Maplets for Real-Time HD Map Updates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing digital map systems for autonomous vehicles struggle to maintain accurate and up-to-date information about road networks in real-time, as they often rely on outdated data and lack efficient methods for updating changes such as construction, obstructions, and traffic incidents.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a network of vehicle-mounted sensors that generate and transmit 'maplets' – standardized data packets containing real-time road information, using a predetermined data model and format to efficiently update digital maps, ensuring accurate and timely representation of road network changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If digital map systems rely on traditional data collection methods, then system complexity is reduced, but map accuracy and up-to-date information deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the digital map update system into multiple independent components: vehicle-mounted sensors collect local road data, maplet generators create standardized data packets, and network servers aggregate information from multiple sources. This segmentation enables accurate real-time mapping while distributing system complexity across modular elements rather than requiring a monolithic complex system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements universal maplet data structures that can represent multiple types of road features (construction zones, obstructions, traffic incidents, road geometry) using a common standardized format. This multi-functionality allows a single system architecture to handle diverse mapping tasks, improving map accuracy without proportionally increasing system complexity.
2Loss of time
If real-time map updates are implemented continuously, then map information currency is improved, but network bandwidth consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential and changed road information into maplet data structures, transmitting only relevant updates rather than complete map datasets. This extraction approach maintains information currency by sending timely updates while minimizing network bandwidth consumption by excluding redundant data.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements periodic validation and update cycles where map information is refreshed at intervals based on change detection triggers. This periodic action ensures map information remains current without requiring continuous data transmission, thereby reducing network bandwidth usage while maintaining information currency.
3Productivity
If standardized data models are used for maplets, then data processing efficiency is improved, but adaptability to diverse road features deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing the standardized maplet data structure to incorporate feature-specific attributes and parameters tailored to different road elements (e.g., construction zone attributes differ from obstruction attributes). This enables efficient standardized processing while maintaining adaptability to diverse road features through localized data customization within the universal framework.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus is onboard a vehicle and in communication with sensors onboard the vehicle. The apparatus receives a maplet request identifying a request region; and, responsive to determining that the vehicle is within the request region, processes sensor data captured by sensors to generate a multi-sensor data stream corresponding to a road network segment. The apparatus identifies an observation corresponding to a pole-like object within the multi-sensor data stream; and generates a maplet based on the observation and the maplet request. Generating the maplet comprises using a predetermined data model and a predetermined data format corresponding to a pole-like object observation class to encode road data corresponding to the observation corresponding to the pole-like object. The apparatus provides the maplet such that a network apparatus receives the maplet. The network apparatus is configured to validate/update map data of a digital map representing the road network based on the maplet.