Automatic detection of overhead obstructions

1. A method for detecting an obstruction, the method comprising:

receiving three-dimensional data for a road segment, wherein the three-dimensional data comprises point cloud data positioned above a ground plane of the road segment;

defining a plurality of cells based on the point cloud data, wherein each cell of the plurality of cells is associated with either an occupied status or a not-occupied status based on a concentration of the point cloud data;

creating a one-dimensional line segment for the road segment using the defined occupied and not-occupied statuses for each cell; and

identifying the obstruction when a series of consecutive cells of the plurality of cells is defined with the occupied status.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

storing the detected obstruction above the road segment in a map database.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obstruction is an overhead bridge or a tunnel ceiling.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying data points of the point cloud data positioned within a corridor positioned above a ground plane.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

projecting the identified data points onto a plane; and

detecting the obstruction based on a concentration of point cloud data positioned within the plurality of cells of the plane.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

removing collected data points of the point cloud data positioned outside of the corridor.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the corridor is a volume between a lower plane positioned parallel with the ground plane and an upper plane positioned parallel with both the ground plane and the lower plane.

8. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

comparing depth data of the identified data points within the corridor to identify a presence of a static structure or non-static structure,

wherein projecting the identified data points onto the plane is conducted only for identified static structures.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

matching the data points with location data within the plane.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein a number of the series of consecutive cells corresponds to at least a predetermined longitudinal distance.

11. An apparatus for detecting an obstruction over a road segment, the apparatus comprising:

a controller configured to receive three-dimensional data for a road segment, wherein the three-dimensional data comprises point cloud data positioned above a ground plane of the road segment, and generate a one-dimensional line segment for the road segment using an occupied status or not-occupied status for each cell of a plurality of cells based on a concentration of the point cloud data; and

a map database configured to store the obstruction determined based on a series of consecutive cells of the plurality of cells is defined with the occupied status.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to identify data points of the point cloud data positioned within a corridor positioned above a ground plane.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to project the identified data points onto a plane and detect the obstruction based on a concentration of point cloud data positioned within the plurality of cells of the plane.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to remove collected data points of the point cloud data positioned outside of the corridor.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the corridor is a volume between a lower plane positioned parallel with the ground plane and an upper plane positioned parallel with both the ground plane and the lower plane.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions that when executed by a processor are configured to:

receive three-dimensional data for a road segment, wherein the three-dimensional data comprises point cloud data positioned above a ground plane of the road segment;

define each cell of a plurality of cells with either an occupied status or a not-occupied status based on a concentration of the point cloud data;

create a one-dimensional line segment for the road segment using the defined occupied and not-occupied statuses for each cell; and

identify an obstruction when a series of consecutive cells of the plurality of cells is defined with the occupied status.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the instructions are further configured to:

store data for the identified obstruction above the road segment in a map database.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the instructions are further configured to:

identify data points of the point cloud data positioned within a corridor positioned above the ground plane.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the instructions are further configured to:

project the identified data points onto a plane; and

detect the obstruction based on a concentration of point cloud data positioned within the plurality of cells of the plane.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the instructions are further configured to:

remove collected data points of the point cloud data positioned outside of the corridor.