초록 ▼

Method and system for mapping terrain including one or more roads includes a vehicle equipped with at least one camera, a position determining system that determines its position and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) that provides at least one inertial property of the vehicle, all of which are in a

Method and system for mapping terrain including one or more roads includes a vehicle equipped with at least one camera, a position determining system that determines its position and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) that provides at least one inertial property of the vehicle, all of which are in a set configuration relative to one another. A processor at a remote location apart from the vehicle converts images from the camera(s) to a map including objects from the images by identifying common objects in multiple images and using the position information and the inertial measurement information from when the multiple images were obtained and knowledge of the set configuration of the camera(s), the position determining system and the IMU. The images, position information and inertial measurement information are transmitted to the processor by a communications unit on the vehicle.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method for mapping terrain including one or more immovable objects fixed in position alongside a road, comprising: in a plurality of vehicles, each of the vehicles having at least one camera and a position determining system that determines a position of the vehicle, the at least one camera and

1. A method for mapping terrain including one or more immovable objects fixed in position alongside a road, comprising: in a plurality of vehicles, each of the vehicles having at least one camera and a position determining system that determines a position of the vehicle, the at least one camera and the position determining system being in a set configuration relative to one another: obtaining images of the terrain using the at least one camera while the vehicle is at different positions, each of the images of the terrain including at least one of the immovable objects;obtaining position information using the position determining system while the at least one camera is obtaining the images of the terrain; andtransmitting from the vehicle to a processor at a remote location apart from the vehicle, the images of the terrain obtained using the at least one camera on the vehicle in association with the position information obtained using the position determining system when each of the images of the terrain was obtained;receiving the images of the terrain including the at least one immovable object and the associated position information about the images from each of the plurality of vehicles at the processor at the remote location;converting, using the processor at the remote location apart from the vehicles and information about the set configuration of the at least one camera and the position determining system relative to one another, the images and/or data derived from the images to map data including data about the immovable objects from the images of the terrain by identifying common objects among the immovable objects in multiple images and using the position information from when the multiple images were obtained to obtain the positions of the common immovable objects; andforming or updating a map, using the processor, to include the common immovable objects in their fixed positions based on the map data. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to convert the images obtained from each of the plurality of vehicles at different times to the map data. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the positioning system comprises a GPS receiver, the step of obtaining position information using the position determining system while the at least one camera is obtaining images comprising: obtaining position information from a positional reading by the GPS receiver when available; andderiving position information using an inertial measurement unit (IMU) on the vehicle when a positional reading by the GPS receiver is not available. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to convert the images to the map data that enables three-dimensional representation of the terrain. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one camera and the position determining system are housed in a data acquisition module, the method further comprising: determining, by a processor of the data acquisition module, a position of the data acquisition module from data obtained by the position determining system; andtransmitting the determined position of the data acquisition module to the processor at the remote location for use when converting the images and/or data derived from the images to the map data. 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving at a communications unit on the vehicle, position correction information, whereby the received position correction information is used by the processor in the data acquisition module to determine position of the data acquisition module. 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting from the vehicle, using a communications unit on the vehicle, the position information to the processor at the remote location apart from the vehicles for use when converting the images and/or data derived from the images to the map data. 8. The method of claim 7, further comprising correcting the position information at the processor at the remote location. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor is provided with a view angle of each of the at least one camera and converts the images to the map data in consideration of the view angle of each of the at least one camera. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising directing infrared illumination in an eye-safe portion of the infrared spectrum into an area being imaged in conjunction with the at least one camera such that the at least one camera obtains images of illuminated areas. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the position determining system comprises a GPS receiver and the processor is configured to convert the images to the map data using DGPS information. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one camera comprises a plurality of cameras. 