Distributed Vehicle Sensing for Navigation Beyond Sensor Occlusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional autonomous vehicle navigation systems are limited by the sensing capabilities of vehicle-mounted sensors, which may fail to detect certain objects due to environmental configurations or obstructions, leading to incomplete information about the vehicle's surroundings.
Innovation Solution
The use of distributed sensors from multiple vehicles and external facilities, aggregating sensor information to provide comprehensive navigation data, including absolute and relative positions of objects, and accounting for sensor differences and data formats, to enhance navigation accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If vehicle-mounted sensors are used for autonomous navigation, then the vehicle can perform self-navigation, but the sensing capability is limited and cannot detect certain objects due to environmental configurations or obstructions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines sensor data from multiple vehicles and fixed sensors into a distributed sensing network. This merging of sensing resources allows each vehicle to access information beyond its own sensor capabilities, improving object detection reliability without requiring each individual vehicle to carry complex sensor systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The distributed sensing system creates a universal sensing infrastructure where sensors from different vehicles and fixed locations serve multiple purposes. The same sensor data can be used by multiple vehicles for navigation, making the sensor system multi-functional and reducing the need for redundant sensors in each vehicle.
2Loss of information
If sensor data from multiple vehicles is aggregated, then comprehensive navigation information is obtained, but data processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the relevant sensor information needed for navigation from the distributed sensor network. Rather than processing all raw sensor data, the system identifies and extracts specific environmental information such as object positions and terrain features, reducing processing complexity while maintaining information completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a communication network and data fusion algorithm as intermediaries between the distributed sensors and the navigation system. These intermediaries handle the complex tasks of data aggregation, filtering, and integration, simplifying the processing burden on individual vehicles while ensuring comprehensive environmental information is captured.
3Measurement precision
If distributed sensors from multiple vehicles are used, then object detection accuracy improves, but system coordination complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The distributed sensing system implements feedback mechanisms where sensor data from multiple vehicles is continuously shared and cross-validated. This feedback loop allows the system to refine object position measurements by comparing data from different perspectives, improving measurement precision while managing coordination complexity through standardized data exchange protocols.
Data Source
AI summary
A set of sensor information may include first sensor information generated based on a first sensor of a first vehicle and second sensor information generated based on a second sensor of a second vehicle. Individual sensor information may characterize positions of objects in an environment of individual sensors. Relevant sensor information for a vehicle may be determined based on the set of sensor information and a position of the vehicle. The relevant sensor information may characterize positions of objects in a maneuver environment of the vehicle. A desired navigation of the vehicle in the maneuver environment of the vehicle may be determined based on the relevant sensor information. An instruction may be provided to the vehicle based on the desired navigation of the vehicle. The instruction may characterize one or more maneuvers to be performed by the vehicle to execute the desired navigation.