Vehicle Environment Mapping With Classified Occupancy Grids

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle environment mapping technologies face challenges in accurately positioning and classifying objects due to high uncertainty in passive positioning systems like cameras and inconsistencies in integrating semantic information with high-accuracy active positioning systems like radar, lidar, and ultrasound.

Innovation Solution

Combining semantic information from camera systems with high-accuracy active positioning systems using sensor fusion models, specifically through Dempster-Shafer evidence theory, to create classified occupancy grids that enhance object classification and positioning accuracy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If semantic information from camera systems is used for object classification, then object classification capability is improved, but positioning accuracy deteriorates due to high uncertainty in passive positioning systems

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveobject classification informationVSAvoidpositioning accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines semantic information from camera systems with occupancy grid data from active positioning systems (radar, lidar, ultrasound) to create classified occupancy grids. This merging allows the system to leverage the object classification capabilities of passive systems while maintaining the high positioning accuracy of active systems, resolving the contradiction between classification capability and positioning precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Measurement precision

If occupancy grids from active positioning systems are used, then positioning accuracy is improved, but object classification capability deteriorates due to lack of semantic information

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning accuracyVSAvoidobject classification information
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system merges occupancy grid data containing high-precision positioning information with semantic information containing object classification data. The classified occupancy grid integrates both types of information, allowing the system to simultaneously achieve high positioning accuracy and object classification capability that neither system could provide alone.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Measurement precision

If semantic information from multiple sources is integrated, then object classification accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveobject classification accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses Dempster-Shafer evidence theory as an intermediary framework to integrate semantic information from multiple sources (cameras, mapping applications, etc.). This mathematical framework provides a systematic method for combining evidence from different sources while handling uncertainty, improving object classification accuracy without requiring complex custom integration logic.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP4067930B1Mapping a vehicle environment
Publication Date: 2026.01.28 APTIV TECHNOLOGIES LTD
  • EP4067930B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4067930B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4067930B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A computer-implemented method and device for mapping a vehicle environment of a vehicle are disclosed. The method comprising determining an occupancy grid representing the vehicle environment, the occupancy grid comprising occupancy probability information of a first set of object detections, wherein the occupancy probability information is determined from first positioning information obtained from a first sensor system, the first positioning information indicating one or more positions of the first set of object detections with respect to the vehicle; obtaining semantic information and second positioning information associated with the semantic information from one or more semantic information sources, the semantic information comprising object classification information of a second set of object detections, the second positioning system indicating one or more positions of the second set of object detections with respect to the vehicle; and combining the object classification information of the second set of object detections with the occupancy probability information of the occupancy grid to generate a classified occupancy grid.