Methods and systems to convey autonomous/semi-autonomous feature available roadways

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10126137-B2
Application number	US-201715428934-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 9, 2017
Priority date	Feb 9, 2017
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for navigation of a vehicle. In one embodiment, a navigation system includes: a map database, and a navigation processor. The map database includes a map layer of autonomous road data, and at least one other layer of map data. The navigation processor is configured to determine a route for a vehicle to a destination preferring use of autonomous roads according to a setting for preferring use of autonomous roads and based on the map layer of autonomous road data and the at least other layer of map data; and display a display map for a vehicle through a navigation display unit including highlighting autonomous roads on the navigation display unit, based on the map layer of autonomous road data, together with the at least one other layer of map data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A navigation system, comprising:
a map database, comprising:
a map layer of autonomous road data generated from compression of three-dimensional spatial data and global positioning data,
a plurality of layers of map data,
wherein each layer of the plurality of layers includes one of image base data, elevation data, hydrography data, boundaries data, land use area data, and navigation roads data,
wherein the plurality of layers and the map layer of autonomous road are georeferenced, aligned, and merged into a navigation map; and
a navigation processor configured to:
determine a route for a vehicle to a destination preferring use of autonomous roads according to a setting for preferring use of autonomous roads and based on the navigation map, control the vehicle autonomously along the route based on the navigation map, and
display a display map for a vehicle through a navigation display unit including highlighting autonomous roads on the navigation display unit, based on the map layer of autonomous road data, together with the at least one other layer of map data.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1 , further comprising a client interface comprising a menu comprising a list of navigation settings, the navigation settings including a setting for preferring use of autonomous roads that is selectable through the client interface.

3. The navigation system according to claim 1 , comprising a navigation display unit, wherein the navigation processor is configured to display, through a navigation display unit, the route including first highlighting of autonomous roads based on the map layer of autonomous road data together with second highlighting of non-autonomous roads based on the at least one other layer of map data, wherein the first and second highlighting are displayed in a visually differentiable manner.

4. The navigation system according to claim 1 , wherein the map layer of autonomous road data is derived from an autonomous driving map, wherein the navigation processor is further configured to output navigation instructions to an autonomous vehicle control system for autonomous vehicle control based on the autonomous driving map.

5. The navigation system according to claim 1 , wherein the navigation processor is further configured to display a set of possible paths, and wherein a subset of the paths that are enabled for autonomous driving is highlighted.

6. The navigation system according to claim 1 , wherein the map layer of autonomous road data is derived from a machine to machine autonomous map that includes autonomous driving attributes and global positioning data.

7. The navigation system according to claim 1 , being comprised in a server remote from the vehicle and in communication with the vehicle over a mobile communications network.

8. The navigation system according to claim 1 , wherein the map layer of autonomous road data is derived from an autonomous map connected to a mobile communication network for receiving map updates from a remote server, wherein the navigation processor is configured to update the map layer of autonomous road data based on the map updates of the autonomous map.

9. The navigation system according to claim 1 , wherein the map layer of the autonomous road data is assimilated with other layers of navigation map data from a different map source.

10. The navigation system according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of layers of map data is derived from a navigation map and the map layer of autonomous road data is derived from an autonomous driving map, wherein the navigation map and the autonomous driving map are separately stored on two different storage locations.

11. The navigation system according to claim 1 being comprised in a mobile electronic device.

12. A method for a navigation system, comprising:
receiving, via a navigation processor of the navigation system, a map database comprising a layer of autonomous road data generated from compression of three-dimensional spatial data and global positioning data and a plurality of layers of other map data,
wherein each layer of the plurality of layers includes one of image base data, elevation data, hydrography data, boundaries data, land use area data, and navigation roads data, and
wherein the plurality of layers and the map layer of autonomous road are georeferenced, aligned, and merged into a navigation map;
processing, via the navigation processor, the layer of autonomous road data and the layer of other map data to determine a route for a vehicle to a destination preferring use of autonomous roads according to a setting for preferring use of autonomous roads and based on the navigation map, to control the vehicle autonomously along the route based on the navigation map, and
to display a display map through a navigation display unit including highlighting autonomous roads on the navigation display unit, based on the map layer of autonomous road data, together with the at least one other layer of map data.

13. The navigation method according to claim 12 , further comprising:
deriving the layer of autonomous road data from a machine to machine autonomous driving map.

14. The navigation method according to claim 12 further comprising displaying, through a navigation display unit, the route including highlighting autonomous roads together with the at least one other layer of map data.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions, the instructions when executed by a processor, cause to be performed the corresponding method:
receiving, via a navigation processor, a map database comprising a layer of autonomous road data generated from compression of three-dimensional spatial data and global positioning data and a plurality of layers of other map data,
wherein each layer of the plurality of layers includes one of image base data, elevation data, hydrography data, boundaries data, land use area data, and navigation roads data, and
wherein the plurality of layers and the map layer of autonomous road are georeferenced, aligned, and merged into a navigation map;
processing, via a navigation processor, the layer of autonomous road data and the layer of other map data to determine a route for a vehicle to a destination preferring use of autonomous roads according to a setting for preferring use of autonomous roads and based on the navigation map, control the vehicle autonomously along the route based on the navigation map, and
display a display map through a navigation display unit including highlighting autonomous roads on the navigation display unit, based on the map layer of autonomous road data, together with the at least one other layer of map data.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Pickering Corey
• Deng Bing
• Craig David Allen
• Faustich Melissa
• Walkup Vincent Barrett

Classifications

• G01C21/367

  Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker · CPC title

• G01C21/34 Primary

  Route searching; Route guidance · CPC title

• G01C21/3611 Primary

  using character input or menus, e.g. menus of POIs (character input methods in general G06F3/0233) · CPC title

• G01C21/3667 Primary

  Display of a road map (G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635) · CPC title

• G01C21/3453

  Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments · CPC title