Atomic Lane Road Characterization for Dynamic Route Planning

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing road characterization technologies for self-driving systems are limited in adaptability, as they require changes to navigation maps when initial or target locations, routes, or lanes change, and cannot effectively describe multiple route methods or lane changes.

Innovation Solution

The method segments roads into atomic lanes based on lane connectivity and change feasibility, allowing for dynamic route planning without map changes, using a road characterization device that determines atomic lanes and lane association information to characterize roads and construct directed graphs for route representation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a single-line description method is used to represent road routes, then the map structure is simple and easy to implement, but the adaptability is poor because the map must be changed when start point, target location, route or lane changes are required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemap structure simplicityVSAvoidroute planning adaptability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments roads into atomic lanes based on lane connectivity and change feasibility. Each atomic lane represents a minimal road segment with specific connectivity properties, allowing the system to represent complex road networks as compositions of these atomic units. This segmentation enables flexible route planning by combining different atomic lanes without requiring map changes, resolving the contradiction between simple structure and high adaptability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces dynamic route planning capabilities by representing routes as sequences of atomic lanes rather than fixed single-line descriptions. The system can dynamically select and combine atomic lanes to create different routes between start and target points, allowing adaptability while maintaining a static atomic lane database structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Ease of operation

If a single-line description method is used, then the implementation is convenient, but it cannot effectively describe multiple route methods or lane changes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimplementation convenienceVSAvoidlane change description capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

By dividing roads into atomic lanes with defined connectivity relationships, the system can represent multiple route methods and lane changes through different combinations of atomic lanes. This maintains implementation convenience through standardized atomic units while enabling comprehensive description of various driving scenarios

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent adds a dimensional aspect to route representation by introducing lane connectivity and change feasibility as separate dimensions. Instead of representing routes as single lines, the system uses multi-dimensional atomic lane structures that encode connectivity information, enabling description of lane changes and multiple routes while maintaining operational simplicity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP3473980B1Road characterization method, and method and device for displaying road information
Publication Date: 2022.05.04 UISEE SHANGHAI AUTOMOTIVE TECH LTD
  • EP3473980B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3473980B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3473980B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

An objective of the present application is to provide a road characterization method, comprising: acquiring a target road, wherein the target road comprises one or more road segments; determining one or more atomic lanes corresponding to the road segments according to the road segment attribute information of the road segments; and determining lane association information related to the atomic lanes corresponding to the target road; wherein the one or more atomic lanes and the lane association information are used for characterizing the target road. The method can functionally completely describe objective connections of lanes within a target area, including lane connectivity and lane change feasibility.