Detailed map format for autonomous driving

• US 10,118,614 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2016
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Delp, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peche, Jorge O
• Application Number:
  US15/155,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20160257307A1
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/40 High definition maps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18154 Approaching an intersection
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 60/001 Planning or execution of driving tasks
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3658 Lane guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3819 Road shape data, e.g. outline of a route

Abstract

A computer-readable detailed map format is disclosed. The detailed map format includes a lane segment and one or more border segments. The map format can be used in the operation of an autonomous vehicle. A current location of the autonomous vehicle can be determined. The current location of the autonomous vehicle can be compared to the computer readable map format. A distance between the current location of the autonomous vehicle and an edge of the lane segment at a location along the lane segment can be determined by, for example, measuring a distance between the current location of the autonomous vehicle and a portion of the border segment closest to the current location of the autonomous vehicle. A driving maneuver can be determined based at least in part on the determined distance. One or more vehicle systems of the autonomous vehicle can be caused to implement the determined driving maneuver.

Claims

1. A method of operating an autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:

determining a current location of the autonomous vehicle;

comparing the current location of the autonomous vehicle to a computer readable map format, the map format including a lane segment and a border segment, the border segment being formed from a plurality of borderpoints, wherein information is associated with one or more of the plurality of borderpoints, the information including a geographical location, a border type, and a border color;

determining, using the map format, a distance between the current location of the autonomous vehicle and an edge of the lane segment at a location along the lane segment, the determining including measuring a distance between the current location of the autonomous vehicle and a portion of the border segment closest to the current location of the autonomous vehicle;

determining a driving maneuver based on the determined distance, the driving maneuver being a driving maneuver affecting the movement of the autonomous vehicle; and

causing one or more vehicle systems of the autonomous vehicle to implement the determined driving maneuver, whereby movement of the autonomous vehicle is affected by the implemented driving maneuver.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the lane segment is formed from a plurality of waypoints, and wherein information associated with each waypoint includes at least one of a geographical location and a lane speed and a lane direction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein information associated with the lane segment includes a driving rule, and wherein the driving rule is based at least in part on the border type and the border color associated with a proximate one of the plurality of borderpoints.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the border type includes at least one of a curb, a single solid line, a double solid line, a single dashed line, a combined dashed line and solid line, and no line.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the border color includes at least one of yellow, white, and unknown.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the map format further includes a stop line associated with an end of the lane segment, wherein information associated with the stop line includes a geographical location, the geographical location representing a position where a vehicle must stop before a traffic intersection.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the map format further includes a traffic signal, wherein information associated with the traffic signal includes a geographical location and a traffic signal type and a traffic signal state.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the traffic signal type includes information regarding structure and orientation for at least one of a traffic light and a traffic sign.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the traffic signal type is a traffic light and the traffic signal state includes at least one of green, green arrow, yellow, blinking yellow, and red.

10. An autonomous vehicle system comprising:

a processing unit;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processing unit, the memory including a computer-readable map format, the map format including a lane segment and a border segment, the border segment being formed from a plurality of borderpoints, wherein information is associated with one or more of the plurality of borderpoints, the information including a geographical location, a border type, and a border color; and

one or more vehicle communicatively coupled to the processing unit,

the processing unit being configured to;

compare a current location of an autonomous vehicle to the map format;

determine, using the map format, a distance between the current location of the autonomous vehicle and an edge of the lane segment at a location along the lane segment, the determining including measuring a distance between the current location of the autonomous vehicle and a portion of the border segment closest to the current location of the autonomous vehicle;

determine a driving maneuver based on the determined distance, the driving maneuver being a driving maneuver affecting the movement of the autonomous vehicle; and

cause one or more vehicle systems to implement the determined driving maneuver, whereby movement of the autonomous vehicle is affected by the implemented driving maneuver.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the lane segment is formed from a plurality of waypoints, and wherein information associated with each waypoint includes at least one of a geographical location and a lane speed and a lane direction.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein information associated with the lane segment includes a driving rule, and wherein the driving rule is based at least in part on the border type and the border color associated with a proximate one of the plurality of borderpoints.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the border type includes at least one of a curb, a single solid line, a double solid line, a single dashed line, a combined dashed line and solid line, and no line.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the border color includes at least one of yellow, white, and unknown.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the map format further includes a stop line associated with an end of the lane segment, wherein information associated with the stop line includes a geographical location, the geographical location representing a position where a vehicle must stop before a traffic intersection.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the map format further includes a traffic signal, wherein information associated with the traffic signal includes a geographical location and a traffic signal type and a traffic signal state.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the traffic signal type includes information regarding structure and orientation for at least one of a traffic light and a traffic sign.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the traffic signal type is a traffic light and the traffic signal state includes at least one of green, green arrow, yellow, blinking yellow, and red.