Digital Map Displacement Data for Vehicle Localization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Digital map data becomes inaccurate over time due to crustal dynamics, leading to inconsistencies and inaccuracies in localization processes, particularly in advanced driving applications such as autonomous vehicles and ADAS, as the absolute position of geospatial features changes with respect to the Earth's surface.

Innovation Solution

Generate displacement map data by selecting reference locations, obtaining their absolute positions at different times, and calculating the change in position over time to create displacement vectors, which can be used to adjust and compensate for these changes in digital map data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If digital map data is used for localization over time, then navigation functionality is provided, but the absolute position accuracy deteriorates due to crustal dynamics

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelocalization accuracyVSAvoidtime since map generation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing displacement vectors for map features at multiple future time points during map generation. This allows the system to compensate for crustal dynamics without requiring real-time recalibration, maintaining localization accuracy despite the passage of time since map creation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamics by introducing time-dependent displacement vectors that adjust the positions of map features based on predicted crustal movement. Instead of treating map data as static, the system dynamically adjusts feature positions using pre-computed displacement data corresponding to different epochs, thereby maintaining accuracy over time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Measurement precision

If displacement compensation is applied to maintain accuracy, then localization precision is improved, but computational complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveposition accuracyVSAvoidcomputational processing

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent reduces computational complexity during localization by pre-computing displacement vectors for multiple time epochs during map generation. These pre-computed vectors are stored with the map data, allowing the localization system to simply apply the appropriate displacement adjustment based on the current epoch without performing complex real-time calculations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter representation by introducing epoch-specific displacement vectors as additional map parameters. Instead of complex dynamic models, the system uses simplified displacement parameters that can be directly applied to adjust feature positions, reducing the computational burden during localization while maintaining precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS12411020B2Methods and systems using digital map data

Publication Date: 2025.09.09 TOMTOM GLOBAL CONTENT

AI summary

The present disclosure generally relates to a methods and systems for compensating for changes in the absolute position of locations with respect to the Earth's surface which occur over time due to crustal dynamics. The invention is particularly, although not exclusively, concerned with such compensation in the context of methods using digital map data, for example, methods of localization of a vehicle.