Data mining in a digital map database to identify intersections located at hill bottoms and enabling precautionary actions in a vehicle

摘要

Disclosed is a feature for a vehicle that enables taking precautionary actions in response to conditions on the road network around or ahead of the vehicle, in particular, an intersection located at the bottom of a hill. A database that represents the road network is used to determine locations where an intersection of roads is located at the bottom of a hill and then, precautionary action data is added to the database to indicate such locations. A precautionary action system installed in a vehicle uses this database, or a database derived therefrom, in combination with a positioning system to take a precautionary action as the vehicle approaches such a location.

主权项

1. A warning system adapted to provide a precautionary action in a vehicle for a hazardous combination of conditions before a vehicle operator or a vehicle sensor detects a condition of the hazardous combination of conditions, the system comprising:
a positioning system that determines a current location relative to the data representing a geographic region; and a precautionary action application stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium coupled with the positioning system and a database and responsive to the positioning system and the database, the database being adapted to contain data representing a geographic region in which the warning system is being operated, wherein the data includes data that represents a road network located in the geographic region and precautionary action data associated with those locations in the geographic region where the hazardous combination of conditions has been determined to exist, wherein the hazardous combination of conditions comprises an intersection of roads located at a bottom of a hill the precautionary action application being operative to provide a precautionary action when the positioning system determines that the current location is approaching or at a location associated with precautionary action data.