Method, apparatus, and computer program for generating road network data for autonomous driving vehicle

1. A method of generating road network data for an autonomous driving vehicle, which is performed by a road network data generation system comprising a road network data generation apparatus, a user terminal device, and a server device, each of which includes a hardware processor and is connected with a network, the method comprising:

receiving, by the road network data generation apparatus, via the network, data comprising at least one of map image data and a road network data generating rule, from the server device;

generating, by the road network data generation apparatus, a road network data-generating user interface (UI) based on the data received from the server device;

providing, by the road network data generation apparatus, through the network, the road network data-generating UI, to the user terminal;

displaying, on the user terminal, the road network data-generating UI to receive a user input;

receiving, by the road network data generation apparatus, through the network, from the user terminal, the user input which is input through the road network data-generating UI;

generating, by the road network data generation apparatus, one or more roads by grouping a plurality of unit lanes according to the user input;

generating, by the road network data generation apparatus, connection information about the one or more roads;

determining whether a travel between a first road and a second road is allowed, which are adjacent to each other;

generating a graphical connection information indicator when the travel is allowed;

generating, by the road network data generation apparatus, the road network data including road graphs generated by graphing the one or more roads and reflecting the connection information on the graphed one or more roads,

wherein the road graphs include a first road graph corresponding to the first road and a second road graph corresponding to the second road, and the graphical connection information indicator positioned at a connection point of the first road and the second road; and

providing, by the road network data generation apparatus, through the network, the generated road network data, to the server device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating of the one or more roads includes:

analyzing image data including the plurality of unit lanes and identifying a lane boundary;

in response to the identified lane boundary being a lane boundary in a form of a dotted line, grouping the plurality of unit lanes such that a first unit lane and a second unit lane adjacent to each other based on the lane boundary in the form of a dotted line are included in the same road; and

in response to the identified lane boundary being a lane boundary in a form of a solid line, grouping the plurality of unit lanes such that a third unit lane and a fourth unit lane adjacent to each other based on the lane boundary in the form of a solid line are included in different roads.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating of the one or more roads includes:

when a vehicle is located in a first unit lane among the plurality of unit lanes and travels along a preset traveling route and when the vehicle changes lanes from the first unit lane to each of the plurality of unit lanes, determining whether a change occurs in the preset traveling route; and

grouping one or more of the unit lanes, in which a change in the preset traveling route does not occur among the plurality of unit lanes, and the first unit lane to be included in the same road and grouping one or more unit lanes, in which a change occurs in the preset traveling route, among the plurality of unit lanes, and the first unit lane to be included in different roads.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating of the one or more roads includes:

obtaining a map image for a predetermined area;

analyzing the map image and identifying one or more road edges indicating the road; and

separating the identified one or more edges from each other in a longitudinal direction and extracting two roads in which traveling directions of a vehicle are opposite to each other for each of the identified one or more edges.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating of the one or more roads includes grouping the plurality of unit lanes on the basis of attributes of the plurality of unit lanes,

wherein the grouping of the plurality of unit lanes includes, when a first unit lane among the plurality of unit lanes included in a first road is a bus-only lane during a period from a first time to a second time, allowing the first unit lane to be excluded from the first road during the period from the first time to the second time and allowing the first unit lane to be included in the first road during a period excluding the period from the first time to the second time.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating of the one or more roads includes:

determining whether a traveling direction of a vehicle in a first road is the same as a traveling direction of the vehicle in a second road connected to the first road, and when it is determined that the traveling directions of the vehicle are the same, grouping the first road and the second road as a first road group; and

determining whether the traveling direction of the vehicle in the second road is the same as a traveling direction of the vehicle in a third road connected to the second road, and when it is determined that the traveling direction of the vehicle are the same, allowing the third road to be included in the first road group.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating of the road network data includes generating road graphs including an L-axis in a longitudinal direction and an S-axis in a transverse direction for the one or more roads,

wherein the generating of the road graphs includes:

selecting a reference unit lane from among the plurality of unit lanes included in a first road and connecting a start point (S0) of the selected reference unit lane to an end point (Sf) of the reference unit lane with a straight line in a form of a solid line where L=L1; and

connecting a start point (S1) of a first unit lane adjacent to the reference unit lane to an end point (Sf) of the first unit lane with a straight line in a form of a solid line where L=L2, wherein, when a size of S coordinates of the start point (S1) of the first unit lane is greater than a size of S coordinates of the start point (S0) of the reference unit lane, displaying a section from S0 to S1 on the straight line where L=L2 with a straight line in a form of a dotted line.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating of the road network data includes:

obtaining information about areas in which a vehicle is allowed to actually travel with respect to the plurality of unit lanes included in the one or more roads; and

correcting the road graphs corresponding to the one or more roads on the basis of the information about the areas in which the vehicle is allowed to actually travel or displaying the information about the areas in which the vehicle is allowed to actually travel on the road graphs.

9. A device for generating road network data for an autonomous driving vehicle, the device comprising:

a memory configured to store one or more instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the memory,

wherein the processor executes the one or more instructions to perform:

receiving, via a network, data comprising at least one of map image data and a road network data generating rule, from a server device;

generating a road network data-generating user interface (UI) based on the data received from the server device;

providing, through the network, the road network data-generating UI, to a user terminal;

controlling the user terminal to display the road network data-generating UI configured to receive a user input;

receiving, through the network, from the user terminal, the user input which is input through the road network data-generating UI;

generating one or more roads by grouping a plurality of unit lanes according to the user input;

generating connection information about the one or more roads;

determining whether a travel between a first road and a second road is allowed, which are adjacent to each other;

generating a graphical connection information indicator when the travel is allowed;

generating the road network data including road graphs generated by graphing the one or more roads and reflecting the connection information on the graphed one or more roads,

wherein the road graphs include a first road graph corresponding to the first road and a second road graph corresponding to the second road, and the graphical connection information indicator positioned at a connection point of the first road and the second road; and

providing through the network, the generated road network data, to the server device.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program for generating road network data for an autonomous driving vehicle, and configured to be coupled to a road network data generation system comprising a road network data generation apparatus, a user terminal device, and a server device, each of which includes a hardware processor and is connected with a network, the program include instructions to execute a method comprising:

receiving, by the road network data generation apparatus, via the network, data comprising at least one of map image data and a road network data generating rule, from the server device;

generating, by the road network data generation apparatus, a road network data-generating user interface (UI) based on the data received from the server device;

providing, by the road network data generation apparatus, through the network, the road network data-generating UI, to the user terminal;

displaying, on the user terminal, the road network data-generating UI to receive a user input;

receiving, by the road network data generation apparatus, through the network, from the user terminal, the user input which is input through the road network data-generating UI;

generating, by the road network data generation apparatus, one or more roads by grouping a plurality of unit lanes according to the user input;

generating, by the road network data generation apparatus, connection information about the one or more roads;

determining whether a travel between a first road and a second road is allowed, which are adjacent to each other;

generating a graphical connection information indicator when the travel is allowed;

generating, by the road network data generation apparatus, the road network data including road graphs generated by graphing the one or more roads and reflecting the connection information on the graphed one or more roads,

wherein the road graphs include a first road graph corresponding to the first road and a second road graph corresponding to the second road, and the graphical connection information indicator positioned at a connection point of the first road and the second road; and

providing, by the road network data generation apparatus, through the network, the generated road network data, to the server device.