Location calculation system and non-transitory computer-readable medium

• US 9,881,218 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2015
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zenrin Company Limited (Zenrin)
• Original Assignee: Zenrin Company Limited (Zenrin)
• Inventors: Ogata, Shinji, Ohara, Hiroyuki, Inatsuka, Hiroyuki, Yuba, Tatsuya, Nakamura, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Utpal
• Application Number:
  US14/815,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20160063341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/45 by combining measurements of signals from the satellite radio beacon positioning system with a supplementary measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/74 involving reference images or patches
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/582 of traffic signs
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/588 Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof

Abstract

A location calculation system that includes circuitry that stores vector information regarding a plurality of first vectors each connecting a specific point-relevant location, that is associated with each of a plurality of specific points set along a road, with a location of a predetermined feature, in relation to position information regarding each position of the plurality of specific points; stores predetermined feature location information regarding the location of the predetermined feature; obtains image data ahead of a moving body; calculates a location of the predetermined feature in an image of the image data as obtained by the circuitry; calculates a location of the moving body based on the location of the predetermined feature as calculated by the circuitry and the vector information; and outputs the location of the moving body as calculated by the circuitry.

Claims

1. A location calculation system comprising:

circuitry configured to;

store vector information regarding a plurality of first vectors each connecting a specific point-relevant location, that is associated with each of a plurality of specific points set along a road, with a location of a predetermined feature, in relation to position information regarding each position of the plurality of specific points;

store predetermined feature location information regarding the location of the predetermined feature;

obtain image data ahead of a moving body;

calculate a location of the predetermined feature in an image of the image data as obtained by the circuitry;

calculate a location of the moving body based on the location of the predetermined feature as calculated by the circuitry and the vector information; and

output the location of the moving body as calculated by the circuitry.

2. The location calculation system according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to:

obtain estimated location information of the moving body from a location sensor mounted on the moving body to detect the estimated location information, the estimated location information indicating a location estimated as a current location of the moving body when the image data is obtained;

estimate a partial area in the image of the image data as a predetermined feature existing area in which the predetermined feature would exist, based on the vector information related to a specific point of the plurality of specific points near to a position indicated by the estimated location information;

analyze image data of the predetermined feature existing area in the image data as obtained by the circuitry to calculate the location of the predetermined feature in the image; and

calculate the location of the moving body based on the location of the predetermined feature as calculated by the circuitry, the estimated location information, and the vector information.

3. The location calculation system according to claim 2, wherein the circuitry is configured to:

store information regarding a second vector connecting a location of the location sensor with a location of a receiver configured to receive a reflected wave in order to obtain the image data ahead of the moving body;

calculate a third vector connecting a location indicated by the estimated location information with a position of each of the plurality of specific points, which is the specific point-relevant location;

calculate a fourth vector connecting the location of the receiver with the location of the predetermined feature when the image data is obtained, based on the first vector, the second vector and the third vector; and

calculate the predetermined feature existing area based on the fourth vector.

4. The location calculation system according to claim 3, further comprising:

a receiver that receives a reflected wave in order to obtain the image data ahead of the moving body.

5. The location calculation system according to claim 4, wherein

the circuitry stores, as the second vector, a plurality of vectors according to different types of the moving body.

6. The location calculation system according to claim 2, wherein

the specific point-relevant location is a location of a receiver configured to receive a reflected wave in order to obtain the image data ahead of the moving body when the receiver is located at a predetermined position above each of the plurality of the specific points, and

the circuitry identifies a vector related to a specific point of the plurality of the specific points nearest to the location indicated by the estimated location information from among the plurality of the first vectors, and estimates the predetermined feature existing area based on the first vector as identified by the circuitry.

7. The location calculation system according to claim 2, wherein

the circuitry is configured to:

calculate a fifth vector connecting the location of the predetermined feature as calculated by the circuitry with the location indicated by the estimated location information;

identify a vector most approximate to the specified fifth vector from among the plurality of the first vectors; and

calculate the location of the moving body based on a position of a specific point of the plurality of the specific points related to the vector as identified by the circuitry.

8. The location calculation system according to claim 2, wherein

the circuitry is configured to:

obtain a plurality of the image data at different times; and

estimate the predetermined feature existing area with respect to each of a plurality of images of the plurality of image data, such that with respect to an image of the image data obtained at a later time, an area nearer to an edge of the image is estimated as the predetermined feature existing area.

9. The location calculation system according to claim 2, wherein

the circuitry is configured to:

obtain a plurality of the image data at different times; and

estimate the predetermined feature existing area with respect to each of a plurality of images of the plurality of image data, such that with respect to an image of image data obtained at a later time, a smaller area is estimated as the predetermined feature existing area.

10. The location calculation system according to claim 1, wherein

the circuitry is configured to:

store shape information regarding a shape of the predetermined feature specified by a reflected wave from the predetermined feature;

store a relevant angle information associated with an angle between a representative surface of the predetermined feature and the first vector, in relation to the position information regarding each position of the plurality of specific points, in addition to the vector information;

correct at least one of a shape of a feature in the image data of the predetermined feature existing area and a shape of the predetermined feature of the shape information, based on the relevant angle; and

identify a location of the predetermined feature in the image using the shape as corrected by the circuitry.

11. The location calculation system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a location sensor mounted on the moving body that detects an estimated location information of the moving body.

12. The location calculation system according to claim 1, wherein

the predetermined feature is a sign on the road.

13. The location calculation system according to claim 8, wherein

the circuitry is configured to store an amount of shift between the predetermined feature existing areas at different times according to a speed of the moving body.

14. The location calculation system according to claim 13, wherein

the circuitry is configured to increase the amount of shift as a current speed of the moving body increases.

15. The location calculation system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a laser scanner that emits a laser pulse and receives a reflected wave of the laser pulse to measure at least one of a distance, a horizontal angle and a vertical angle of the predetermined feature relative to a position of the laser scanner.

16. The location calculation system according to claim 15, wherein

the circuitry is configured to calculate a fourth vector connecting the location of a receiver configured to receive a reflected wave in order to obtain the image data ahead of the moving body with the location of the predetermined feature when the image data is obtained, based on the distance, the horizontal angle and the vertical angle.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including executable instructions, which when executed by circuitry cause the circuitry to:

store vector information regarding a plurality of first vectors each connecting a specific point-relevant location, that is associated with each of a plurality of specific points set along a road, with a location of a predetermined feature, in relation to position information regarding each position of the plurality of specific points;

store predetermined feature location information regarding the location of the predetermined feature;

obtain image data ahead of a moving body;

calculate a location of the predetermined feature in an image of the image data as obtained by the circuitry;

calculate a location of the moving body based on the location of the predetermined feature as calculated by the circuitry and the vector information; and

output the location of the moving body as calculated by the circuitry.