Map data processing method and device

Abstract

The embodiment of the present invention provides a map data processing method and apparatus for adding a new type of map information, namely shadow information describing a shadow area, to a map. The embodiment of the present invention provides multiple optional solutions for the content indicated by the shadow information and data organization form in the map, so that the map can record at least one of the geographic location, shape, size, shadow intensity, reliability, formation cause, and change over time of the shadow area. Thus, the information richness of the map can be improved and various application requirements can be met. The embodiment of the present invention further provides multiple application solutions of the shadow information, which can be applied to multiple scenarios such as target recognition, assisted driving, parking space search, navigation, vehicle dispatch, solar energy charging, and laser projection.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202111127585.X, entitled "Map Data Processing Method and Apparatus," filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China on September 19, 2021, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] The present application relates to the field of electronic map technology, and in particular to a map data processing method and apparatus. [Background technology]

[0003] Intelligent driving requires increasingly high accuracy in vehicle sensing and decision-making systems, so electronic maps, as a carrier of traffic information, can provide vehicles with advance reference information such as road topology. In particular, the rapidly developing high-definition map (HD MAP), also known as high-resolution map or high-precision map, significantly improves information accuracy and real-time performance. HD MAP improves the accuracy of vehicle detection and decision-making through map positioning, perception, and fusion, and also provides non-line-of-sight traffic information for vehicles to perform forward-looking predictions.

[0004] Future intelligent driving and intelligent transportation will place higher requirements on the richness of map information, but the richness of existing map content cannot fully meet the future usage requirements. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] To solve the technical problem in the prior art that the richness of map content cannot fully meet the usage requirements, the embodiments of the present application provide a map data processing method and apparatus.

[0006] According to a first aspect, there is provided a map data processing method. The method may be executed by, for example, a map generating device, a server, a vehicle, a mobile terminal, or an application. The method includes the steps of acquiring shadow information, where the shadow information indicates a shadow area and the shadow information includes location information, where the location information indicates a geographic location of the shadow area, and storing the shadow information as map data. The shadow area is a surface area where the received light intensity is weaker than the surrounding area. For example, the shadow area may be a surface area covered by the shadow of a nearby building, a surface area covered by a ceiling, a tunnel area, or a surface area covered by leaves under vegetation.

[0007] Optionally, the location information is expressed based on coordinates or map elements.

[0008] Optionally, the shadow information further comprises an identifier of the shadow region to facilitate maintaining the shadow information on the map.

[0009] In this embodiment of the present application, a new type of map-bearing content, namely, shadow information used to indicate shadow areas, is introduced into the map, so that the map can provide users with advance information or real-time information of shadow areas, so as to greatly improve the richness of map content and meet more map usage requirements of users.

[0010] According to a first aspect, in a possible implementation of the map data processing method, the step of acquiring shadow information includes a step of generating shadow information. Specifically, statistics on sensing data acquired by a map collection vehicle, a crowdsourcing vehicle, or a roadside device may be collected, and the shadow information may be generated by referring to other information such as weather conditions.

[0011] According to the first aspect or any one of the possible implementation forms of the first aspect, in yet another possible implementation form of the map data processing method, obtaining the shadow information includes receiving the shadow information from another device, component, chip, interface, hardware module, or software module.

[0012] According to the first aspect or any one of the possible implementation forms of the first aspect, in yet another possible implementation form of the map data processing method, the shadow information further includes at least one of geometric information, time information, shadow intensity information, confidence level information, and cause information. The geometric information indicates a shape or size of the shadow region. The time information indicates a time period during which the shadow region exists. The shadow intensity information indicates a shadow intensity of the shadow region. The confidence level information indicates a confidence level of the shadow region. The cause information indicates a cause generating the shadow region.

[0013] Optionally, the time information includes at least one of a year field, a quarter field, a month field, a date field, an hour field, a minute field, and a timestamp.

[0014] Optionally, the shadow intensity includes at least one of an average illumination value of the shadow region, an illumination difference between the shadow region and a non-shadow region, an image luminance difference between the shadow region and a non-shadow region, an image contrast between the shadow region and a non-shadow region, and a shadow intensity.

[0015] Optionally, the reliability level information is determined based on at least one of the following factors: weather conditions, reliability of the collection device, reliability of the collection method, and amount of statistical data.

[0016] Optionally, the shadow information may include at least one of the above types of information as dynamic information on the map.

[0017] Optionally, the shadow information may include at least one of the aforementioned types of information as static information on the map.

[0018] According to the first aspect or any one of the possible implementation forms of the first aspect, in yet another possible implementation form of the map data processing method, the step of storing the shadow information as map data includes the step of storing the shadow information in a data structure for storing events on a map.

[0019] Optionally, the shadow information is stored on a tile-by-tile basis, with each tile including multiple pieces of shadow information indicating multiple shadow regions.

[0020] In yet another possible implementation form of the map data processing method according to the first aspect or any one of the possible implementation forms of the first aspect, the method further includes a step of transmitting shadow information.

[0021] According to the first aspect or any one of the possible implementation forms of the first aspect, in yet another possible implementation form of the map data processing method, the method further includes a step of displaying a shadow area or controlling the display of a shadow area based on the shadow information.

[0022] Optionally, the step of displaying a shadow area based on the shadow information includes the steps of receiving a shadow display trigger command input by a user, and displaying or controlling the display of the shadow information superimposed on other information of the map based on the shadow display trigger command.

[0023] Optionally, a display area corresponding to a shadow area has a different greyscale, colour, saturation or overlay pattern relative to another display area.

[0024] Optionally, when the shadow information further includes time information, the time information indicates a time period during which the shadow region exists, and displaying the shadow region based on the shadow information includes displaying a change in the shadow region over time or controlling the display of the change in the shadow region over time based on the time information.

[0025] Optionally, when the shadow information further includes shadow intensity information, the shadow intensity information indicates the shadow intensity of the shadow region, and displaying the shadow region or controlling the display of the shadow region based on the shadow information includes displaying the shadow intensity information or controlling the display of the shadow intensity information using different grayscales, colors, saturations, or pattern densities.

[0026] Optionally, when the shadow information further includes cause information, the cause information indicates a cause that generates the shadow region, and displaying the shadow region based on the shadow information includes displaying the cause information or controlling the display of the cause information using different grayscales, colors, saturations, or pattern densities.

[0027] Optionally, the step of displaying or controlling the display of the shadow region based on the shadow information includes the steps of determining a display region of the shadow region on the display interface based on position information and boundary information of the map element in the map, and displaying or controlling the display of the shadow region on the display region. When the map element is a road, the display region is a section of the road. When the map element is a lane, the display region is a section of the lane.

[0028] According to the first aspect or any one of the possible implementation forms of the first aspect, in yet another possible implementation form of the map data processing method, the method further includes a step of acquiring sensing data regarding a target object, and a step of identifying the target object based on the sensing data and the shadow information.

[0029] Optionally, identifying the target object includes identifying a category of the target object, a name of the target object, an outline of the target object, a color of the target object, a pattern of the target object, or whether the target object is three-dimensional.

[0030] Optionally, obtaining the sensing data about the target object includes receiving the sensing data from a vehicle. The method further includes transmitting target indication information to the vehicle, the target indication information indicating whether the target object is present or indicating a characteristic of the target object. Further, optionally, the characteristic includes a category of the target object, a name of the target object, an outline of the target object, a color of the target object, a pattern of the target object, or an attribute of whether the target object is three-dimensional.

[0031] Optionally, acquiring sensing data about the target object includes acquiring sensing data obtained by sensing with a sensing device. The method further includes making a driving decision based on the identification result. Further, optionally, the sensing device includes a camera, a millimeter wave radar, a lidar, or a millimeter wave radar.

[0032] According to the first aspect or any one of the aforementioned possible implementation forms of the first aspect, in yet another possible implementation form of the map data processing method, the method further includes a step of acquiring driving data of the vehicle, the driving data indicating a driving position of the vehicle, and a step of determining, based on the driving data and the shadow information, that the vehicle is about to enter a shadow area within a time period less than a first threshold or that the distance between the vehicle and the shadow area ahead in the driving direction of the vehicle is less than a second threshold.

[0033] Optionally, obtaining driving data of the vehicle includes receiving driving data from the vehicle. The method further includes sending a reminder message to the vehicle, the reminder message indicating that the vehicle is about to enter a shadow region.

[0034] Optionally, the method further comprises reminding the user to perform at least one of the following actions: slow down, turn on headlights, turn on warning lights, and honk the horn.

[0035] Optionally, the method further comprises controlling the vehicle to perform at least one of the following actions: slow down, turn on headlights, turn on warning lights, and honk the horn.

[0036] According to the first aspect or any one of the aforementioned possible implementation forms of the first aspect, in yet another possible implementation form of the map data processing method, the method further includes a step of obtaining parking requirement information of a user, wherein the parking requirement information indicates at least one of an estimated parking area, a parking start time, a parking end time, and a parking duration, and a step of selecting at least one parking space based on the parking requirement information and the shadow information.

[0037] Optionally, obtaining the user's parking requirement information comprises receiving the parking requirement information from a mobile terminal.

[0038] Optionally, the method further includes transmitting parking space recommendation information to a mobile terminal, where the parking space recommendation information indicates at least one parking space. The mobile terminal includes, but is not limited to, a vehicle or a mobile terminal (such as a mobile phone, a PAD, or a navigator).

[0039] Optionally, obtaining the user's parking requirement information comprises obtaining the parking requirement information based on a user's input, or obtaining the parking requirement information based on navigation information.

[0040] Optionally, the method further comprises recommending parking spaces to the user on a display interface.

[0041] According to the first aspect or any one of the aforementioned possible implementation forms of the first aspect, in yet another possible implementation form of the map data processing method, the method further includes the steps of obtaining user progress information, and planning the user's progress route or pick-up location based on the progress information and the shadow information.

[0042] Optionally, obtaining the user progress information comprises receiving the progress information from a mobile terminal.

[0043] Optionally, the method further includes sending travel suggestion information to a mobile terminal, where the travel suggestion information indicates a travel route or a pick-up location. The mobile terminal includes, but is not limited to, a vehicle or a mobile terminal (such as a mobile phone, a PAD, or a navigator).

[0044] Optionally, the journey information includes at least one of a journey time, a journey mode (walking, cycling, or driving), a starting point, and a destination.

[0045] Optionally, the travel route is the route with the longest length of road sections covered by shadow areas, or the route with the largest ratio of the length of road sections covered by shadow areas to the total length of the road, or the route with the shortest length of road sections covered by non-shadow areas, or the route with the smallest ratio of the length of road sections covered by non-shadow areas to the total length of the road.

[0046] Optionally, the method further comprises recommending a route to travel to the user on a display interface.

[0047] According to the first aspect or any one of the possible implementation forms of the first aspect, in yet another possible implementation form of the map data processing method, the method further includes steps of obtaining solar energy charging requirement information of a user, and determining a first location for charging in a stationary state or a first route for charging in a moving state based on the solar energy charging requirement information and the shadow information.

[0048] Optionally, obtaining the user's solar energy charging requirement information comprises receiving the user's solar energy charging requirement information from a mobile terminal.

[0049] Optionally, the method further includes transmitting solar energy charging instruction information to a mobile terminal, where the solar energy charging instruction information indicates the first location or the first route. The mobile terminal includes, but is not limited to, a vehicle or a mobile terminal (such as a mobile phone, a PAD, or a navigator).

[0050] Optionally, the solar energy charging requirement information includes at least one of a charging location area, a charging start time, a charging end time, and a charging duration.

[0051] Optionally, the method further comprises recommending the first location or the first route to the user on a display interface.

[0052] According to the first aspect or any one of the possible implementation forms of the first aspect, in yet another possible implementation form of the map data processing method, the method further includes a step of determining at least one of a position, brightness, and hue to be used for the laser projection based on the shadow information.

[0053] Optionally, the shadow information further comprises time information, the time information indicating a time period during which the shadow region exists.

[0054] Optionally, the method further comprises determining a time of laser projection based on the shadow information.

[0055] According to a second aspect, there is provided a map data processing device, the map data processing device including: a first acquisition unit configured to acquire shadow information, the shadow information indicating a shadow area, the shadow information including location information, the location information indicating a geographical location of the shadow area; and a storage unit configured to store the shadow information as map data.

[0056] Optionally, the location information is expressed based on coordinates or map elements.

[0057] Optionally, the shadow information further comprises an identifier of the shadow region.

[0058] According to a second aspect, in a possible implementation of the map data processing device, the first acquisition unit is a first processing unit configured to generate shadow information.

[0059] According to the second aspect or any one of the possible implementation forms of the second aspect, in yet another possible implementation form of the map data processing device, the first acquisition unit is a first receiving unit configured to receive shadow information.

[0060] Optionally, the first processing unit is configured to collect statistics on the sensing data acquired by the map collection vehicle, the crowdsourcing vehicle, or the roadside device, and generate shadow information by referring to other information such as weather conditions.

[0061] Optionally, the first receiving unit is configured to receive the shadow information from another device, component, chip, interface, hardware module, or software module.

[0062] According to the second aspect or any one of the possible implementation forms of the second aspect, in yet another possible implementation form of the map data processing device, the shadow information further includes at least one of geometric information, time information, shadow intensity information, reliability level information, and cause information. The geometric information indicates the shape or size of the shadow region. The time information indicates a time period during which the shadow region exists. The shadow intensity information indicates the shadow intensity of the shadow region. The reliability level information indicates the reliability of the shadow region. The cause information indicates a cause that generates the shadow region.

[0063] Optionally, the time information includes at least one of a year field, a quarter field, a month field, a date field, an hour field, a minute field, and a timestamp.

[0064] Optionally, the shadow intensity includes at least one of an average illumination value of the shadow region, an illumination difference between the shadow region and a non-shadow region, an image luminance difference between the shadow region and a non-shadow region, an image contrast between the shadow region and a non-shadow region, and a shadow intensity.

[0065] Optionally, the reliability level information is determined based on at least one of the following factors: weather conditions, reliability of the collection device, reliability of the collection method, and amount of statistical data.

[0066] According to the second aspect or any one of the possible implementation forms of the second aspect, in yet another possible implementation form of the map data processing device, the storage unit is further configured to store shadow information in a data structure for storing events on a map.

[0067] Optionally, the shadow information is stored on a tile-by-tile basis, with each tile including multiple pieces of shadow information indicating multiple shadow regions.

[0068] According to the second aspect or any one of the possible implementation forms of the second aspect, in yet another possible implementation form of the map data processing device, the device further includes a first transmitting unit configured to transmit shadow information.

