Determining travel path features based on retroreflectivity
First Claim
1. A method for determining geographic features corresponding to a road network to develop a navigation database, the method comprising:
- collecting data points via a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device while driving on a road of the road network;
determining whether energy of the collected data points is substantially constant through a scan of the LIDAR device;
filtering the collected data points based on a retroreflectivity threshold and whether the energy of the collected data points is substantially constant;
identifying data points that correspond to a road feature based on the filtered data points, wherein the road feature is treated with a retroreflective substance;
calculating a normal vector relative to a plane including the road feature that fits a portion of the identified data points; and
calculating an angle between the normal vector and a driving direction.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems, devices, features, and methods for determining geographic features corresponding to a travel path to develop a map database, such as a navigation database, are disclosed. For example, one method comprises emitting light from a light source, such as a LIDAR device, while on the travel path. Returning light is received based on the emitted light. The returning light is used to generate data points representing an area about the travel path. The data points are filtered as a function of a return intensity value to identify a feature associated with the travel path, in which the feature is treated with a retroreflective substance.
41 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method for determining geographic features corresponding to a road network to develop a navigation database, the method comprising:
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collecting data points via a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device while driving on a road of the road network; determining whether energy of the collected data points is substantially constant through a scan of the LIDAR device; filtering the collected data points based on a retroreflectivity threshold and whether the energy of the collected data points is substantially constant; identifying data points that correspond to a road feature based on the filtered data points, wherein the road feature is treated with a retroreflective substance; calculating a normal vector relative to a plane including the road feature that fits a portion of the identified data points; and calculating an angle between the normal vector and a driving direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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9. A method for determining features on a travel path to develop a map database, the method comprising:
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collecting data points via a laser device while moving on the travel path; extracting data points representing a path surface of the travel path from the collected data points; determining whether energy of the data points is substantially constant through a scan of the laser device; filtering the extracted data points based on a return intensity threshold and whether the energy of the data points is substantially constant, wherein values above the return intensity threshold indicate retroreflective substances; calculating a normal vector relative to a plane of a road marking that fits a portion of the filtered data points; calculating an angle between the normal vector and a driving direction; and identifying data points that correspond to the road marking on the travel path based on the portion of the filtered data points. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system for determining geographic features corresponding to a path to develop a navigation database, the system comprising:
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a transportation device; a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device supported by the transportation device, the LIDAR device configured to collect data points corresponding to the path, wherein a path feature is identified by thresholding the collected data points as a function of a scan of the LIDAR device being substantially constant; and a processor configured to identify a plane of data points among the collected data points and calculate an angle between a direction of the transportation device and a normal vector of the plane of data points of the path feature, wherein the angle indicates a type of the path feature. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification