A method for generating map data for a navigation device of a motor vehicle, computer program product, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium,

Abstract

A method of generating map data 24 for a navigation device 12 of a motor vehicle 10, the method comprising receiving surroundings information 18 from at least one sensor device 16 of the motor vehicle

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of automobiles. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for generating map data for a navigation device of a motor vehicle by an electronic computing device of the motor vehicle according to the pending claim 1. Furthermore, the invention relates to a corresponding computer program product, a corresponding non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, as well as to a corresponding electronic computing device. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

[0002] Modern digital maps for automatic driving assistance systems are mostly based on fleet data. The data is preprocessed / filtered in individual vehicles and then pushed via OTA (over the air) to a back-end / cloud system, which is used to generate and update map content. Once the map is updated, the new map is pushed to the motor vehicles via OTA update again. GNSS data, vehicle dynamics, camera images, radar data, ultrasonic and lidar data is commonly used for the upload data stream. The advantages are that the updated map can be shared with the entire fleet and the compute of the maps happens in the cloud, where much more computing resources, storage and furthermore is available than compared to the motor vehicle architecture.

[0003] However, this approach assumes that a back-end / cloud solution is established, there is a reliable connection with enough band width between vehicles and back-end, and it is legally allowed to upstream individual vehicle data to a back-end system.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide an in-vehicle map solution (without communication with) the back-end. In some regions of the world, it is, for example, not allowed to upstream individual vehicle data to a back-end system, so an in-vehicle map solution is needed. Furthermore, a stable connection to the back-end (if one exists) is also not always guaranteed, for example in regions with low LTE reception (which are called cellular dead zones). This may result in losing important data information for these regions and it would not be possible to update maps in these areas efficiently.

[0005] According to the state of the art, data generation assumes that a connection to the back-end is available, so data can be transmitted to the cloud service. Based on prioritization and strengths of LTE signals, preprocessed data from different sensors needs to be buffered, which happens in allocated memory or is stored on local hard drives. This buffering guarantees that no data packages get lost. Even so, the raw sensor data is processed it can be assumed that the processed sensor data is relatively large compared to storage available in the series production vehicle. But, for example, if no signal is available, the buffer may be running full because data cannot be transitioned to the back-end. The buffer reaches the maximum and is full. Dependent on memory management strategy, old data may be deleted from the buffer or new data may not be reached to the buffer anymore. This may lead to data gaps used for map generation. Once the signal is available again, data can be transferred to the back-end again. However, the lost data when the signal was off cannot be recovered and cannot be used for map generation. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] It is an object of the invention to provide a method, a corresponding computer program product, a corresponding non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, as well as an electronic computing device, by which the disadvantages of the state of the art can be overcome. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method, a corresponding computer program product, a corresponding non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, as well as a corresponding electronic computing device, by which map data can be generated in an improved manner.

[0007] This object is solved by a method, a corresponding computer program product, a corresponding non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, as well as an electronic computing device according to the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are presented in the dependent claims.

[0008] One aspect of the invention relates to a method for generating map data for a navigation device of a motor vehicle by an electronic computing device of the motor vehicle. Surroundings information from at least one sensor device of the motor vehicle are received by the electronic computing device. The surroundings information are preprocessed for map generation by the electronic computing device, and the preprocessed data is stored as map data in a storage device of the electronic computing device.

[0009] Therefore, enough storage capacity is available, since the processed data is used for in-vehicle mapping and only map data get pushed to the storage device. Generated map data is relatively small compared to the data processed by the sensor device. Based on the data reduction it is more unlikely that the storage device runs full and, therefore, it is more unlike that the data get lost.

[0010] According to an embodiment the preprocessed map data is transmitted to an external electronic computing device.

[0011] In another embodiment, a current map of the navigation device is updated with the map data internal of the motor vehicle.

[0012] In another embodiment, depending on a current degree of utilization of the storage device a decision for storing the preprocessed map data is made.

[0013] In another embodiment, the electronic computing device comprises at least three electronic computing units, and wherein a first computing unit is provided as a master unit for distributing calculation tasks for the preprocessing step to the at least two slave electronic computing units.

[0014] In another embodiment, depending on a current availability of computing resources of the slave electronic computing units the master unit distributes the calculation tasks.

[0015] In particular, the method is a computer-implemented method. Therefore, another aspect of the invention relates to a computer program product comprising program code means for performing a method according to the preceding aspect.

[0016] A still further aspect of the invention relates to a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising at least the computer program product according to the preceding aspect.

[0017] Furthermore, the present invention relates to an electronic computing device for generating map data for a navigation device of a motor vehicle, comprising at least one storage device, wherein the electronic computing device is configured for performing a method according to the preceding aspect. In particular, the method is performed by the electronic computing device.

[0018] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a navigation device of the motor vehicle comprising at least the electronic computing device.

[0019] A still further aspect of the invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising at least the navigation device according to the preceding aspect.

[0020] Advantageous embodiments of the method are to be regarded as advantageous embodiments of the computer program product, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the electronic computing device, the navigation device, as well as the motor vehicle. The electronic computing device, the navigation device, as well as the motor vehicle therefore comprise means for performing the method.

[0001] A computing unit / electronic computing device may in particular be understood as a data processing device, which comprises processing circuitry. The computing unit can therefore in particular process data to perform computing operations. This may also include operations to perform indexed accesses to a data structure, for example a look-up table, LUT.

[0002] In particular, the computing unit may include one or more computers, one or more microcontrollers, and / or one or more integrated circuits, for example, one or more application-specific integrated circuits, ASIC, one or more field-programmable gate arrays, FPGA, and / or one or more systems on a chip, SoC. The computing unit may also include one or more processors, for example one or more microprocessors, one or more central processing units, CPU, one or more graphics processing units, GPU, and / or one or more signal processors, in particular one or more digital signal processors, DSP. The computing unit may also include a physical or a virtual cluster of computers or other of said units.

[0003] In various embodiments, the computing unit includes one or more hardware and / or software interfaces and / or one or more memory units.

[0004] A memory unit may be implemented as a volatile data memory, for example a dynamic random access memory, DRAM, or a static random access memory, SRAM, or as a non-volatile data memory, for example a read-only memory, ROM, a programmable read-only memory, PROM, an erasable programmable read-only memory, EPROM, an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, EEPROM, a flash memory or flash EEPROM, a ferroelectric random access memory, FRAM, a magnetoresistive random access memory, MRAM, or a phase-change random access memory, PCRAM.

[0021] Further advantages, features, and details of the invention derive from the following description of preferred embodiments as well as from the drawings. The features and feature combinations previously mentioned in the description as well as the features and feature combinations mentioned in the following description of the figures and / or shown in the figures alone can be employed not only in the respectively indicated combination but also in any other combination or taken alone without leaving the scope of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The novel features and characteristic of the disclosure are set forth in the appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments and together with the description, serve to explain the disclosed principles. The same numbers are used throughout the figures to reference like features and components. Some embodiments of system and / or methods in accordance with embodiments of the present subject matter are now described below, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying figures.

[0023] The drawings show in:

[0024] Fig. 1 a schematic side view according to an embodiment of a motor vehicle comprising an embodiment of a navigation device comprising an embodiment of an electronic computing device;

[0025] Fig. 2 a schematic block diagram according to an embodiment of an electronic computing device;

[0026] Fig. 3 another schematic block diagram according to an embodiment of an electronic computing device; and

[0027] Fig. 4 another schematic block diagram according to an embodiment of an electronic computing device.

[0028] In the figures the same elements or elements having the same function are indicated by the same reference signs. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] In the present document, the word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration". Any embodiment or implementation of the present subject matter described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.

[0030] While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawing and will be described in detail below. It should be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the disclosure.

[0031] The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion so that a setup, device or method that comprises a list of components or steps does not include only those components or steps but may include other components or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such setup or device or method. In other words, one or more elements in a system or apparatus preceded by “comprises” or “comprise” does not or do not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the system or method.

[0032] In the following detailed description of the embodiment of the disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawing that forms part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration a specific embodiment in which the disclosure may be practiced. This embodiment is described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.

[0033] Fig. 1 shows a schematic side view according to an embodiment of a motor vehicle 10. The motor vehicle 10 comprises at least one navigation device 12. The navigation device 12 comprises one electronic computing device 14 as well as at least one sensor device 16. The navigation device 12 may comprise further sensor devices 16. For example, a sensor device 16 may be a camera, a lidar sensor, a radar sensor, or an ultrasonic sensor.

[0034] Fig. 2 shows a schematic block diagram according to an embodiment of the electronic computing device 14. In particular, Fig. 2 shows that, for example, data from the sensor devices 16 can gathered and transmitted to the electronic computing device 14. In particular, surroundings information 18 are provided by the sensor devices 16. The surroundings information 18 are transmitted to a preprocessing step 20, wherein the surroundings information 18 are preprocessed. For example, different electronic computing units 22 may be used for that.

[0035] After that, preprocessed data as map data 24 is stored in a storage device 26 of the electronic computing device 14.

[0036] In particular, Fig. 2 shows the method for generating the map data 24 for the navigation device 12 for the motor vehicle 10. The surroundings information 18 are received from the at least one sensor device 16 by the electronic computing device 14. The surroundings information 18 are preprocessed for map generation by the electronic computing device 14. The preprocessed data is stored as map data 24 in the storage device 26 of the electronic computing device 14.

[0037] In particular, the preprocessed map data 24 may be transmitted to an external electronic computing device 28, for example to a back-end server. Furthermore, a current map 30 of the navigation device 12 may be updated with the map data 24 internal of the motor vehicle 10. Furthermore, depending on a current degree of utilization of the storage device 26 a decision for storing the preprocessed data is made.

[0038] Fig. 3 shows another schematic block diagram according to an embodiment of the electronic computing device 14. According to an embodiment, the electronic computing device 14 may comprise a first computing unit 22a, a second computing unit 22b, a third computing unit 22c and a fourth computing unit 22d. As shown, the electronic computing device 14 may comprise at least the three electronic computing units 22a to 22d, wherein the first computing unit 22a may be provided as a master unit for distributing calculation tasks for the preprocessing step 20 to the at least two slave electronic computing units 22b to 22d. In particular, dependent on a current availability of the computing resources of the slave electronic computing units 22b to 22d, the master unit distributes the calculation tasks.

[0039] In particular, Fig. 3 shows that, for example, the first computing unit 22a receives the world model data from the sensor devices 16 and is considered as the master computing unit to process or delegate the high definition map processing. The second computing unit 22b of the third computing unit 22c and the fourth computing 22d is reporting periodically to the first computing unit 22a about resource availability. The first computing unit 22a may also periodically ask all the slave computing units to report its resources. Both ways of reporting are possible.

[0040] If the first computing unit 22a has enough resource available, then the first computing unit 22a may process it and create high definition maps. If the first computing unit 22a is out of resource, it can delegate the work to other participating ECU’s, for example in the shown figure to the second computing unit 22b may process 50%, the third computing unit 22c may process 30%, and the fourth computing unit 22d may process 20% of the tasks. Once the second computing unit 22b, the third computing unit 22c, and the fourth computing unit 22d receive the task from the first computing unit 22a, then it locks certain about of the ECU resource and process the tasks and update about task completion to the first computing unit 22a. As soon as the second computing unit 22b, the third computing unit 22c and the fourth computing unit 22d complete its task, it returns the process task to the first computing unit 22a and the first computing unit 22a integrates / stitches source tasks and create the final high definition map.

[0041] Fig. 4 shows another embodiment according to the electronic computing device 14. According to another embodiment, an intern-chip communication 32 between the first computing unit 22a and the slave computing unit 22b to 22c is shown.

[0042] In particular Fig. 4 shows that the general set-up, as shown in Fig. 3, is the same, however in Fig. 4 the first computing unit 22a calculates the fasted path to complete / generate the map data 24 and chooses that path for work load distribution. The path could be one or more of the following: The first computing unit 22a and the second computing unit 22b have more CPU cores, and their combined core type and clocking is better than with the third computing unit 22c or the fourth computing unit 22d which allows the first computing unit 22a to generate high-definition maps faster than choosing other options. Similarly, multiple combination is possible. In case of delay, in the high-definition map processing, the first computing unit 22a can dynamically re-distribute the processing to another computing unit, for example, if the first computing unit 22a allocates tasks to the second computing unit 22b, the third computing unit 22c and the fourth computing unit 22d, and somehow the second computing unit 22b gets high priority task than the first computing unit 22a would know that, and it will stop the task and process it wherever possible or at another task due to the third computing unit 22c or the fourth computing unit 22d. Furthermore, the first computing unit 22a can create task cue, for example, for the second computing unit 22b, the third computing unit 22c, and the fourth computing unit 22d, without condition that, pickup the task cue only, if the second computing unit 22b, the third computing unit 22c, fourth computing unit 22d can process that data without lowering its task priority and in given time. signs motor vehicle navigation device electronic computing device sensor device surroundings information processing step first computing unit second computing unit third computing unit fourth computing unit map data storage device external electronic computing device current map inter-chip communication

Claims

1. A method for generating map data (24) for a navigation device (12) of a motor vehicle (10) by an electronic computing device (14) of the motor vehicle (10), comprising the steps of:- receiving surroundings information (18) from at least one sensor device (16) of the motor vehicle (10) by the electronic computing device (14);- preprocessing the surroundings information (18) for map generation by the electronic computing device (14); and- storing the preprocessed data as map data (24) in a storage device (26) of the electronic computing device (14).

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in thatthe preprocessed map data (24) is transmitted to an external electronic computing device (28).

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in thata current map (30) of the navigation device (12) is updated with the map data (24) internal of the motor vehicle (10).

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in thatdepending on a current degree of utilization of the storage device (26) a decision for storing the preprocessed map data (24) is made.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in thatthe electronic computing device (14) comprises at least three electronic computing units (22a - 22d), and wherein a first computing unit (22a) is provided as a master unit for distributing calculation tasks for the preprocessing step to the at least two slave electronic computing units (22b - 22d).

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in thatdepending on a current availability of computing resources of the slave electronic computing units (22b - 22d) the master unit distributes the calculation tasks.

7. A computer program product comprising program code means for performing a method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising at least the computer program product according to claim 7.

9. An electronic computing device (14) for generating map data (24) for a navigation device (12) of a motor vehicle (10), comprising at least one storage device (26), wherein the electronic computing device (14) is configured for performing a method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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