TRAJECTORY AND TRAFFIC SIGN DATABASE SYSTEM
Systems and methods are provided for classifying one or more images of video data captured by a camera in a vehicle. The classification involves a detection of a traffic control device, such as a U-Turn sign, in image data. The classification further involves querying a database with a location of the vehicle from which the traffic control device was observed. In some embodiments, the database contains entries for various types of traffic control devices from a family of traffic control devices, where each type of traffic control device in the family has a similar visual appearance. The database query may therefore help disambiguate the visually perceived traffic control device at a particular location. Embodiments may be incorporated into navigation or driver safety systems.
1 . A method, comprising:
detecting, by at least one processor of a computing device, a traffic control device in an image, wherein the image was captured by a camera, and wherein the camera is mounted on or in a vehicle;
determining, by the at least one processor, a first location of the vehicle;
querying, by the at least one processor, a database to produce a query result, wherein the query is based on the location of the vehicle, wherein the database comprises false positive database entries, and wherein each false positive database entry is a database entry comprising an indication of a traffic control device that is similar in visual appearance to a type of traffic control device but which is not the type of traffic control device; and
determining, by the at least one processor, that the traffic control device does not apply to the vehicle based on the query result indicating a false positive database entry.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each entry of the database comprises an indication of a type of traffic control device and a location; and wherein each indicated type of traffic control device in the database is a member of a family of traffic control devices.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the family of traffic control devices comprises a plurality of types of traffic control devices that have a similar visual appearance.
4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the family of traffic control devices comprises traffic signs that indicate whether a U-Turn is permissible or impermissible.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the query result comprises a data field indicating a condition, and wherein the method further comprises determining, by the at least one processor, whether the condition is satisfied by the vehicle at the first location.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the condition specifies a time window, and wherein determining whether the condition is satisfied is based on the time at which the image was captured by the camera.
7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the condition specifies a type of vehicle, and wherein determining whether the condition is satisfied is based on a class of vehicle to which the vehicle belongs.
8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating, by the at least one processor, an alert to indicate that a U-Turn is or is not permissible at the first location.
9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the at least one processor, that the vehicle performed a U-Turn at the first location.
10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising
generating, by the at least one processor, an alert to indicate to a driver of the vehicle, wherein the alert indicates that the U-Turn that was performed was not permissible.
11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the at least one processor, a first road segment based on the first location; and wherein the query is based on the first road segment.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein an entry of the database comprises a first road segment identifier corresponding to the first road segment, a second road segment identifier corresponding to a second road segment, and an indication as to whether a visible U-Turn sign at the location is applicable to a path of travel from the first road segment to the second road segment.
13 . (canceled)
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first road segment is determined based on a distance travelled by the vehicle after the image containing the traffic control device was captured.
15 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
selecting, by the at least one processor, the database from a set of databases based on at least one of the location and the type of traffic control device.
16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the traffic control device corresponds to a U-Turn sign and wherein the method further comprises:
detecting, by the at least one processor, that the vehicle performed a U-Turn, the U-Turn starting from a first road segment, the first road segment corresponding to the first location;
determining, by the at least one processor, a second location of the vehicle, the second location corresponding to a second road segment on which the U-Turn ended, wherein the first road segment has a first road segment identifier and the second road segment has a second road segment identifier.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein querying the database comprises:
querying the database to identify an entry that has a first data field including the first road segment identifier and a second data field including the second road segment identifier.
18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
determining, by the at least one processor and based on a value of a third data field in the identified entry, whether the U-Turn is permissible or not permissible to a path of travel from the first road segment to the second road segment, the third data field indicating applicability of the U-Turn sign to the path of travel from the first road segment to the second road segment.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein determining whether the U-Turn is permissible or not permissible is further based on a fourth data field, the fourth data field indicating a condition related to the applicability of the U-Turn sign.
20 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions being executable by one or more processors of a computing device configured to:
detect a traffic control device in an image, wherein the image was captured by a camera, and wherein the camera is mounted on or in a vehicle;
determine a first location of the vehicle;
query a database to produce a query result, wherein the query is based on the location of the vehicle, wherein the database comprises false positive database entries, and wherein each false positive database entry is a database entry comprising an indication of a traffic control device that is similar in visual appearance to a type of traffic control device but which is not the type of traffic control device; and
determine that the traffic control device does not apply to the vehicle based on the query result indicating a false positive database entry.