Selective road information harvesting based on data quality

Abstract

A navigation system for a vehicle is provided. The system includes at least one processor programmed to: receive from an image capture device one or more images representative of an environment of the vehicle; analyze the one or more images to determine navigational information related to the vehicle; determine based on analysis of at least one of: the one or more images, an output of one or more sensors, or the determined navigational information, whether a fault condition exists relative to the determined navigational information; transmit the navigational information from the vehicle to a server if a fault condition is determined not to exist; and forego transmission of the navigational information from the vehicle to a server if a fault condition is determined to exist.

Description

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 671,779, filed on May 15, 2018; U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 771,335, filed on Nov. 26, 2018; U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 797,639, filed on Jan. 28, 2019; U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 800,845, filed on Feb. 4, 2019; and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 805,646, filed on Feb. 14, 2019. All of the foregoing applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.BACKGROUNDTechnical Field[0002]The present disclosure relates generally to autonomous vehicle navigation.Background Information[0003]As technology continues to advance, the goal of a fully autonomous vehicle that is capable of navigating on roadways is on the horizon. Autonomous vehicles may need to take into account a variety of factors and make appropriate decisions based on those factors to safely and accurately reach an intended destination. For example, a...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present patent provides systems and methods for autonomous vehicle navigation using cameras to detect and analyze the environment of the vehicle. The system can use the detected lane markings and road segments to create a navigational model for the vehicle, which can be updated and distributed to multiple vehicles. The system can also use the detected directional arrows on the road surface to determine the vehicle's position and navigate accordingly. Overall, the system provides a more accurate and efficient way to autonomously navigate through various road segments.

Problems solved by technology

Harnessing and interpreting vast volumes of information collected by an autonomous vehicle as the vehicle travels to its destination poses a multitude of design challenges.

The sheer quantity of data (e.g., captured image data, map data, GPS data, sensor data, etc.) that an autonomous vehicle may need to analyze, access, and / or store poses challenges that can in fact limit or even adversely affect autonomous navigation.

Furthermore, if an autonomous vehicle relies on traditional mapping technology to navigate, the sheer volume of data needed to store and update the map poses daunting challenges.

Images