HD Map Feature Updates Using Incremental Change Data
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for updating high definition (HD) maps in autonomous vehicles are inefficient, as they require frequent surveys by high-quality vehicles or passenger vehicles, leading to significant delays in reflecting reality changes in the maps.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system that generates and distributes map change data independently from the HD map data, allowing for quicker updates to the maps by identifying changes in road objects and generating data that reflects these changes, thereby reducing the overhead associated with distributing updates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If frequent surveys by high-quality vehicles or passenger vehicles are conducted to update HD maps, then the map data reflects reality changes more accurately, but the time delay and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the map update process into two independent components: full HD map data and incremental change data. The server identifies and extracts only the changed portions (map features) from the complete map, allowing selective transmission of updates rather than requiring frequent full-map redistributions. This segmentation enables faster, more efficient updates that reduce both time delay and bandwidth consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary identification of map changes on the server side before transmission to vehicles. By pre-processing the map data to detect changes and generate change indicators in advance, the system prepares update packages that can be quickly distributed to vehicles, reducing the overall update time delay without compromising accuracy.
2Reliability
If full HD map data is redistributed frequently to reflect changes, then vehicles receive updated information, but the data transmission overhead and network bandwidth consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential change information from the complete HD map data. The server identifies specific map features that have changed and generates change indicators containing only this delta information, excluding all unchanged map data. This extraction approach significantly reduces network bandwidth consumption while ensuring vehicles receive reliable update information.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates lightweight copies of map change data rather than redistributing full map datasets. Change indicators serve as compact representations of map updates, containing only the necessary information to update vehicle maps. This copying strategy maintains information currency while dramatically reducing transmission overhead and bandwidth usage.
3Loss of information
If detailed map features are maintained for all road objects, then the HD map provides comprehensive navigation information, but the data size and processing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic map data structure where the level of detail and update frequency for different map features can vary. The system selectively tracks and updates only those map features that have changed, allowing the map representation to adapt dynamically to actual road conditions and changes. This dynamic approach maintains comprehensive road object coverage while reducing processing complexity by focusing computational resources on changed elements only.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a technique for processing map change data in a map client that uses the map changes to apply changes and updates to current map data. The map client provides the updated map data to other components in an autonomous vehicle. The map change data describes the processing in the map client to obtain updated map data from the map data.