GNSS Integrity Map Generation for Autonomous Driving
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) based positioning systems face challenges in providing accurate and reliable position information, especially in non-ideal environmental conditions, leading to unreliable error estimation and lack of real-time integrity performance, which is critical for autonomous driving applications.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method that collects and post-processes position information from GNSS receivers, using correction data such as differential GNSS, RTK, SBAS, or PPP, to determine corrected position errors and integrity performance, generating an integrity map that can be used to provide real-time integrity information to vehicles, including protection levels, alert limits, and time to alert, using techniques like generalized extreme value statistical methods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If GNSS-based positioning systems are used for autonomous driving, then position information can be obtained for navigation, but the accuracy and reliability of position estimation deteriorates in non-ideal environmental conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by collecting position information during test trips before actual autonomous driving operations. Integrity maps are generated in advance by comparing estimated positions with ground truth positions, pre-characterizing the positioning system's performance at various locations. This allows the system to have reliability information ready before it is needed for safety-critical driving operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides beforehand cushioning by generating integrity maps that pre-identify locations where positioning accuracy may deteriorate. These integrity maps serve as a safety buffer, allowing the autonomous driving system to anticipate and compensate for potential accuracy issues before they affect actual driving operations, rather than reacting after errors occur.
2Reliability
If real-time integrity performance is required for autonomous driving safety, then positioning system reliability improves, but the complexity of the positioning system increases due to post-processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs integrity analysis in advance during test trips, generating integrity maps that characterize positioning system performance at various locations before actual autonomous driving. This preliminary action separates the complex analysis work from real-time operations, maintaining simplicity during critical driving while ensuring reliability through pre-computed integrity information.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a simplified copy of positioning performance characteristics through integrity maps. Instead of implementing complex real-time analysis during driving, the system copies the essential integrity information into pre-generated maps that can be efficiently queried during autonomous operations, reducing real-time computational complexity while maintaining reliability.
3Productivity
If estimated position errors are used for integrity assessment, then the system operates in real-time without additional processing, but the accuracy of integrity information deteriorates due to error propagation
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs accurate integrity assessment in advance during test trips by comparing estimated positions with ground truth positions. This preliminary action captures accurate integrity information before deploying the vehicle for autonomous driving, eliminating the need to rely on potentially inaccurate real-time error estimates during critical operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes obtaining position information of a first vehicle collected in real time by a first positioning system during a first trip on a route, post-processing the collected position information to determine corrected position data of the first vehicle during the first trip, computing position errors of the first positioning system at a plurality of locations during the first trip, determining integrity performance of the first positioning system at the plurality of locations, and providing the integrity performance of the first positioning system at the plurality of locations to the first vehicle or a second vehicle for determining real-time integrity performance of the first positioning system on the first vehicle or a second positioning system on the second vehicle at the plurality of locations.