[0069] According to the second aspect or any one of the possible implementation forms of the second aspect, in yet another possible implementation form of the map data processing device, the device further includes a display unit configured to display the shadow area based on the shadow information. Alternatively, the display unit is independent of the device, and the device further includes a control unit configured to control the display of the shadow area based on the shadow information.

[0070] According to the second aspect or any one of the possible implementation forms of the second aspect, in yet another possible implementation form of the map data processing device, the device further includes an input unit configured to receive a shadow display trigger command input by a user, and when the input unit is independent of the device, the device further includes a receiving unit configured to receive the shadow display trigger command input by the user.

[0071] Optionally, the display unit superimposes the shadow information onto other information of the map for display based on the shadow display trigger command. Alternatively, the control unit controls the display of the shadow region based on the shadow display trigger command.

[0072] According to the second aspect or any one of the possible implementation forms of the second aspect, in yet another possible implementation form of the map data processing device, a display area corresponding to a shadow area has a different grayscale, color, saturation, or superimposition pattern relative to another display area.

[0073] According to the second aspect or any one of the possible implementation forms of the second aspect, in yet another possible implementation form of the map data processing device, the shadow information further includes time information, and the time information indicates a time period during which the shadow area exists.

[0074] Optionally, the display unit is configured to display the change over time of the shadow region based on the time information. Alternatively, the control unit is configured to control the display of the change over time of the shadow region based on the time information.

[0075] According to the second aspect or any one of the possible implementation forms of the second aspect, in yet another possible implementation form of the map data processing device, the shadow information further includes shadow intensity information, and the shadow intensity information indicates the shadow intensity of the shadow area.

[0076] Optionally, the display unit is configured to display the shading information using different greyscales, colours, saturations or pattern densities. Alternatively, the control unit is configured to control the display of the shading information using different greyscales, colours, saturations or pattern densities.

[0077] According to the second aspect or any one of the possible implementation forms of the second aspect, in yet another possible implementation form of the map data processing device, the shadow information further includes cause information, and the cause information indicates a cause that generates the shadow area.

[0078] Optionally, the display unit is configured to display the causal information using different greyscales, colours, saturations or pattern densities. Alternatively, the control unit is configured to control the display of the causal information using different greyscales, colours, saturations or pattern densities.

[0079] According to the second aspect or any one of the possible implementation forms of the second aspect, in yet another possible implementation form of the map data processing device, the device further includes a second processing unit configured to determine a display area of ​​a shadow area on the display interface based on position information and boundary information of a map element in the map, wherein the display unit is configured to display the shadow area in the display area, or the control unit is configured to control the display of the shadow area on the display area. When the map element is a road, the display area is a section of the road. When the map element is a lane, the display area is a section of the lane.

[0080] According to the second aspect or any one of the possible implementation forms of the second aspect, in yet another possible implementation form of the map data processing device, the device further includes a second acquisition unit configured to acquire sensing data related to the target object, and a third processing unit configured to identify the target object based on the sensing data and the shadow information.

[0081] Optionally, the third processing unit identifies a category of the target object, a name of the target object, an outline of the target object, a color of the target object, a pattern of the target object, or whether the target object is three-dimensional.

[0082] Optionally, the second obtaining unit is a second receiving unit configured to receive sensing data from the vehicle.

[0083] Optionally, the apparatus further comprises a second transmitting unit configured to transmit target indication information to the vehicle, the target indication information indicating an attribute of the target object.

[0084] Optionally, the attributes include a category of the target object, a name of the target object, an outline of the target object, a color of the target object, a pattern of the target object, or whether the target object is three-dimensional.

[0085] Optionally, the second acquiring unit is configured to acquire sensing data acquired by sensing by the sensing device. The third processing unit is configured to make a driving decision based on the identification result.

[0086] Optionally, the sensing device comprises a camera, a millimeter wave radar, a lidar, or a millimeter wave radar.

[0087] According to the second aspect or any one of the possible implementation forms of the second aspect, in yet another possible implementation form of the map data processing device, the device further includes: a third acquisition unit configured to acquire driving data of the vehicle, where the driving data indicates a driving position of the vehicle; and a fourth processing unit configured to determine, based on the driving data and the shadow information, that the vehicle is about to enter a shadow area within a time period less than a first threshold or that a distance between the vehicle and a shadow area ahead of the driving direction of the vehicle is less than a second threshold.

[0088] Optionally, the third obtaining unit is a third receiving unit configured to receive sensing data from the vehicle.

[0089] Optionally, the apparatus further comprises a third sending unit configured to send a reminder message to the vehicle, the reminder message indicating that the vehicle is about to enter the shadow region.

[0090] Optionally, the apparatus further comprises an output unit configured to remind the user to perform at least one of the following actions: slow down, turn on headlights, turn on warning lights, and honk the horn.

[0091] Optionally, the apparatus further comprises a control unit configured to control the vehicle to perform at least one of the following actions: slow down, turn on headlights, turn on warning lights, and honk the horn.

[0092] According to the second aspect or any one of the possible implementation forms of the second aspect, in yet another possible implementation form of the map data processing device, the device further includes: a fourth acquisition unit configured to acquire parking requirement information of a user, wherein the parking requirement information indicates at least one of an estimated parking area, a parking start time, a parking end time, and a parking duration; and a fifth processing unit configured to select at least one parking space based on the parking requirement information and the shadow information.

[0093] Optionally, the fourth obtaining unit is a fourth receiving unit configured to receive parking requirement information from a mobile terminal. The apparatus further includes a fourth transmitting unit configured to transmit parking space recommendation information to the mobile terminal, the parking space recommendation information indicating at least one parking space. The mobile terminal includes, but is not limited to, a vehicle or a mobile terminal (such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, a navigator, or a smart wearable device).

[0094] Optionally, the fourth obtaining unit is configured to obtain the parking requirement information based on a user input or to obtain the parking requirement information based on navigation information. Further, the apparatus further includes a display unit configured to recommend parking spaces to the user on the display interface. Alternatively, the apparatus further includes a control unit configured to control a display of recommending parking spaces to the user on the display interface.

[0095] According to the second aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the second aspect, in yet another possible implementation of the map data processing device, the device comprises: a fifth acquiring unit configured to acquire user progress information; a sixth processing unit configured to plan a travel route or a pick-up location for the user based on the travel information and the shadow information; Further includes:

[0096] Optionally, the fifth obtaining unit is a fifth receiving unit configured to receive progress information from the mobile terminal.

[0097] Optionally, the apparatus further includes a fifth sending unit configured to send travel suggestion information to a mobile terminal, the travel suggestion information indicating a travel route or a pick-up location. The mobile terminal includes, but is not limited to, a vehicle or a mobile terminal (such as a mobile phone, a PAD, or a navigator).

[0098] Optionally, the journey information includes at least one of a journey time, a journey mode (walking, cycling, or driving), a starting point, and a destination.

[0099] Optionally, the travel route meets the requirement of a minimum length of the route not covered by a shadow area.

[0100] Optionally, the apparatus further comprises a display unit configured to recommend the travel route to the user on the display interface. Alternatively, the apparatus further comprises a control unit configured to control display of the travel route recommendation to the user on the display interface.

[0101] According to the second aspect or any one of the possible implementation forms of the second aspect, in yet another possible implementation form of the map data processing device, the device further includes a sixth acquisition unit configured to acquire solar energy charging requirement information of a user, and a seventh processing unit configured to determine a first location for charging in a stationary state or a first route for charging in a moving state based on the solar energy charging requirement information and the shadow information.

[0102] Optionally, the sixth obtaining unit is a sixth receiving unit configured to receive the solar energy charging requirement information of the user from the mobile terminal.

[0103] Optionally, the apparatus further includes a sixth sending unit configured to send solar energy charging instruction information to a mobile terminal, the solar energy charging instruction information indicating the first location or the first route. The mobile terminal includes, but is not limited to, a vehicle or a mobile terminal (such as a mobile phone, a PAD, or a navigator).

[0104] Optionally, the solar energy charging requirement information includes at least one of a charging location area, a charging start time, a charging end time, and a charging duration.

[0105] Optionally, the apparatus further includes a display unit configured to recommend the first location or the first route to the user on the display interface. Alternatively, the apparatus further includes a control unit configured to control a display of recommending the first location or the first route to the user on the display interface.

[0106] According to the second aspect or any one of the possible implementation forms of the second aspect, in yet another possible implementation form of the map data processing device, the device further includes an eighth processing unit configured to determine at least one of a position, a brightness, and a hue to be used for the laser projection based on the shadow information.

[0107] Optionally, the shadow information further comprises time information, the time information indicating a time period during which the shadow region exists.

[0108] Optionally, the eighth processing unit is further configured to determine a time of the laser projection based on the shadow information.

[0109] According to a third aspect, there is provided a map data processing device. The map data processing device includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores computer instructions. The processor executes the computer instructions, so that the map data processing device performs the map data processing method according to the first aspect or any one of the possible implementation forms of the first aspect.

[0110] According to a fourth aspect, there is provided a map data processing device, the map data processing device including a processor and a communication interface, the processor reading computer instructions via the communication interface and executing the computer instructions, so that the map data processing device performs the map data processing method according to the first aspect or any one of the possible implementation forms of the first aspect.

[0111] According to a fifth aspect, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a map data processing method according to the first aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the first aspect.

[0112] According to a sixth aspect, there is provided a computer program product, the computer program product including computer instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the map data processing method according to the first aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the first aspect to be performed.

[0113] According to a seventh aspect, there is provided an electronic map product. The electronic map product includes shadow information. The shadow information indicates a shadow area. The shadow information includes location information. The location information indicates a geographic location of the shadow area.

[0114] According to a seventh aspect, in a possible implementation of an electronic map product, shadow information is stored in the map in a data structure for storing events.

[0115] According to the seventh aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the seventh aspect, in yet another possible implementation of the electronic map product, the location information is expressed based on coordinates or map elements.

[0116] According to the seventh aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the seventh aspect, in yet another possible implementation of the electronic map product, the shadow information further includes an identifier of the shadow area.

[0117] According to the seventh aspect or any one of the possible implementation forms of the seventh aspect, in yet another possible implementation form of the electronic map product, the shadow information further includes at least one of geometric information, time information, shadow intensity information, and confidence level information. The geometric information indicates the shape or size of the shadow region. The time information indicates a time period during which the shadow region exists. The shadow intensity information indicates the shadow intensity of the shadow region. The confidence level information indicates the confidence level of the shadow region.

[0118] According to the seventh aspect or any one of the possible implementation forms of the seventh aspect, in yet another possible implementation form of the electronic map product, the time information includes at least one of a year field, a quarter field, a month field, a date field, an hour field, a minute field, and a timestamp.

[0119] According to the seventh aspect or any one of the possible implementation forms of the seventh aspect, in yet another possible implementation form of the electronic map product, the shadow intensity includes at least one of an average illuminance value of the shadow area, an illuminance difference between the shadow area and the non-shadow area, an image luminance difference between the shadow area and the non-shadow area, an image contrast between the shadow area and the non-shadow area, and a shadow intensity.

[0120] According to the seventh aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the seventh aspect, in yet another possible implementation of the electronic map product, the reliability level information is determined based on the following factors: Weather conditions, reliability of collection device, reliability of collection method, and amount of statistical data The determination is based on at least one of the following:

[0121] According to the seventh aspect or any one of the possible implementation forms of the seventh aspect, in yet another possible implementation form of the electronic map product, the shadow information is stored on a tile-by-tile basis, and each tile includes multiple pieces of shadow information indicating multiple shadow areas.

[0122] According to an eighth aspect, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable storage medium storing an electronic map product according to the seventh aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the seventh aspect.

[0123] According to a ninth aspect, there is provided a vehicle, the vehicle including a map data processing device according to the second aspect, the third aspect, the fourth aspect, or any one of the possible implementation forms of the second to fourth aspects.

[0124] According to a tenth aspect, there is provided a system. The system includes a first map data processing device and a second map data processing device. The first map data processing device is configured to execute the map data processing method according to the first aspect or any one of possible implementations of the first aspect when obtaining shadow information is generating shadow information. The second map data processing device is configured to execute the map data processing method according to the first aspect or any one of possible implementations of the first aspect when obtaining shadow information is receiving shadow information.

[0125] The technical effects of the second to tenth aspects are the same as that of the first aspect, and will not be described in detail again herein. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0126] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of content shown by map information according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of dynamic and static layers on a map according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a representation scheme of shadow information according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 5A] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of geometric information related to a shadow region and represented based on polygons, according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 5B] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of geometric information related to a shadow region and represented based on lane segments according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 6]1 is a flowchart of a map data processing method according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 7] 3 is a flowchart of a first map data processing method performed on the map generation side according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart of a second map data processing method performed on the map generation side according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart of a third map data processing method performed on the map generation side according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart of a fourth map data processing method performed on the map generation side according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart of a fifth map data processing method performed at a map receiving side according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 12A] 10 is a flowchart of a sixth map data processing method performed at a map receiving side according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 12B] 10 is a flowchart of a seventh map data processing method performed at a map receiving side according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of displaying shadow information on a map based on user selection, according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a distinction between a shadow area and another area according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of distinguishing and displaying different shadow information on a map according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 16A] FIG. 1 is a first schematic diagram of dynamically displaying shadow information on a map according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 16B] FIG. 10 is a second schematic diagram of dynamically displaying shadow information on a map according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 16C] FIG. 10 is a third schematic diagram of dynamically displaying shadow information on a map according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 17] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of displaying shadow information with reference to the boundaries of map elements according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 18] 1 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario in which shadow information is applied to target recognition according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 19] 1 is an interaction flowchart of applying shadow information to a target recognition cloud service according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 20] 1 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario in which shadow information is applied to assisted driving according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 21A] 1 is a first interaction flowchart of applying shadow information to an assisted driving cloud service according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 21B] 10 is a second interaction flowchart of applying shadow information to an assisted driving cloud service according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 22] 1 is a schematic diagram of a user input interface in which shadow information is applied to a parking space search application, according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 23] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a first interface used to recommend shaded parking spaces in an application according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 24] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a second interface used to recommend shaded parking spaces in an application according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 25] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a third interface used to recommend shaded parking spaces in an application according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 26] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a fourth interface used to recommend shaded parking spaces in an application according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 27] 1 is an interaction flowchart of applying shadow information to a parking space recommendation cloud service according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 28] 1 is a schematic diagram of a display interface used to recommend a travel route in an application according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 29] 1 is an interaction flowchart of applying shadow information to a travel route recommendation cloud service according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 30] 1 is a schematic diagram of a display interface used to recommend pickup points in an application according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 31] 1 illustrates an interaction flowchart of applying shadow information to a pickup point recommendation cloud service according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 32A] 1 is a schematic diagram of a first application scenario in which shadow information is applied to solar energy charging according to an embodiment of the present application; FIG. [Figure 32B] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a second application scenario in which shadow information is applied to solar energy charging according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 33] 1 is an interaction flowchart of applying shadow information to a solar energy charging cloud service according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 34] 1 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario in which shadow information is applied to laser projection according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 35] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the structure of a first map data processing device according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 36] FIG. 2 is a structural block diagram of a second map data processing device according to an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 37] FIG. 10 is a structural block diagram of a third map data processing device according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 38] FIG. 10 is a structural block diagram of a fourth map data processing device according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0127] It should be noted that prefix terms such as "first" and "second" used in this application are used merely to distinguish different described objects and are not intended to limit the position, order, priority, quantity, or content of the described objects. For example, if the described object is a "field," the ordinal number before "field" in "first field" and "second field" does not limit the position or order of the "fields." "First" and "second" do not limit whether the "fields" modified with "first" and "second" are in the same message, and "first" and "second" do not limit the sequence of the "first field" and "second field." As another example, if the described object is a "level," the ordinal number before "level" in "first level" and "second level" does not limit the priority between the "levels." As another example, the number of described objects is not limited by the prefix terms and may be one or more objects. For example, in the case of a "first device," the number of "devices" may be one or more. In addition, objects modified by different prefixes may be the same or different. For example, if the described object is a "device," a "first device" and a "second device" may be the same device, the same type of device, or different types of devices. As another example, if the described object is information, a "first piece of information" and a "second piece of information" may be information of the same content or information of different content. In certain words, the use of prefix words used to distinguish objects described in embodiments of the present application does not constitute a limitation on the described objects. For a description of the described objects, please refer to the description in the claims or the context of the embodiments, and the use of prefixes should not constitute a redundant limitation.

