Concept for drawing up a digital map of a parking lot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10690502-B2
Application number	US-201615574615-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2016
Priority date	Jun 23, 2015
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

A method for operating a vehicle in order to draw up a digital map of a parking lot, the vehicle driving within the parking lot ascertaining data pertaining to its driving route within the parking lot and transmitting the ascertained data via a communications network to a map server, so that the map server is able to draw up a digital map of the parking lot on the basis of the data. A corresponding device is also described. A method for drawing up a digital map of a parking lot, a map server, and a computer program are also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for a first vehicle, the method comprising:
driving along a driving route within a parking lot, by the first vehicle; and
the first vehicle transmitting data via a communications network to a map server;
wherein:
the data includes:
(a) an identification of the driving route; and
(b) a wheel base of the first vehicle and/or a capability of the first vehicle; and

the map server to which the data is transmitted is configured to generate a digital map of the parking lot based on the identified driving route and based on the wheel base and/or capability of the data, wherein a second vehicle is enabled to drive within the parking lot based on the digital map.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first vehicle ascertains odometer data that correspond to a traveled driving distance of the first vehicle in the driving along the driving route and transmits the ascertained odometer data to the map server via the communications network.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first vehicle ascertains operating-dynamics data corresponding to operating dynamics of the first vehicle, and transmits the ascertained operating-dynamics data to the map server via the communications network.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the data further includes yaw rate data, and the map server is configured to generate the digital map further based on the yaw rate data.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first vehicle detects an environment of the first vehicle using an environmental sensor system of the first vehicle, ascertains environmental data that correspond to the detected environment, and transmits the ascertained environmental data to the map server via the communications network.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the data includes the wheel base of the first vehicle, and the map server is configured to generate the digital map based on the wheel base of the first vehicle.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first vehicle checks an already produced digital map of the parking lot to detect possible errors in the already produced digital map, the first vehicle reporting the detected possible errors to the map server via the communications network.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the data includes the capability of the first vehicle, and the map server is configured to generate the digital map based on the capability of the data.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 , wherein the capability is indicated as an identification of a maximum steering angle that is implementable by the first vehicle.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second vehicle is enabled for an automated drive of the second vehicle in the parking lot based on the generated digital map.

11. A device for a first vehicle, the device comprising:
a processor; and
a communications interface;
wherein:
the processor is configured to transmit data to a map server over a communications network via the communications interface;
the data includes:
(a) an identification of a driving route along which the first vehicle drives within a parking lot; and
(b) a wheel base of the first vehicle and/or a capability of the first vehicle; and

the map server to which the data is transmitted is configured to generate a digital map of the parking lot based on the identified driving route and based on the wheel base and/or capability of the data, wherein a second vehicle is enabled to drive within the parking lot based on the digital map.

12. The device as recited in claim 11 , wherein the processor is designed to ascertain odometer data that correspond to a traveled driving distance of the first vehicle in the drive of the first vehicle along the driving route, the processor being designed to transmit the ascertained odometer data to the map server over the communications network via the communications interface.

13. The device as recited in claim 11 , wherein the processor is designed to ascertain operating-dynamics data that correspond to operating dynamics of the first vehicle, and the processor is designed to transmit the ascertained operating-dynamics data to the map server over the communications network via the communications interface.

14. The device as recited in claim 11 , wherein the processor is designed to ascertain environmental data that correspond to an environment of the first vehicle detected with the aid of an environmental sensor system of the first vehicle, and the processor is designed to transmit the ascertained environmental data to the map server over the communications network via the communications interface.

15. The device as recited in claim 11 , wherein the processor is designed to check an already produced digital map of the parking lot to detect possible errors in the already produced digital map, and the processor is designed to report detected errors to the map server over the communications network via the communications interface.

16. A method comprising:
receiving, by a map server, via a communications network, and from a first vehicle, first data that includes an identification of a driving route along which the first vehicle drove within a parking lot and second data that includes characteristic data that identifies a characteristic of how the first vehicle is structured and/or a capability of the first vehicle;
generating, by the map server, a digital map of the parking lot based on the identified driving route and based on the identified characteristic and/or capability of the first vehicle; and
providing, by the map server, the digital map to a second vehicle, wherein the second vehicle is enabled to drive within the parking lot based on the digital map.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 , wherein the characteristic data classifies the first vehicle as one of a plurality of vehicle classifications, and the generating of the digital map includes drawing up one of a plurality of versions of the digital map that corresponds to the one of the plurality of vehicle classifications into which the first vehicle has been classified.

18. The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the characteristic data includes an identification of a wheel base of the first vehicle.

19. The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the characteristic data identifies the capability of the first vehicle.

20. The method as recited in claim 19 , wherein the capability is indicated as an identification of a maximum steering angle that is implementable by the first vehicle.

21. A map server comprising:
a processor; and
a communications interface;
wherein the processor is designed to:
receive, over a communications network, from a first vehicle, and via the communications interface, first data that includes an identification of a driving route along which a first vehicle drove within a parking lot and second data that includes characteristic data that identifies a characteristic of how the first vehicle is structured and/or a capability of the first vehicle;
generate a digital map of the parking lot based on the identified driving route and based on the identified characteristic and/or capability of the first vehicle; and
provide the digital map to a second vehicle, wherein the second vehicle is enabled to drive within the parking lot based on the digital map.

22. A vehicle comprising the device for the first vehicle of claim 11 .

23. A non-transitory computer-readab

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Maier Manuel
• Nordbruch Stefan

Classifications

• G01C21/3837 Primary

  Data obtained from a single source · CPC title

• G08G1/04

  using optical or ultrasonic detectors · CPC title

• B60W40/06

  Road conditions · CPC title

• G08G1/015

  with provision for distinguishing between two or more types of vehicles, e.g. between motor-cars and cycles · CPC title

• G08G1/0141

  for traffic information dissemination · CPC title