Method and apparatus for generating digital map

Abstract

To provide a method for generating a digital map.SOLUTION: A method for generating (320) a digital map representing at least one range along a traffic route includes the steps of: receiving (310) many surrounding area data value sets, each surrounding area data value set being detected using a peripheral environmental sensor apparatus of a vehicle traveling along the traffic route, and each surrounding area data value set including surrounding area features and a position of the surrounding area features; generating (320) the digital map, the surrounding area features of the surrounding area data value sets being sorted into groups depending on their position, spatial arrangement of the respective surrounding area features relative to one another being determined for each group, an optimized position of the surrounding area features of the group being determined for each group without changing the spatial arrangement, and the digital map being generated depending on the optimized position of the surrounding area features of each group; and providing (330) the digital map.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The invention relates inter alia to a method for generating a digital map representing at least one extent along a traffic route, the method comprising the steps of receiving a number of sets of surrounding data values, each set of surrounding data values ​​comprising surrounding features, generating the digital map in dependence on the surrounding features, and providing the digital map. Summary of the Invention

[0002] A method for creating a digital map representing at least one area along a traffic route includes a step of receiving a number of surrounding data value sets, each surrounding data value set being captured by an environmental sensor device of a vehicle traveling on the traffic route, each surrounding data value set including surrounding features and a position of the surrounding features. The method further includes a step of creating a digital map, in which in a first partial step the surrounding features of the surrounding data value sets are classified into groups depending on their positions, in a second partial step for each group a spatial arrangement of the respective surrounding features relative to one another is determined, in a third partial step for each group an optimized position of the surrounding features of the group is determined without changing the spatial arrangement, and in a fourth partial step the digital map is created depending on the optimized positions of the surrounding features of each group, and a step of providing the digital map.

[0003] A traffic lane is, for example, a single or multi-lane road. A region along a traffic lane is, for example, the traffic lane itself as well as the zone to the left and / or right of the traffic lane. The width of this zone depends, for example, on the concrete configuration of the surroundings and / or the range of the sensors of the individual vehicles. In the most common cases, this zone includes surrounding features such as, for example, traffic signs.

[0004] The surrounding environment sensor device is at least one video sensor and / or at least one radar sensor and / or at least one lidar sensor and / or at least one ultrasonic sensor and / or at least one further sensor configured for capturing the surroundings of the vehicle in the form of sensor data values. In one possible embodiment, the surrounding environment sensor device comprises for example a computing unit (processor, main memory, hard disk) equipped with suitable software for this purpose and / or is connected to such a computing unit.

[0005] Surrounding features here refer to, for example, infrastructure features (roadway boundaries, guardrails, etc.) and / or traffic signs (road signs, traffic lights, etc.) and / or architectural features (buildings, bridges, tunnels, etc.) and / or further features that can be captured by surrounding environment sensor equipment.

[0006] A digital map is a map present on a memory medium in the form of (map) data values. The map is formed, for example, to include one or more map layers, whereby one map layer shows, for example, a map from a bird's-eye view (extension and position of roads, buildings, landscape features, etc.). This corresponds, for example, to a map of a navigation system. Further map layers include, for example, a radar map, where the surrounding features included in the radar map are stored together with the radar signatures. Further map layers include, for example, a lidar map, where the surrounding features included in the lidar map are stored together with the lidar signatures.

[0007] In one embodiment, the map is formed as a highly accurate map. This highly accurate map is formed in particular for the navigation of an automated vehicle. This means, for example, that the highly accurate map is formed for determining a highly accurate position of an automated vehicle by matching stored surrounding features with captured sensor data values ​​of the automated vehicle. The highly accurate map thus includes, for example, these surrounding features together with highly accurate position indications (coordinates). In this case, the map means, in particular, a globally accurate map.

[0008] A very accurate position is a position that is accurate within a given coordinate system, for example WGS84 coordinates, without exceeding a maximum permitted ambiguity. The maximum ambiguity in this respect may for example depend on the surroundings. The maximum ambiguity may further depend for example on whether the vehicle is operated manually or partially, highly or fully automated (corresponding to one of SAE levels 1 to 5). Essentially the maximum ambiguity is, inter alia, small enough to ensure a safe operation of the automated vehicle. For a fully automated operation of an automated vehicle, the maximum ambiguity is, for example, of the order of magnitude of about 10 centimeters.

[0009] The creation of a digital map means, for example, that surrounding features contained in the surrounding data values ​​are newly integrated into a base map in accordance with their (optimized) positions and / or that surrounding features already contained in the base map are correspondingly removed or adapted. A base map here means, inter alia, a digital map (as described above).

[0010] The method mentioned here advantageously solves the problem of providing a method for creating a digital map. This problem is solved by the method according to the invention, in that the surrounding features defined for this purpose are classified into groups depending on their positions, and for each group, the spatial arrangement of the respective surrounding features relative to one another is determined. Then, for each group, an optimized position of the surrounding features of the group is determined without changing the relative spatial arrangement. This has the advantage that, based on a large number of sets of surrounding data values, individual errors or deviations in the positions of the surrounding features, which may occur in a satellite positioning system, for example, due to multipath effects or atmospheric turbulence, can be corrected without changing the relative positions of these surrounding features relative to one another, and thus an optimized position can be determined.

[0011] The spatial arrangement of each peripheral feature of a group preferably includes the spacing and / or angle between the peripheral features. For each surrounding feature, the position of the corresponding surrounding feature is preferably determined from a combination of the vehicle position of the vehicle capturing the surrounding feature and the relative position of the surrounding feature with respect to the vehicle, the vehicle position of the vehicle being determined by a satellite positioning system for the vehicle, and the relative position being determined from the corresponding surrounding data value set, and assigned to the surrounding feature.