[0128] It should be noted that a description such as "at least one item (or at least one) of a1, a2, ..., and an" used in the embodiments of the present application includes cases where any one of a1, a2, ..., and an exists independently, and also includes cases where any two or more of a1, a2, ..., and an are combined. Each case may exist independently. For example, the description "at least one of a, b, and c" includes cases where a exists independently, b exists independently, c exists independently, a and b are combined, a and c are combined, b and c are combined, or a, b, and c are combined.

[0129] Maps are carriers of geographic information and convey a wealth of geographic location information. For example, in the urban street scene shown in Figure 1, information such as road topology, lane division, and the layout and attributes of various buildings may be stored as map data and included as part of the map information. As people's requirements for maps increase, map information becomes richer. In addition to information about fixed locations, high-definition maps may also include information about non-fixed locations, such as moving vehicles and pedestrians, and may include time-varying information, such as traffic light status, road construction, weather conditions, or traffic flow.

[0130] A map in an embodiment of the present invention is an electronic map product or a presentation of an electronic map product. For example, the electronic map product may be a map data product that carries map information, such as a map update data packet, or a map application product into which map information is loaded, such as a map application that can be installed in a vehicle or a mobile terminal, or a map display product that presents map information, such as an electronic navigator.

[0131] A map includes multiple layers, and a layer is a map dataset with an organizational structure. Data in a layer is organized into a specific data structure and can describe information elements from multiple sources. Based on the time variation of the information elements, the information elements can be classified into two types: elements and events. Elements are information elements that are fixed, have small changes, or have long update periods, such as road topology, building locations, lane boundaries, lane directions, or traffic infrastructure layouts. Events are information elements with strong time-varying characteristics, such as traffic accidents, weather changes, road construction, or traffic congestion. In a map, elements and events may be recorded in different layers. For example, information about elements is carried by a static layer in the map, and information about events is carried by a dynamic layer in the map. A map may include one or more static layers and may further include one or more dynamic layers. Regarding static and dynamic layers, the multiple types of map information shown in FIG. 1 are mapped to multiple layers of the map shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 shows one static layer and multiple dynamic layers. The static layer records the geographic distribution of buildings, roads, trees, traffic lights, and road signs in Figure 1. Dynamic Layer 1 records real-time speed limit conditions, traffic construction conditions, and lane passenger and vehicle flow conditions. Dynamic Layer 2 records weather conditions, such as sunny days, rainy days, snowy days, windy days, temperature, or humidity. Note that map record objects can have both time-varying and non-time-varying information elements. Non-time-varying information elements refer to information elements that are fixed, have small changes, or have long update cycles. In other words, map record objects are associated with both elements within a map and events within a map. For example, in the case of a lane, the geographic location of the lane is an element within the map, and the traffic flow within the lane is an event within the map. In the case of a traffic light, the location of the traffic light within an intersection is an element within the map, and the change in the traffic light is an event within the map.In the case of a speed limit sign, the location of the speed limit sign within an intersection is an element in the map, and when the speed limit value indicated by the speed limit sign changes, the change in speed limit is an event in the map.

[0132] In the prior art, there is no map that stores information about shadow areas caused by sunlight as map information. An embodiment of the present application provides a map that includes shadow information used to describe shadow areas. In other words, the shadow information used to describe shadow areas is stored in the map as a new type of map information. In this specification, a shadow area refers to a ground area where the received light intensity is weaker than the surrounding area. For example, a shadow area may be a ground area covered by the shadow of a nearby building, a ground area covered by a ceiling, an area inside a tunnel, or a ground area covered by leaves under a plant. For example, FIG. 1 illustrates a street scene on a sunny day at 10:00 a.m. The sun is located in the east, and when it hits a building or a roadside tree at an intersection, shadow area A and shadow area B are generated. Shadow information may be used as an independent layer. For example, in addition to the three layers shown in FIG. 2, a dynamic layer 3 may be generated to record information about shadow area A and shadow area B. Alternatively, shadow information and other map information may be stored together in one layer. For example, dynamic layer 1 in FIG. 2 includes information about shadow area A and shadow area B.

[0133] In the embodiment of the present application, map generation and use are involved. An application scenario in the embodiment of the present invention is described below using FIG. 3 as an example.

[0134] In Figure 3, vehicles traveling on roads include three types: collection vehicles, crowdsourcing vehicles, and regular vehicles. Vehicle A is a collection vehicle. Vehicle A is a specialized map information collection vehicle, which is expensive and generally owned by map manufacturers. Vehicle A is equipped with sensing devices such as lidar, millimeter-wave radar, cameras, or global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) to map roads and provide basic data for map manufacturers to create maps. The data collected by the collection vehicle may be transmitted to map server D via a wireless communication network or a wired communication network or stored on a storage medium. The data on the storage medium is then manually copied to map server D. Map server D functions as a map production device and / or storage device and may be a centralized or distributed server. Vehicle B is a crowdsourcing vehicle. Unlike dedicated collection vehicles, the user or owner of a crowdsourcing vehicle can provide the collected basic data to map manufacturers after signing a contract. This map data collection mode is a future trend and has the advantage of being able to acquire richer, more real-time, and lower-cost basic data. Vehicle C is a general vehicle and does not collect data for map manufacturers. In other words, vehicle C is a map user, but vehicle C does not need to provide basic data for map updates or generation. A general vehicle may be converted into a crowdsourcing vehicle through a contract or other form of contract. Both general vehicles and crowdsourcing vehicles can be used as map users to assist with vehicle positioning, target recognition, driving decision-making, or navigation. Vehicles can be equipped with map functionality through pre-delivery or post-delivery installation, and the in-vehicle map can be updated during use to provide more accurate or real-time reference information. To meet real-time requirements, the update period for high-definition maps can be set as needed. For example, the update period can be in units of months, weeks, days, hours, or minutes.

[0135] In addition to vehicles, other types of mobile terminals, such as mobile phones, handheld navigators, notebook computers, tablet computers, or wearable devices, may alternatively be used as map users. These mobile terminals may have maps pre-installed before delivery or load maps using an installed map application after delivery, and then receive updated map information to update the locally stored maps. In embodiments of the present application, vehicles and other types of mobile terminals are hereafter collectively referred to as terminals or terminal devices.

[0136] In addition, the roadside device may be a map producer or user. The roadside device is infrastructure installed on the roadside and has functions such as computing, communication, and storage. The roadside device includes, but is not limited to, a roadside edge computing (REC), a roadside unit (RSU), or a device that integrates REC and RSU. Even in the future, roadside infrastructure such as traffic lights, traffic signs, charging piles, trash cans, and billboards can become roadside devices by installing computing and communication units. In FIG. 3, a camera sensor and a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication module are added to a streetlight, and the streetlight is reconfigured into an intelligent roadside device H. The roadside device H can obtain and use a map generated by a map server D. The roadside device H may further acquire sensing data based on the sensing device of the roadside device H, or receive sensing data detected by the vehicle from the vehicle, generate map data based on the sensing data, and update the map stored in the roadside device H, or send the acquired sensing data or the generated map data to the map server D.

[0137] The map server may provide services to the terminal in a cloud-like manner. In addition, the communication link between the map server and the terminal is bidirectional. Specifically, the map server may send information to the terminal, and the terminal may also send information to the map server. The communication between the map server and the terminal may be implemented by wireless communication and / or wired communication. Please continue to refer to FIG. 3. For example, a map generated by the cloud is published to the terminal. The terminal accesses the wireless network through a base station G, and the map server D publishes updated map information to vehicle A, vehicle B, vehicle C, or mobile terminal F held by a pedestrian E. The updated map information may be published through the base station G (shown by a solid line in the figure) or transferred to the terminal through a roadside device H (shown by a dotted line in the figure). The map server D and the base station G may be connected wirelessly or by wire. The roadside device H and the map server D may be connected wirelessly or by wire. Additionally, the roadside device H and the map server D may communicate with each other via base station G or other base stations. Wireless networks include, but are not limited to, 2G cellular communications such as global system for mobile communications (GSM) and general packet radio service (GPRS), 3G cellular communications such as wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), time division-synchronous code division multiple access (TS-SCDMA), and code division multiple access (CDMA), 4G cellular communications, e.g., long term evolution (LTE), 5G cellular communications, or another evolved cellular communications technology.

[0138] Because both roadside devices and terminal devices have information gathering and computing capabilities, in some embodiments, in addition to acting as receivers and users of maps, roadside devices and terminal devices may also act as producers of maps to generate map information locally, which is used by the roadside devices and terminal devices or transmitted to other roadside devices or terminal devices.

[0139] Shadows are generated for many reasons. On the one hand, there are fixed reasons, such as the location and height of a building. On the other hand, there are irregular but regular reasons, such as the change in the sun's position and solar elevation angle over the course of a day. There are also irregular but irregular reasons, such as changes in weather conditions. The sensing module of a vehicle or roadside device has a shadow detection function. Shadow information can be acquired in advance by collecting shadow detection results from the vehicle or roadside device, or by calculating the shadow information based on the original location and height information of buildings on a map and referring to local sun position and height change rules, or by combining the results acquired in the two ways. Furthermore, the previously acquired shadow information can be dynamically adjusted in reference to real-time weather changes to acquire shadow information that changes in real time. For example, after the weather changes from sunny to cloudy, the coverage range of the shadow area may increase, or the difference in light intensity between the shadow area and the non-shadow area may decrease, resulting in a smaller shadow intensity in the shadow area.

[0140] Because shadow information is map information that changes over time, in the embodiment of the present application, the shadow information is described by a data structure similar to the data structure used to describe events in a map. The content and data organization structure of the shadow information are not limited in the embodiment of the present application and are simply described using examples. Regardless of the multiple types of content or the data organization structure of the multiple types of content represented by the shadow information, there are many implementation forms under the inventive concept of the embodiment of the present application.

[0141] In the following, a tile map is used as an example to describe the map data structure of shadow information, with reference to Fig. 4. In Fig. 4, information about shadow areas is used as a special event, i.e., a shadow event, and each shadow event in a tile is described separately for each tile.

[0142] A tile map is a pyramidal model map, i.e., a multi-resolution hierarchical model map. From the bottom to the top of the tile pyramid, the resolution gradually changes, e.g., becomes lower, while the depicted geographical area remains unchanged. As an example, an N-layer tile map is used. The number of zoom levels of the map is N, where N is an integer greater than 1. The map image with the highest zoom level and largest map scale is used as the bottom layer of the pyramid, i.e., layer 0. The map image is sliced ​​into multiple rectangular (or square) map tiles to form a map image in layer 1. Based on the map image in layer 1, the map image in layer 1 is sliced ​​into multiple rectangular (or square) map tiles to form a map image in layer 2. By analogy, layer N-1 is obtained to form the entire tile pyramid. The slicing of map tiles in each layer may be performed based on a slicing ratio, and the slicing of map tiles in different layers may be performed based on the same or different slicing ratios. A tile can be understood as follows: a map image within a certain range is sliced ​​into several rows and columns of a rectangular raster image, and the rectangular raster image obtained by slicing is called a tile. A higher map resolution indicates more slicing time, more tiles forming a map, and a higher tile level. For example, if the slicing method is cross-slicing (i.e., the slicing ratio is 2x2), a tile at a certain level can be sliced ​​into four tiles at a corresponding higher level. For example, tile 1 is a tile at a certain level in a map. After cross-slicing is performed on tile 1, four tiles at a level higher than tile 1 are generated, and the four tiles are identified as 1-00, 1-01, 1-10, and 1-11. It can be understood that the geographic coverage range of tile 1 is a combination of the geographic coverage range of tile 1-00, the geographic coverage range of tile 1-01, the geographic coverage range of tile 1-10, and the geographic coverage range of tile 1-11.

[0143] The tile corresponding to the tile identifier (ID) shown in FIG. 4 has n shadow areas, and correspondingly, the map data for the tile has n shadow events, where n is a natural number equal to or greater than 1. The information content and / or data organization structure of different shadow events may be the same or different. Shadow event 1 is used as an example. Shadow event 1 includes one or more of identification information, location information, geometric information, time information, shadow intensity information, reliability level information, and cause information. Next, the contents will be described separately.

[0144] (1) Identification information The identification information indicates an identifier of the shadow event, and each shadow event has a unique identifier within the tile.

[0145] (2) Location information The location information indicates the geographic location of the shadow area corresponding to the shadow event. Below are two ways to describe the geographic location of the shadow area.

[0146] In the first method, the geographic location is described based on coordinates. For example, the location point is indicated by using absolute or relative coordinates in a Cartesian coordinate system. The location point may be one or more points within the shadow area, such as the center point, a point on the boundary, or a vertex of a polygonal area. Absolute coordinates are coordinates of a fixed position described based on a fixed coordinate system origin, and the absolute coordinates of the target object do not change depending on the reference object. Relative coordinates describe the relative position of the target object to the reference object, and the relative coordinates change with the position of the reference object.

