Defining travel paths in parking areas

• US 9,562,782 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2016
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Davidson, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US15/005,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20160169689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 379 Days
• Field of Search: 701/438, 701/450, 701/533, 188/79.54
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3856 Data obtained from user input
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3867 Geometry of map features, e.g. shape points, polygons or for simplified maps
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3878 Hierarchical structures, e.g. layering
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/586 of parking space

Abstract

Computer program products, methods, systems, apparatus, and computing entities are provided for defining travel paths in parking areas. In one embodiment, travel paths in parking areas are defined in a digital map by automatically, semi-automatically, and/or manually after the parking areas are identified from one or more captured images of the parking area.

Claims

1. A method for defining travel paths in parking areas, the method comprising:

automatically identifying, by one or more processors, a parking area based at least in part on an estimated color value of one or more captured images of the parking area;

for the parking area in which there is at least one travel path that is not represented as part of a digital map, defining, by the one or more processors, a set of travel paths in the parking area by (a) identifying a plurality of travel paths traversed by one or more vehicles in the parking area based at least in part on telematics data collected while the one or more vehicles were traversing the parking area, (b) connecting one or more street network connection points for the parking area, the one or more street network connection points providing the ability to enter the parking area from a street network, exit the parking area to the street network, or both, or (c) both; and

updating, by the one or more processors, the digital map to comprise a representation of the set of travel paths defined in the parking area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the parking area is associated with the estimated color value and a configurable threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein automatically identifying the parking area comprises identifying pixels in the one or more images that are within the configurable threshold from the estimated color value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of travel paths in the parking area are defined by identifying the plurality of travel paths traversed by the one or more vehicles in the parking area based at least in part on telematics data collected while the one or more vehicles were traversing the parking area.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of travel paths in the parking area are defined by connecting the one or more street network connection points for the parking area.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

identifying a known obstruction in the parking area; and

removing a first travel path from the set of travel paths defined in the parking area that overlaps with the known obstruction.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein defining the set of travel paths in the parking area by connecting the one or more street network connection points in the parking area further comprises defining travel paths in the parking area using one selected from the group consisting of a grid, a lattice, and a matrix.

8. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

automatically identify a parking area based at least in part on an estimated color value of one or more captured images of the parking area;

for the parking area in which there is at least one travel path that is not represented as part of a digital map, define a set of travel paths in the parking area by (a) identifying a plurality of travel paths traversed by one or more vehicles in the parking area based at least in part on telematics data collected while the one or more vehicles were traversing the parking area, (b) connecting one or more street network connection points for the parking area, the one or more street network connection points providing the ability to enter the parking area from a street network, exit the parking area to the street network, or both, or (c) both; and

update the digital map to comprise a representation of the set of travel paths defined in the parking area.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the parking area is associated with the estimated color value and a configurable threshold.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein automatically identifying the parking area comprises identifying pixels in the one or more images that are within the configurable threshold from the estimated color value.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the set of travel paths in the parking area are defined by identifying the plurality of travel paths traversed by the one or more vehicles in the parking area based at least in part on telematics data collected while the one or more vehicles were traversing the parking area.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the set of travel paths in the parking area are defined by connecting the one or more street network connection points for the parking area.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

identify a known obstruction in the parking area; and

remove a first travel path from the set of travel paths defined in the parking area that overlaps with the known obstruction.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein defining the set of travel paths in the parking area by connecting the one or more street network connection points in the parking area further comprises defining travel paths in the parking area using one selected from the group consisting of a grid, a lattice, and a matrix.

15. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

an executable portion configured to automatically identify a parking area based at least in part on an estimated color value of one or more captured images of the parking area;

an executable portion configured to, for the parking area in which there is at least one travel path that is not represented as part of a digital map, define a set of travel paths in the parking area by (a) identifying a plurality of travel paths traversed by one or more vehicles in the parking area based at least in part on telematics data collected while the one or more vehicles were traversing the parking area, (b) connecting one or more street network connection points for the parking area, the one or more street network connection points providing the ability to enter the parking area from a street network, exit the parking area to the street network, or both, or (c) both; and

an executable portion configured to update the digital map to comprise a representation of the set of travel paths defined in the parking area.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the parking area is associated with the estimated color value and a configurable threshold.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein automatically identifying the parking area comprises identifying pixels in the one or more images that are within the configurable threshold from the estimated color value.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the set of travel paths in the parking area are defined by identifying the plurality of travel paths traversed by the one or more vehicles in the parking area based at least in part on telematics data collected while the one or more vehicles were traversing the parking area.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the set of travel paths in the parking area are defined by connecting the one or more street network connection points for the parking area.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 further comprising:

an executable portion configured to identify a known obstruction in the parking area; and

an executable portion configured to remove a first travel path from the set of travel paths defined in the parking area that overlaps with the known obstruction.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein defining the set of travel paths in the parking area by connecting the one or more street network connection points in the parking area further comprises defining travel paths in the parking area using one selected from the group consisting of a grid, a lattice, and a matrix.