Method for building outdoor map for moving object and apparatus thereof

• US 9,098,088 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2011
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Lee, Yu Cheol, Yu, Won Pil, Lee, Jae Yeong
• Primary Examiner(s): Bella, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): YANG, WEI WEN
• Application Number:
  US13/335,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20120163662A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,321 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/182 Network patterns, e.g. roads or rivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/38 Outdoor scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B

Abstract

The method for building an outdoor map for a moving object according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: receiving a real satellite image for an outdoor space to which the moving object is to move; calculating pixel information including sizes of length and width pixels and a physical distance of one pixel in the real satellite image; measuring a reference position coordinate for a reference position selected from the real satellite image; and linking a pixel number corresponding to the reference position, the reference position coordinate, and the pixel information to the real satellite image in order to build the outdoor map for the moving object, and further includes creating information on a road network in which the moving object navigates based on the pixel number corresponding to the reference position, the reference position coordinate, and the pixel information.

Claims

1. A method for building an outdoor map for a moving object, the method comprising:

receiving a real satellite image for an outdoor space to which the moving object is to move, wherein the outdoor space is a final node in a plurality of nodes that create a road network that are linked;

calculating pixel information including a length size and a width size of a group of pixels, as well as a physical distance of a one pixel in the real satellite image, wherein the physical distance of the one pixel is measured using the length size and the width size of the one pixel, as well as a scale, including a first number of pixels in a predetermined length, a second number of overall pixels, and a real length using the predetermined length on the image;

measuring a reference position coordinate, using a single GPS in the moving object, for use as a reference position selected from the real satellite image; and

linking a pixel number corresponding to the reference position, the reference position coordinate, and the pixel information, including the physical distance, a length size and a width size of a group of pixels, the scale, and the real length, to the real satellite image in order to build the outdoor map for the moving object.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating information on the road network in which the moving object travels based on the pixel number corresponding to the reference position, the reference position coordinate, and the pixel information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the creating includes:

setting a connection relationship between the plurality of set nodes;

extracting road attribute information on each of the plurality of nodes; and

linking information set or extracted for the plurality of nodes to the real satellite image.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving includes receiving the real satellite image converted into a raster image form or receiving a real satellite photograph, converting the real satellite photograph into the real satellite image in the raster image form, and providing the converted real satellite image, in order to reduce a data size of the constructed outdoor map.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculating includes calculating the physical distance of one pixel using scale of the real satellite image and the sizes of the length and width pixels.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculating includes calculating the physical distance of one pixel using physical distance information between two preselected points on the real satellite image and the number of pixels between the two points.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the road attribute information includes a kind of pavement, a width of road lane, and a kind of road lane.

8. A computer-readable, non-transitory recording medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to:

receive a real satellite image for an outdoor space to which the moving object is to move, wherein the outdoor space is a final node in a plurality of nodes that create a road network that are linked;

calculate pixel information including a length size and a width size of a group of pixels, as well as a physical distance of a one pixel in the real satellite image, wherein the physical distance of the one pixel is measured using the length size and the width size of the one pixel, as well as a scale, including a first number of pixels in a predetermined length, a second number of overall pixels, and a real length using the predetermined length on the image;

measure a reference position coordinate, using a single GPS in the moving object, for use as a reference position selected from the real satellite image; and

link a pixel number corresponding to the reference position, the reference position coordinate, and the pixel information, including the physical distance, a length size and a width size of a group of pixels, the scale, and the real length, to the real satellite image in order to build the outdoor map for the moving object.

9. An apparatus for building an outdoor map for a moving object, the apparatus comprising:

an image receiving unit receiving, via a computer device, a real satellite image for an outdoor space to which the moving object is to move, wherein the outdoor space is a final node in a plurality of nodes that are set by a road network information creating unit that is for creating a road network and a connection relationship between the plurality of nodes;

a pixel information calculating unit calculating, via the computer device, pixel information including a length size and a width size of a group of pixels, as well as a physical distance of a one pixel in the real satellite image, wherein the physical distance of the one pixel is is measured using the length size and the width size of the one pixel, as well as a scale, including a first number of pixels in a predetermined length, a second number of overall pixels, and a real length using the predetermined length on the image;

a reference position measuring unit measuring, via the computer device, a reference position coordinate, using a single GPS in the moving object, for use as a reference position selected from the real satellite image; and

a link unit linking, via the computer device, a pixel number corresponding to the reference position, the reference position coordinate, and the pixel information, including the physical distance, a length size and a width size of a group of pixels, the scale, and the real length, to the real satellite image in order to build the outdoor map for the moving object.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising the road network information creating unit creating, via the computer device, information on the road network in which the moving object navigates based on the pixel number corresponding to the reference position, the reference position coordinate, and the pixel information.

11. The apparatus of claim 10,

wherein the road network information creating unit sets the plurality of nodes for extracting road attribute information on each of the plurality of nodes, and

the link unit links information set or extracted for the plurality of nodes to the real satellite image.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the image receiving unit receives the real satellite image converted into a raster image form or receives a real satellite photograph, converts the real satellite photograph into the real satellite image in the raster image form, and provides the converted real satellite image, in order to reduce a data size of the created outdoor map.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the pixel information calculating unit calculates the physical distance of one pixel using scale of the real satellite image and the sizes of the length and width pixels.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the pixel information calculating unit calculates the physical distance of one pixel using physical distance information between two preselected points on the real satellite image and the number of pixels between the two points.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the road attribute information includes a kind of pavement, a width of road lane, and a kind of road lane.