[0147] In the second method, the geographic location is described with reference to the map element. For example, if the map element is a lane, the location of the shadowed area is the section of the lane. If the map element is a tunnel, the shadowed area is the area covered by the tunnel. If the map element is an intersection, the shadowed area is the entry / exit area of ​​some of the lanes that converge at the intersection. If the map element is two staggered viaducts, the shadowed area is the intersection area of ​​the two viaducts, located on the road surface of the lower viaduct.

[0148] The representation manner of the location information is used merely as an example, and the specific representation manner of the location information is not limited to the embodiments of the present invention.

[0149] (3)Geometric information The geometric information indicates the shape or size of the shadow region corresponding to the shadow event. Shapes include, but are not limited to, polygons, sectors, circles, etc. Sizes include, but are not limited to, the side length of a polygon, the radius of a sector, the radius of a circle, etc. In addition, the geometric information of the shadow region may be expressed with reference to map elements, for example, as a section along a road or lane and having a start distance and an end distance.

[0150] When a shadow area can be determined using position information, geometric information may not be used. For example, the position information may provide all boundary points of the shadow area, and the shadow area may be determined by connecting the boundary points. In this case, geometric information may not be set. For example, FIG. 5A shows the shape of a shadow area represented based on an irregular quadrilateral. In FIG. 5A, the shape and size of the quadrilateral shadow area may be recorded in the shadow information using the coordinates of the four vertices of the quadrilateral. The shadow information recorded in this manner closely represents the actual shadow area. When a geographic location is described with reference to a map element, geometric information may not be used as long as the start and end positions of the shadow area on a lane or lane boundary line are provided. Alternatively, the shadow area may be determined with reference to position information and geometric information. For example, the start or end position of the shadow area on a lane or lane boundary line may be provided based on position information, and the length of the shadow area on the lane may be provided based on geometric information. For example, FIG. 5B shows the shape of a shadow area represented based on lanes. The two edges of the vehicle become the edges of the shadow area. This representation is obtained by performing data processing based on the actual shape of the shadow area. Since the exact shape and size of the shadow area may not be required in practical applications, this representation method can simplify the requirements for shadow information, which is beneficial for practical applications.

[0151] The representation manner of geometric information is used merely as an example, and the specific representation manner of geometric information is not limited in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0152] (4) Time information The time information indicates a time period during which shadow information belonging to a shadow event exists. The time information is optional and may or may not be presented to the user. In addition, the time information of a non-time-varying shadow area does not have to be set.

[0153] Shadow information has seasonal characteristics. For example, the shadow area or shadow intensity under leaves may change depending on the season. Shadow information also has time-period characteristics. For example, the shadow position, shadow area, or shadow shape may change depending on the direction of the sun throughout the day. Shadow information also has stable time statistical characteristics because buildings, trees, etc. around roads are fixed. Therefore, statistically generated road shadow information has statistical stability and may change, making it possible to effectively use shadow information as dynamic information in a map.

[0154] The shadow information corresponding to each shadow region may include multiple different time period information, and each time period information may include the following fields: (a) A quarter field may be included, such as a value 1 through 4, and at least one quarter for which shadow information is valid may be indicated by including multiple values; (b) a month field may be included, such as a value 1 through 12, and at least one month for which shadow information is valid may be indicated by including multiple values; (c) a date field may be included, such as a value 1 through 31, and at least one date for which the shadow information is valid may be indicated by including multiple values; (d) a time field may be included, such as a value 0 to 24, and at least one time during which the shadow information is valid may be indicated by including multiple values, and the minute value may further be represented using decimal places of a floating point number; (e) An update time field may be included to describe the update time of the shadow information, which may be in a date format or a timestamp format, but is not limited to this.

[0155] Multiple time period information can be used together. For example, if the shadow area only exists from 10:00 AM to 12:00 AM in July and August of each year, the values ​​of the month field are 7 and 8, and the values ​​of the hour field are 10 and 11.

[0156] The representation manner of time information is used merely as an example, and the specific representation manner of time information is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0157] (5) Shadow intensity information The shadow intensity information indicates the shadow intensity of a shadow area corresponding to a shadow event.

[0158] Different shadow regions may have different shadow intensities, and the shadow intensities at different positions within the same continuous shadow region may also be different. Therefore, in some application scenarios, there is a requirement to quantitatively express the shadow intensities of shadow regions.

[0159] The quantization index is used to represent the shading intensity and may be in one of two forms:

[0160] The first type is an index value format, where the index can be a value or a range, including but not limited to the following indices: i. Average light intensity in the shadow area, ii. The light intensity difference between the shadow and non-shadow areas, i.e., the difference between the average light intensity of the shadow area and the average light intensity of the normal non-shadow area; iii. Image brightness difference between shadow and non-shadow regions, i.e., the difference between the average image brightness of shadow regions and the average image brightness of non-shadow regions acquired at conventional angles; and iv. Image contrast between shadow and non-shadow regions, i.e., the average contrast between the image in the shadow region and the image in the non-shadow region acquired at a conventional angle.

[0161] The second type is a grading format, where similar descriptions such as dark shadow area, relatively dark shadow area, and light shadow area may be used to distinguish different levels of shadow intensity, or similar descriptions such as first level shadow area, second level shadow area, and third level shadow area may be used to distinguish different levels of shadow intensity.

[0162] In addition, the two forms may be combined for expression, and a form in which the index value is combined with the level may be used. For example, the shadow intensity of a shadow area may be expressed as "the shadow area belongs to the second level shadow area, and the average light intensity of the shadow area is 50 lux."

[0163] The shadow intensity information is optional information, and whether to use the shadow intensity information may be determined based on different application requirements. For example, if the shadow information is applied to parking, the shadow intensity information may not be used. If the shadow information is applied to auxiliary sensing, the shadow intensity information may be used.

[0164] Furthermore, for different application requirements, shadow information layers with different granularities may be constructed, and the different granularities are reflected as follows: in different shadow information layers, the shadow intensity information has different grading granularities, different grading amounts, different index granularities, different index amounts, different precisions, etc.

[0165] The expression method of the shadow intensity information is merely used as an example, and the specific expression method of the shadow intensity information is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0166] (6) Reliability level information The confidence level information indicates the confidence level of the shadow region corresponding to the shadow event, i.e., the confidence level. The confidence level may be expressed in the form of a numerical value (e.g., a floating-point number between 0 and 1) in the confidence level information, and may be quantized, for example.

[0167] Shadow information is easily affected by natural weather and other environmental factors. For example, in a cloudy scene, shadow areas with high parallax are not formed. The shadow layer integrates weather data of the area where the shadow layer is located, such as light intensity, temperature, and humidity, to provide an effective reliability level of the shadow layer. In addition, the reliability level may also be generated with reference to other factors that affect the reliability of the shadow information, such as the accuracy of the collection device and the amount of statistical data. The reliability level information may be determined with reference to at least one of the following factors: i. Weather conditions, such as sunny days, rainy and snowy days, or smoggy days; ii. Weather parameters, such as light intensity (which directly affects shadow intensity), visibility (which affects shadow intensity in smog weather), temperature (used to help determine the confidence level), humidity (used to help determine the confidence level), or wind (used to help determine the confidence level); iii. Reliability parameters and acquisition modes of the acquisition device; and iv. The amount of statistical data used to generate the shadow information.

[0168] The reliability level information may be used as optional information for the shadow information, and a user of the shadow information may select whether to use the shadow information or set the weight of the shadow information being used based on the reliability level information.

[0169] The reliability level information may further indicate the scope of application of the reliability level. For example, the corresponding reliability level information may be associated with different levels of shadow information based on a specific calculation method of the reliability level, including the following two association methods: i. Wide-area associations, where confidence level information may be associated with a single tile, with the shaded area under the entire tile having the same confidence level, e.g., weather affecting a wide area, leading to an overall decrease in the confidence level of the shaded area under the single tile; and ii. Confidence level information may be associated with a particular shadow event, for example, a small range association where a small amount of sample data is collected at a road location and a small amount of statistical data causes a low confidence level of the shadow area on the road.

[0170] The expression manner of the reliability level information is merely used as an example, and the specific expression manner of the reliability level information is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0171] (7) Cause information The cause information indicates the cause of generating the shadow area corresponding to the shadow event. For example, the cause information may be expressed in a predetermined indexing manner, such as a building's shadow under sunlight, a light spot on a leaf, a ceiling cover, a cloud cover, or a tunnel or culvert. For example, five causes may be indexed as "01," "02," "03," "04," and "05," respectively.

[0172] It should be noted that the representation method of shadow information shown in FIG. 4 is merely an example. The composite content and data structure of the shadow information are not limited in the embodiments of the present application. Each of the seven types of content of the shadow information in the above example does not necessarily need to be included in the shadow information; that is, they may be selectively included in the shadow information based on actual application requirements. In the shadow information, not only may any of the seven types of content be selected and represented alone, but at least two types of content may be selected and represented in a combined manner. For example, since the position of the sun changes, the position and degree of the shadow change throughout the day. Therefore, time information, location information, and shadow degree information may be combined to represent combination information of shadow information such as "8:00 AM to 9:00 AM, shadow on the west side of the building, light shadow," "11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, shadow on the south side of the building, heavy shadow," and "4:00 PM to 5:00 PM, shadow on the east side of the building, heavy shadow." As another example, because shadow information on cloudy days is less reliable than on sunny days, time information and reliability level information may be combined to indicate combined information such as shadow information "August 1, reliability level 1" and "August 2, reliability level 0.5" (August 1 is sunny, August 2 is cloudy). As another example, because different positions within a shadow area may have different shadow intensities, position information and shadow intensity information may be combined to indicate combined information such as shadow information "position 1, shadow intensity 1," "position 2, shadow intensity 2," and "position 3, shadow intensity 3."

[0173] As shown in FIG. 6, an embodiment of the present application provides a map data processing method, including the following steps:

[0174] Step 601: Obtain shadow information. The shadow information indicates a shadow area, and the shadow information includes location information, where the location information indicates the geographic location of the shadow area. Optionally, the location information may be described in either of the two description methods mentioned above, i.e., based on coordinates or by referring to map elements. Optionally, the shadow information may further include one or more of identification information, geometric information, time information, shadow intensity information, reliability level information, and cause information. The data structure of the shadow information includes, but is not limited to, the method shown in FIG. 4. In addition to the description based on the data structure in the tile and used to describe an event in the map, for example, the shadow area may also be associated with an element in the map, and the shadow information may be recorded in the map as attribute information or additional information of the element. The configuration content or data organization method of the shadow information is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0175] Obtaining the shadow information may include generating the shadow information or receiving the shadow information.

[0176] When shadow information is obtained by generating shadow information, the method shown in Fig. 6 is performed on the map generation side. Based on the above description that the cloud, roadside, or terminal-based devices all have map generation capabilities, the method shown in Fig. 6 may be performed by, for example, a map server, a roadside device, a vehicle, or a mobile terminal, or by a component, chip, software module, or hardware module within the four devices.

[0177] Multiple methods may be used to generate the shadow information. The following methods are used as examples and may be used alone or in combination to generate the shadow information:

[0178] Method 1: Road surface image data is acquired by a sensing device with sensing capabilities, such as a map collection vehicle, a crowdsourcing vehicle, or a roadside device. A processor processes the road surface image data to identify shadow areas in the road surface image data, and acquires shadow information such as time information, reliability level information, or shadow intensity information based on statistics of the road surface image data.

[0179] Method 2: Map data including information such as the location, spatial geometry, height, longitude and latitude of a group of buildings is acquired. The shadow area at a specific time is calculated according to a shadow estimation algorithm that refers to the local change in the solar elevation angle over a year or a day to obtain the shadow information of the shadow area.

[0180] Method 3: After the preliminary shadow information is obtained (e.g., in Method 1 and / or Method 2), weather conditions are further obtained, and the preliminary shadow information is adjusted with reference to the weather. For example, the shadow intensity on a cloudy day is reduced. As another example, on a cloudy day, the position of the shadow area covered by the corresponding cloud is adjusted based on the movement of the cloud.

[0181] When shadow information is acquired by receiving shadow information, the method illustrated in FIG. 6 is performed at a map receiving side and includes receiving shadow information from another device, component, chip, interface, hardware module, or software module. Receiving includes, but is not limited to, receiving information via wired transmission, wireless transmission, parameter invocation, or interface power supply. Based on the foregoing description that devices on the cloud, roadside, or terminal may have requirements for using map information, the method illustrated in FIG. 6 may be performed, for example, by a map server, roadside device, vehicle, or mobile terminal, or by a component, chip, software module, or hardware module within the four devices.

[0182] Step 602: Store the shadow information as map data. The shadow information may be stored in a cloud, roadside, or terminal storage medium, including, but not limited to, a magnetic medium, an optical medium, or a semiconductor medium. Storing the shadow information as map data may be implemented by storing the shadow information as element-related information or event-related information together with other map information in a map to construct a map database, or by storing the shadow information based on a data format of the map information for access by a map application, or by storing the shadow information based on a storage unit, i.e., a tile, of the map, where the tile is used as a shadow information organization unit, and each tile includes multiple pieces of shadow information indicating multiple shadow areas.

[0183] According to the map data processing method shown in Fig. 6, shadow information indicating a shadow area is added to the map data, thereby enriching the map content and satisfying more diverse usage requirements. Hereinafter, with reference to Figs. 7 to 13, several methods for processing shadow information on the map generating side or the map receiving side will be described.

[0184] 7 to 10 illustrate flowcharts of four map data processing methods performed on the map generation side, which are further extended based on the map data processing method shown in FIG. 6 (an implementation form of obtaining shadow information by generating shadow information) to meet the requirements of different map generation side application scenarios.

[0185] As one type of map information, shadow information is generated and stored on the map generating side and sent to the map using side. Figure 7 shows a map data processing method for releasing shadow information on the map generating side, which includes steps 701 to 703. Step 701 is the same as step 601, and step 702 is the same as step 602. Details will not be described again in this specification.

[0186] Step 703: Transmit the shadow information to the map user. Specifically, the shadow information may be added to a map data packet or a map upgrade package and transmitted to the map user. Transmission may be by, but is not limited to, wired transmission, wireless transmission, parameter call, or interface power supply. The map user may include, but is not limited to, a map server, a roadside device, a vehicle, a mobile terminal, or a component, chip, software module, or hardware module within any of the four devices. For example, a cloud server packs the shadow information into a map upgrade package and transmits the map upgrade package to a roadside device or a vehicle. In this case, the map generator and the map receiver are located on different devices. As another example, in the cloud server, the shadow information in the map database is transmitted via an output interface of a memory to a processor configured to process the shadow information. In this case, the map generator and the map receiver are located on the same device.

