Systems, methods, and software are disclosed herein for enhancing entity classification operations for digital maps. In an implementation, an entity classification system associates tiles in a grid overlaying a map with discrete positioning records produced by devices operating in areas represented in the map. For each tile in an area of interest in the grid, the system produces a scalar description based on a subset of the discrete positioning records associated with the tile. The system then performs a binary classification of each tile as a type of entity (e.g. a road, business, or residence) based on the scalar description of the tile and the scalar descriptions of other tiles in the area of interest.

Systems, methods, and software are disclosed herein for enhancing entity classification operations for digital maps. In an implementation, an entity classification system associates tiles in a grid overlaying a map with discrete positioning records produced by devices operating in areas represented in the map. For each tile in an area of interest in the grid, the system produces a scalar description based on a subset of the discrete positioning records associated with the tile. The system then performs a binary classification of each tile as a type of entity (e.g. a road, business, or residence) based on the scalar description of the tile and the scalar descriptions of other tiles in the area of interest.

A relative atlas graph is generated to store mapping data used by an autonomous vehicle. The relative atlas graph may be generated for a geographical area based on observations collected from the geographical area, and may include element nodes corresponding to elements detected from the observations along with edges that connect pairs of element nodes and define relative poses between the elements for connected pairs of element nodes.

At least one subsystem among the plurality of subsystems includes a managing section operable to manage individual route information for routes in a management target region of the at least one subsystem among the plurality of regions and adjacent route information for routes positioned in a partial range from a boundary of the management target region among routes in an adjacent region that is adjacent to the management target region, and an identifying section operable to identify the route on which the moving object is positioned based on the observation position, by using the individual route information and the adjacent route information managed by the at least one subsystem. Also provided is a method and computer program product.

A relative atlas may be used to lay out elements in a digital map used in the control of an autonomous vehicle. A vehicle pose for the autonomous vehicle within a geographical area may be determined, and the relative atlas may be accessed to identify elements in the geographical area and to determine relative poses between those elements. The elements may then be laid out within the digital map using the determined relative poses, e.g., for use in planning vehicle trajectories, for estimating the states of traffic controls, or for tracking and/or identifying dynamic objects, among other purposes.

A relative atlas graph maintains mapping data used by an autonomous vehicle. The relative atlas graph may be generated for a geographical area based on observations collected from the geographical area, and may include element nodes corresponding to elements detected from the observations along with edges that connect pairs of element nodes and define relative poses between the elements for connected pairs of element nodes, as well as relations that connect multiple element nodes to define logical relationships therebetween.

An apparatus is onboard a vehicle and in communication with sensors onboard the vehicle. The apparatus receives a maplet request identifying a request region; and, responsive to determining that the vehicle is within the request region, processes sensor data captured by sensors to generate a multi-sensor data stream corresponding to a road network segment. The apparatus identifies an observation corresponding to a road marking within the multi-sensor data stream; and generates a maplet based on the observation and the maplet request. Generating the maplet comprises using a predetermined data model and a predetermined data format corresponding to a road marking observation class to encode road data corresponding to the observation corresponding to the road marking. The apparatus provides the maplet such that a network apparatus receives the maplet. The network apparatus is configured to validate/update map data of a digital map representing the road network based on the maplet.

An electronic route navigation method is used in navigating an autonomous vehicle in a road network. In an implementation of the method a map is stored on at least one computer, and is sectioned into quads by a processor. The smallest size quads are grouped as base level quads. Extended area quads are defined to contain the area of a plurality of base level quads. Thereafter, a route along a road is calculated from a start point to a destination point. Further extended area quads on the map that do not contain the start point or the destination point are used for cross routing. In said cross routing only the road routes crossing the extended area quad leading from the start point to destination point are calculated.

System and techniques for enhanced electronic navigation maps for a vehicle are described herein. A set of map tiles may be received at a vehicle component from a remote entity. Sensor derived data that has a locality corresponding to a map tile in the set of map tiles may be obtained. A field-programmable gate array of the vehicle may then be invoked to combine the sensor derived data and the map tile to create a modified map tile. The modified map tile may be communicated to a control system of the vehicle.

A system accesses a three-dimensional map of a geographic region and generates a two-dimensional projection of the road based on the three-dimensional map. The two-dimensional projection comprises a plurality of points along the road and each point is assigned a score measuring a navigability of the point. Based on the navigability score of each point and history of vehicle positions on the road, the system identifies a plurality of navigable points on the two-dimensional projection of the road. Based on the plurality of navigable points, the system determines a navigable surface corresponding to a physical area over which a vehicle may safely navigate and navigable surface boundaries surrounding that area. The navigable surface area and boundaries on the two-dimensional projection are converted into a three-dimensional representation, which the system uses to generate an updated three-dimensional map of the geographic region.