Vehicle Map Data Support Area Management for Driving Control Accuracy

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional vehicle driving control systems using map data face challenges in achieving high accuracy due to outdated map data, as they cannot distinguish between researched and unresearched areas, leading to incomplete updates and potential safety issues, such as failing to recognize new signs or temporary stop lines.

Innovation Solution

The introduction of a support area management system that identifies field-researched areas within map data, ensuring only updated data from these areas is used for driving control, with a car information system and map server collaborating to check and update attribute data and road shapes, preventing the use of unresearched areas for control decisions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the latest-version map data is downloaded, then the map data is updated, but it is not possible to identify field-researched areas from among all areas in the map data

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccuracy of driving controlVSAvoidinformation about field-researched areas
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by adding support area information to map data during the map data creation process, before the map data is used for driving control. This ensures that when map data is downloaded or updated, the support area information is already embedded, allowing the system to identify which areas have been field-researched without requiring additional processing or information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of energy

If only difference information is downloaded, then communication traffic is reduced, but it is not possible to know the reason why each area which is not included in the difference information exists

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication trafficVSAvoidinformation about update reasons
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by embedding support area information in the original map data before distribution. This allows the system to later determine whether areas are included in difference information due to actual changes or simply because they were not field-researched, without requiring additional communication traffic.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses support area information as an intermediary that mediates between the map data and the driving control system. This intermediary contains metadata about which areas have been field-researched, allowing the system to interpret difference information correctly and understand why certain areas are included or excluded from updates.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Area of stationary object

If map data covering all areas is used, then complete coverage is achieved, but it is not possible to perform driving control with high accuracy in unresearched areas

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoverage area of map dataVSAvoidaccuracy of driving control
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by making the reliability of map data location-dependent. Each area in the map data is tagged with support area information indicating whether it has been field-researched. The driving control system then uses map data with high reliability only in areas where field research has been performed, while avoiding or flagging unresearched areas, thus achieving high accuracy where it matters.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP1930694B8Car information system, map server, and on-board system
Publication Date: 2013.03.06 FAURECIA CLARION ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

The invention relates to a highly accurate control in a system for performing the driving control of a vehicle using map data. A car information system (10, 11, 12) for controlling a driving control unit group (50) is located in a vehicle so that the driving control of the vehicle is performed. The car information system includes, a map DB (100) for storing map data, a support area management table (110) in which each kind of attribute data of the map data is associated with information for identifying a field-researched area (support area) (1000), and a control unit (200) for estimating an area through which the vehicle travels. The control unit uses a support area management table (110) to judge whether or not attribute data included in the estimated area is associated with the support area (1000). If it is judged that the attribute data is associated with the support area (1000), the control unit performs the driving control of the vehicle by use of the map data, whereas if it is judged that the attribute data is not associated with the support area (1000), not performing the driving control of the vehicle by use of the map data.