Automated Driving Route Enablement Using Landmark-Based Localization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle location systems are inadequate for enabling reliable automated driving operations, as they fail to ensure accurate longitudinal and transverse localization, particularly on curved sections where satellite-based position determination is insufficient.
Innovation Solution
The method employs a digital map to identify and analyze landmarks along a route, dividing it into straight and curved sections, and determines the suitability of these landmarks for longitudinal and transverse localization, enabling automated driving by ensuring a sufficient number of suitable landmarks are present, which also helps in setting a maximum driving speed based on localization accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If satellite-based position determination is used for vehicle localization, then the system is simple and provides coverage in open areas, but the positioning accuracy is insufficient for automated driving particularly on curved sections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines satellite-based position determination with landmark-based localization to create a hybrid positioning system. The control unit integrates GPS coordinates with landmark positions from digital maps to calculate the vehicle's position, achieving higher accuracy than satellite alone while maintaining reasonable system complexity through software-based integration.
Solution Approach 2:
Landmarks serve as intermediary reference points between the satellite system and the vehicle. By using recognizable features from the environment (buildings, trees, road markings) as intermediate references, the system bridges the gap between coarse satellite positioning and the fine precision needed for automated driving, particularly on curved sections where satellite signals may be insufficient.
2Measurement precision
If landmarks are used for localization, then the positioning accuracy improves, but the system requires complex digital map data and landmark analysis
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-storing landmark positions and characteristics in digital maps before the vehicle reaches them. The control unit提前 retrieves relevant landmark data from the digital map based on the vehicle's current location and planned route, so that when the vehicle approaches landmarks, the identification and matching processes can proceed efficiently without real-time complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies local quality by focusing landmark analysis only on relevant local areas around the vehicle's current position and upcoming route sections. Rather than processing all landmarks in the entire digital map, the control unit identifies and analyzes only those landmarks within a predetermined distance or relevance threshold, reducing data processing complexity while maintaining high localization accuracy where needed.
3Reliability
If the vehicle divides the route into straight and curved sections, then the localization strategy can be optimized for each section, but the route analysis becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the route into straight and curved sections based on the digital map data. The control unit identifies geometric characteristics of the road ahead and divides the route accordingly, allowing different localization strategies to be applied to each segment. This segmentation improves reliability by matching the localization approach to the specific geometric demands of each route section.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the localization strategy based on the detected route geometry. When curved sections are detected, the control unit increases reliance on landmark-based localization and adjusts the selection criteria for suitable landmarks. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize performance for each specific driving condition without requiring completely separate systems for different road types.
4Reliability
If a sufficient number of landmarks are required for automated driving, then the safety improves, but the requirement may not be met on routes with few landmarks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically changes the parameters for landmark selection and sufficiency determination based on route characteristics. For routes with limited landmarks, the control unit adjusts the criteria for what constitutes a suitable landmark (expanding the definition) and modifies the minimum number required. This parameter adaptation allows the system to maintain safety requirements while becoming compatible with a broader range of routes that have varying landmark densities.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for enabling a route for automated driving operation of a vehicle involves enabling a route ahead of the vehicle for automated driving operation of the vehicle if it is determined, using a digital map, which is used during automated driving operation for landmark-based localization of the vehicle, that there are landmarks present along the route which, with regard to their suitability for longitudinal and transverse localization of the vehicle, fulfil requirements which are predefined according to a course of the route.