Turn restriction determination

• US 8,918,282 B1
• Filed: 08/30/2013
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Stenneth, Leon
• Primary Examiner(s): EL CHANTI, HUSSEIN A
• Application Number:
  US14/015,185
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 701/411, 701/450, 701/409, 701/117
• US Class Current: 701/450
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0145 for active traffic flow control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station

Abstract

Turn restrictions are identified and associated with an intersection. Geographic data is collected over a period of time from mobile devices located near the intersection. A geometric pattern is derived from the geographic data. A comparison between the geometric pattern and predefined geometric patterns associated with turn restrictions is performed. A turn restriction for the intersection is determined based on the comparison.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving geographic data collected over a period of time from mobile devices located near an intersection;

deriving, with a processor, a geometric pattern from the geographic data;

performing a comparison, with the processor, of the geometric pattern to predefined geometric patterns associated with turn restrictions; and

determining a turn restriction to associate with the intersection based on the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic data represents vehicle locations.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the turn restriction comprises a left turn restriction, a right turn restriction, or a U-turn restriction.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein deriving the geometric pattern comprises a clustering technique used to group the geographic data into clusters.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

comparing a data density of the clusters to a data density threshold; and

removing clusters of insufficient density.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining centroids of the clusters; and

determining the geometric pattern using the centroids of clusters.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the turn restriction comprises a time of day that the turn restriction is in place.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the time of day that the turn restriction is in place is determined using a temporal clustering technique to form clusters based on a time associated with the geographic data to determine different geometric patterns for different times of day.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the comparison comprises:

applying a curve fitting technique to the geometric pattern, or calculating a Frechet distance between the geometric pattern and the predetermined geometric pattern.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store geographic data collected over a period of time from mobile devices located near an intersection and to store a collection of predefined geometric patterns associated with specific turn restrictions; and

a controller configured to derive a geometric pattern from the geographic data, compare the geometric pattern to the predefined geometric patterns to determine a similarity, and determine a turn restriction to associate with the intersection based on the similarity.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the geographic data represents the positions of vehicles at particular times.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the turn restriction comprises a left turn restriction, a right turn restriction, or a U-turn restriction.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to use a clustering technique to derive a geometric pattern.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to remove clusters having a data density below a threshold to derive the geometric pattern.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to connect centroids of the clusters to derive the geometric pattern.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the turn restriction comprises a time of day the turn restriction is in effect.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the time of day the turn restriction is in place is determined using a temporal clustering technique to form clusters based on a time associated with the geographic data to determine different geometric patterns for different times of day.

18. The apparatus d of claim 10, wherein the similarity is determined using a curve fitting technique or a Fré

chet distance calculation.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions that when executed on a computer are operable to:

receive geographic data collected over a period of time from mobile devices located near an intersection;

derive a geometric pattern from the geographic data;

compare the geometric pattern to predefined geometric patterns associated with turn restrictions; and

determine a turn restriction to associate with the intersection based on the geometric pattern and predefined geometric patterns.

20. The medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions are further operable to associate a visual indication of the turn restriction with the intersection in a geographic database.