Vehicles, such as automobiles, ambulances, military trucks, and semi-tractors, are designed to operate on networks of roads with other vehicles. An increasing number of vehicles are being built with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). The ADAS in each of those vehicles can use digital map data to provide that vehicle with information about the road network on which the vehicle travels.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,405,128 describes methods and systems for providing an electronic horizon in an ADAS architecture. The electronic horizon may identify multiple paths leading from a vehicle's current position. Each path within the electronic horizon may include one or more intersections through which a driver may maneuver the vehicle. A respective probability may be assigned to each path identified for the electronic horizon. Those probabilities may be based on the most-likely maneuvers a driver may take at each intersection identified for the electronic horizon. Determining the most-likely maneuver and lower-probability maneuvers that a driver may take at each intersection of the electronic horizon may be based on a predetermined ranking of all possible maneuvers that may be made at that intersection, taking into account information regarding the road network, such as turn angles, road function classes, traffic signals, and speed limits or dynamic information, such as direction indicators and driving history.
Although U.S. Pat. No. 6,405,128 describes many useful features, there exists room for further improvements. The description that follows provides example embodiments of such improvements.
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