Protolane Flowchart Grouping for Reusable Autonomous Vehicle Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicle systems face challenges in reliably navigating complex and unpredictable environments, necessitating effective testing and validation methods to ensure trustworthy operation without human intervention.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of protolanes, which decompose roadways into manageable segments for testing and verification, allowing for the comparison and grouping of protolane level flowcharts to determine common graphs and applicable test conditions, thereby simplifying the evaluation of autonomous vehicle decision-making processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If comprehensive testing of all possible driving scenarios is performed, then reliability of autonomous vehicle operation is improved, but test time and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the continuous roadway into discrete protolane segments with specific geometric and contextual characteristics. Each protolane is represented by a flowchart that can be independently analyzed and tested. This segmentation allows the testing system to focus on specific protolane types rather than every possible continuous scenario, reducing overall test complexity while maintaining comprehensive coverage of critical driving situations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates simplified graphical representations (flowcharts) that copy and abstract the essential decision-making logic of autonomous vehicle behavior for each protolane. These flowchart copies enable efficient comparison and grouping of protolanes with similar behavior patterns, allowing test cases to be reused across multiple protolane instances that share common graphs, thereby reducing redundant testing.
2Measurement precision
If detailed analysis of each individual protolane is performed, then measurement precision of vehicle behavior is improved, but device complexity and analysis effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges protolanes that share common graphs into groups, where a single test case can validate multiple protolanes simultaneously. By identifying and combining protolanes with identical or similar decision-making logic represented in their flowcharts, the system reduces the total number of unique test cases required while maintaining precise validation of each protolane's behavior through the shared graph analysis.
3Reliability
If complete test coverage of all protolane variations is achieved, then reliability evidence is improved, but productivity of testing process decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates universal test cases based on common graphs that can be applied across multiple protolane variations. A single test case derived from a common graph can validate the behavior of numerous protolanes that share that graph structure, making the testing process multi-functional and highly efficient while still providing comprehensive reliability evidence across diverse driving scenarios.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product aspects for testing reuse across protolane families. For example, the method includes comparing a first protolane level flowchart to a second protolane level flowchart to determine a common graph corresponding to a portion of the first protolane level flowchart and a portion of the second protolane level flowchart. A first protolane corresponding to the first protolane level flowchart and a second protolane corresponding to the second protolane level flowchart within a protolane family are grouped based on the common graph, wherein a test directed to conditions of the common graph is applicable to the portion of the first protolane level flowchart and the portion of the second protolane level flowchart.