Method and apparatus for determining map improvements based on detected accidents

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022172614-A1
Application number	US-202017110057-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 2, 2020
Priority date	Dec 2, 2020
Publication date	Jun 2, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

An approach is provided for determining map improvements based on detected accidents. The approach involves determining that a vehicle was involved in an accident. The approach also involves receiving a report indicating map data configured in the vehicle at a time of the accident. The approach further involves determining an association between the configured map data and the accident. The approach further involves performing one or more of the following operations: (1) transmitting the association and/or at least a portion of the configured map data to a database and/or a computing device; or (2) determining at least one map change to the configured map data based on the determined association, and transmitting the at least one map change to the vehicle, at least one other vehicle, the database, and/or the computing device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
determining, by one or more processors, that a vehicle was involved in an accident; receiving, by the one or more processors, a report indicating map data configured in the vehicle at a time of the accident; determining, by the one or more processors, an association between the configured map data and the accident; and performing, by the one or more processors, one or more of the following operations: (i) transmitting the association, at least a portion of the configured map data, or a combination thereof to a database, a computing device, or a combination thereof; or (ii) determining at least one map change to the configured map data based on the determined association, and transmitting the at least one map change to the vehicle, at least one other vehicle, the database, the computing device, or a combination thereof.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one map change is determined based on the at least one map change reducing a probability of an occurrence of a subsequent accident.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving sensor data from the vehicle, the at least one other vehicle, at least one infrastructure sensor, or a combination thereof; processing the sensor data to determine at least one sensed attribute of a road link, a map feature, or a combination thereof associated with a location of the accident; and comparing the at least one sensed attribute against at least one mapped attribute of the road link, the map feature, or a combination thereof to determine the at least one map change.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
determining that the at least one sensed attribute is missing from the configured map data based on the comparing, wherein the at least one map change includes adding the at least one sensed attribute.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a version number of the configured map data and a current version number of the database, wherein the at least one map change includes an update to the configured map data to the current version number.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving data indicating at least one disengagement of an autonomous driving mode of the vehicle, the at least one other vehicle, or a combination thereof, wherein the association between the configured map data and the accident is further based on the at least one disengagement of the autonomous driving mode.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the data further indicates that the at least one disengagement of the autonomous driving mode was requested by an autonomous system of the vehicle, the least one other vehicle, or a combination thereof but the at least one disengagement was unsuccessful.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one map change includes a change to one or more map layers, one or more stored map features, or a combination thereof of the database.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the association between the configured map data and the accident is based on a statistical analysis of the accident, historical accident data, or a combination thereof.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the report further specifies one or more characteristics of the accident, and wherein the association between the configured map data and the accident, the at least one map change, or a combination thereof is further based on the one or more characteristics.

11 . An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,
determine that a vehicle was involved in an accident;
receive a report indicating map data configured in the vehicle at a time of the accident;
determine an association between the configured map data and the accident; and
perform one or more of the following operations:
(i) transmitting the association, at least a portion of the configured map data, or a combination thereof to a database, a computing device, or a combination thereof; or
(ii) determining at least one map change to the configured map data based on the determined association, and transmitting the at least one map change to the vehicle, at least one other vehicle, the database, the computing device, or a combination thereof.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one map change is determined based on the at least one map change reducing a probability of an occurrence of a subsequent accident.

13 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
receive sensor data from the vehicle, the at least one other vehicle, at least one infrastructure sensor, or a combination thereof; process the sensor data to determine at least one sensed attribute of a road link, a map feature, or a combination thereof associated with a location of the accident; and compare the at least one sensed attribute against at least one mapped attribute of the road link, the map feature, or a combination thereof to determine the at least one map change.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
determine that the at least one sensed attribute is missing from the configured map data based on the comparing, wherein the at least one map change includes adding the at least one sensed attribute.

15 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
determine a version number of the configured map data and a current version number of the database, wherein the at least one map change includes an update to the configured map data to the current version number.

16 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
receive data indicating at least one disengagement of an autonomous driving mode of the vehicle, the at least one other vehicle, or a combination thereof, wherein the association between the configured map data and the accident is further based on the at least one disengagement of the autonomous driving mode.

17 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the data further indicates that the at least one disengagement of the autonomous driving mode was requested by an autonomous system of the vehicle, the least one other vehicle, or a combination thereof but the at least one disengagement was unsuccessful.

18 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to perform:
determining that a vehicle was involved in an accident; receiving a report indicating map data configured in the vehicle at a time of the accident; determining an association between the configured map data and the accident; and performing one or more of the following operations: (i) transmitting the association, at least a portion of the configured map data, or a combination thereof to a database, a computing device, or a combination thereof; or (ii) determining at least one map change to the configured map data based on the determined association, and transmitting the at least one map change to the vehicle, at least one other vehicle, the database, the computing device, or a combination thereof.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the at least one map change is determined based on the at least on

Assignees

• Here Global Bv

Inventors

• Beaurepaire Jerome
• Stenneth Leon
• Young Jeremy Michael

Classifications

• G01C21/3811

  Point data, e.g. Point of Interest [POI] · CPC title

• G08G1/0112

  from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD] · CPC title

• G08G1/0133

  for classifying traffic situation · CPC title

• G08G1/205 Primary

  Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental · CPC title

• G08G1/056

  with provision for distinguishing direction of travel · CPC title