[0012] The locations of the surrounding features may, for example, be 3D representations within a given coordinate system, for example WGS84 coordinates. The combination of the vehicle position of the vehicle and the relative positions of the surrounding features is, for example, a vector addition of the coordinates of the vehicle position and the direction vector between this position and the position of the surrounding features.

[0013] The digital map is preferably provided in such a way that it can be requested and / or received by vehicles, in particular automated vehicles. A vehicle is, for example, a manually operated vehicle (SAE Level 0) or an automated vehicle based on one of the SAE Levels 1 to 5 (see standard SAE J3016).

[0014] Vehicle action refers for example to the execution of lateral and / or longitudinal control (depending on the SAE level or on the configuration of the [automated] vehicle). In one possible embodiment, action also includes the execution of safety-related functions (airbag "focusing", seat belt locking, etc.) and / or further (driving assistance) functions.

[0015] The device, in particular the computing unit, is adapted to execute all steps of the method for creating a digital map, the computing unit being for example a server or a server cluster or a cloud.

[0016] The device or computing unit comprises a processor, a main memory, a memory medium and appropriate software for performing a method according to one of the method claims. The device further comprises an interface for transmitting and receiving data values, for example via a cabled and / or wireless connection, to corresponding mechanisms of the vehicle (control devices, communication mechanisms, environmental sensor devices, navigation system, etc.) and / or to further mechanisms external to the vehicle (servers, clouds, etc.).

[0017] Furthermore, a computer program is claimed which comprises instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out a method according to one of the method claims for generating a digital map. In one embodiment, the computer program represents software contained in the second device.

[0018] Further, a machine-readable memory medium having a computer program stored thereon is claimed. Advantageous variants of the invention are presented in the dependent claims and are described in the specification.

[0019] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings and are explained in more detail in the following description. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of one exemplary embodiment of a method according to the present invention for creating a digital map. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] FIG. 1 illustrates one exemplary embodiment of a method 300 for generating 320 a digital map representing at least one area along a transportation route. The method 300 begins at step 301 .

[0022] At step 310, a number of sets of ambient data values ​​are received, each set of ambient data values ​​being captured by surrounding environment sensor equipment of a vehicle traveling along the roadway, each set of ambient data values ​​including a ambient feature and a position of the ambient feature.

[0023] In step 320, a digital map is created, which includes four sub-steps 321-324. In a first partial step 321, the surrounding features of the set of surrounding data values ​​are sorted into groups depending on their position, whereby surrounding features that have a certain proximity based on a predefined criterion (e.g. a maximum distance to each other) are grouped together.

[0024] In a second substep 322, for each group, the spatial arrangement of the respective surrounding features relative to one another is determined. In a third partial step 323, for each group an optimized position of the surrounding features of the group is determined without changing the relative spatial arrangement, whereby for each group an optimized position is determined from a multiplicity of individual positions of all considered surrounding features, the relative spatial arrangement of the surrounding features of a group remaining unchanged.

[0025] In a fourth sub-step 324, a digital map is created depending on the optimized positions of the surrounding features of each group. In step 330 a digital map is provided.

[0026] At step 340, the method 300 ends. [Explanation of symbols]

[0027] 300 Methods for creating digital maps 301 Start of Method 300 310 Receiving a Multiple Set of Ambient Data Values 320 Digital Map Creation 321 Classify surrounding features of a set of surrounding data values ​​into groups depending on their positions 322 For each group, determine the spatial arrangement of each surrounding feature relative to each other. 323 Determining the optimal location of the surrounding features of the group without changing the spatial arrangement 324 Creating a Digital Map Based on Optimized Positions of Surrounding Features for Each Group 330 Digital map provision 340 End of Method 300

Claims

1. A method (300) for generating (320) a digital map representing at least one area along a traffic route, comprising: receiving (310) a number of sets of ambient data values, each set of ambient data values ​​being captured by environmental sensor equipment of a vehicle travelling along said roadway, each set of ambient data values ​​comprising ambient features and positions of said ambient features; - creating (320) said digital map, in which in a first sub-step (321) the surrounding features of said set of surrounding data values ​​are classified into groups depending on their positions, in a second sub-step (322) for each group a spatial arrangement of the respective surrounding features relative to one another is determined, in a third sub-step (323) for each group an optimized position of the surrounding features of said group is determined without changing said spatial arrangement, and in a fourth sub-step (324) the digital map is created depending on the optimized positions of the surrounding features of each group; providing (330) said digital map; The method (300) comprising:

2. 2. The method (300) of claim 1, wherein the spatial arrangement of each of the peripheral features of a group includes a spacing and / or an angle between the peripheral features.

3. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein for each surrounding feature, the position of the corresponding surrounding feature is determined from a combination of a vehicle position of the vehicle capturing the surrounding feature (the vehicle position is determined by a satellite positioning system for the vehicle) and a relative position of the surrounding feature with respect to the vehicle (the relative position is determined from the corresponding set of surrounding data values) and assigned to the surrounding feature.

4. 2. The method (300) of claim 1, wherein the providing (330) of the digital map is performed such that the digital map can be requested and / or received by a vehicle, in particular an automated vehicle.

5. An apparatus, in particular a computing unit, adapted to perform all the steps of the method (300) according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause said computer to carry out the method (300) of any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. 7. A machine-readable memory medium having stored thereon the computer program of claim 6.

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