13. The method of claim 1, further comprising: storing the images obtained using the at least one camera on the vehicle and the associated position information on the vehicle; andperiodically transmitting the images and/or data derived from the images and the associated position information to the remote location at which the processor converts the images and/or data derived from the images to the map data. 14. A computer-based system for mapping terrain including one or more immovable objects fixed in position alongside a road, comprising: a plurality of data acquisition modules each adapted to be arranged on a respective one of a plurality of vehicles, each of said data acquisition modules comprising at least one camera that obtains images of the terrain and a positioning system that determines a position of the vehicle on which said data acquisition module is arranged, each of the images of the terrain including at least one of the immovable objects, said at least one camera and said position determining system being in a set configuration relative to one another;a plurality of communications units each adapted to be arranged on a respective one of the plurality of vehicles, each of said communications units transmitting from the respective one of the plurality of vehicles the images of the terrain obtained using said at least one camera and/or data derived from the images of the terrain in association with the position information obtained using said positioning system when each of the images of the terrain was obtained; anda processor situated apart from the vehicles and that receives from said communications unit on each of the plurality of vehicles, images of the terrain including the at least one immovable object and/or data derived from the images of the terrain including the at least one immovable object and associated position information about the images,said processor being configured to convert, using information about the set configuration of said at least one camera and said position determining system relative to one another, the images and/or data derived from the images to map data including data about the immovable objects from the images of terrain by identifying common objects among the immovable objects in multiple images and using the position information from when the multiple images were obtained to obtain the positions of the common immovable objects; andsaid processor being further configured to form or update a map to include the common immovable objects in their fixed positions based on the map data. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein said positioning system comprises a GPS receiver and an inertial measurement unit that determines a position of the vehicle on which said data acquisition module is arranged between readings obtained by said GPS receiver. 16. The system of claim 14, wherein said processor is configured to convert the images to the map data that enables three-dimensional representation of the terrain. 17. The system of claim 14, wherein said processor is provided with a view angle of each of said cameras and converts the images to the map data in consideration of the view angle of each of said cameras. 18. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to combine the position information from multiple vehicles obtained at approximately the same location but at different times to improve the position accuracy estimation of the common immovable objects in the images obtained by the different vehicles. 19. The system of claim 14, further comprising a system adapted to be arranged on each of the plurality of vehicles that directs beams or waves toward immovable objects in the images of the terrain obtained by said at least one camera to enable a distance from said system to each of the immovable objects to be determined, the distance being provided to said processor and used by said processor when forming or updating the map. 20. The system of claim 14, further comprising an illuminating system for illuminating the terrain with infrared illumination in an eye-safe portion of the infrared spectrum in conjunction with said at least one camera such that said at least one camera obtains images of illuminated terrain. 21. The system of claim 14, wherein said positioning system comprises a GPS receiver such that the position information is GPS information and said processor is further configured to improve accuracy of the position information abeut of the vehicles using DGPS corrections. 22. The system of claim 14, wherein the location of each common immovable object is determined from an image sequence obtained from one of the vehicles by using triangulation and comparing displacement of the common immovable object between two images and known motion of the vehicle between the times when the two images were obtained. 23. The system of claim 14, wherein said data acquisition module adapted to be arranged on at least one of the vehicles comprises a plurality of cameras. 24. The system of claim 14, wherein the images obtained by said at least one camera of said data acquisition module adapted to be arranged on at least one of the vehicles while the at least one of the vehicles is at different positions, or data derived from the images, and the position information about the at least one of the vehicles when each image was obtained are transmitted from the at least one of the vehicles to the remote location at which said processor is situated. 25. The system of claim 14, wherein the images obtained by said at least one camera of said data acquisition module adapted to be arranged on at least one of the vehicles while the at least one of the vehicles is at different positions, or data derived from the images, and the position information about the at least one of the vehicles when each image was obtained are stored on the at least one of the vehicles and are periodically transmitted from storage to the remote location at which said processor is situated. 26. The system of claim 14, wherein said at least one camera and said positioning system are housed in said data acquisition module adapted to be arranged on at least one of the vehicles, said data acquisition module further comprising a processor that determines position of said data acquisition module from data from said positioning system, said communications unit transmitting the determined position of said data acquisition module to said processor at the remote location for use when converting the images and/or data derived from the images to the map data. 27. The system of claim 26, wherein said communications unit is configured to receive position correction information, said processor in said data acquisition module adapted to be arranged on at least one of the vehicles being configured to use the received position correction information to determine position of said data acquisition module. 28. The system of claim 14, wherein said processor at the remote location is configured to correct the position information received from each of the plurality of vehicles. 29. The method of claim 3, wherein the inertial measurement unit is configured to measure acceleration in three directions and angular motion in three directions. 30. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of converting the images and/or data derived from the images to the map data including data about the immovable objects from the images of the terrain comprises identifying a first immovable object in a first image obtained by a first one of the vehicles and the first immovable object in a second image obtained by a second one of the vehicles and using the position information from when the first and second images were obtained to obtain the position of the first immovable object. 31. The system of claim 14, wherein said processor is further configured to convert the images and/or data derived from the images to the map data including data about the immovable objects from the images of terrain by identifying a first immovable object in a first image obtained by a first one of the vehicles and the first immovable object in a second image obtained by a second one of the vehicles and using the position information from when the first and second images were obtained to obtain the position of the first immovable object.