Method and apparatus to transition between levels using warp zones

摘要

An autonomous vehicle may access portions of a map to maneuver a roadway. The map may be split into one or more levels that represent different regions in space. For example, an overpass may be represented by one level while the road below the overpass may be on a separate level. A vehicle traveling on a particular level may use map data that is associated with that level. Furthermore, if the vehicle travels through a warp zone, it may transition from the current level to a destination level and thus begin to use map data associated with the destination level.

主权项

1. An apparatus comprising:
a processor in communication with a memory and configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to determine a current location of a vehicle; the memory storing instructions and roadgraph data including information about a roadway including a transition area for switching between a first map region and a second map region, and wherein the transition area is represented at a location corresponding to an exit ramp, the first map region includes a first side of a divided highway, the second map region includes a portion of roadway corresponding to a second side of the divided highway adjacent to the first side of the divided highway, the second portion is not included in the first map region, and the first portion is not included in the second map region; the processor configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory to: determine a current level of the vehicle; retrieve the first map region from the memory based on a current location of the vehicle; maneuver the vehicle using the first map region without reference to the second portion of the second map region; determine, using data received from a geographic position component, when the vehicle is within the transition area; and when the vehicle is determined to be within the transition area, retrieve the second map region from the memory; after retrieving the second map region, use the second map region and the portion of roadway to maneuver the vehicle.