Navigation of on-road vehicle based on object reference data that is updated

• US 9,062,977 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2014
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Prokhorov, Danil V., Uehara, Yasuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUTLER, RODNEY ALLEN
• Application Number:
  US14/326,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20140324336A1
• Time in Patent Office: 349 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/2, 701/300, 701/408, 701/411, 701/412, 701/540, 340/435, 340/436
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/005 with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching G01C21/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3602 Input other than that of destination using image analysis, e.g. detection of road signs, lanes, buildings, real preceding vehicles using a camera

Abstract

A vehicle can include a navigation unit configured to determine a position of the vehicle. A detection unit can be configured to recognize position and features of objects external to the vehicle. An identification unit can be configured to identify objects expected to be detected based on a determined position of the vehicle, by comparing the recognized features to feature data of object reference data stored in a local database. When the identification unit is unable to identify an object, the identification unit can compare recognized or stored object features to the additional feature data received from a remote database. A navigation unit can update the position of the vehicle based on position data of identified objects and more accurate and safe autonomous operation of a vehicle can be achieved.

Claims

1. An apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a plurality of sensors that detect objects external to the vehicle; and

circuitry configured to;

extract object reference data for first objects meeting at least one criteria from route information that includes position data and feature data of objects along a vehicle route according to the route information,

store the object reference data including feature data and position data identifying positions of the first objects,

recognize positions and features of second objects from detected object information from the plurality of sensors,

identify the first objects from the second objects based on a determined position of the vehicle by comparing features of the second objects that are recognized to the feature data of the first objects stored in the local database,

determine at least one first object has moved or a feature of at least one first object corresponding to the at least one criteria has changed and update position data or feature data for the at least one first object in the object reference data to identify the at least one first object, and

operate the vehicle to move to a position based on position data of identified objects.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the least one criteria includes one of an object elevation, an object type, and a combination of object elevation and object type.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine the at least one first object or at least one second object cannot be identified with a comparison of the object reference data and the positions and features of the second objects that are recognized, and obtain object data from at least one external source to identify the at least one first object or the at least one second object.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a transceiver configured to communicate with a remote database and access additional object reference data stored by the remote database, the additional object reference data including additional feature data and corresponding position data identifying positions of respective objects.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to filter detected objects from identification by removing detected objects that are determined to not meet the at least one criteria,

wherein the at least one criteria includes at least an object elevation being equal to or greater than a predetermined elevation.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine the at least one first object has moved or the feature of the at least one first object corresponding to the at least one criteria has changed based on a comparison of the object reference data and the additional object reference data from the transceiver, and update the object reference data with additional object reference data corresponding to the at least one first object.

7. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine the at least one second object includes a feature meeting the at least one criteria and is not one of the first objects based on a comparison of the positions and features of the second objects that are recognized and the additional object reference data from the transceiver, and update the object reference data with additional object reference data corresponding to the at least one second object.

8. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a display configured to display an image of an area in which the first objects are expected to be located;

and

an interface unit that receives at least one of an object selection input and an object definition input, wherein

the circuitry is configured to control the display to display the image in response to a determination the at least one first object or the at least one second object cannot be identified with the additional object reference data or the additional object reference data cannot be accessed, and

the circuitry is configured to receive the at least one of an object selection input and an object definition input from the interface unit.

9. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined elevation is 10 ft.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine the at least one first object has moved or the feature of the at least one first object corresponding to the at least one criteria has changed based on the at least one of the object selection input and the object definition input, and update the object reference data with object data corresponding to the at least one first object according to the at least one of the object selection input and the object definition input received by the interface unit.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine the at least one second object includes a feature meeting the at least one criteria and is not one of the first objects based on the at least one of the object selection input and the object definition input, and update the object reference data with new object data corresponding to the least one second object according to the at least one of the object selection input and the object definition input received by the interface unit.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the circuitry is further configured to

store common object reference data including feature data of common objects that are independent of the determined position of the vehicle,

generate an object list based on the object reference data and the common object reference data, and

generate the object list based on the object reference data, the common object reference data, and the additional object reference data, when the identification unit is unable to identify the at least one first object or the at least one second object with the additional object reference data.

13. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine the at least one first object is no longer present based on the additional feature reference data and the at least one of the object selection input and the object definition input, and remove feature data and position data included in the object reference data corresponding to the at least one first object.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the interface unit is configured to display a selection menu including the object list when the image is displayed.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein:

the object selection input is provided through the selection menu and is a selection of an item in the object list, and

the object definition input is provided through the selection menu and is a selection of an independent object identification, wherein the independent object identification is a user definable input independent of the object list.

16. An apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

navigation means for determining a position of the vehicle;

object data extraction means for extracting object reference data for first objects meeting at least one criteria from route information that includes position data and feature data of objects along a vehicle route according to the route information;

storage means for locally storing the object reference data, the object reference data including feature data of first objects, and position data identifying positions of the first objects;

detection means for detecting second objects that are external to the vehicle, and for recognizing features of the second objects;

identification means for identifying the first objects from the second objects based on a determined position of the vehicle by comparing features of the second objects that are recognized to the feature data of the first objects stored in the storage means, wherein;

the identification means determines at least one first object has moved or a feature of at least one first object corresponding to the at least one criteria has changed and updates position data or feature data for the at least one first object in the object reference data in the storage means to identify the at least one first object, and

the navigation means updates the position of the vehicle based on position data of identified objects.

17. A method for a vehicle, comprising:

acquiring route information based on a destination of the vehicle, the route information including position data and feature data of objects along a vehicle route according to the route information;

determining a position of the vehicle;

extracting object reference data for first objects meeting at least one criteria from route information;

storing, in a local database, object reference data including feature data and position data of the first objects;

detecting second objects that are external to the vehicle, and recognizing features of the second objects;

identifying the first objects from the second objects based on a determined position of the vehicle by comparing features of the second objects that are recognized to the feature data of the first objects stored in the local database;

determining at least one first object has moved or a feature of at least one first object corresponding to the at least one criteria has changed;

updating position data or feature data for the at least one first object in the object reference data to identify the at least one first object; and

updating the position of the vehicle based on position data of identified objects.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including executable instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform of:

acquiring route information based on a destination of the vehicle, the route information including position data and feature data of objects along a vehicle route according to the route information;

determining a position of the vehicle;

extracting object reference data for first objects meeting at least one criteria from route information;

storing, in a local database, object reference data including feature data and position data of the first objects;

detecting second objects that are external to the vehicle, and recognizing features of the second objects;

identifying the first objects from the second objects based on a determined position of the vehicle by comparing features of the second objects that are recognized to the feature data of the first objects stored in the local database;

determining at least one first object has moved or a feature of at least one first object corresponding to the at least one criteria has changed;

updating position data or feature data for the at least one first object in the object reference data to identify the at least one first object; and

updating the position of the vehicle based on position data of identified objects.