Methods and systems for generating a horizon for use in an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS)

• US 9,299,023 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2012
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tomtom North America Incorporated (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: Tomtom North America Incorporated (TomTom NV)
• Inventors: Wilson, Christopher Kenneth Hoover
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMBY, RICHARD M
• Application Number:
  US13/709,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20130158794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/532, 701/533, 701/468, 701/469, 701/470, 701/466, 701/408, 701/409, 701/410, 701/422, 701/428, 701/454, 701/450, 701/300, 701/540
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/0953 the prediction being responsive to vehicle dynamic parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/10 related to vehicle motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3819 Road shape data, e.g. outline of a route
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3841 Data obtained from two or more sources, e.g. probe vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

A method of generating a horizon for use by an ADAS of a vehicle involves using historical vehicle probe data to determine the likelihood that different outgoing paths are taken at a decision point along a currently traversed road segment, and deriving a probability that each path may be taken. The probability is based on historical paths taken by vehicles at the decision point as indicated by the vehicle probe data.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of generating and using an electronic horizon for use with an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) of a vehicle, comprising:

accessing, by a processor, a probability matrix stored in a memory having, in respect of each of one or more decision points of a road network, data indicative of a historic relative probability that each of a plurality of possible outgoing paths at the decision point will be taken by a vehicle for each of one or more possible incoming paths, wherein the data indicative of the historic relative probability that a given possible outgoing path will be taken is based upon positional data relating to the movements of a plurality of devices associated with vehicles with respect to time on the road network;

using, by the processor, the probability matrix to determine data indicative of a relative probability that each of a plurality of possible outgoing paths associated with a decision point will be taken by the vehicle when confronted with the decision point;

generating, by the processor, the electronic horizon from the determined data, wherein the electronic horizon defines at least a most probable outgoing path to be taken by the vehicle from the decision point; and

providing, by the processor, data to the ADAS of the vehicle determined using the electronic horizon to provide assistance to a driver of the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises associating a relatively higher probability of the path being taken with a possible outgoing path that is associated with a relatively higher probability of having been selected based on the historic relative probability data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the historic relative probability data is indicative of the historic probability of each possible outgoing path having been taken during one or more time periods, and wherein the relative probability that each outgoing path from the decision point will be taken is determined using the historic probability data for the time period appropriate for the time at which the electronic horizon is generated.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the historic relative probability data is indicative of the historic probability of each possible outgoing path having been taken by one or more types of vehicle, and wherein the relative probability that each outgoing path from the decision point will be taken is determined using the historic probability data for the appropriate vehicle type.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising obtaining the positional data relating to the movement of a plurality of devices associated with vehicles with respect to time in a road network, filtering the data to obtain data relating to the travel of devices along the or each of the plurality of possible outgoing paths from the decision point in respect of a given incoming path, and using the filtered data to determine the historic relative probability data.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising generating the probability matrix and storing the probability matrix in the memory.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the determined data indicative of the relative probability that each possible outgoing path will be taken, in association with at least one of:

data indicative of the path to which the probability data relates; and

the decision point to which it relates.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating the electronic horizon is carried out by a horizon generating subsystem of the ADAS associated with the vehicle, the method further comprising the horizon generating subsystem providing the data determined using the generated electronic horizon over a vehicle bus to one or more ADAS applications of the vehicle for use by the one or more ADAS applications in controlling one or more vehicle subsystems of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more ADAS applications use the data provided over the vehicle bus to carry out one or more of:

issuing a speed warning, providing a speed recommendation, and automatically controlling the braking function of the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating the electronic horizon comprises using the determined data to predict the most probable outgoing path and at least one alternative outgoing path that the vehicle may be expected to travel in the immediate future at the decision point.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer readable instructions executable to perform a method of generating and using an electronic horizon for use with an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) of a vehicle, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

accessing, by a processor, a probability matrix stored in a memory having, in respect of each of one or more decision points of a road network, data indicative of a historic relative probability that each of a plurality of possible outgoing paths at the decision point will be taken by a vehicle for each of one or more possible incoming paths, wherein the data indicative of the historic relative probability that a given possible outgoing path will be taken is based upon positional data relating to the movements of a plurality of devices associated with vehicles with respect to time on the road network;

using, by the processor, the probability matrix to determine data indicative of a relative probability that each of a plurality of possible outgoing paths associated with a decision point will be taken by the vehicle when confronted with the decision point;

generating, by the processor, the electronic horizon from the determined data, wherein the electronic horizon defines at least a most probable outgoing path to be taken by the vehicle from the decision point; and

providing, by the processor, data to the ADAS of the vehicle determined using the electronic horizon to provide assistance to a driver of the vehicle.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the method comprises associating a relatively higher probability of the path being taken with a possible outgoing path that is associated with a relatively higher probability of having been selected based on the historic relative probability data.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the historic relative probability data is indicative of the historic probability of each possible outgoing path having been taken during one or more time periods, and wherein the relative probability that each outgoing path from the decision point will be taken is determined using the historic probability data for the time period appropriate for the time at which the electronic horizon is generated.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the historic relative probability data is indicative of the historic probability of each possible outgoing path having been taken by one or more types of vehicle, and wherein the relative probability that each outgoing path from the decision point will be taken is determined using the historic probability data for the appropriate vehicle type.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, comprising obtaining the positional data relating to the movement of a plurality of devices associated with vehicles with respect to time in a road network, filtering the data to obtain data relating to the travel of devices along the or each of the plurality of possible outgoing paths from the decision point in respect of a given incoming path, and using the filtered data to determine the historic relative probability data.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, comprising generating the probability matrix and storing the probability matrix in the memory.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising storing the determined data indicative of the relative probability that each possible outgoing path will be taken, in association with at least one of:

data indicative of the path to which the probability data relates; and

the decision point to which it relates.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein generating the electronic horizon is carried out by a horizon generating subsystem of the ADAS associated with the vehicle, the method further comprising the horizon generating subsystem providing the data determined using the generated electronic horizon over a vehicle bus to one or more ADAS applications of the vehicle for use by the one or more ADAS applications in controlling one or more vehicle subsystems of the vehicle.

11. An apparatus for generating and using an electronic horizon for use with an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) of a vehicle, comprising:

a memory storing a probability matrix having, in respect of each of one or more decision points of a road network, data indicative of a historic relative probability that each of a plurality of possible outgoing paths at the decision point will be taken by a vehicle for each of one or more possible incoming paths, wherein the data indicative of the historic relative probability that a given possible outgoing path will be taken is based upon positional data relating to the movements of a plurality of devices associated with vehicles with respect to time on the road network; and

at least one processor arranged to;

use the probability matrix to determine data indicative of a relative probability that each of a plurality of possible outgoing paths associated with a decision point will be taken by the vehicle when confronted with the decision point;

generate the electronic horizon from the determined data, wherein the electronic horizon defines at least a most probable outgoing path to be taken by the vehicle from the decision point; and

provide data to the ADAS of the vehicle determined using the electronic horizon to provide assistance to a driver of the vehicle.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is configured to provide the data determined using the generated electronic horizon over a vehicle bus to one or more ADAS applications of the vehicle for use by the one or more ADAS applications in controlling one or more vehicle subsystems of the vehicle.