[0187] When the map generating side has a display capability, the map generating side may further perform an operation of displaying a shadow area. Figure 8 shows a map data processing method for displaying shadow information on the map generating side, which includes steps 801 to 803. Step 801 is the same as step 601, and step 802 is the same as step 602. Details will not be described again in this specification.

[0188] Step 803: Display the shadow area based on the shadow information. The display may include, but is not limited to, displaying on a display of the map generation side or displaying by external projection. The display interface for the shadow area will be described in detail below.

[0189] For example, when the map generator is a vehicle, the map drawn with the shadow area may be displayed on the vehicle's central control screen, or a laser image of the shadow area may be projected onto the windshield based on a head up display (HUD), thereby superimposing the projected image onto the physical scene seen through the windshield.

[0190] After the map generation side generates and stores the shadow information, an application that uses the shadow information as input can be directly executed locally to meet the application requirements of multiple scenarios. Figure 9 shows a map data processing method for executing an application on the map generation side based on the shadow information, and the method includes steps 901 to 903. Step 901 is the same as step 601, and step 902 is the same as step 602. The details will not be described again in this specification.

[0191] Step 903: Execute an application based on the shadow information. The application is installed on the device of the map generation side. Since the map generation side has data processing capabilities, after the shadow information is generated on the map generation side and stored as map data, the shadow information can be further used locally as input for executing the application to meet the requirements of shadow information in multiple scenarios. For multiple data processing methods and multiple data processing results of shadow information based on multiple requirements, please refer to the following specific descriptions of each application scenario.

[0192] For example, when the map generating side is a vehicle, the vehicle maintains a map database containing shadow information. An application installed in the vehicle may read the shadow information from the map database and then input the shadow information into a preset algorithm module for data processing. The obtained data processing result may meet multiple requirements of a user, such as driver assistance, route planning, or parking assistance.

[0193] As another example, when the map generating side is a cloud server, the cloud server maintains a map database including shadow information. An application installed on the cloud server may read the shadow information from the map database and then input the shadow information into a preset algorithm module for data processing. The obtained data processing results may be used to provide various cloud services to users.

[0194] The map generating side may further provide various services to other devices through information interaction based on the shadow information generated locally and stored as map data. For example, when the map generating side is a cloud server, the cloud server may provide a cloud service to a user by transmitting service response information to the terminal device or the roadside device in response to service request information received from the terminal device or the roadside device. Devices receiving the service may be limited to devices authenticated by the map generating side. For example, devices receiving the service may be required to be authenticated or paid for.

[0195] 10 shows a map data processing method used by the map generating side to provide services to the outside, and the method includes steps 1001 to 1004. Step 1001 is the same as step 601, and step 1002 is the same as step 602. Details will not be described again in this specification.

[0196] Step 1003: Receive service request information. Step 1004: Send service response information, where the service response information is generated based on the service request information and the shadow information. Depending on different application scenarios, the service request information and the service response information have different contents. The following uses several different application scenarios as examples for explanation.

[0197] (1) When the service is a target-aware service: The service request information is related to the target object and includes sensing information obtained by the terminal device or the roadside device through detection. The service response information includes target indication information. The target indication information indicates attributes of the target object. The attributes of the target object include, but are not limited to, a category of the target object, a name of the target object, an outline of the target object, a color of the target object, a pattern of the target object, or whether the target object is three-dimensional.

[0198] (2) When the service is a driver assistance service: The service request information includes vehicle driving data. The driving data includes in-vehicle data and / or outside-vehicle data. The in-vehicle data indicates vehicle conditions such as the vehicle's speed, acceleration, mileage, remaining energy, torque, and engine temperature. The outside-vehicle data indicates the vehicle's driving environment such as the vehicle's position, road gradient, curve radius, road surface friction coefficient, or distance to a vehicle ahead of the vehicle. The data outside the vehicle may be sensing data detected by a sensing device installed in the vehicle, such as a camera, lidar, or millimeter-wave radar. The service response information includes, for example, user reminder information to remind the user that the vehicle is about to enter a shadow area, or vehicle decision control information, which is used to control the vehicle to steer, accelerate, brake, etc.

[0199] (3) When the service is a parking space recommendation service: The service request information is used to provide the user's parking requirements, such as at least one of an estimated parking area, a parking start time, a parking end time, and a parking duration. The service response information includes parking space recommendation information. The parking space recommendation information indicates at least one parking space recommended to the user. Furthermore, when multiple parking spaces are recommended to the user, the parking space recommendation information further indicates a priority order of the multiple parking spaces.

[0200] (4) When the service is a navigation service: The service request information includes user progress information such as a starting point, a destination, a travel time, a travel policy, or a travel mode (e.g., walking, cycling, or driving, or a driving mode such as automated driving, manned driving, or assisted driving). The service response information recommends at least one route to the user, and the at least one route can satisfy the user's requirement of wanting to be exposed to the sun as much as possible (or wanting to be exposed to the sun as long as possible) or wanting to avoid exposure to the sun as much as possible (or wanting to be exposed to the sun as short as possible). Furthermore, the service response information further includes sun exposure information for each of the at least one route, such as the length of the sunny / shaded road section, the duration of the sunny / shaded section, the ratio of the length of the sunny / shaded road section to the length of the entire route, or the ratio of the duration of passing through the sunny / shaded road section to the duration of passing through the entire route. Furthermore, the service response information further includes cost information for another aspect of each of the at least one route, such as time cost, fuel consumption cost, labor cost, or toll cost. Alternatively, further, when the route recommended to the user is a plurality of paths including at least one route, the service response information may further indicate the priority of the plurality of routes based on a progress policy input by the user (e.g., most shaded, shortest distance, shortest time, or most fuel efficient).

[0201] (5) When the service is a ride-hailing service: The service request information includes user travel information such as origin, destination, travel time, or travel mode. The service response information, in addition to recommending a rental operation vehicle (manned or unmanned) to the user, further recommends a pick-up or drop-off point to the user where sun exposure is avoided as much as possible.

[0202] (6) When the service is a solar energy charging service: The service request information indicates the remaining power of the vehicle, the user's planned trip, the area in which the vehicle is located, etc. The service response information is used to recommend to the user driving routes to be used for charging while in motion and parking locations to be used for charging while stationary.

[0203] 11, 12A, and 12B illustrate flowcharts of three map data processing methods performed on the map receiving side, which are further extended based on the map data processing method shown in FIG. 6 (an implementation form for obtaining shadow information by receiving shadow information) to meet the requirements of different map usage scenarios.

[0204] When the map receiving side has a display capability, the map receiving side may further perform an operation of displaying a shadow area. Figure 11 shows a map data processing method for displaying shadow information on the map receiving side, which includes steps 1101 to 1103. Step 1101 is the same as step 601, and step 1102 is the same as step 602. Details will not be described again in this specification.

[0205] Step 1103: Display the shadow area based on the shadow information. The display may include, but is not limited to, displaying on the display of the map receiving side or displaying by external projection. The display interface for the shadow area will be described later.

[0206] For example, when the map receiver is a vehicle, the map drawn with the shadow area may be displayed on the vehicle's central control screen, or a laser image of the shadow area may be projected onto the windshield based on a head-up display (HUD), whereby the projected image is superimposed on the physical scene seen through the windshield.

[0207] After the map receiver receives and stores the shadow information, an application that uses the shadow information as input can be executed locally to meet the application requirements of multiple scenarios. Figure 12A shows a map data processing method for executing an application at the map receiver based on the shadow information, and the method includes steps 1201 to 1203. Step 1201 is the same as step 601, and step 1202 is the same as step 602. The details will not be described again in this specification.

[0208] Step 1203: Run an application based on the shadow information. The application is installed on the map receiving device. When the map receiving device has data processing capabilities, the received shadow information can be used as input to run the application to meet the requirements of the shadow information in multiple scenarios. For multiple data processing methods and multiple data processing results of the shadow information based on multiple requirements, please refer to the following specific descriptions of each application scenario.

[0209] For example, when the map receiver is a vehicle, the vehicle generates a local map database based on the map information obtained from the server and stores shadow information in the map database. An application installed in the vehicle may read the shadow information from the map database and then input the shadow information into a preset algorithm module for data processing. The obtained data processing results may meet multiple user requirements, such as driver assistance, route planning, or parking assistance.

[0210] As another example, when the map receiver is an application server, the application server may hold a map database including shadow information based on the map data received from the map server. The application server may read the shadow information from the map database and then input the shadow information into a preset algorithm module for data processing. The obtained data processing results may be used to provide various application services to users.

[0211] The map receiver may further provide a third-party application service to another device through information interaction based on the received shadow information. For example, when the map receiver is a progress application server deployed by a progress service provider, the progress service provider purchases a map from a map manufacturer, and as a result, the progress application server receives map data from the map server (the map server is deployed by the map manufacturer and used to generate maps), and the map data includes shadow information. Then, the progress application server may provide a progress application service to a user in the form of sending service response information to the terminal device or roadside device in response to service request information received from the terminal device or roadside device.

[0212] 12B is a map data processing method used by the map receiver to provide services to the outside. The method includes steps 1201, 1202, 1204, and 1205. Step 1201 is the same as step 601, and step 1202 is the same as step 602. Details will not be described again in this specification.

[0213] Step 1204: Receive service request information. Step 1205: Send service response information, where the service response information is generated based on the service request information and the shadow information. Depending on different application scenarios, the service request information and the service response information have different contents. For details, please refer to the above description of the six scenarios in which the services are target recognition service, assisted driving service, parking space recommendation service, navigation service, ride-hailing service, or solar energy charging service, respectively.

[0214] Next, a method for displaying shadow information on a map will be described with reference to Figures 13 to 17. The medium or device used for display is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. Display includes, but is not limited to, projection display or display on a display screen.

[0215] Displaying shadow information on a map is optional, and whether the shadow information and other information in the map are superimposed for display is determined based on user input. A user may set whether to display shadow information in a setting interface of a map application, or more conveniently, a trigger command for displaying shadow information may be generated based on user input, allowing the user to more conveniently display or cancel the display of shadow information at any time. User input may include, but is not limited to, character input, voice input, gesture input, or input from a user's touch screen. In FIG. 13 , as an example, a shadow switch is set on the map display interface. A user may use their finger to touch the shadow switch on the screen to disable the shadow switch and prevent the shadow information shown on the left side of FIG. 13 from being displayed, or to enable the shadow switch shown on the right side of FIG. 13 and display the shadow information on the map in a superimposed manner.

[0216] When shadow information is displayed in a superimposed manner, the display area corresponding to the shadow area may have a different grayscale, color, saturation, or superimposition pattern from the other display areas to distinguish between the shadow area and the non-shadow area. For example, in the left image of Figure 14, the shadow areas of buildings and trees on the ground are shown in a grid pattern. In the right image of Figure 14, the shadow areas of buildings and trees on the ground are shown in a darker color.

[0217] As mentioned above, the shadow information may also indicate the cause of the shadow area, such as the projection of a building under sunlight, light spots on leaves, ceiling cover, cloud cover, tunnels or culverts, etc. For example, assuming that a pattern is used to indicate a shadow area (and no pattern is used to indicate a non-shadow area), in the left image of Figure 15, a diagonal line pattern is used to indicate a shadow generated by a building, and a grid line pattern is used to indicate a shadow generated by a tree.

[0218] As described above, the shadow information may indicate a shadow intensity. The shadow intensity may include, but is not limited to, the average illuminance value of a shadow area, the illuminance difference between a shadow area and a non-shadow area, the image brightness difference between a shadow area and a non-shadow area, the image contrast between a shadow area and a non-shadow area, and the shadow intensity. A shadow area having a shadow intensity may be displayed using a different grayscale, color, saturation, or pattern density. For example, assuming that gray is used to indicate a shadow area (and gray is not used to indicate a non-shadow area), the shadow of a building has a higher shadow intensity than the shadow of a tree. Therefore, in the right image of FIG. 15, a lighter gray is used to indicate the shadow area corresponding to the shadow of the tree, and a darker gray is used to indicate the shadow area corresponding to the shadow of the building.

[0219] As described above, the shadow information may further indicate the time period during which the shadow area exists, and the shadow area may also change over time. Therefore, since the shadow information has dynamic attributes, the change in the shadow area over time can be dynamically displayed on the map. For example, the change in the shadow area over a time period may be played back in video format, and the playback speed may be set or adjusted. In another example, a playback progress bar may be set on the display interface so that the user can select whether to play a video of the change in the shadow area, or the shadow area at a specific time point may be directly displayed by directly dragging the progress button on the progress bar. FIGS. 16A to 16C show dynamic display of a shadow area in an area including a road, roadside trees, and buildings during the time period from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM. A user can trigger the playback of a dynamic image on the playback progress bar in the display interface by clicking the triangle in the playback progress bar. As the playback progresses, the position of the circular progress button on the playback progress bar moves to the right. In addition, the time point corresponding to the currently playing image is displayed above the circular progress button. A user can also directly drag the circular progress button to view the shadow area at a specific time point. The image reproduced in Figure 16A is the shadow area at 9:00 AM, when the sun is in the southeast direction, so the tree shadow is located on the northwest side of the tree and the building shadow is located on the northwest side of the building. The image reproduced in Figure 16B is the shadow area at noon, when the sun is in the due south direction, so the tree shadow is located on the north side of the tree and the building shadow is located on the north side of the building. The image shown in Figure 16C is the shadow area at 3:00 PM, when the sun is in the southwest direction, so the tree shadow is located on the northeast side of the tree and the building shadow is located on the northeast side of the building.

[0220] Different shadow area boundary display strategies may be adopted based on different requirements. The boundary of the displayed shadow area may match or resemble the boundary of the actual shadow area, as shown in the left diagram of FIG. 17. To match or resemble the boundary of the actual shadow area, the shadow area of ​​a building may be polygonal, with the boundary of the corresponding shadow area formed by straight lines, while the shadow area of ​​a tree may be irregular, with the boundary of the corresponding shadow area formed by irregular curves. In addition, the boundary of the shadow area may be cropped to facilitate application or data storage. In the cropping scheme, the display area of ​​the shadow area on the display interface may be determined based on the position of the shadow area on the map and the boundary conditions of other map elements within the map. For example, at least a portion of the boundary of the shadow area may be cropped to at least a portion of the boundary of a map element close to the location of the shadow area. As shown in the right image of Figure 17, the shadows of high-rise buildings A and B almost entirely cover the section of the road heading south at the intersection of Bohai Road 7th and Yellow River Road 6th, so when displaying the shadow areas of high-rise buildings A and B on the road, the road section south of the intersection of Bohai Road 7th can be displayed as a shadow area.The shadow of a tree almost entirely covers the west-to-east lane on the east side of the intersection of Bohai Road 7th and Yellow River Road 6th, so when displaying the shadow area of ​​the tree on the road, the lane section east of the intersection of Yellow River Road 6th can be displayed as a shadow area.

