Vehicle-Side Map Update Triggers for Changing Road Landmarks

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing map systems for autonomous driving face challenges in accurately updating map data in real-time, particularly due to natural disasters and rapid urban changes, which can lead to outdated landmark positions and reduced driving accuracy.

Innovation Solution

A method and system where a vehicle-side device uploads index information to a server when specific events occur, allowing the server to determine if map data needs updating and set an update flag for affected road segments, ensuring timely and accurate map data refreshment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If map data is updated frequently to reflect natural disasters and urban changes, then map accuracy is improved, but communication data volume and server load increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemap accuracyVSAvoidcommunication data volume

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential update trigger information (index information) from vehicles and transmits it to the server, rather than transmitting complete map data. The server then determines whether full map updates are needed based on this extracted index information, significantly reducing communication data volume while maintaining map accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The map update process is segmented into two stages: first, vehicles upload only index information (segment 1); second, the server processes this index information and selectively updates map data (segment 2). This segmentation allows the system to maintain high map accuracy while minimizing communication overhead by only performing full updates when necessary.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Measurement precision

If complete map data is transmitted from vehicles to server, then map update accuracy is improved, but communication time and energy consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemap update accuracyVSAvoidcommunication time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential update trigger information (index information) from vehicles and transmits it to the server, rather than transmitting complete map data. The server then determines whether full map updates are needed based on this extracted index information, significantly reducing communication data volume and time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Vehicles perform preliminary action by uploading index information that indicates potential map updates needed. This preliminary upload allows the server to pre-process and determine update requirements before actual map data transmission, reducing overall communication time and enabling selective updates only when necessary.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If map data is updated in real-time to reflect environmental changes, then driving accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedriving accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential update trigger information (index information) from vehicles and transmits it to the server, rather than transmitting complete map data. The server then determines whether full map updates are needed based on this extracted index information, significantly reducing communication data volume while maintaining map accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements periodic action by having vehicles continuously monitor for predetermined events (such as natural disasters or urban changes) and upload index information when such events occur. This periodic monitoring and selective upload mechanism maintains real-time driving accuracy without requiring constant full map data transmission, thereby reducing system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentUS11920948B2Vehicle-side device, method, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for uploading map data

Publication Date: 2024.03.05 DENSO CORP

AI summary

A method for generating or updating map data including coordinate information of a plurality of landmarks disposed along a road, includes: by a vehicle-side device, uploading index information, indicating that the map data needs to be updated to the server in associated with a road segment in which the vehicle is traveling when a predetermined event occurs in a situation where the vehicle is traveling; by the server, determining whether the map data for the road segment needs to be updated based on the index information provided by the vehicle-side device; and by a server, setting an update flag indicating that the map data needs to be updated for the road segment when determining that the map data needs to be updated.