Local Hazard Warning Polygon Quality Scoring

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional weather stations may not provide accurate weather data for areas lacking nearby stations, and crowd-sourced sensors can lead to false positives for adverse weather conditions, making it challenging to issue reliable local hazard warnings.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus that receive probe data points from multiple sources within a mapped region, generate a local hazard warning condition polygon, and establish a quality score based on agreement with weather conditions at map points, enabling autonomous vehicle control or user indications for adverse weather conditions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If crowd-sourced sensors are used to provide granular weather estimations, then weather data coverage is improved, but false positives for adverse weather conditions increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveweather data coverageVSAvoidaccuracy of adverse weather conditions

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple data sources including crowd-sourced probe data from vehicles, traditional weather station data, and satellite imagery to create a comprehensive weather assessment system. By merging these diverse sources, the system achieves both granular coverage and improved reliability through cross-validation of adverse weather condition reports.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where weather warnings are issued based on correlated data from multiple sources, and the quality of these warnings is continuously evaluated. Probe data points are assessed for consistency with independent weather data sources, creating a feedback loop that reduces false positives while maintaining comprehensive coverage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If traditional weather stations are used, then weather data reliability is improved, but coverage area is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveweather data accuracyVSAvoidweather data coverage area

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the weather monitoring function across multiple mobile probe units distributed throughout the region. Each probe collects local weather data, and the system aggregates these segmented data points to create comprehensive coverage while maintaining reliability through correlation with traditional weather station data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system makes weather monitoring universal by enabling multiple vehicle probes to perform weather data collection functions traditionally performed by fixed weather stations. This multi-functional approach allows any vehicle in the region to contribute to weather monitoring, dramatically expanding coverage area while maintaining data quality through cross-validation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Measurement precision

If probe data points are aggregated to generate hazard warnings, then local hazard detection is improved, but false positive rate increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelocal hazard detection accuracyVSAvoidwarning accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces independent weather data sources as intermediaries to validate probe data points before generating hazard warnings. Probe reports of adverse conditions are mediated through correlation with traditional weather station data and satellite imagery, serving as an intermediary verification step that reduces false positives while maintaining sensitive local hazard detection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies partial validation by requiring a threshold level of agreement among multiple data sources before issuing a hazard warning. Rather than requiring complete consensus from all possible sources, the system uses a calibrated threshold that balances sensitive detection with false positive reduction, issuing warnings when sufficient evidence accumulates from probe data and independent sources.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS11320819B2Method, apparatus and computer program product for estimating accuracy of local hazard warnings

Publication Date: 2022.05.03 HERE GLOBAL BV

AI summary

Embodiments described herein may provide a method for generating a local hazard warning polygon and establishing a quality score thereof. Methods may include: receiving a plurality of probe data points from a plurality of probes within a mapped region, where each probe data point includes location information and weather condition information; generating, based on a plurality of probe data points indicating an adverse weather condition, a local hazard warning condition polygon including a plurality of local hazard warning condition vertices; receiving weather conditions at each of a plurality of map points within the mapped region; correlating each local hazard warning condition vertex with a respective map point within the mapped region; and establishing a quality score of the local hazard warning condition polygon based on a proportion of the local hazard warning condition vertices indicating an adverse weather condition agreeing with a weather condition at a respective correlated map point.