Per-lane traffic data collection and/or navigation

• US 10,691,958 B1
• Filed: 07/30/2015
• Issued: 06/23/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ambarella International LP (Ambarella Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Ambarella International LP (Ambarella Incorporated)
• Inventors: Fink, Alexander, Pertsel, Shimon
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jayanti K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gadomski, Stefan
• Application Number:
  US14/813,938
• Time in Patent Office: 1,790 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/804 for lane monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/24 Classification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/54 of traffic, e.g. cars on the road, trains or boats
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• 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 20/582 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

Abstract

An apparatus comprising a sensor, an interface and a processor. The sensor may be configured to generate a video signal based on a targeted view from a vehicle. The interface may receive status information from the vehicle. The processor may be configured to detect objects in the video signal. The processor may be configured to generate metadata in response to (i) a classification of the objects in the video signal and (ii) the status information. The metadata may be used to report road conditions.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a capture circuit configured to generate a video signal based on a targeted view from a vehicle;

an interface circuit configured to receive status information about said vehicle from (i) one or more sensors on said vehicle, (ii) a Global Positioning System sensor and (iii) map data received from a navigation database; and

a processor circuit, connected to said interface circuit, configured to

(A) receive (i) said video signal from said capture circuit and (ii) said status information from said interface circuit,

(B) detect objects in said video signal and

(C) generate metadata comprising lane-specific information in response to (i) a classification of said objects in said video signal and (ii) said status information,

wherein

(i) said metadata is used to overlay said lane-specific information on said map data received from said navigation database to reflect traffic congestion in each of two or more lanes of a road,

(ii) said classification of said objects comprises a calculation of relative coordinates corresponding to each of said detected objects based on a location of each of said detected objects in a video frame of said video signal added to an absolute location of said capture circuit based on said status information and

(iii) said apparatus is used to inform a driver of said vehicle to use a particular one of said lanes with the least amount of congestion.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further configured to upload said metadata to a server.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said server is configured to aggregate said metadata from a plurality of vehicles using a respective one of a plurality of said apparatus with said map data to determine said traffic congestion for each of said lanes of said road.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said server is configured to enhance said map data with granular traffic information for each lane based on said metadata.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said server is further configured to generate real-time updates to said map data based on said metadata received from said apparatus.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said server is configured to determine a route recommendation for said vehicle based on said traffic congestion.

7. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said server is configured to provide information to said driver of said vehicle corresponding to at least one of (a) lane changes and (b) speed changes based on said traffic congestion in each of said lanes.

8. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said server is configured to balance traffic loads between at least one of (a) lanes and (b) routes based on (i) a road throughput calculated by said server using said metadata from said plurality of vehicles and (ii) said traffic congestion in each of said lanes.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus further comprises a communications module configured to (i) receive said metadata from said processor and (ii) transmit said metadata to a network external to said apparatus.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said communications module is further configured to perform vehicle to vehicle communications.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said communications module is configured to perform at least one of Wi-Fi communications and cellular communications.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said traffic congestion includes at least one of an average speed of traffic in each lane, lane closures, exit ramp closures, empty lanes, traffic accidents, on-ramp closures, per lane occupancy and high occupancy vehicle lanes.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said objects comprise at least one of lane markers, other vehicles, road infrastructure, signs, road cones and barriers.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus is further configured to determine a current lane occupied by said vehicle based on at least one of (a) said objects detected by said processor and (b) said status information.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said status information comprises at least one of a speed of said vehicle, an occupancy of said vehicle, a route of said vehicle, a driving style of said driver of said vehicle and location information for said vehicle.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein (A) said metadata comprises at least one of a size of said objects, said location of said objects in said video frame, a type of said objects, a speed of said objects, said relative coordinates of said objects and a condition of said objects and (B) calculation of said relative coordinates is further based on a field of view of said apparatus.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said status information comprises an orientation of said apparatus received from a magnetometer.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein (i) said apparatus is implemented as a portion of a driving mechanism for said vehicle and (ii) said vehicle is at least one of (a) an autonomous vehicle and (b) a semi-autonomous vehicle.

19. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein (i) said vehicle is at least one of (a) an autonomous vehicle and (b) a semi-autonomous vehicle and (ii) said vehicle utilizes said apparatus.

20. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein (i) said map data provides a first estimate of traffic congestion along said road and (ii) said classification of said objects in said video is used to provide a second estimate of traffic congestion about each of said two or more lanes of said road.