LOCATION SPECIFYING APPARATUS AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIUM

• US 20180107882A1
• Filed: 12/19/2017
• Published: 04/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zenrin Company Limited (Zenrin)
• Original Assignee: Zenrin Company Limited (Zenrin)
• Inventors: OGATA, Shinji, OHARA, Hiroyuki, INATSUKA, Hiroyuki, YUBA, Tatsuya, NAKAMURA, Junichi
• Granted Patent: US 10,558,869 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/45 by combining measurements of signals from the satellite radio beacon positioning system with a supplementary measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/74 involving reference images or patches
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/582 of traffic signs
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/588 Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof

Abstract

A location specifying apparatus comprises a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit is configured to store information regarding a predetermined feature including location information of the predetermined feature, information regarding a position of a specific point on a road, and information indicating a correlation of the information regarding the predetermined feature to the information regarding the position of the specific point on the road. The second circuit is configured to obtain image data ahead of a moving body; to identify a location of the predetermined feature in an image expressed by the image data, based on the information regarding the position of the specific point on the road, the information indicating the correlation, and the information regarding the predetermined feature; and to specify the location of the moving body, based on the identified location of the predetermined feature.

Claims

1. A location specifying apparatus that specifies a location of a moving body, comprising:

a first circuit configured to store information regarding a predetermined feature including location information of the predetermined feature, information regarding a position of a specific point on a road, and information indicating a correlation of the information regarding the predetermined feature to the information regarding the position of the specific point on the road; and

a second circuit configured;

to obtain image data ahead of the moving body;

to identify a location of the predetermined feature in an image expressed by the image data, based on the information regarding the position of the specific point on the road, the information indicating the correlation, and the information regarding the predetermined feature; and

to specify the location of the moving body, based on the identified location of the predetermined feature.

2. The location specifying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the second circuit is configured to specify the location of the moving body by estimating the position of the specific point on the road, based on comparison in relative size between a candidate existing area that is identified as an area where an image of the predetermined feature is present and another candidate existing area that is not identified as the area where the image of the predetermined feature is present, among a plurality of the candidate existing areas in which the image of the predetermined feature is likely to be present in the image data.

3. The location specifying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the second circuit is configured to identify the information regarding the position of the specific point on the road that corresponds to the location of the moving body, and to identify the information regarding the predetermined feature that is related to the identified information regarding the position of the specific point, by using the information indicating the correlation.

4. The location specifying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the information regarding the predetermined feature is stored according to degree of separation of an existing location of a feature relative from a road surface and suitability of a three-dimensional shape of a feature.

5. The location specifying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first circuit is configured to store information indicating a positional relationship of the predetermined feature to a road surface including the specific point, and

the second circuit is configured to use the information indicating the positional relationship such as to specify the location of the moving body.

6. The location specifying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the information regarding the position of the specific point includes information on positions of a plurality of specific points with respect to each lane along a driving direction.

7. The location specifying apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the information regarding the predetermined feature includes at least one of information regarding a road surface marking that is marked on a road, information regarding a sign placed along a road and information regarding a power pole placed along a road.

8. The location specifying apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the information regarding the predetermined feature includes information regarding a shape of the predetermined feature.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium which information is written in, wherein the information comprises:

information regarding a predetermined feature including location information of the predetermined feature;

information regarding a position of a specific point on a road; and

information indicating a correlation of the information regarding the predetermined feature to the information regarding the position of the specific point on the road, wherein

the information is used in a process of specifying a location of a moving body.