Occupancy Grid Boundary Detection With ROI Transition Tracking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current systems for detecting free space around vehicles, such as in advanced driver assistance systems, require significant computational effort and are prone to errors in determining the boundary between free and occupied spaces.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus that utilize an occupancy grid to detect boundaries by identifying transition points and assigning region of interest windows, reducing computational effort by focusing analysis on specific areas and improving reliability through successive verification of detected boundaries.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the entire occupancy grid is analyzed to detect boundaries, then measurement precision is improved, but computation time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveboundary detection accuracyVSAvoidcomputation time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The occupancy grid is divided into multiple regions of interest (ROIs) based on detected transition points. Instead of analyzing the entire grid uniformly, the method segments the search space into specific ROIs surrounding transition points, where boundary detection is most critical. This segmentation allows concentrated computational resources on areas likely to contain boundaries while reducing overall computation time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The method applies different analysis strategies to different regions of the occupancy grid. Regions containing transition points receive focused attention with detailed local analysis to detect boundaries with high precision, while other regions are either skipped or analyzed with less computational effort. This local quality approach ensures measurement precision at critical locations without uniformly increasing computation time across the entire grid.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If the entire occupancy grid is analyzed to detect boundaries, then reliability is improved, but computation effort increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveboundary detection reliabilityVSAvoidcomputation effort
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The method performs preliminary detection of transition points in the occupancy grid before conducting detailed boundary analysis. These transition points serve as indicators of potential boundary locations. By identifying and marking these points first, the system can then focus subsequent detailed analysis only on regions surrounding these transition points, ensuring reliable boundary detection without the computational effort required to analyze the entire grid in detail.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The occupancy grid analysis is segmented into two stages: first detecting transition points across the grid, then performing detailed boundary detection only in regions of interest surrounding these transition points. This segmentation allows the system to maintain high reliability by thoroughly analyzing critical regions while reducing overall computation effort by excluding non-critical regions from detailed analysis.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Productivity

If region of interest windows are assigned around transition points, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveboundary detection efficiencyVSAvoidalgorithm complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The regions of interest are dynamically defined based on the detected transition points rather than using fixed grid segments. The size, shape, and position of each ROI are adapted to the specific location and characteristics of the transition point it surrounds. This dynamic approach improves productivity by focusing computational resources precisely where needed, while the adaptability reduces the need for overly complex predetermined segmentation schemes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3514648B1Method and apparatus for detecting a boundary in an envi-ronment of an object
Publication Date: 2023.09.06 CONTINENTAL AUTONOMOUS MOBILITY GERMANY GMBH
  • EP3514648B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP3514648B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The present invention provides to a detection of a boundary in an environment. For this purpose, information of an occupancy grid is used, wherein the occupancy grid provides information about the probability of occupancy in the environment. Upon detecting a starting transition point between a free and an occupied grid cell in the occupancy grid, a region of interest window surrounding the starting transition point is analyzed to identify further transition points. The identified transition points are combined to one or more polygon chain. After the analysis of the boundary is performed within the region of interest, successive regions of interest may be analyzed. For this purpose, the successive regions of interest are determined based on the transition points and/or the boundary information of a current region of interest window.