Method and apparatus for determining a position of a vehicle based on driving behavior

• US 9,347,779 B1
• Filed: 12/10/2014
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Lynch, James D
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US14/566,490
• Publication Number:
  US 20160169683A1
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• Field of Search: 701/409
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/393 Trajectory determination or predictive tracking, e.g. Kalman filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position

Abstract

An approach is provided for determining a position of a vehicle relative to a travel path based on driving behavior. An estimation platform processes driving information associated with a vehicle, mapping information associated with a segment of the travel path in use by the vehicle, or a combination thereof to determine a behavior trace to associate with the vehicle. The estimation platform also determines an offset between the behavior trace of the vehicle and the behavior trace of one or more other vehicles based on a matching between the behavior trace of the vehicle and the behavior trace of the one or more other vehicles relative to the segment of the travel path.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

processing with a processor, driving information associated with a vehicle, mapping information associated with a segment of a travel path in use by the vehicle, or a combination thereof to determine a behavior trace to associate with the vehicle;

determining a behavior trace associated with one or more other vehicles that used the segment of the travel path, another travel path that is nearby or connected to the segment of the travel path, or a combination thereof to determine a match between the behavior trace of the vehicle and the behavior trace of the one or more other vehicles relative to the segment of the travel path;

determining an offset between the behavior trace of the vehicle and the behavior trace of the one or more other vehicles based on the match; and

processing of location information associated with the vehicle to determine the mapping information associated with the segment of the travel path,

wherein the mapping information is associated with at least one behavior trace, and

wherein the mapping information specifies one or more links, one or more nodes, one or more surfaces, one or more points of interest, or a combination thereof associated with the travel path, the at least one behavior trace, or a combination thereof and the at least one behavior trace corresponds to a pattern of movements, maneuvers, responses, or a combination thereof of the vehicle, the one or more other vehicles, or a combination thereof with respect to the segment of the travel path, the other travel path that is nearby or connected to the segment of the travel path, or a combination thereof over a period of time.

2. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting an estimated position of the vehicle relative to the travel path based on the offset,

wherein the offset includes a shape differential, an amount of longitudinal distance, an amount latitudinal distance, a geospatial coordinate shift, a time variance, or a combination thereof.

3. A method of claim 2, further comprising:

comparing the behavior trace associated with the vehicle against the behavior trace associated with the one or more other vehicles; and

determining a level of affinity between the behavior trace associated with the vehicle and the behavior trace associated with the one or more other vehicles,

wherein the adjustment is based on the level of affinity.

4. A method of claim 2, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, (a) a rendering of updated mapping information, (b) a rendering of updated display elements representative of the vehicle, the travel path, or a combination thereof, (c) a rendering of a message to the display for specifying the adjustment, (d) a generating of an instruction to correct a driving maneuver of the vehicle, or (e) a combination thereof based on the adjustment of the estimated position.

5. A method of claim 4, wherein a navigation system associated with the vehicle, the one or more other vehicles, or a combination thereof executes the rendering, the driving maneuver, or a combination thereof and the vehicle, the one or more other vehicles, or a combination thereof are autonomous.

6. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the behavior trace associated with the vehicle against one or more behavior traces associated with the other travel path that is nearby or connected to the segment of the travel path;

determining a match between the behavior trace associated with the vehicle and at least one of the one or more behavior traces associated with the other travel path; and

determining an estimated position of the vehicle relative to the other travel path based on the match.

8. A method of claim 1, wherein the driving information includes acceleration information, velocity information, heading information, bearing information, orientation information, curvature information, distance information, turn information, tilt information, location marker information, steering information, brake usage information, wiper usage information, headlight usage information, navigation system usage information, stereo system usage information, vehicle state information, or a combination thereof.

7. A method comprising:

processing with a processor, driving information associated with a vehicle, mapping information associated with a segment of a travel path in use by the vehicle, or a combination thereof to determine a behavior trace to associate with the vehicle;

determining a behavior trace associated with one or more other vehicles that used the segment of the travel path, the segment of the travel path, or a combination thereof to determine a match between the behavior trace of the vehicle and the behavior trace of the one or more other vehicles relative to the segment of the travel path;

determining an offset between the behavior trace of the vehicle and the behavior trace of the one or more other vehicles based on the match; and

correcting a lane assignment of the vehicle relative to the segment of the travel path based on the offset,

wherein the estimated position of the vehicle is adjusted based on the corrected lane assignment.

9. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

process driving information associated with a vehicle, mapping information associated with a segment of a travel path in use by the vehicle, or a combination thereof to determine a behavior trace to associate with the vehicle;

determine a behavior trace associated with one or more other vehicles that used the segment of the travel path, another travel path that is nearby or connected to the segment of the travel path, or a combination thereof to determine a match between the behavior trace of the vehicle and the behavior trace of the one or more other vehicles relative to the segment of the travel path;

determine an offset between the behavior trace of the vehicle and the behavior trace of the one or more other vehicles based on the match; and

process location information associated with the vehicle to determine the mapping information associated with the segment of the travel path,

wherein the mapping information is associated with at least one behavior trace, and

wherein the mapping information specifies one or more links, one or more nodes, one or more surfaces, one or more points of interest, or a combination thereof associated with the travel path, the at least one behavior trace, or a combination thereof and the at least one behavior trace corresponds to a pattern of movements, maneuvers, responses, or a combination thereof of the vehicle, the one or more other vehicles, or a combination thereof with respect to the segment of the travel path, the other travel path that is nearby or connected to the segment of the travel path, or a combination thereof over a period of time.

10. An apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

adjust an estimated position of the vehicle relative to the travel path based on the offset,

wherein the offset includes a shape differential, an amount of longitudinal distance, an amount of latitudinal distance, a geospatial coordinate shift, a time variance, or a combination thereof.

11. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

compare the behavior trace associated with the vehicle against the behavior trace information associated with the one or more other vehicles; and

determine a level of affinity between the behavior trace associated with the vehicle and the behavior trace information associated with the one or more other vehicles,

wherein the adjustment is based on the level of affinity.

12. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, (a) a rendering of updated mapping information, (b) a rendering of updated display elements representative of the vehicle, the travel path, or a combination thereof, (c) a rendering of a message to the display for specifying the adjustment, (d) a generating of an instruction to correct a driving maneuver of the vehicle, or (e) a combination thereof based on the adjustment of the estimated position.

13. An apparatus of claim 12, wherein a navigation system associated with the vehicle, the one or more other vehicles, or a combination thereof executes the rendering, the driving maneuver, or a combination thereof and the vehicle, the one or more other vehicles, or a combination thereof are autonomous.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to perform:

processing of driving information associated with a vehicle, mapping information associated with a segment of a travel path in use by the vehicle, or a combination thereof to determine a behavior trace to associate with the vehicle;

determining a behavior trace associated with one or more other vehicles that used the segment of the travel path, another travel path that is nearby or connected to the segment of the travel path, or a combination thereof to determine a match between the behavior trace of the vehicle and the behavior trace of the one or more other vehicles relative to the segment of the travel path;

determining an offset between the behavior trace of the vehicle and the behavior trace of the one or more other vehicles based on the match; and

processing of location information associated with the vehicle to determine the mapping information associated with the segment of the travel path,

wherein the mapping information is associated with at least one behavior trace, and

wherein the mapping information specifies one or more links, one or more nodes, one or more surfaces, one or more points of interest, or a combination thereof associated with the travel path, the at least one behavior trace, or a combination thereof and the at least one behavior trace corresponds to a pattern of movements, maneuvers, responses, or a combination thereof of the vehicle, the one or more other vehicles, or a combination thereof with respect to the segment of the travel path, the other travel path that is nearby or connected to the segment of the travel path, or a combination thereof over a period of time.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is further caused to perform:

adjusting an estimated position of the vehicle relative to the travel path based on the offset,

wherein the offset includes a shape differential, an amount of longitudinal distance, an amount of latitudinal distance, a geospatial coordinate shift, a time variance, or a combination thereof.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is further caused to perform:

comparing the behavior trace associated with the vehicle against the behavior trace information associated with the one or more other vehicles; and

determining a level of affinity between the behavior trace associated with the vehicle and the behavior trace information associated with the one or more other vehicles,

wherein the adjustment is based on the level of affinity.