[0221] Next, a method for target recognition based on shadow information will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0222] Target recognition is a process of determining whether a target object exists in an image collected by a camera and extracting features of the target object. Features include, but are not limited to, attributes of the target object, such as the category of the target object, the name of the target object, the outline of the target object, the color of the target object, the pattern of the target object, or whether the target object is three-dimensional. In the following, an example of a vehicle traveling on a road recognizing lane boundaries is used for explanation. The target on which the target recognition operation is performed and the recognized target object are not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0223] With the development of vehicle intelligence, vehicles equipped with advanced sensors and processors have increasingly powerful sensing capabilities. For example, a camera installed on a vehicle is used to capture images of the vehicle's surroundings, and the image data is sent to an image processor for calculation and processing. Vehicles can identify other vehicles, pedestrians, buildings, traffic signs, obstacles, and other objects on the road to provide important assistance for intelligent driving. However, factors such as complex environments, insufficient camera accuracy, limited processor computing power, or insufficient sample sizes for machine learning can sometimes cause target recognition errors in the intelligent driving process, which poses a significant threat to driving safety.

[0224] An embodiment of the present application provides a target recognition method based on shadow information. The method may be performed by a terminal, roadside, or in-cloud device, including, but not limited to, a vehicle, a mobile terminal, an RSU, an REC, a map server, or an application server. Alternatively, the method may be performed by an application installed on the terminal, roadside, or in-cloud device.

[0225] In FIG. 18, during the driving process, the vehicle continuously recognizes lane markings ahead of the vehicle, including attributes such as lane marking color and whether the lane markings are dotted or solid. It can be seen that a shadow area ABCD appears ahead of the vehicle. The shadow area contains two dotted lane markings, EF and GH, and a yellow lane marking MN, which indicates the boundary between two roads with different driving directions. In the shadow area, the color of the road surface and lane markings varies significantly compared to non-shadow areas. This increases the difficulty of target recognition and may cause the vehicle to erroneously determine the lane markings in the shadow area. In an embodiment of the present application, the shadow information used to indicate the shadow area is used as input reference information during target recognition. For example, the target recognition device compensates for the hue of the image portion corresponding to the shadow area ABCD based on map information reference for the shadow area ABCD, thereby effectively improving target recognition accuracy.

[0226] The vehicle can obtain target recognition results in two ways:

[0227] (1) When a vehicle has a map containing shadow information (created or received by the vehicle) stored in its memory and has powerful data processing capabilities, the vehicle can use a processor configured in the vehicle to perform target recognition based on the shadow information stored in the vehicle. In other words, the image processor installed in the vehicle first performs calculations such as color correction or brightness correction on a portion of the image corresponding to region ABCD in the image captured by the onboard camera based on prior information such as the location of the shadow information shown on the map, according to a preconfigured image processing algorithm, to eliminate the effects of shadows on the image. The image with the shadow effects removed is then processed according to a common lane boundary line recognition algorithm to obtain more accurate target recognition results.

[0228] (2) When the vehicle does not have a map with shadow information configured or does not have powerful data processing capabilities, the vehicle can obtain target recognition results by receiving target recognition services provided by an application server deployed on the cloud. For specific steps, please refer to Figure 19.

[0229] First, the vehicle transmits information including sensing data to the server. The sensing data may be obtained by sensing using a sensor configured on the vehicle, or may be received by the vehicle from another device (e.g., another vehicle, a mobile phone, or a roadside device). The sensing data includes, but is not limited to, image data captured by a camera.

[0230] After receiving the information including the sensing data, the server then feeds back target indication information to the vehicle, which indicates whether a target object is present or indicates the characteristics of the target object. The characteristics include, but are not limited to, attributes such as the target object's category, name, outline, color, pattern, or whether the target object is three-dimensional. In the lane boundary recognition scenario of this embodiment, the sensing data may include lane boundary lines of the road section ahead and may be an image captured by an on-board camera. Because the server stores a map including shadow information and has powerful data processing capabilities, the server can use prior information, such as the location of the shadow information shown on the map, to perform calculations such as color compensation or brightness compensation on a portion of the image corresponding to region ABCD in the image on an internally configured image processor according to a pre-configured image processing algorithm, thereby eliminating the effects of shadows on the image. The server then performs calculations on the image from which the shadow effects have been removed according to a common lane boundary line recognition algorithm to obtain more accurate target recognition results, such as information on whether the lane boundary lines ahead are solid or dotted, whether the lane boundary lines ahead are white or yellow, and whether there are lane boundary lines indicating lane combinations.

[0231] Optionally, after receiving the target indication information, the vehicle may perform a driving decision based on whether the target object indicated by the target indication information exists or the characteristics of the target object, for example, whether to change lanes or whether to slow down.

[0232] Next, a method for assisting driving based on shadow information will be described with reference to FIGS. 20, 21A, and 21B.

[0233] Since the light in the shadow area is weak, there may be a safety hazard when a vehicle enters a shadow area under a bridge, culvert, tunnel, etc., and certain driver assistance actions may be taken, such as turning on headlights, slowing down, or warning pedestrians. One embodiment of the present application provides a method for assisting driving based on shadow information to more intelligently, accurately, and timely assist driving behavior in dark environments and improve driving safety. Driving includes, but is not limited to, intelligently assisted driving with the participation of a human driver or unmanned driving.

[0234] An embodiment of the present application provides a method for assisting driving based on shadow information. The method may be performed by a terminal, a roadside device, or a device in the cloud, including, but not limited to, a vehicle, a mobile terminal, an RSU, an REC, a map server, or an application server. Alternatively, the method may be performed by an application installed on the terminal, the roadside device, or a device in the cloud.

[0235] In the following, we use a scenario in which a vehicle is about to travel under an overpass as shown in Figure 20 as an illustrative example, and include the following two implementations:

[0236] In a first implementation, the vehicle is configured with a map including shadow information by generating or receiving the shadow information, and the vehicle is further configured with a positioning system (including, but not limited to, a GNSS Global Navigation Satellite System, an inertial navigation system, or a wheel speedometer).

[0237] The vehicle first acquires its position using a positioning system, and then determines the distance of the vehicle to the shadow area by referring to the geographical position of the shadow area indicated by the shadow information. Alternatively, the vehicle may calculate the time interval from the current time to the time when the vehicle entered the shadow area by referring to driving state information such as the current vehicle speed and vehicle acceleration.

[0238] The vehicle may determine that the vehicle is about to enter the shadow region based on the determined distance or the calculated time interval. Specifically, for example, the vehicle may determine that the vehicle is about to enter the shadow region within a time period that is less than a first threshold based on the time interval, or may determine that the distance between the vehicle and the shadow region ahead in the driving direction of the vehicle is less than a second threshold based on the determined distance.

[0239] After determining that the vehicle is about to enter a shadow area, the vehicle may perform a plurality of actions used to assist driving in the shadow area. The plurality of actions may be classified into two types. The first type is a reminder action, including but not limited to, reminding a user in the vehicle to slow down, turn on headlights, turn on warning lights, or sound the horn. The second type is a control action, including but not limited to, controlling the vehicle to slow down, turn on headlights, turn on warning lights, or sound the horn.

[0240] In a second implementation, the map including the shadow information is not configured in the vehicle, and the vehicle may receive a cloud service used to assist driving in the shadow area from a map server or an application server. For the interaction process between the vehicle and the server, see Figures 21A and 21B. The server is configured with the map including the shadow information.

[0241] FIG. 21A shows an interaction method in which a server reminds a vehicle of driving behavior based on cloud services, including the following steps:

[0242] Step 1: The vehicle sends driving data to the server. The driving data may indicate the location of the vehicle, or may further indicate the driving state of the vehicle, such as driving speed or acceleration.

[0243] Step 2: The server returns a reminder message to the vehicle. The server may determine the vehicle's position based on the driving data received from the vehicle, and then determine the vehicle's distance to the shadow area by referring to the geographical location of the shadow area indicated by the shadow information. Alternatively, the vehicle may calculate the time interval from the current time to the time the vehicle enters the shadow area by referring to driving state information such as the current vehicle speed or vehicle acceleration. The server determines that the vehicle is about to enter the shadow area based on the determined distance or the calculated time interval. Specifically, for example, the server may determine that the vehicle is about to enter the shadow area within a time period less than a first threshold based on the time interval, or may determine that the distance between the vehicle and the shadow area ahead of the vehicle's driving direction is less than a second threshold based on the determined distance. After determining that the vehicle is about to enter the shadow area, the server sends a reminder message to the vehicle. The purpose of the reminder message includes, but is not limited to, reminding the vehicle to slow down, turn on headlights, turn on warning lights, or honk the horn.

[0244] FIG. 21B shows an interaction method in which a server controls a vehicle based on cloud services, including the following steps:

[0245] Step 1: The vehicle sends driving data to the server. The driving data may indicate the location of the vehicle, or may further indicate the driving state of the vehicle, such as driving speed or acceleration.

[0246] Step 2: The server returns control information to the vehicle. The server may determine the vehicle's position based on the driving data received from the vehicle, and then determine the vehicle's distance to the shadow area by referring to the geographical location of the shadow area indicated by the shadow information. Alternatively, the vehicle may calculate the time interval from the current time to the time when the vehicle entered the shadow area by referring to driving state information such as the current vehicle speed or the vehicle's acceleration. The server determines that the vehicle is about to enter the shadow area based on the determined distance or the calculated time interval. Specifically, for example, the server may determine that the vehicle is about to enter the shadow area within a time period less than a first threshold based on the time interval, or may determine that the distance between the vehicle and the shadow area ahead of the vehicle's driving direction is less than a second threshold based on the determined distance. After determining that the vehicle is about to enter the shadow area, the server transmits control information to the vehicle. The purpose of the control information includes, but is not limited to, controlling the vehicle to perform actions such as slowing down, turning on headlights, turning on warning lights, and honking the horn.

[0247] Next, a method for recommending parking spaces based on shadow information will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0248] When parking, many users want to park their vehicles in the shade to avoid sun exposure to the vehicle, improve the comfort of driving the vehicle, and avoid the aging of vehicle parts or the release of toxic gases inside the vehicle caused by sun exposure. Shadow information in the map is used to recommend shady parking spaces to users, so that the user's aforementioned usage requirements can be met. In a specific implementation, an application or device with the function of recommending parking spaces to users may use some data related to the shadow information in the map and use the shadow information as input when a parking space recommendation algorithm is executed.

[0249] An embodiment of the present application provides a method for recommending parking spaces based on shadow information. The method may be performed by a terminal, roadside, or in-cloud device, including but not limited to a vehicle, a mobile terminal, an RSU, an REC, a map server, or an application server. Alternatively, the method may be performed by an application installed on a terminal, roadside, or in-cloud device.

[0250] In some cases, the application having the function of recommending parking spaces to the user may be an application pre-installed on the terminal device before delivery, or may be installed on the terminal device after delivery. The terminal device may include, but is not limited to, a vehicle, a mobile phone, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, a navigator, or an intelligent wearable device. The terminal device selects a parking space in a shadow area from multiple parking spaces based on shadow information of the map and recommends the parking space to the user. Preferably, the map including the shadow information is stored in the terminal device.

[0251] In another case, an application having a function of recommending parking spaces to a user may be installed on a server such as a map server or an application server, and the server recommends shaded parking spaces to a vehicle by providing a cloud service to the vehicle. The server selects a parking space in a shadow area from among multiple parking spaces based on shadow information of the map and recommends the parking space to the user. Preferably, the server further stores a map including the shadow information.

[0252] In either of the above two cases, an application or device capable of recommending parking spaces to a user acquires the user's parking requirement information in advance, where the parking requirement information indicates at least one of an estimated parking area, a parking start time, a parking end time, and a parking duration. At least a portion of the content of the parking requirement information may be acquired by user input. For example, as shown in FIG. 22, a map displayed on the screen may indicate all parking spaces within the displayed map area or all parking lots with available parking spaces. When the user taps the parking lot mark, a dialog box pops up on the screen for the user to input the parking requirement information. The dialog box displays the name of the parking lot selected by the user, "X Shopping Center Parking Lot," as well as character input boxes for the user to enter the parking start time and estimated parking duration, and a selection button for the user to select whether a shaded parking space is preferred. At least a portion of the content of the parking requirement information may be acquired by an application that calls the output of another module or interface. For example, an application having a function of recommending parking spaces to a user may call up information such as the user's destination, departure time, and estimated arrival time in a navigation application, and use the information from the navigation application as the user's parking requirement information for determining parking spaces recommended to the user. At least a portion of the content of the parking requirement information may be further obtained by calculation using an application or device having a function of recommending parking spaces to a user. For example, an application or device that recommends parking spaces to a user may obtain parking fee modes of multiple parking lots within a certain range, determine the most economical parking lot for the user among the multiple parking lots through calculation, and use the parking lot as an estimated parking area for further determining parking spaces in the parking lot recommended to the user. The above-mentioned methods for obtaining parking requirement information may be combined. For example, part of the parking requirement information may be obtained through user input, and part of the parking information may be obtained by calling another module.As another example, some of the parking requirement information is obtained via user input, some of the parking information is obtained by invoking another module, and some of the parking requirement information is obtained computationally by an application that recommends parking spaces to the user.

[0253] For example, Figures 23 to 26 show display interfaces for recommending parking spaces to a user.

[0254] In Figure 23, occupied parking spaces are represented by light gray rectangular patterns without frames, and available parking spaces are represented by framed rectangular patterns. Within the framed rectangular patterns, dark gray filled rectangular patterns represent parking spaces that are currently shaded or that will be partially or fully shaded within the parking time period required by the user. White filled rectangular patterns represent parking spaces that are not currently shaded or that will not be partially or fully shaded within the parking time period required by the user.

[0255] When there are multiple parking spaces recommended for the user, the multiple recommended parking spaces may be sorted by priority based on a preset policy, and the priorities of the multiple parking spaces are displayed on the display interface. For example, in Figure 24, three parking spaces are recommended for the user, and Arabic numerals "1," "2," and "3" are written on three rectangular patterns with frames representing the three parking spaces filled in dark gray, and these Arabic numerals indicate the priorities of the corresponding parking spaces.

