Autonomous Vehicle Lane Routing Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing autonomous vehicle routing systems are inefficient when generating routes based solely on road and road segment information, as they do not account for lanes, leading to suboptimal navigation.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous vehicle system that includes a processor to identify and generate routes using vehicle transportation network information, which includes lane information, to determine the most efficient path by considering adjacent lanes and their directions of travel, thereby optimizing route planning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If routing systems use only road and road segment information, then the system complexity is reduced, but the route accuracy and efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the road network into hierarchical levels: road segments, lanes, and trajectory points. By dividing the routing problem into these manageable segments, the system can process lane-level details without overwhelming complexity, thereby improving route accuracy while maintaining system tractability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a new dimension to traditional routing by incorporating lane information alongside road segment information. This dimensional expansion from 2D road networks to 3D lane-level navigation enables more precise route planning and vehicle positioning without fundamentally complicating the underlying routing algorithms.
2Productivity
If routing systems incorporate lane information, then the route accuracy and efficiency improve, but the data processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary processing of lane information during map data creation and storage. Lane geometries, directions, and connectivity are pre-computed and stored in the lane network database, allowing the routing system to query pre-processed data rather than computing lane relationships in real-time, thus improving efficiency without proportionally increasing processing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces trajectory points as intermediary elements that connect lanes to vehicle positioning systems. These trajectory points serve as a mediating layer that simplifies the interaction between complex lane networks and vehicle navigation requirements, enabling efficient route generation through standardized query interfaces.
3Reliability
If the system processes multiple candidate routes with lane information, then the navigation optimization improves, but the computational time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent generates a limited set of candidate routes (e.g., top 3-5 options) rather than exhaustively evaluating all possible paths. By focusing computational resources on a partial set of high-probability routes that incorporate lane-level optimization, the system achieves sufficient navigation optimization without the prohibitive computational cost of complete route enumeration.
Data Source
AI summary
An autonomous vehicle may include a processor configured to execute instructions to identify, from vehicle transportation network information representing a vehicle transportation network, first and second location information representing a first and second location in the vehicle transportation network, and generate route information representing a route from the first location to the second location via the vehicle transportation network, wherein the route information includes first lane information indicating that the route includes a first lane of a road segment, wherein the vehicle transportation network information includes second lane information representing a second lane of the road segment and adjacent to the first lane, the route having a minimal expected cost among available candidate routes. The autonomous vehicle may include a trajectory controller configured to operate the autonomous vehicle to traverse the vehicle transportation network from the first location to the second location via the route based on the route information.