Self-learning map on the basis of environment sensors

• US 8,862,384 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2009
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Stahlin, Ulrich, Grotendorst, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Amin, Bhavesh V
• Application Number:
  US12/990,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20110047338A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,993 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701 23- 28, 701300-302, 701400-541
• US Class Current: 701/409
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/65 Data transmitted between vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3837 Data obtained from a single source
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3848 Data obtained from both position sensors and additional sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

A self-learning map or a device for creating and storing a digital map for a transport unit on the basis of environmental sensors, vehicle-to-X communication and satellite navigation systems. The self-learning map and device create and store the digital map without the use of data from navigation maps. The obtained digital map is iteratively improved and can be used for the validity check of an existing digital map for a driver assistance system.

Claims

1. An apparatus in a vehicle for creating and storing a digital map for the vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

a sensor unit configured to ascertain topographical data for the surroundings of the vehicle;

a communication unit configured to receive map data from a third party;

a creation unit configured to create the digital map from the ascertained topographical data for the surroundings of the vehicle,

wherein the creation unit associates a level of trust to the map data received from the third party, such that the use of the third party map data in the creation of the digital map is based on the level of trust, the level of trust including at least three levels; and

a memory unit configured to store the created digital map.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is configured to iteratively create the digital map.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a detection unit configured to detect a driving pattern for identifying a classified road situation for the digital map.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a quality assessment unit configured to assess the quality of the ascertained topographical data for the surroundings of the vehicle and also the digital map created therefrom.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the created digital map is used by a driver assistance system.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a communication unit configured to transmit the topographical data and the digital map to a suitable reception unit.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sensor unit includes, for the purpose of ascertaining the topographical data for the surroundings of the vehicle, at least one sensor from the group comprising a satellite navigation receiver, a radar in conjunction with an adaptive cruise control system, a radar sensor, a lidar sensor or laser scanner, a camera sensor system and a vehicle-to-X communication unit.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor unit includes:

first and second sensors configured to ascertain topographical data for the surroundings of the vehicle; and

a data merger unit configured to merge the ascertained data from the first sensor and the ascertained data from the second sensor in order to improve quality for the ascertained data.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the communication unit is configured to receive topographical data and maps from a transmitter.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a validation unit configured to validate a stored digital map on the basis of the created digital map, so that the validated digital map can be used for a safety-critical application in the vehicle without this requiring any further data.

11. A vehicle comprising an apparatus for creating and storing a digital map for the vehicle as claimed in claim 1.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the level of trust is adjusted by the driver.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein map data having a low level of trust and map data having a high level of trust are both used in creation of the digital map.

12. A method for creating and storing a digital map for a vehicle, said method comprising the following steps:

ascertaining, by a processor, topographical data for the surroundings of the vehicle;

receiving, by the processor, map data from a third party;

creating, by the processor, the digital map from the ascertained topographical data for the surroundings of the vehicle, and the map data received from the third party;

associating, by the processor, a level of trust to the map data received from the third party, such that the use of the third party map data in the creation of the digital map is based on the level of trust, the level of trust including at least three levels; and

storing the created digital map in a memory unit.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising the step of transmitting the topographical data and the digital map to a suitable reception unit.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium which stores a program element which, when executed on a processor of an apparatus for creating and storing a digital map for a vehicle, instructs the apparatus to perform the following steps:

ascertain, by a sensor unit, topographical data for the surroundings of the vehicle;

receiving, by a reception unit, map data from a third party;

create, by a creation unit, the digital map from the ascertained topographical data for the surroundings of the vehicle, and the map data received from the third party;

associate, by the creation unit, a level of trust to the map data received from the third party, such that the use of the third party map data in the creation of the digital map is based on the level of trust, the level of trust including at least three levels; and

store the created digital map by a memory unit.