[0256] The locations of shaded parking spaces are shown to the user, and shadow information about the parking spaces may also be displayed in the display interface. In FIG. 25 , three rectangular patterns with dark gray frames indicate three recommended parking spaces that are shaded, with a percentage written below each parking space, and the percentage may indicate multiple types of shadow information. For example, the percentage may indicate the proportion of the area covered by the shadow of the parking space above that percentage at the current time. In another example, the percentage may indicate the percentage of the duration within the user's parking time period that the parking space will be shaded above that percentage relative to the user's parking duration. In FIG. 26 , three rectangular patterns with dark gray frames indicate three recommended parking spaces that are shaded, with a time period written below each parking space indicating the time period during which the parking space above that time period will be shaded during the day. Viewing the shadow information about the parking spaces from the display interface allows the user to more conveniently select a parking space.

[0257] In another case, Figure 27 is an example of an interaction flowchart in which a server provides cloud services to a vehicle. It should be noted that the device receiving the parking space recommendation cloud service from the server is not limited to a vehicle, but may also be a terminal, such as a mobile phone, a notebook computer, a navigator, a tablet PC, or an intelligent wearable device. The interaction process between the terminal and the server is similar to Figure 27, and the details will not be described again in this specification.

[0258] In FIG. 27, the method for applying shadow information to a parking space recommendation cloud service includes the following steps:

[0259] Step 1: A vehicle sends parking requirement information to a server, where the parking requirement information indicates at least one of an estimated parking area, a parking start time, a parking end time, and a parking duration.

[0260] Step 2: The server selects at least one parking space that meets the user's parking requirements indicated by the parking requirement information from the multiple parking spaces based on the shadow information in the map, and sends parking space recommendation information to the vehicle to indicate the at least one parking space.

[0261] Next, a method for recommending a travel route based on shadow information will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0262] Many people want to walk in the shade as much as possible during the summer or midday to reduce sun exposure. In winter, many people may want to walk on sunny roads as much as possible. In addition to walking, people also need to choose whether to drive in the shade when driving. People may want their moving vehicles to be protected from the sun. For drivers, strong sunlight can sunburn the skin and even prevent the driver from seeing the road ahead. In vehicles, sun exposure increases the temperature inside the vehicle, increasing energy consumption when the air conditioner is turned on, and long-term sun exposure can cause parts to age and release toxic gases from inside the vehicle. People may also want their moving vehicles to be on sunny roads as much as possible, for example, when the vehicle needs to be powered by solar energy.

[0263] An embodiment of the present application provides a method for recommending a route to a user based on shadow information. The method may be performed by a terminal, roadside, or in-cloud device, including but not limited to a vehicle, a mobile terminal, an RSU, an REC, a map server, or an application server. Alternatively, the method may be performed by an application installed on a terminal, roadside, or in-cloud device.

[0264] After the user enters the starting point and destination, the navigation application may recommend a route to the user based on travel guidelines such as the shortest distance, the shortest time, the fewest red lights, the most fuel-efficient, or the lowest toll. Vehicles, mobile terminals, and roadside or cloud-based devices can use the shadow information to determine the most sun-shaded route for the user by using the installed navigation application in combination with the user's travel requirements (including, but not limited to, the starting point, destination, travel time, or travel mode). The most sun-shaded route may be the route with the longest length of road segments covered by shadow areas, or the route with the largest ratio of the length of road segments covered by shadow areas to the total length of the road, or the route with the shortest length of road segments covered by non-shadow areas, or the route with the smallest ratio of the length of road segments covered by non-shadow areas to the total length of the road. The specific calculation method used to determine the most sun-shaded route is not limited in this embodiment.

[0265] In the navigation display interface of Figure 28, multiple progress policies based on different policies are recommended to the user, and the rectangular box in the lower right corner describes each route in text form. Route 1 via ABFDE is the route with the shortest progress distance, with a total distance of 3.6 kilometers. Route 2 via ABCDE is the most shaded route, with a shade-free distance of 800 meters. Route 3 via AGHE is the shortest route, with a total travel time of 12 minutes.

[0266] Optionally, a vehicle, a mobile terminal, or a roadside or cloud-based device may generate the shadow information or obtain the shadow information by receiving map data.

[0267] Optionally, when the shadow information includes time information used to indicate a time period during which a shadow area exists, the navigation application refers to the user's time information and travel time information to recommend the most shaded travel route to the user, so that the recommended most shaded travel route may be different at different times.

[0268] Optionally, the navigation application may further obtain the user's travel mode, for example, walking, cycling, or driving, and recommend a travel route to the user based on the travel mode. For example, the sidewalk of a road segment is a shadow area, while the non-motor vehicle lane and the motor vehicle lane are non-shadow areas. Therefore, if the user travels by foot, a route including the road segment may be recommended to the user, and if the user travels by cycling or driving, a route including the road segment may not be recommended to the user.

[0269] When a terminal obtains a traveling route based on a cloud service provided by a cloud, for example, when the terminal is a vehicle and the cloud is a server, FIG. 29 shows an interaction method including the following steps:

[0270] Step 1: The vehicle sends travel information to the server, where the travel information includes at least one of travel time, travel mode (walking, cycling, or driving), starting point, and destination.

[0271] Step 2: The server determines a route to travel based on the shadow information and progress information in the map, and recommends the route to the user by sending recommended route information to the vehicle.

[0272] It should be noted that the travel route determined based on the shadow information and travel information may be the sunniest route in addition to the most shaded route in the above example, and for example, the sunniest route may be applied to scenarios such as solar vehicles.

[0273] Next, with reference to Figures 30 and 31, a method for recommending a pick-up or drop-off point based on shadow information will be described.

[0274] When an online ride-hailing vehicle (manned or unmanned) picks up a passenger, a pickup or drop-off point is generally agreed upon with the passenger in advance. In the prior art, on the one hand, when a pickup or drop-off point is determined based on the user's convenience, it is combined with the user's preferences and location to minimize walking as much as possible. On the other hand, the pickup or drop-off point is combined with map information to comply with policy and regulatory provisions. For example, the entrances of some units, some residential areas, and some schools or bus stops may not be suitable as pickup or drop-off points. However, the prior art does not consider user experience requirements for pickup or drop-off points in different weather conditions, such as requirements for shadow areas. For example, if the pickup point is not shaded, the user may have an unsatisfactory experience when waiting for a vehicle in summer or at noon. Therefore, this embodiment of the present application provides a method for recommending pickup or drop-off points based on shadow information.

[0275] The method may be performed by a terminal, roadside, or in-cloud device, including but not limited to a vehicle, a mobile terminal, an RSU, an REC, a map server, or an application server. Alternatively, the method may be performed by an application installed on a terminal, roadside, or in-cloud device, including but not limited to a navigation application or an online ride-hailing application.

[0276] The method for recommending pickup points based on shadow information includes: Acquiring user progress information, the progress information including at least one of progress time, progress mode (walking, cycling, or driving), starting point, and destination, and the acquisition manner may be acquired based on user input, or generated based on data by calculation, or acquired by calling information in a program or module, or acquired by receiving a message, which is not specifically limited in this specification; determining at least one pickup point within a shadow area near the starting point based on map information, the map information including the shadow information; recommending at least one pickup point to the user, the recommendation manner including, but not limited to, displaying text and / or graphics on a user interface or transmitting information used to indicate the at least one pickup point; Includes.

[0277] In an example where a pickup point is recommended based on shadow information, FIG. 30 shows a display interface used to recommend a pickup point in an application. A user wants to take a car from Hospital A to Airport B. In the display interface of the online ride-hailing application, the user inputs a starting point and a destination in text. The display interface displays a map near the user's current location. A pickup point at the north gate of the hospital and a pickup point at the south gate of the hospital are marked on the display interface. Because neither of the two pickup points is in the shadow area, the application recommends a pickup point under the overpass 100 meters east of the north gate of the hospital and marks the recommended pickup point at the corresponding location on the map.

[0278] When a terminal obtains a pickup point based on a cloud service provided by a cloud, for example, when the terminal is a vehicle and the cloud is a server, FIG. 31 shows an interaction method including the following steps:

[0279] Step 1: The vehicle sends travel information to the server, where the travel information includes at least one of travel time, travel mode (walking, cycling, or driving), starting point, and destination.

[0280] Step 2: The server determines a pickup point located within the shadow area based on the shadow information and progress information in the map, and recommends the pickup point to the user by sending recommended pickup point information to the vehicle.

[0281] The method for recommending a drop-off point based on shadow information is similar to the method for recommending a pick-up point, and the details will not be described again here.

[0282] Next, with reference to Figures 32A, 32B, and 33, a method for assisting solar energy charging based on shadow information will be described.

[0283] As a type of clean energy, solar energy has great application prospects. Currently, there are vehicles powered by solar energy. The vehicle is equipped with a solar panel on its roof, and solar energy irradiated onto the solar panel on the roof can be collected in a parked state (shown in FIG. 32A ) and a driving state (shown in FIG. 32B ) to supply energy to the vehicle or charge an on-board battery. One embodiment of the present application provides a method for recommending a parking space or a driving route for a vehicle that uses solar energy as an energy source based on shadow information, so that the vehicle is exposed to sunlight as much as possible to meet the vehicle's energy requirements.

[0284] The method may be performed by a terminal, roadside, or in-cloud device, including but not limited to a vehicle, a mobile terminal, an RSU, an REC, a map server, or an application server. Alternatively, the method may be performed by an application installed on a terminal, roadside, or in-cloud device.

[0285] The method includes the following steps.

[0286] First, requirement information of the vehicle is obtained, and the requirement information indicates an intention for the vehicle to stop or move. If it is determined that the vehicle will stop, an area where the vehicle will be parked is further determined. The requirement information may further include information used to indicate the area where the vehicle will be parked. If it is determined that the vehicle will move, a starting location and a destination of the move are further determined. The requirement information may further include information used to indicate the starting location and the destination. Furthermore, when the shadow information includes time information used to indicate a time period during which a shadow area exists, a time when the vehicle will stop or move may be further obtained, so that the shadow information corresponding to the time in the map may be used to support solar energy charging.

[0287] Then, when the vehicle is about to stop, a parking position in a non-shadowed area within the parking area is determined based on the map including the shadow information. When the vehicle is about to move, a travel route from the starting location to the destination on the map including the shadow information is determined, and the travel route is the route with the longest length of road sections covered by shadowed areas, or the route with the largest ratio of the length of road sections covered by shadowed areas to the total length of the road, or the route with the shortest length of road sections covered by non-shadowed areas, or the route with the smallest ratio of the length of road sections covered by non-shadowed areas to the total length of the road. The specific calculation method used to determine the travel route is not limited in this embodiment. For example, when the vehicle is about to move, one or more of other factors such as mileage, congestion level, highway preference, and passing locations may be further taken into consideration, and different weights may be assigned to different factors based on the user's requirements to determine the travel route.

[0288] Finally, a parking location or a route is recommended to the user of the vehicle, or, in the case of unmanned or assisted driving, instructions are sent to the vehicle to park at the parking location or drive along the route. When recommending a parking location or a route to the user, recommendation techniques include, but are not limited to, displaying text and / or graphics on a user interface or transmitting information used to indicate the parking location or route.

[0289] When a terminal obtains a parking location or a driving route used to supplement solar energy based on cloud services provided by the cloud, for example, when the terminal is a vehicle and the cloud is a server, Figure 33 shows an interaction method including the following steps:

[0290] Step 1: The vehicle transmits solar energy charging requirement information to the server, where the solar energy charging requirement information includes information used to indicate the vehicle's intention to stop or move. The solar energy charging requirement information further includes information used to indicate a parking area or a starting location and a destination of a move. The solar energy charging requirement information further includes information used to indicate the time the vehicle will stop or move.

[0291] Step 2: The server generates solar energy charging instruction information according to the shadow information in the map and the solar energy charging requirement information, and sends the solar energy charging instruction information to the vehicle, where the solar energy charging instruction information indicates a parking position or a driving route.

[0292] The information in step 1 may be transmitted to the server in the same message or in different messages, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0293] Next, a method for supporting projection onto a road surface based on shadow information will be described with reference to Fig. 34. The device used for projection is not limited in this embodiment of the present application. In the following, a vehicle is used as a projection device as an example for explanation. In addition, this embodiment of the present application is further applicable to a scenario in which a mobile phone or a dedicated projection device is used to perform projection. The specific method is similar to the method in which a vehicle is used for projection, which will be described later.

[0294] Laser projection may be applied to traffic information reminders. Vehicles or roadside devices may project traffic information in the form of text and / or patterns onto road surfaces or the sides of buildings to remind other traffic participants or as a way of interacting with them. One embodiment of the present application provides a method for supporting projection based on shadow information and determining at least one of the position, brightness, and color used for laser projection based on the shadow information, so that the laser projection more easily attracts the attention of other traffic participants. Furthermore, when the shadow information includes time information indicating a time period during which a shadow area exists, the time used for laser projection may further be determined based on the time information.

[0295] As shown in FIG. 34, a vehicle moves from right to left along a lane. Based on the shadow information on the map, the vehicle determines that it is currently entering a shadow area on the lane. Using a sensing device disposed on the vehicle, the vehicle detects that two pedestrians are standing on the roadside ahead of the vehicle and determines that the two pedestrians may cross the road. This is a potential risk factor. Therefore, when the vehicle determines that two pedestrians are in the vehicle's driving direction and the distance between the pedestrians and the vehicle meets a preset condition, the vehicle projects a warning projection pattern onto the road section ahead. The warning projection pattern serves to warn pedestrians and may be, for example, "STOP" or "ATTENTION." The projection pattern is located at a road surface projection location that is easily noticeable by the two pedestrians to remind them that the vehicle is about to pass and not to cross the road. To improve the visual effect of the laser projection, the projection device of the vehicle acquires shadow information on the map and adjusts the brightness or hue of the projection based on whether the road projection location indicated by the shadow information is in a shadow area. In addition, when the road projection location that is easily noticed by pedestrians in front of the vehicle includes both shadow areas and non-shadow areas, the projection device of the vehicle may adjust the projection distance or projection angle based on the projection information in the map, so that the vehicle always projects the projection pattern into the shadow area within the road projection location while driving.

[0296] As shown in Figure 35, an embodiment of the present application provides a map data processing device 3500. The device may be configured to perform the map data processing method according to any one of Figures 4 to 12B. The map data processing device 3500 includes: an acquiring unit 3501 configured to acquire shadow information, the shadow information indicating a shadow area, the shadow information including location information, the location information indicating a geographical location of the shadow area; a storage unit 3502 configured to store the shadow information as map data; Equipped with.

