Methods and systems for generating route data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10768006-B2
Application number	US-201515318367-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 12, 2015
Priority date	Jun 13, 2014
Publication date	Sep 8, 2020
Grant date	Sep 8, 2020

Abstract

A device is provided to extract scan lines data from images of a route, said scan line data comprising only a portion of the an image that extends along a scan line, and to store this data in memory together with respective positional data pertaining to the position of the device traveling along the route in a navigable network. This scan line and positional data can be obtained from a plurality of devices in a network and transmitted to computing apparatus, for example, for use in a production of a realistic view of a digital map.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for generating route data, comprising:
receiving a position data feed pertaining to a position of an image capturing device travelling along a route in a navigable network;
receiving images of the route captured using the image capturing device as the image capturing device progresses along the route so as to obtain a view of the route;
extracting scan line data from said images, said scan line data for an image comprising a linear portion of the image of a predetermined width that extends along a scan line of a predetermined shape, the linear portion of the image including a fraction of the image, the fraction being of a small number of pixels in width relative to a number of pixels in an overall width of the image;
storing said scan line data in memory together with respective positional data for the scan line, wherein said positional data is based on the position data feed; and
providing said scan line data extracted from said images and said respective positional data to one or more remote devices, said scan line data configured to be processed by said one or more remote devices to generate a realistic view of said route, said processing comprising using said respective positional data for said scan line data and other respective positional data associated with other scan line data received from one or more other image capturing devices that traveled along said route to stitch said scan line data together with said other scan line data to generate said realistic view of said route, and augmenting, by said one or more remote devices, a map database by storing in said map database said realistic view of said route.

2. The method according to claim 1 , comprising monitoring the position of a vanishing point in the view of the route, and arranging the scan line at a predetermined position with respect to the vanishing point.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the image capturing device is positioned within a vehicle, and wherein the method comprises:
monitoring a hood line corresponding to the outline of a vehicle hood in the view of the route;
monitoring the position of a vanishing point in the view of the route; and
arranging the scan line at a predetermined position with respect to the hood line and the vanishing point, such that the scan line is between the vanishing point and the hood line and does not substantially intersect the hood line.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein monitoring a hood line comprises:
tracking one or more features shown in images of the route that move downwards between successive images of the route as the camera moves towards said features;
monitoring the lowest positions of said moving features shown in the field of view of the camera; and
determining a hood line based on said monitored lowest positions.

5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein said monitoring the position of a vanishing point comprises:
monitoring first and second bearings in the direction of travel at first and second positions respectively based on the position data feed;
calculating if the device was travelling in a substantially straight line between the first and second positions in accordance with said monitored first and second bearings;
monitoring two or more straight road lines in the view of the route in the direction of travel;
calculating the intersection position for said road lines; and,
if the device was calculated to be travelling in a substantially straight line between the first and second positions, outputting said intersection position as the vanishing point in the view of the route.

6. The method according to claim 2 , wherein said predetermined position of the scan line is dynamically determined.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said scan line, or at least a portion thereof, is one of: a rectangle; a substantially horizontal straight line that extends substantially across the field of view; an arc;
and an ellipse.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the images of the route are captured at a constant frame rate from a video feed obtained from the image capturing device.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said image capture is triggered in accordance with predetermined image capture distances along the route based on the position data feed.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein said predetermined image capture distances are equidistant.

11. The method according to claim 1 , comprising monitoring the velocity of the image capturing device in accordance with the position data feed and, if at said velocity the frame rate required to capture images of the route at said predetermined image capture distances exceeds a maximum frame rate of the camera, to obtain scan line data from one or more additional scan lines from said images, wherein the position of each additional scan line is determined so as to cover a view of the route at a predetermined image capture distance.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the respective positional data for the scan line data which is stored in memory accounts for the distal separation between the device itself, which is obtained from the position data feed, and the position of the route shown by the scan line.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said position data feed is obtained from a navigation satellite system receiver.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein providing said scan line data and said respective positional data to one or more remote devices comprises uploading said scan line data with respective positional data to one or more servers.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
said processing comprises extracting, by said one or more remote devices, from said scan line data alone or said realistic view of said route, features of said route; and
said augmenting comprises storing, by said one or more remote devices, information about the features of said route in said map database.

16. A device for generating route data, comprising at least one processor and a memory coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is arranged to:
receive a position data feed pertaining to a position of an image capturing device travelling along a route in a navigable network;
receive images of the route captured using the image capturing device as the image capturing device progresses along the route so as to obtain a view of the route;
extract scan line data from said images, said scan line data comprising a linear portion of the image of a predetermined width that extends along a scan line of a predetermined shape, the linear portion of the image including a fraction of the image, the fraction being of a small number of pixels in width relative to a number of pixels in an overall width of the image;
store said scan line data in the memory together with respective positional data for the scan line, wherein said positional data is based on the position data feed; and
provide said scan line data extracted from said images and said respective positional data to one or more remote devices, said scan line data configured to be processed by said one or more remote devices to generate a realistic view of said route, said processing comprising using said respective positional data for said scan line data and other respective positional data associated with other scan line data received from one or more other image capturing devices that traveled along said route to stitch said scan line data together with said other scan line data to generate said realistic view of said route, and

Assignees

• Tomtom Int Bv
• Tomtom Global Content Bv

Inventors

• Van Der Molen Henk
• Trum Jeroen
• Van Den Brand Jan Willem

Classifications

• G06V20/588

  Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road · CPC title

• G06V20/52

  Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects (recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69) · CPC title

• G01S19/01

  Satellite radio beacon positioning systems transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO · CPC title

• G01C21/3848 Primary

  Data obtained from both position sensors and additional sensors · CPC title

• G01C21/3676

  Overview of the route on the road map · CPC title