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Mapping techniques using probe vehicles

  • US 9,103,671 B1
  • Filed: 11/27/2012
  • Issued: 08/11/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2007
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for mapping terrain including one or more immovable objects fixed in position alongside a road, comprising:

  • in a plurality of vehicles, each of the vehicles having at least one camera and a position determining system that determines a position of the vehicle, the at least one camera and the position determining system being in a set configuration relative to one another;

    obtaining images of the terrain using the at least one camera while the vehicle is at different positions, each of the images of the terrain including at least one of the immovable objects;

    obtaining position information using the position determining system while the at least one camera is obtaining the images of the terrain; and

    transmitting from the vehicle to a processor at a remote location apart from the vehicle, the images of the terrain obtained using the at least one camera on the vehicle in association with the position information obtained using the position determining system when each of the images of the terrain was obtained;

    receiving the images of the terrain including the at least one immovable object and the associated position information about the images from each of the plurality of vehicles at the processor at the remote location;

    converting, using the processor at the remote location apart from the vehicles and information about the set configuration of the at least one camera and the position determining system relative to one another, the images and/or data derived from the images to map data including data about the immovable objects from the images of the terrain by identifying common objects among the immovable objects in multiple images and using the position information from when the multiple images were obtained to obtain the positions of the common immovable objects; and

    forming or updating a map, using the processor, to include the common immovable objects in their fixed positions based on the map data.

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