[0297] For the shadow information, the shadow area, and obtaining the shadow information and storing the shadow information, please refer to the above description, and the details will not be described again in this specification.

[0298] The map data processing device 3500 may be located in the cloud, on the roadside, or on a terminal, including, but not limited to, devices such as a map server, application server, RSU, REC, vehicle, or mobile terminal, or a component, chip, software module, or hardware module within these devices.

[0299] The map data processing device 3500 acquiring shadow information may be generating shadow information based on sensing information acquired by the map data processing device 3500 or sensing information received from another device. In this case, the map data processing device 3500 functions as a map generating device and may provide a map product including shadow information to a map-using device in the cloud, on the roadside, or in a terminal.

[0300] Alternatively, the map data processing device 3500 may acquire shadow information by receiving shadow information from another device. In this case, the map data processing device 3500 functions as a map storage device or a map-using device, and holds a map database including the shadow information.

[0301] As shown in Figure 36, an embodiment of the present application provides a map data processing device 3600. The device may be configured to perform the map data processing method according to any one of Figures 4 to 12B. The map data processing device 3600 includes at least one of a receiving unit 3601, a processing unit 3602, a storage unit 3603, a sending unit 3604, a display unit 3605, an input unit 3606, an output unit 3607, and a control unit 3608.

[0302] The storage unit 3603 is configured to store the above-mentioned shadow information as map data.

[0303] In some cases, the shadow information stored in the storage unit 3603 is derived from shadow information generated by the processing unit 3602. In this case, the map data processing device 3600 may function as a map generating device and is configured to provide map products including shadow information to a cloud, roadside, or terminal-based map-using device.

[0304] The processing unit 3602 may be further configured to generate shadow information by collecting statistics on sensing data acquired by the map collection vehicle, crowdsourcing vehicle, or roadside device with reference to other information such as weather conditions.

[0305] Optionally, the processing unit 3602 is configured to determine a display area of ​​the shadow area on the display interface based on the position information in the shadow information and boundary information of the map element in the map.

[0306] Optionally, the processing unit 3602 is configured to identify the target object based on the sensing data and the shadow information, for example, identify a category of the target object, a name of the target object, an outline of the target object, a color of the target object, a pattern of the target object, or whether the target object is three-dimensional.

[0307] Optionally, the processing unit 3602 is configured to make a driving decision based on the identification of the target object.

[0308] Optionally, the processing unit 3602 is configured to determine, based on the driving data and the shadow information, that the vehicle is about to enter a shadow area within a time period less than a first threshold, or that the distance between the vehicle and the shadow area ahead of the vehicle's driving direction is less than a second threshold.

[0309] Optionally, the processing unit 3602 is configured to select at least one parking space based on the parking requirement information and the shadow information.

[0310] Optionally, the processing unit 3602 is configured to obtain parking requirement information of the user based on the navigation information.

[0311] Optionally, the processing unit 3602 is configured to plan a travel route, a pick-up point, or a drop-off point for the user based on the travel information and the shadow information.

[0312] Optionally, the processing unit 3602 is configured to determine, based on the solar energy charging requirement information and the shadow information, a first location to be used for charging in a stationary state or a first route for charging in a moving state.

[0313] Optionally, the processing unit 3602 is configured to determine, based on the shadow information, at least one of a position, a brightness, and a hue to be used for the laser projection.

[0314] In another case, the shadow information stored in the storage unit 3603 originates from shadow information received by the receiving unit 3601. In this case, the map data processing device 3600 may function as a map storage device or a map usage device and must maintain a map database including the shadow information.

[0315] The receiving unit 3601 is configured to receive shadow information from another device, component, chip, interface, hardware module, or software module.

[0316] Optionally, the receiving unit 3601 is further configured to receive sensing data related to the target object, vehicle driving data, user parking requirement information, user progress information, or user solar energy charging requirement information.

[0317] Regardless of either of the above two cases, the map data processing device 3600 may optionally include a transmitting unit 3604 configured to transmit shadow information.

[0318] Optionally, the sending unit 3604 is further configured to send target indication information to the vehicle, where the target indication information indicates an attribute of the target object, for example, the attribute includes a category of the target object, a name of the target object, an outline of the target object, a color of the target object, a pattern of the target object, or whether the target object is three-dimensional.

[0319] Optionally, the sending unit 3604 is further configured to send a reminder message to the vehicle, where the reminder message indicates that the vehicle is about to enter the shadow region.

[0320] Optionally, the sending unit 3604 is further configured to send the parking space recommendation information to a mobile terminal, where the parking space recommendation information indicates at least one parking space. The mobile terminal includes, but is not limited to, a vehicle or a mobile terminal (such as a mobile phone, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, a navigator, or a smart wearable device).

[0321] Optionally, the sending unit 3604 is further configured to send travel suggestion information to the mobile terminal, where the travel suggestion information indicates a travel route, a pick-up point, or a drop-off point.

[0322] Optionally, the sending unit 3604 is further configured to send solar energy charging instruction information to the mobile terminal, where the solar energy charging instruction information indicates the first location or the first route.

[0323] Regardless of either of the above two cases, the map data processing device 3600 may optionally include a display unit 3605 configured to display a shadow area based on the shadow information. Alternatively, the display unit 3605 may be further configured to superimpose the shadow information on other information of the map for display based on a shadow display trigger command. Alternatively, the display unit 3605 may be further configured to display a change in the shadow area over time based on time information in the shadow information. Alternatively, the display unit 3605 may be further configured to display shadow intensity information in the shadow information using different grayscales, colors, saturations, or pattern densities. Alternatively, the display unit 3605 may be further configured to display reason information in the shadow information using different grayscales, colors, saturations, or pattern densities. Alternatively, the display unit 3605 may be further configured to display the shadow area in a display area determined by the processing unit. Alternatively, the display unit 3605 may be further configured to recommend parking spaces to a user on a display interface. Alternatively, the display unit 3605 is further configured to recommend a traveling route to the user on the display interface. Alternatively, the display unit 3605 is configured to recommend a first position or a first route to be used for solar energy charging to the user on the display interface.

[0324] Regardless of either of the above two cases, the map data processing device 3600 may optionally include an input unit 3606 configured to receive a shadow display trigger command input by a user or to allow a user to input parking requirement information.

[0325] Regardless of which of the above two cases, the map data processing device 3600 may optionally include an output unit 3607 configured to remind the user to do at least one of slow down, turn on headlights, turn on warning lights, and honk the horn.

[0326] Regardless of either of the above two cases, the map data processing device 3600 may optionally include a control unit 3608 configured to control the vehicle to perform at least one of the following: slow down, turn on headlights, turn on warning lights, and honk the horn.

[0327] One or more units in the embodiments shown in Figures 35 and 36 may be implemented using software, hardware, firmware, or a combination thereof. Software or firmware includes, but is not limited to, computer program instructions or code, and may be executed by a hardware processor. Hardware includes, but is not limited to, various integrated circuits, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0328] 37, an embodiment of the present application provides a map data processing device 3700, including a processor 3701 and a memory 3702. The memory 3702 stores computer program instructions, and the processor 3701 reads the computer program instructions from the memory and executes the computer program instructions, so that the map data processing device 3700 performs the map data processing method according to any one of FIGS.

[0329] 38, an embodiment of the present application provides a map data processing device 3800, including a processor 3801 and a communication interface 3802. The processor 3801 obtains computer program instructions through the communication interface 3802, and the processor 3801 executes the computer program instructions, so that the map data processing device 3800 executes the map data processing method according to any one of FIGS.

[0330] It should be understood that processor 3701 or processor 3801 may be a chip. For example, processor 3701 or processor 3801 may be a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a system on a chip (SoC), a central processor unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a programmable logic device (PLD), or another integrated chip.

[0331] It will be appreciated that memory 3702 of embodiments of the present application may be volatile or nonvolatile memory, or may include both volatile and nonvolatile memory. Nonvolatile memory may be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory may be random access memory (RAM) used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, many forms of RAM may be used, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchlink dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus random access memory (DR RAM). It should be noted that memory in the systems and methods described herein includes, but is not limited to, these and any other memory of a suitable type.

[0332] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the descriptions of the embodiments provided in the present application can be cross-referenced. For ease and simplicity of explanation, for example, for the functions and steps performed by the apparatus and device provided in the embodiments of the present application, please refer to the relevant descriptions of the method embodiments of the present application. References can also be made between various method embodiments and various apparatus embodiments.

[0333] Those skilled in the art may understand that all or part of the steps of the method embodiments may be realized by a program that instructs relevant hardware. The program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, all or part of the steps of the method embodiments are executed. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media that can store program code, such as a ROM, a RAM, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0334] All or part of the above embodiments may be realized using software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When software is used to realize the embodiments, the embodiments may be fully or partially realized in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded into a computer and executed, the procedures or functions according to the embodiments of the present application are generated in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or another programmable device. The computer instructions may be stored on a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions may be transmitted from a website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, or digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, radio frequency, microwave) transmission. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium accessible by a computer, or may be a data storage device integrating one or more available media, such as a server or data center. The usable medium may be a magnetic medium (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk drive, or a magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., a solid state drive (SSD)).

[0335] In some embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed system, apparatus, and method may be realized in other ways without departing from the scope of the present application. For example, the described embodiments are merely examples. For example, the division into modules or units is merely a logical division of functions, and other divisions may be used in actual implementation. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not implemented. Units described as separate parts may or may not be physically separate, and parts presented as units may or may not be physical units, and may be located in one location or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the objectives of the solutions of the present embodiment. Those skilled in the art can understand and implement the embodiments without any creative effort.

[0336] Additionally, the systems, devices, methods, and schematic diagrams illustrating different embodiments may be combined or integrated with other systems, modules, technologies, or methods without departing from the scope of this application. Additionally, the shown or discussed mutual couplings or direct couplings or communication connections may be realized through some interfaces. Indirect couplings or communication connections between devices or units may be realized electrically, mechanically, or in other forms.

[0337] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. Any modifications or replacements that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present application shall fall within the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application shall be subject to the scope of protection of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0338] 0 Layer 1 Dynamic layers, tiles, shadow events, and shadow intensity 2 Dynamic Layers, Shadow 3 Dynamic Layers, Shadow 3500 Map data processing device 3501 Acquisition Units 3502 Storage Unit 3600 Map data processing device 3601 receiving unit 3602 Processing Unit 3603 Storage Unit 3604 Transmitting Unit 3605 Display Unit 3606 Input Unit 3607 Output Unit 3608 Control Unit 3700 Map data processing device 3701 processor 3702 memory 3800 Map data processing device 3801 processor 3802 Communication Interface

Claims

1. A map data processing method, comprising: acquiring, by a first acquiring unit, shadow information, the shadow information indicating a shadow area, the shadow information including location information, the location information indicating a geographical location of the shadow area; storing the shadow information as map data by a storage unit; displaying the shadow area based on the shadow information by a display unit; Including, The shadow information further includes time information, the time information indicating a time period during which the shadow area exists, and the step of displaying the shadow area based on the shadow information by a display unit includes: displaying, by the display unit, the change over time of the shadow area based on the time information. A method comprising:

2. The method described in claim 1, wherein the step of acquiring shadow information by a first acquisition unit includes a step of generating the shadow information by a first processing unit or a step of receiving the shadow information by a first receiving unit.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shadow information further includes at least one of geometric information, shadow intensity information, confidence level information, and cause information, wherein the geometric information indicates a shape or size of the shadow region, the shadow intensity information indicates a shadow intensity of the shadow region, the confidence level information indicates a confidence level of the shadow region, and the cause information indicates a cause that generates the shadow region.

4. The step of storing the shadow information as map data by a storage unit comprises: storing, by the storage unit, the shadow information in a data structure for storing events in a map.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

5. The method comprises: transmitting the shadow information by a first transmitting unit; The method of claim 1 further comprising:

6. The step of displaying the shadow area based on the shadow information by a display unit, receiving a shadow display trigger command input by a user through an input unit; superimposing, by the display unit, the shadow information on other information of a map for display based on the shadow display trigger command; The method of claim 1 further comprising:

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein a display area corresponding to the shadow area has a different grayscale, color, saturation, or superimposed pattern relative to another display area.

8. The method comprises: acquiring user progress information by a fifth acquiring unit; planning, by a sixth processing unit, a travel route or a pick-up location for the user based on the travel information and the shadow information; 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

9. A map data processing device, a first acquisition unit configured to acquire shadow information, the shadow information indicating a shadow area, the shadow information including location information, the location information indicating a geographical location of the shadow area; and a storage unit configured to store the shadow information as map data; a display unit configured to display the shadow area based on the shadow information; and Equipped with The shadow information further includes time information, the time information indicating a time period during which the shadow area exists, and the display unit: The apparatus is further configured to display a change in the shadow region over time based on the time information.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first obtaining unit is a first processing unit configured to generate the shadow information or a first receiving unit configured to receive the shadow information.

11. 10. The device of claim 9, wherein the shadow information further includes at least one of geometric information, shadow intensity information, confidence level information, and cause information, wherein the geometric information indicates a shape or size of the shadow region, the shadow intensity information indicates a shadow intensity of the shadow region, the confidence level information indicates a confidence level of the shadow region, and the cause information indicates a cause of generating the shadow region.

12. The storage unit: The apparatus of claim 9 , further configured to store the shadow information in a data structure for storing events in a map.

13. The device, The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a first transmitting unit configured to transmit the shadow information.

14. The device, The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising: a processing unit configured to control display of the shadow region based on the shadow information.

15. The device, an input unit configured to receive a shadow display trigger command input by a user; The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the display unit is further configured to superimpose the shadow information on other information of a map for display based on the shadow display trigger command.

16. 10. The device of claim 9, wherein a display area corresponding to the shadow region has a different grayscale, color, saturation, or overlay pattern relative to another display area.

17. The device, a fifth acquiring unit configured to acquire user progress information; a sixth processing unit configured to plan a travel route or a pick-up location for the user based on the travel information and the shadow information; 17. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

18. 10. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform the method of claim 1.

19. An electronic map product, the electronic map product including shadow information, the shadow information indicating a shadow area, the shadow information including location information, the location information indicating a geographic location of the shadow area; the shadow information causes a computer to display the shadow area; the shadow information further includes time information, the time information indicating a time period during which the shadow region exists; The shadow information causes a computer to display the shadow area, The electronic map product, wherein the time information causes the computer to display changes in the shadow area over time.

20. A vehicle, the vehicle comprising a map data processing device according to claim 9.

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