Here Global B.v.

Navteq North America, LLC

Michael Tsengouras

William McDonough

Michael Weiland

Paul Ford

David Shuman

Gregory Nyczak

A method is disclosed for representing road lanes as data in a database that can be used by a system in a vehicle to provide a safety-related function. Each data representation of a physical road lane includes data indicating start and end points of the represented lane and other data attributes pertaining to the represented lane, including data indicating what physical features are adjacent to the represented lane on right and left sides thereof and data indicating a geometry of the represented lane. The database is compatible with navigation-related applications that use a different data model to provide navigation-related functions.

Method of representing road lanes

A method is disclosed for representing road lanes as data in a database that can be used by a system in a vehicle to provide a safety-related function. Each data representation of a physical road lane includes data indicating start and end points of the represented lane and other data attributes pertaining to the represented lane, including data indicating what physical features are adjacent to the represented lane on right and left sides thereof and data indicating a geometry of the represented lane. Further, at least some of the data representations of lanes are associated with data representations of sublanes. Each data representation of a sublane includes data indicating start and end points thereof, defined relative to the lane of which the sublane is a part. A data representation of a sublane includes at least one data attribute associated therewith that pertains to the represented sublane and that is different than the same attribute of the lane of which the sublane is a part. The database is compatible with navigation-related applications that use a different data model to provide navigation-related functions.

A method is disclosed for representing road intersections as data. A database includes intersection object data entities that represent physical road intersections. Each intersection object data entity includes a maneuver list that identifies each permissible transversal of the intersection from each lane by which the represented intersection can be entered to each lane from which the intersection can be exited from the associated lane by which the intersection can be entered. Each transversal in the maneuver list indicates an entry lane, an exit lane, the geometry of a vehicle path connecting the entry and exit lanes, and an indication of a level of confidence associated with the specified geometry. The database can be used by a system in a vehicle to provide a safety-related function. The database is compatible with navigation-related applications that use a different data model to provide navigation-related functions.

Method and apparatus for representing road intersections

A method and system for representing traffic control signals in a road network database is provided. The database may include lane-level modeling, intersection modeling, and traffic signal modeling of a road network. An individual traffic signal is represented in the database with data indicating the traffic signal's geographic location and other attributes of the traffic signal such as an arrangement of lenses in the signal, an indication as to whether the signal is vertically or horizontally oriented, a height of the traffic signal over the roadway, and others. The database can be used by a system in a vehicle that provides convenience features to the vehicle's driver. The system may attempt to warn or control a vehicle that is determined to be at imminent risk of violating a traffic signal.

Growing community of inventors

Lake Villa, IL, United States of America

Michael Tsengouras