Automated Vehicle Position Plausibility Using Traffic Density Maps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Highly automated vehicles face challenges in detecting short-term route changes, such as construction sites or accidents, due to low-resolution sensors and outdated digital maps, which can lead to safety-critical situations.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a high-precision digital map with a traffic density map that compares actual and expected traffic densities, using sensors and a control device to determine and update the vehicle's position, and perform a plausibility check based on differential values, ensuring timely detection of route changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If high-resolution sensors are used to detect route changes, then detection precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple low-resolution sensors into a sensor network that collectively provides high-resolution detection capability. By merging data from multiple sensors positioned at different locations, the system achieves precise route change detection without requiring individual high-resolution sensors, thus reducing device complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The detection task is segmented across multiple sensors rather than relying on a single high-resolution sensor. Each sensor captures local environmental data, and the central evaluation device integrates these segments to form a complete, high-precision picture of route changes, distributing the complexity across multiple simple components.
2Loss of information
If digital maps are updated frequently to reflect short-term route changes, then map topicality is improved, but information processing time and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by having vehicles continuously collect and pre-process environmental data during normal operation. When route changes occur, the data is already prepared and validated, allowing for rapid map updates without intensive real-time processing, thus reducing energy consumption while maintaining map topicality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback mechanisms where sensor data from multiple vehicles continuously validates and updates the digital map. The central evaluation device receives feedback from distributed sensors, processes only relevant changes, and updates the map selectively, minimizing unnecessary processing energy while ensuring current information is maintained.
3Reliability
If multiple sensors are deployed to detect short-term route changes, then detection reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements multi-functionality by using standard, commercially available sensors that can serve multiple purposes: detecting route changes, mapping environmental features, and validating digital map data. This universal approach improves detection reliability through multiple sensors while avoiding the complexity of specialized dedicated sensors for each function.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for operating a more highly automated vehicle (HAF), in particular a highly automated vehicle, comprising the following steps: 51 providing a digital map, preferably a highly accurate digital map, in a driver assistance system of the HAF; 52 determining a present vehicle position and locating the vehicle position in the digital map; 53 providing an expected setpoint traffic density at the vehicle position; 54 ascertaining a present actual traffic density in an environment of the HAF; 55 comparing the actual traffic density with the setpoint traffic density and ascertaining a difference value as the result of the comparison; 56 plausibilizing the vehicle position of the HAF at least in part on the basis of the difference value and/or 57 updating the digital map at least in part on the basis of the difference value. The invention further relates to a corresponding driver assistance system and to a computer program.