Method of representing road lanes

Abstract

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.

1 . A method for representing lanes with a road database comprising: 
 storing in the road database data representations of physical road lanes; and    associating with each data representation of a physical road lane 
 data indicating start and end points of the represented physical road lane; and  
 data indicating what physical features are adjacent to the represented physical road lane on a right side and a left side thereof.  
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the data indicating what physical features are adjacent to the represented physical road lane indicate another physical road lane, which can be entered by a lane change.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the data indicating what physical features are adjacent to the represented physical road lane indicate another physical road lane but which cannot be entered.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the data indicating what physical features are adjacent to the represented physical road lane indicate a physical road lane is in the process of forming.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the data indicating what physical features are adjacent to the represented physical road lane indicate a physical road lane is in the process of ending.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the data indicating what physical features are adjacent to the represented physical road lane indicate a shoulder.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the data indicating what physical features are adjacent to the represented physical road lane indicate another drivable surface.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the data indicating what physical features are adjacent to the represented physical road lane indicate no drivable surface.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 associating with at least some data representations of physical road lanes data indicating a sublane of the represented physical road lane,    wherein the data indicating a sublane include data indicating start and end points of the represented sublane, wherein the data indicating start and end points of the represented sublane are defined relative to an end of the physical road lane of which the sublane is a part.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 associating with some data representations of a physical road lane data indicating multiple sublanes of the represented physical road lane,    wherein each of the multiple sublanes is represented by data indicating start and end points of the respective associated represented sublane, wherein the data indicating start and end points of the represented sublane are defined relative to an end of the respective associated physical road lane of which the sublane is a part.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein at least some of the sublanes associated with some physical road lanes overlap.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 associating with each data representation of a physical road lane data indicating a geometry of the represented physical road lane.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the geometry of a represented physical road lane includes a clothoid.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the geometry of a represented physical road lane includes a spline.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein each data representation of a physical road lane further comprises: 
 a reference to at least one data entity used for navigation-related purposes that represents the road segment of which the physical road lane is a part.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the data representations of physical road lanes represent lanes that are less than full width.  
     
     
         17 . A method for representing lanes with a road database comprising: 
 storing in the road database data representations of physical road lanes;    associating with each data representation of a physical road lane data indicating start and end points of the represented physical road lane; and    associating with at least some data representations of physical road lanes data indicating a sublane of the represented physical road lane,    wherein the data indicating a sublane include data indicating start and end points of the represented sublane, wherein the data indicating start and end points of the represented sublane are defined relative to an end of the physical road lane of which the sublane is a part.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the data indicating a sublane include attributes that take precedence over the same attributes of the represented physical road lane of which the sublane is a part.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein some of the data representations of physical road lanes have multiple data representations of sublanes associated with a single physical road lane.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein some of the multiple sublanes associated with a single physical road lane overlap.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the data representations of physical road lanes represent lanes that are less than full width.  
     
     
         22 . A database that models roads comprising: 
 data representations of physical road lanes, wherein each data representation of a physical road lane includes    data indicating start and end points of the represented physical road lane; and    data indicating what physical features are adjacent to the represented physical road lane on a right side and a left side thereof.    
     
     
         23 . The database of  claim 22  further comprising: 
 data entities that represent roads for navigation-related purposes,    wherein the data representations of physical road lanes refer to those data entities that represent roads for navigation-related purposes that represent those roads of which the physical road lanes are a part.    
     
     
         24 . The database of  claim 22  wherein said data representations of physical road lanes are stored on a computer-readable medium.  
     
     
         25 . The database of  claim 22  wherein the data representations of physical road lanes represent lanes that are less than full width.  
     
     
         26 . A database that models roads comprising: 
 data representations of physical road lanes, wherein each data representation of a physical road lane includes    data indicating start and end points of the represented physical road lane; and    wherein at least some of the data representations of physical road lanes include data indicating a sublane of the represented physical road lane,    wherein the data indicating a sublane include data indicating start and end points of the represented sublane, wherein the data indicating start and end points of the represented sublane are defined relative to an end of the physical road lane of which the sublane is a part.    
     
     
         27 . The database of  claim 26  wherein said data representations of physical road lanes are stored on a computer-readable medium.  
     
     
         28 . The database of  claim 26  wherein the data representations of physical road lanes represent lanes that are less than full width.