Drivable Path Validation Using Image-Map Overlay
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles face challenges in navigating due to the vast volume of data from sensors, cameras, and maps, which can limit navigation accuracy and require efficient data processing and storage solutions.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses a processor to receive and analyze captured images and planned drivable paths, employing a trained network to determine a valid path, and adjust navigation accordingly, utilizing a sparse map for efficient data management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional mapping technology is used to navigate, then the autonomous vehicle can access comprehensive map data, but the sheer volume of data needed to store and update the map poses daunting challenges
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the map data into sparse map sections containing only critical navigation information (road segments, intersections, landmarks) rather than storing complete high-definition maps. This segmentation reduces data storage volume while maintaining navigation reliability by focusing on essential elements needed for autonomous driving decisions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts and retains only the most important map features and road geometry information needed for navigation, discarding redundant data. This extraction process maintains navigation accuracy by preserving critical elements while significantly reducing the overall data storage requirements.
2Reliability
If vast volumes of information from sensors and cameras are processed, then the autonomous vehicle can make informed navigation decisions, but the sheer quantity of data can limit or adversely affect autonomous navigation
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary processing of sensor and camera data to extract only relevant features and information before further analysis. By pre-processing data to identify and isolate critical navigation information, the system reduces the complexity of subsequent data processing while maintaining the reliability of navigation decisions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary processing layer that filters and translates raw sensor and camera data into meaningful navigation-relevant information. This intermediary layer reduces data complexity by converting vast volumes of raw data into structured, actionable insights that can be efficiently processed for navigation decisions.
3Measurement precision
If captured images and planned drivable paths are overlaid and analyzed, then the system can validate path correctness, but this requires efficient integration of visual data with map data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges captured images with planned drivable paths through overlay techniques that align visual data with map data in a unified coordinate system. This merging enables precise path validation by allowing direct comparison between actual road features in images and planned paths, improving measurement precision while managing integration complexity through systematic alignment procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
In one implementation, a method for navigating a host vehicle relative to a road segment includes receiving a captured image representative of at least a portion of the road segment; receiving a planned drivable path representation based on one or more map sections associated with the road segment, wherein the drivable path is determined for navigating the host vehicle; generating an overlaid representation of the captured image with the planned drivable path; providing the overlaid representation to a trained network, wherein the trained network is configured to receive the overlaid representation as input and provide, based on the combination of the captured image and the planned drivable path, an output that includes an indication of whether the host vehicle drivable path represents a valid path along the road segment; and causing a navigation system of the host vehicle to determine a navigational change for the host vehicle based on the indication of whether the host vehicle drivable path represents a valid path along the road segment.