Vehicle Reachability Estimation via Gateway Segments

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for estimating a vehicle's cruising range are computationally expensive and often compromise accuracy due to the need for frequent updates and consideration of dynamic road network changes, leading to a trade-off between accuracy and computational efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A method that retrieves digital map data and road segment data to establish gateway road segments, allowing for pre-generation of route information for initial and successive routes, reducing the computational burden by splitting the route into these segments and using pre-determined costs for efficient estimation of the vehicle's ability to reach a target road segment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If full-scale road network searches are performed to accurately estimate cruising range, then measurement precision is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to high computational cost and time consumption

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecruising range estimation accuracyVSAvoidcomputational efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the road network into multiple hierarchy classes (e.g., highways, arterial roads, local roads) and segments the cruising range estimation process to operate on different levels. Instead of performing exhaustive searches on the entire network, the system performs searches on segmented portions relevant to the current location and target, significantly reducing computational complexity while maintaining accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system pre-calculates and stores route information, travel times, and energy consumption data for road segments in the database before actual cruising range estimation is needed. This preliminary action allows the estimation process to retrieve pre-computed values rather than performing real-time full-scale searches, dramatically improving computational efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If frequent updates of cruising range estimation are performed to account for dynamic traffic conditions, then reliability is improved, but loss of time increases due to repeated computational efforts

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecruising range estimation accuracyVSAvoidupdate time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-computes and stores route characteristics, travel times, and energy consumption data in the database during off-peak periods. When frequent updates are needed during operation, the system retrieves these pre-computed values and applies real-time traffic condition adjustments, avoiding repeated full-scale searches and enabling rapid updates.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system focuses computational resources on local road segments and routes relevant to the current vehicle location and target destination, rather than re-evaluating the entire road network. This localized approach allows frequent updates with minimal computational overhead by only re-calculating affected portions of the route.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP2685215B1Method of estimating an ability of a vehicle to reach a target road segment, method of generating a database therefor, and corresponding navigation system
Publication Date: 2021.04.28 HARMAN BECKER AUTOMOTIVE SYST GMBH
  • EP2685215B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2685215B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP2685215B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

Various embodiments relate to a method of estimating an ability of a vehicle to reach a target road segment (4), comprising retrieving road segment data for road segments (3, 3a) containing previously generated route information for routes (151, 152) connecting the road segments (3, 3a), the route information parameterizing costs associated for travelling along the respective route (151, 152); and establishing first road segment data for the target road segment indicating a gateway road segment and indicating route information for a successive route from the gateway road segment to the target road segment. The method further comprises, based on the route information of the successive route, determining first costs for travelling along the successive route (152), and establishing, based on the indicated gateway road segment (2a), second road segment data for the current road segment, the second road segment data indicating route information for an initial route (151) from the current road segment (1) to the gateway road segment (2a). The method further comprises determining, based on the received route information for the initial route (151), second costs for travelling on the initial route (151) and estimating, based on the determined first and second costs, the ability of the vehicle to reach the target road segment (4).