12. A system comprising:

a camera configured to capture an image of a traffic intersection as the vehicle approaches the intersection;

one or more processors configured to;

receive location information for the image;

identify a set of red, yellow, and green objects within the image;

generate a set of traffic signal labels based on the set of identified red, yellow and green objects;

filter the set of traffic signal labels to remove labels for red, yellow, or green objects that correspond to objects other than a traffic signal light; and

determine a three-dimensional location of a traffic signal based on the filtered set of traffic signal labels and location information of the image; and

determine a status of the traffic signal based on the three-dimensional location and the image.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising memory storing a detailed map, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to access the detailed map in order to identify the intersection before the image is captured.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to maneuver the vehicle through the intersection in an autonomous driving mode based on the status.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising a speaker configured to announce the status audibly to a driver of the vehicle.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

incorporate the status into a navigation direction; and

provide the navigation direction to a driver of the vehicle.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to identify associated labels within two or more images captured using the camera of the vehicle as the vehicle approaches the intersection, based on the geographic locations of the two or more images.

20. The system of claim 12, further comprising the vehicle.