Data mining in a digital map database to identify insufficient superelevation along roads and enabling precautionary actions in a vehicle
First Claim
1. A computer implemented method for making an augmented version of a database in advance of approach by a vehicle to a location that can be used as a component in a vehicle system of the vehicle that causes the vehicle system to provide a precautionary action in the vehicle when the vehicle approaches a potentially hazardous location, wherein the potentially hazardous location is one in which two conditions are present at a same location along a road network in a geographic region, wherein one of the two conditions comprises a curved section of road, and another of the two conditions comprises superelevation insufficient for operation of a vehicle at a given speed, the method comprising:
- identifying, by a computer, curved road sections located throughout the geographic region that have insufficient superelevation based on first data contained in a first version of a database indicative of road section curvature and second data contained in the first version of the database indicative of superelevation;
forming, by the computer, the augmented version of the database by adding precautionary action data to the first version of the database in association with locations of curved road sections having insufficient superelevation at which a precautionary action is to be taken by the vehicle system; and
storing, by the computer, the augmented version of the database on a non-transitory computer readable medium for use by the vehicle system wherein the vehicle system is operative, during approach of the vehicle to a location, to provide a precautionary action when the vehicle system determines that the location being approached is associated with precautionary action data in the augmented version of the database.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a feature for a vehicle that enables taking precautionary actions in response to conditions on the road network around or ahead of the vehicle, in particular, a curved portion of a road with insufficient superelevation. A database that represents the road network is used to determine locations where curved sections of roads have insufficient superelevation (banking), i.e., where the superelevation is below a threshold. Then, precautionary action data is added to the database to indicate a location at which a precautionary action is to be taken about the location of insufficient superelevation. A precautionary action system installed in a vehicle uses this database, or a database derived therefrom, in combination with a positioning system to determine when the vehicle is at a location that corresponds to the location of a precautionary action. When the vehicle is at such a location, a precautionary action is taken by a vehicle system as the vehicle is approaching a location of insufficient superelevation.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A computer implemented method for making an augmented version of a database in advance of approach by a vehicle to a location that can be used as a component in a vehicle system of the vehicle that causes the vehicle system to provide a precautionary action in the vehicle when the vehicle approaches a potentially hazardous location, wherein the potentially hazardous location is one in which two conditions are present at a same location along a road network in a geographic region, wherein one of the two conditions comprises a curved section of road, and another of the two conditions comprises superelevation insufficient for operation of a vehicle at a given speed, the method comprising:
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identifying, by a computer, curved road sections located throughout the geographic region that have insufficient superelevation based on first data contained in a first version of a database indicative of road section curvature and second data contained in the first version of the database indicative of superelevation; forming, by the computer, the augmented version of the database by adding precautionary action data to the first version of the database in association with locations of curved road sections having insufficient superelevation at which a precautionary action is to be taken by the vehicle system; and storing, by the computer, the augmented version of the database on a non-transitory computer readable medium for use by the vehicle system wherein the vehicle system is operative, during approach of the vehicle to a location, to provide a precautionary action when the vehicle system determines that the location being approached is associated with precautionary action data in the augmented version of the database. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A database stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and operable as a component in a vehicle system to cause the vehicle system to provide a precautionary action in a vehicle when the vehicle approaches a potentially hazardous location, wherein the database includes data that represents a road network in a geographic region, wherein the database comprises:
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data records that represent road segments that make up the road network; and data, determined in advance of vehicle operation as a function of data that indicates curvature of the road segments and data that indicates superelevation of the road segments, that indicates precautionary action locations, wherein a precautionary action location is associated with a location where two conditions are present at a same location, wherein one of the two conditions comprises a curved section of road and another of the two conditions comprises superelevation of the curved section of road which is insufficient for operation of a vehicle at a given speed, the data indicative of a precautionary action location being operative to cause the vehicle system to provide a precautionary action when the vehicle system determines that the vehicle is approaching a location associated with precautionary action data in the database. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A vehicle system comprising:
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a database stored on a computer-readable medium that contains data representing a geographic region in which a vehicle is being operated, wherein the data includes data that represents a road network located in the geographic region and precautionary action data generated in advance of vehicle approach to a location that is associated with precautionary action locations, wherein precautionary action locations are locations where a combination of conditions exist, wherein the combination of conditions comprises a curved section of road having superelevation that is insufficient for vehicle operation at a given speed; a positioning system operative to determine a current location of the vehicle relative to the data representing a geographic region; and a precautionary action application responsive to the positioning system and the database that provides a precautionary action when the positioning system determines that the current location of the vehicle is approaching a location associated in the database with precautionary action data. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A computer implemented method for providing precautionary actions in a vehicle, the method comprising:
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accessing, by a vehicle system, a database that represents a road network, wherein the database contains precautionary action data associated, in advance of vehicle approach, with locations at which a combination of conditions exist that when located together may be potentially hazardous to vehicle operation, wherein the conditions comprise a curved section of road and insufficient superelevation along the curved section of road that may be hazardous to vehicle operation at a given speed; determining, by a positioning system of the vehicle system, a current position of the vehicle relative to the road network represented by the database; and upon determining that data representations of a part of the road network around the current position of the vehicle is associated with precautionary action data, taking, by a precautionary action application of the vehicle system, a precautionary action as the vehicle is approaching the part of the road network. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification