Trajectory Channel Representation for Autonomous Behavior Prediction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current autonomous vehicle systems face challenges in accurately predicting the behavior of target agents, such as pedestrians or other vehicles, which can lead to inefficient decision-making and potential collisions, due to the complexity of processing trajectory data and the need for laborious hand-crafted feature engineering.

Innovation Solution

A system that uses a convolutional neural network to process trajectory data represented as two-dimensional channels, allowing for efficient computation and accurate prediction of future agent trajectories, including the generation of probabilities for possible driving decisions, by integrating historical data and motion parameters.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If traditional hand-crafted feature engineering is used for trajectory data processing, then prediction accuracy can be maintained through manual feature selection, but the system complexity and computational resource consumption increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprediction accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual hand-crafted feature engineering (mechanical process) with automated convolutional neural network processing (intelligent system). The CNN automatically learns and extracts relevant features from raw trajectory data, eliminating the need for manual feature selection and engineering while maintaining or improving prediction accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The convolutional neural network performs self-service by automatically learning optimal feature representations from the input trajectory data without human intervention. The system adapts and optimizes its own feature extraction process during training, reducing dependency on expert manual feature engineering.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Loss of information

If complex hand-crafted feature engineering is performed, then detailed trajectory features can be extracted, but the time and computational resources required for processing increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefeature extraction completenessVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent substitutes time-consuming manual feature engineering with parallelized neural network computation. The CNN processes trajectory data through multiple convolutional layers simultaneously, extracting comprehensive features much faster than sequential manual analysis while preserving all relevant information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The convolutional neural network performs preliminary feature extraction and processing in advance during the training phase, learning optimal feature representations that can be quickly applied during real-time prediction. This pre-computation reduces online processing time while maintaining feature completeness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If traditional trajectory processing methods are used, then computational accuracy can be maintained, but the computational resource consumption and processing efficiency decrease

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetrajectory prediction accuracyVSAvoidprocessing efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces traditional computational methods with neural network-based processing that achieves superior efficiency. The CNN architecture is optimized for parallel computation on modern hardware (GPUs, TPUs), enabling fast processing of trajectory data while maintaining or improving prediction accuracy through learned patterns.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the computational parameters and approach by using learned convolutional kernels and activation functions instead of fixed traditional algorithms. This allows the system to adapt computation to the specific characteristics of the data, improving both accuracy and efficiency simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS11586213B2Trajectory representation in behavior prediction systems
Publication Date: 2023.02.21 WAYMO LLC
  • US11586213B2 patent drawing
  • US11586213B2 patent drawing
  • US11586213B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for generating a representation of a trajectory of a target agent in an environment. In one aspect, the representation of the trajectory of the target agent in the environment is a concatenation of a plurality of channels, where each channel is represented as a two-dimensional array of data values. Each position in each channel corresponds to a respective spatial position in the environment, and corresponding positions in different channels correspond to the same spatial position in the environment. The channels include a time channel and a respective motion channel corresponding to each motion parameter in a predetermined set of motion parameters.